IT Pro Tuesday #14

Warrantees, Database Testing, Books & More... 

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Hello IT Pro, 

Can you believe that it’s already time for our weekly check-in? We’ve got some great items to share with you this week. Before we get started, though, we need to tell you that we are not affiliated with any of these products unless we state otherwise. 

Check Your Dell Warranty

Have you ever wondered if the warranty on your Dell is still valid? Is it too much effort to dig through your paperwork to find the original documents? Thanks to the Dell Warranty Checker, you don’t have to.

Our Head of Support, Matt Fry, thinks this tool is a lifesaver when you need to check warranties on several computers. Simply create a list of the service tag numbers for each PC.

You’ll have to make sure that each service tag is individually listed on a separate line in a plain text document. The tool does the rest – gathering all the relevant information for you and allowing you to export it in a CSV document.

Database Testing

SQL Fiddle. If you need help with a new database you’re using, you’ll want to give this tool a try. SQL Fiddle allows you to build schema and run queries on them. Each set you upload will be assigned a unique URL.

If you need assistance, just share the URL with your team, and they’ll be taken directly to the appropriate page

Another SysAdmin Book

The Practice of System and Network Administration: Volume 1: DevOps and other Best Practices for Enterprise IT (3rd Edition). If you’re a System or Network Administrator, this is a reference book you’ll want in your library. It’s a useful guide for newbies while also handy for more-experienced administrators. What sets the book apart is that it teaches you strategies that can be applied across a few different platforms instead of just telling you what to type in. The publishers do periodically release updated versions to ensure that you get the most pertinent information.   

A Suite of Free Tools

In a world where free doesn’t necessarily mean good, NetCrunch Tools 2.0 breaks the mold. This is a set of more than 10 well-designed tools for administrators. Our favorites are the:

• DNS Audit
• Port Scanner
• Ping Scanner
• Network Services Scanner

The network tools are simple to use, run on Windows, and are a useful addition for any network administrator.

A Regex Expression Builder

Regexr. This is a tool that a few of our readers suggested we try. It makes it easier to learn, build and test Regular Expressions. The tool supports PCRE and JavaScript expressions and enables you to get assistance from the community. Each pattern can be saved and referred to later as needed.

Have a useful tip/ or tool that you want to share? Is there something that you’d like us to cover in a future post? Let us know in the comments below.

Have a fantastic week!

Graham | CEO | EveryCloud

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