Blog / Time Management
Mason Degani, Save your computer system, Top 10 tips
Is having a number of good salespeople and property managers enough to set up a top performing real estate office? Well no, it takes more than that! You also need a good management team, good administration team and good processes and systems.
Computer systems are also the same. To keep spending big money and purchasing new hardware does not guarantee a good IT system. This is like running a car. If you want to ensure longevity, reliability and the best performance, you need to ensure you regularly service it, check the oil, check the tyres, and so on.
Whether you are a small office with just few staff or a massive office with a number of locations and departments, the principle is the same: maintain what you have!
There are number of areas that have to be checked but the 10 absolute important factors are:
1. Server configuration
There are a number of factors involved in setting up a server right. One is RAID configuration. This is where most of the servers have problems and this is the one that impacts on the server performance directly. The other one is resource allocation to make sure enough resources (memory, processor, etc…) have been allocated to the correct applications.
As an example, if you use a SQL based program (like Console Gateway, Strata Master or FileSMART), it’s important to understand that SQL servers need to be configured properly otherwise you will end up with a slow system even if you have purchased an expensive server recently.
We have seen a number of offices which have SQL Server Express installed which is limited to use only 1 processor and 1GB memory on a server with 32GB memory, and they have complained that their database application is still slow! Basically this edition will not use more than 1GB of memory even if you upgrade your server and spend thousands of dollars!
This is one of the most common issues that we see when we perform an IT system audit and this is because most IT companies installing and maintaining this equipment are not familiar with the industry applications and are not specialised in the Real Estate industry.
2. Networking
Networking is about connecting all the equipment in the office together. This is like roads in a city. It doesn’t matter how fast your car can go, if the road is bumpy or there is traffic there, you won’t be able to move fast! The same goes for your computer system. If your network equipment is not set up properly, you will a have slow system even if all your computers and servers are brand new. A cheap, slow switch sitting under someone’s desk can slow down the whole network. So it’s very important to design and maintain the network topology right.
3. Backup
This is the absolute most important area that needs to be set up right and maintained correctly. I can’t stress enough the importance of backup and can’t believe there are still offices out there with a small USB device that is supposed to hold critical information.
4. Disaster recovery and business continuity
I have deliberately separated this section from backup as most often these two get mixed up. Backup is about having a copy of your data somewhere safe so you can restore it if you need it. Disaster recovery is about being able to recover from a disaster (fire, flood, hardware failure etc). Not only do you need to have your data backed up, you also need to have your system files and configurations backed up with a clear disaster recovery plan in place - and business continuity is about having your business operational as per normal even if your office has completely burnt down and there is no server and computers there!
Previously, just having a backup was enough, but these days, with all the information computerised, offices should have a good disaster recovery and business continuity plan in place.
5. Antivirus
Years ago, the only threats were viruses. These days though, there are number of threats in addition to viruses like spyware, hijackers, Trojans, etc. These programs can do all sorts of damage from stealing your password, credit card details and bank account details to deleting your data. These programs can create a hidden user in your system and access your system using these hidden users and use your server for their online activities like selling illegal items. It’s very important to select the right protection software, implement it correctly, configure it correctly and most importantly maintain it right. There is no shortage of offices that have purchased an expensive antivirus, but either the configuration is not right or it has expired or not been installed properly.
6. Firewall
Another important area is security. A Firewall’s responsibility is to block all external access to your local system while letting the legitimate traffic come through. This starts from your internet modem / router. This router is your main point of connection between your local system and the internet. It’s important to use a business grade router and set it up right.
7. Physical Security
Having your server sitting on top of a desk or filing cabinet where absolutely anyone can access it, take it or break it, certainly is not a smart way of protecting the biggest asset of your business which is your data! But if you are also one of those offices that has your server password written on a sticky note attached to the server or underneath the keyboard, then you really need to do something about your system!
It does not make sense having strong passwords, the best antiviruses and top of the range firewall devices but not having any type of physical security.
8. Patch Management
Software providers (including Microsoft) are constantly releasing new updates, service packs and patches to improve their security. Some of these updates are critical and must be installed ASAP. This applies to all computers within your network including servers and workstations. Usually this is the area that most offices have problems with as there is absolutely no way of addressing this issue unless you have a proactive maintenance system in place.
9. UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply)
Computers and especially servers are very sensitive to sudden shutdown. This means if you disconnect a power cord from a working server, have a power surge or blackout etc. without shutting the server down, there is a high chance of data loss, data corruption or even hardware failure. It’s very important to make sure your server is protected by a UPS as long as the UPS is configured correctly - otherwise just having the UPS connected to your server won’t do anything!
10. Maintenance
None of the above helps if there is no proper IT maintenance plan in place. Computers are not like fridges or TVs - they are like humans, and they are alive. They grow with more resources and updated software, get sick with viruses, get old and slower and die!
Mason Degani is the managing director of DPT Solutions, an IT company dedicated to the Real Estate Industry.
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