Course ILT Troubleshooting Unit objectives Describe methods to help prioritize network problems List basic troubleshooting steps to be followed when working on a problem Troubleshoot various problems that might occur in the network

Course ILT Topic A Topic A: Assessing and responding to problems Topic B: Troubleshooting procedures Topic C: Troubleshooting scenarios

Course ILT Prioritizing problems If multiple, unrelated problems are occurring on the network simultaneously, the IT professional must have the ability to prioritize them –Typically, address those items that affect the majority of users first –Then address the problem that affects the next largest group of people, and so on continued

Course ILT Prioritizing problems After the problems have been prioritized, the user reporting the problem must be kept informed as to when the problem will be addressed When addressing the employee who must wait to have his problem resolved: –Ensure that you’re empathetic with the situation –Explain the reason for the delay

Course ILT Activity A-1 Discussing problem prioritization

Course ILT Topic B Topic A: Assessing and responding to problems Topic B: Troubleshooting procedures Topic C: Troubleshooting scenarios

Course ILT Troubleshooting procedures Learn as much as you can about the equipment you support Approach the situation in a straightforward and logical manner

Course ILT Identify the exact issue When a user reports a problem on the network or on his or her system, listen carefully to what’s being said Ask open-ended questions Learn to recognize the relevant information and discard the rest Try quick fixes before proceeding Make sure that you speak to users in a professional manner Make sure that you set expectations with the users, providing them with a timeline for correction

Course ILT Identify the affected area This helps you: –Determine the priority of the issue –Identify whether you need assistance from other support personnel –Get clues as to the cause of the problem

Course ILT Identify changes that have occurred A user may have made a change to his or her system, causing problems Changes made by the IT department might be causing problems Approach users with tact about potential changes they’ve made

Course ILT Isolate and select the most likely cause Attempt to isolate the source of the problem by adopting a systematic approach Based on the type of problem: –Determine what parameters should be eliminated first –Check whether the problem still exists –If so, eliminate the next obvious parameter –Repeat the procedure until the problem disappears

Course ILT Formulate an action plan Determine the appropriate course of action that you need to take to eliminate the cause If the problem is large enough to merit a formal plan of correction, carefully set forth a plan containing all steps necessary to correct the problem

Course ILT Implement a solution Ensure that the operational needs of your business are met It might be necessary to bring in a third-party service provider to assist with the repair

Course ILT Test the result After you’ve implemented the correction, you must verify that it resolved the issue

Course ILT Identify the results of the solution Be clear as to what the actual results of your solution are and how they affect the user, the network, and so on

Course ILT Document the problem and the solution Documentation provides a company with trend information and a knowledge base that can be used to address future issues You need to document –Symptoms –Cause –Resolution

Course ILT Give feedback Make sure that the resolution doesn’t create additional problems Verify the stability of the computing environment through follow-up with the users Talk to the users –Check whether they’re happy with your resolution of the problem –Continual failure to give feedback to the user results in extreme employee distrust and dissatisfaction with the IT department

Course ILT Activity B-1 Discussing troubleshooting procedures

Course ILT Topic C Topic A: Assessing and responding to problems Topic B: Troubleshooting procedures Topic C: Troubleshooting scenarios

Course ILT Troubleshooting scenarios There are several types of problems relating to networks: –Login issues –Printing issues –File and system rights issues –Connectivity issues –Added/removed services issues

Course ILT Login issues A network administrator can give various types of access rights to users as per requirements One of the common problems that might arise in this regard is the inability of a user to access a shared resource

Course ILT Login issues Inability of a user to access a shared resource Preventing illegal attempts to access an account Conflicts within various groups and domains

Course ILT Activity C-1 Troubleshooting the inability of a user to access a shared resource

Course ILT Activity C-2 Troubleshooting access to an account

Course ILT File and system rights issues In a large network with a growing number of directories and files, you might face several problems on access rights These could be related to: –Improper access permissions assigned to directories and their subdirectories –Issues based on local access or access over the network

Course ILT Activity C-3 Troubleshooting access permission conflicts in directories and subdirectories

Course ILT Connectivity issues In a networked environment, connectivity failures might occur due to the following causes: –Faulty cables –Hardware failure –Problems with RAS –Compatibility issues with other operating systems

Course ILT Activity C-4 Troubleshooting hardware problems

Course ILT Activity C-5 Troubleshooting network problems relating to remote connectivity issues

Course ILT Activity C-6 Troubleshooting a connectivity issue to a RAS server

Course ILT Activity C-7 Troubleshooting a Linux workstation in a Windows Server 2003 network

Course ILT Adding or removing services Problems might occur in a network when services are added to or removed from the network

Course ILT Activity C-8 Troubleshooting a network problem relating to adding or removing services

Course ILT Unit summary Described methods to help prioritize network problems Listed basic troubleshooting steps to be followed when working on a problem Identified the types of tools and resources available to assist in troubleshooting Learned to troubleshoot various problems that might occur in the network