(no subject)

[sdaemon.livejournal.com]

just got my first written complaint about my work from a client today. not going to go into the details, still fuming over it, but I will say that this whole fiasco emphasizes a very true and rather humorous point:

nothing pisses off a lawyer quite like being without his blackberry.

crackberry, indeed.


His t-mobile-connected blackberry was able to receive messages but not send them, kept getting a red x error about an invalid address. His BB was configured through T-mobile's website to use OWA to access the exchange server that hosts his email. Accessing OWA directly via web browser yielded 404 errors when attempting to send messages (and later, 500 internal server errors when attempting to log in, period). No other accounts were having any problems, just his. Destroyed and recreated his mailbox. Worked for a little while, then started acting up again (the 500 internal server errors this time). Destroyed and recreated his AD account. No effect. Researched a little more, found something on MS's knowledgebase about how duplicate email addresses on more than one AD object can cause 500 internal server errors within OWA. Found no duplicate email addresses within AD, BUT...got a hunch from this. Went back into Exchange, saw that his old mailbox, while deleted, had not yet been purged. Purged the fucker. Everything starts working again. Magic.

I hate Blackberry issues. Fucking A.

Comments

[ghostdandp.livejournal.com]

doesn't sound like you did anything wrong.

screw 'em

[sdaemon.livejournal.com]

enh, if I get in trouble over this, it will be due to lax documentation of the issue, or something else that's basically my management punishing me a little in order to placate the client. I know, from a technical standpoint, I didn't do a damn thing wrong, and even from a best-effort standpoint, I went above and beyond the call of duty. Sacrificing a weekend is not something I take lightly.

[kenbrody.livejournal.com]

And his complaint was...???

[mouser.livejournal.com]

My bet on his complaint: "It should never have broke in the first place."



i.e. The asshat complaint.

[sdaemon.livejournal.com]

still not sure what broke it, to be honest. It had been working for a year solid, then suddenly could receive but not send. Something in his mailbox on Exchange got horked up in a way that OWA really didn't like. Beats the hell out of me.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

"Take it up with Microsoft."

[sdaemon.livejournal.com]

that it took too long to resolve, that I was too slow responding to him, something. I don't know, but he wants a face to face meeting with my management over it.

Basically, he reported it on a Wednesday, I started working on it then, said "wtf? this is weird", discussed options, researched, continued working on it Friday, still couldn't fix it, decided I wanted his Blackberry in my hand to continue working on this, went onsite to his office on Saturday (normally my day off), verified that it wasn't a problem with the Blackberry itself by pointing it at a brand new email address, decided to purge his mailbox, saw that it would take 6 hours for the archive to run (3 gigabyte mailboxes ftw?) started that running, he takes off for Germany or Dubai or some damn place on Sunday, I lose internet at home over the weekend so I don't get to work on this further until Monday morning, I finish Monday morning, it works for a bit, verified both directions, come Tuesday it has stopped working again, I scream a bunch of obscenities that he can probably hear from Dubai, I research, I figure the thing out about purging his mailbox, I purge it, it works, and the whole thing is put to rest.

Total time elapsed: 1 week.

So, hey, I can understand being grumpy that it took a while. But it was a weird goddamn issue, with complications like not being able to go onsite until Saturday, him leaving the freaking country on Sunday, him having a goddamn huge mailbox, Exchange being freaking slow to archive it out, and me losing home internet for a little while.

Wah.

Ok...yeah, I don't think I'm going to beat myself up over this one.

[wignersfriend.livejournal.com]

I've had similar issues when I worked as a tech serving Real Estate Agents. At this point you will see what kind of manager you have. Good managers will be able to uphold that you did nothing wrong and placate the customer at the same time.

Interestingly enough, the asshat I was in a similar situation with ended up wanting to be my best friend after he found out I was getting into playing the violin - he was first cello in some local orchestra.

[jecook]

Indeed.

1 week to figure it out based on what the OP stated above? Dizzam, that's fucking near magic.

Pray for my soul, I get to install Ghost Console on a new server tomorrow and see how long it takes to copy 50 GB worth of disk images across the network, AND figure out why Server 2K3 does not appear to want to talk to a DOS client... :(

[phrogg.livejournal.com]

Excues me, your icon seems to be missing a doctor.

[phrogg.livejournal.com]

and i seem to be missing a typing ability. Grr.

[kellirose1313.livejournal.com]

Oh good I'm not the only one who thought that.

[sdaemon.livejournal.com]

my icon predates tennant, and I'm a huge slacker :)