Introduction to NonStop Operations Management

The Operations Staff
Introduction to NonStop Operations Management–125507
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Staffing the Support Area
level operators who specialize in different areas of system operations, including network
operations and teleprocessing. Other companies have several intermediate-level
operators who are supervised by the most experienced intermediate-level operator (often
called a lead operator).
Senior-Level Skills and Tasks
Staff performing senior-level tasks require an in-depth knowledge of Tandem system
operations, system management, and products. Senior-level tasks include:
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Monitoring applications
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Maintaining and scheduling batch jobs
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Solving problems escalated by intermediate-level staff
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Interdepartmental consulting
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Communicating with vendor support personnel
Senior-level staff are sometimes called senior operators, operations specialists, or
operations analysts. In operations groups with multiple shifts, the person who performs
senior-level tasks often supervises the entry-level and intermediate-level staff and might
be called the shift supervisor.
Staffing the Support Area
The support activity within production comprises a range of tasks and skills from entry
level to senior level. The tasks range from basic problem solving and system generation
to the more complex tasks of automating procedures and planning for system
installations. Depending on your needs, all levels of tasks might be performed by one
person, or several people may be responsible for a single level.
Entry-Level Skills and Tasks
Staff performing entry-level support tasks should know how to use the Tandem utilities
and operations tools. The staff should also have a good understanding of system
operations and management concepts. Senior-level operations personnel are good
candidates for an entry-level support position.
Entry-level tasks include:
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Basic problem solving
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Logging problems
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Providing the first level of support to operations staff
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Escalating problems to the next level of support when necessary
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Configuring and generating simple systems
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Writing simple macros and command files to automate operations tasks
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Performing basic security tasks such as adding user IDs, maintaining access-control
lists, and monitoring audit files
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Maintaining inventory