Noel Butler put forth on 7/1/2010 5:32 AM:
On Thu, 2010-07-01 at 06:14 -0400, Jerry wrote:
I agree. If the system is constructed correctly it certainly does not need that sort of attention. There is software available that can monitor the system to a high degree of satisfaction. However, Noel, I firmly believe that there are OPs (SAs ?) that greatly exaggerate the degree of difficulty of their job. I guess we all like to feel we are indispensable.
I'm certain that's the case, anything setup correctly, you should be able to walk away and almost forget about it, the only thing to do is modify anti spam rules to catch variants of new spam, all of 1 mins work, tops, the rest of the time is helping manage the rest of the network :)
Mail Administration is not complicated, all too many people like to over complicate their setups and only cause themselves work.
I've had more than one CEO in the past say to me that they like to see key NOC staff doing nothing, because it says to them the network is working perfectly.
All too many do not automate things or write scripts/cron tasks, complicate their network and tinker, because as you said, they need to feel indispensable, if only their managers had a clue.
I'd just get a huge kick out of cross posting what the two of you state here to spam-l and watching you get eaten alive due to this "runs itself if setup right" hands off management approach to email systems. Rich would send you home with your tails between your legs like little scared puppies. Neither of you sub there so it wouldn't do any good. T'would be very entertaining if you did though.
-- Stan