Software artefacts
In any large computer network system, there is a risk of artefacts. Things change, and housekeeping gets lackadaisical. Consider the drawer of many wonders in your own home (everyone has at least one). Networks are like that.
Today, we were trying to configure rights for a new wireless access point. The physical deployment was easy, and the first few connects went ahead without issue. And then I came along. Login, wait, fail. Repeat. The analyst kept trying different variants, and when he logged in with MY device, using HIS credentials, there was no problem.
When you debug stuff, you try to separate out the hardware vs software mess, but this didn’t help. Along comes another tech, and he had the same disconnect issue. Things became more mysterious. Something about our identities… and far from obvious.
I’ll not keep you in suspense. There was a solution. It involved changing a parameter on the Radius server that allowed dial-in access. It didn’t matter that we had never provided such access; what was in play had to do with the number of years we had worked for the firm. Iterations of software updates. Artefacts.
Today I left home under cloudy skies, and the rain began before I reached the first corner. And continued until I reached the bus stop. And then stopped. And then started again when I left my first bus and walked over to my transfer stop. And then stopped. And stayed stopped.
By extrapolation, I will probably be late (and wet) for supper.
