Let me explain the scenario and then I will add some context as to why I am posting it here.
For a number of years, my job as sysadmin has become increasingly more frustrating. One of my biggest sources of frustration is file storage, specifically Windows file server storage. Years ago, when we "revamped" our file server with Win2k3, I was not the sysadmin but I recommended that we use Win2k3R2 instead of Win2k3. The caveat here being that Win2k3R2 actually has some pretty nice file storage tools while Win2k3 does not. These recommendations fell on deaf ears. As it stands now, we have a pretty annoying issue where we keep every file that we have ever created as a company without deleting it. For example, I am forced to retain xls spreadsheets (145mb) for accounting that were created in 1999 and not updated since 2001. There are literally thousands of them all with the same file attributes. If I ask the accounting department what's on them, they have absolutely no idea. If I ask the accounting department if i can "archive" them (read delete them and rely on long term tape backup when they are needed), I am told that they are very important files that need to be kept. Obviously having a server that's capable of accurate reporting, via Win2k8R2 file services or a 3rd party application, would go a long way in painting a picture for management about our ridiculous retention, however I have painstakingly built these reports via scripts and I get the same exact kick back from my director/vp stating that IT's job is not to tell the business how to use data or police how it uses data. Is this really true? This seems backwards to be. I have somehow come to the opinion that if anyone should know how the company uses data and how that data needs to be retained it should be IT. If I know/observe/can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that 73% of all files on my file server haven't been accessed in more than 400 days, shouldn't that be enough for me to propose a meaningful retention policy?
At the end of the day, I am dealing with limited space. Our core competency of this company is not IT. For all intents and purposes, it's running a gym. For the 100 people that regularly use file storage, 5 of those people use 41% of current file storage space and 73% of that space contains data that have not been accessed in at least 400 days (50% of that space hasn't been accessed in the last year).
Is it really none of my business to say that this is inefficient use of storage space?
[link] [7 comments]