Explaining troubleshooting theory

Possibly the most important but hard-to-learn ability any technical individual might have is the gift to troubleshoot. For persons who are new with the expression, troubleshooting is the act of investigating and rectifying problems in any type of system. For a businessman, this might mean recognizing the source(s) of ineffectiveness in a business and suggesting a remedial course. For a doctor, this would mean accurately identifying a patient's trouble and recommending a treatment.

Identify the problem:

Here are the ways how one can identify the problems which are being raised and can deal with them;

Question the user and identify user changes to computer and perform backups before making changes:

A system if creating a problem, it is needed to be solved immediately. But before solving the problem, the very problem is needed to be identified. Once the problem is identified, then that is to be sorted out, and ultimately that is to be fixed. But before the problem is fixed, the system should be brought to action. For that, one is needed to have some preliminary concept of making things run. In this article, there will be some tips regarding the temporary solution of the problems in system.

Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious)

To identify a problem, the questions must be answered. The questions are regarding the changes that had been made to the system, which may cause the problem. So for answering the questions or getting then question jotted down, the changes that had been made before the system has been damaged are to be jotted down. Once they are jotted down properly, then the answer may be easily made out. Not only for a problem of system, but for anything, sorting out questions and getting the answers from them is a very good and in fact the best way to find an area that is giving or sourcing a problem. In a system also, the question creation for identifying a problem is the most important area, as questions points out the area to answer, and answers sorts out the problem exactly.

Test the theory to determine cause

The answers, after been recovered from the questions, then the process starts of piecing the answers and identify which is the change that have been made, for which the system is getting problem. The piecing of answers makes it certain about the correct reason for which the system is facing disturbance.

Once theory is confirmed determine next steps to resolve problem

There can be hundreds of answer for hundreds of questions; any one or few answers are directly related to the exact core of the problem. That needs the answers to be broken down into pieces. Once that is down, then analyzing them will make one understand which answer or which changes made may create or source the problem, which has been created. In computer system or server system also, a certain problem may change many things. The answers are regarding the problematic areas, and once all the problems are sorted down and matches with answers, then the real cause for the problem can be identified.

If theory is not confirmed re-establish new theory or escalate

Patches are needed to be changed from time to time, especially in multi system enabled organizations. There is many a computer which is to be updated simultaneously, and so is the need for the patches. So, a major set of disturbances come from the patches insertion. A new patch pasting in the system makes a newest of problems due to some incompatibility or some other reason may be. Sometimes the entire configuration changes due to implementation of a single patch in the system. So, this patch insertion is an area to look at, because many system problems are caused due to that. These patches are usually taken from the operational team and should be inserted with proper instruction from them. This may put aside those chances of disturbances from patch insertion and thus may reduce your chances for keeping your system free from problems.

Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution

In some case, especially organizations with security features, troubleshooting team is not allowed or given access to the servers of production. But the experts are there in the troubleshooting team. What can be one then to recover from the situation? Then the production manager need to write up the documentation related to the problems, recent changes done and what has been done initially to restore the entire thing that ultimately gave no result to the operation team. The troubleshooting team there are even not allowed for access between the operations ours. So a schedule is to be prepared with them, so that they can access the system at that point of time, so that they can do the needful on the basis of the documentation provided to them by the officials of the operation team.

Then the team for troubleshooting will thoroughly go through the system and after several choices of alternatives, they can find out the core of the problem. Once a problem is identified, solution can be easily drawn. So, this is the way, how a trouble shooting team operates to make one system or server out of its problems.

So the basic thing to identify, sort out, and resolve a problem is to schedule a plan. If a plan can be made and optimized with proper analysis, filled with experience and knowledge, then just by handing over that pan to the operation team can easily sole a problem.

This plan fixing is not at all easy, yet not so much tough also, that it cannot be prepared. For helping one out of the creation of plan, there are troubleshooting communities also, that sorts out problem many times, otherwise helps to make a plan to sort out a problem.

Verify full system functionality and if applicable implement preventive measures

At last, when the problem is identified and it is now time to fix the problem, then the important area is left. The important area is the storage; the storage of files and documents, medias, patches and passwords, or whatever that may be, lost during the reinstallation of system or server. So these dates, passwords, files, and documents are either to be moving elsewhere it a through backup process is required.

At large areas like corporate and job based environment, backups are generally prepared daily or weekly or monthly, depending upon the amount of computer works done their and the residual files developed there in their system. The backups are made not only for individual files but also of the entire drive or disk. One may think that this is a wastage of time, but the need of this backup can be understood by one who have lost an important data from his or her PC, since he or she has not made a backup for that file.

A full back up of the computer gives one a copy of the entire thing of his or her computer. Putting them at somewhere else or in some other devices makes one feel comfortable as he or she knows if any data is lost by accident also, then there is a copy of everything and so there remains no fear to lose a work. A full backup is obviously time consuming and so keeping that time factor at mind the backup process is day by day getting better for most of the works in today's scenario is done through computers and even data are not stored in papers for a go green concept of the industries.

Among other options, one may like to add the files or data to the earlier back up and not to make fresh back up every week or month. This nay save a huge lot of time and the backup also remains regularly checked and refreshed, to give a relief of tension for loosing data to the computer-users ad operators. This is called the differential backup, as the backup making system only looks virtue data that are not included in the earlier back up and just adds the data that is not been found in the original back up.

There lies a problem in the differential backup, and that can be rectified also. In differential back up process, new files are added, but the existing files which have been updated are not taken into consideration for making a re-backup of those. There is the need of an incremental backup. Incremental backup looks for all the files and all the existing files also. It adds the new files to the backup content. Along with that, I also look for the changes made to the files that are already stored in its backup content. If any such differences or increments are observed then it again takes a back up of that file and replaces the earlier file and thus takes the completed and reliable backup to the entire system.

Computers run at its best if it is properly maintained. During this maintenance, many of the important files may be removed due to their nature. So backing up of data is a good practice for them who regularly maintain their computer. During this maintenance procedure, the temporary files and unwanted registration times are generally dumped. If a file is by mistake named as similar to the registration files then that also will be removed from the system. So one is suggested to make a regular, or scheduled backup of their system. Back up of data will help to restore the files that are your need and have been removed by the maintenance procedure.

In these days, it is preferred to store the backup at some external storage device like CDs, DVDs or even chips or USB pen drives. This makes the data or files available offline also and can be used as a mobile or portable data even. This process is a bit more time taking as every the update has to be run from the beginning, but it turns to be very much effective when the entire system crashes down as then an external device is the real support to Mae the system put back in order.

There is also a possible way now days to store the data and files online in different networks or clouds. There lies an additional advantage at this condition. If all the storage devices are blocked or they become inaccessible at some point of time, then all the data and files are available online. There are many such services in today's market to store your music, videos, documents and even software's or .rar files at some online networks. This is time taking as everything will be on the basis of manual update, but once updated, this provides the support for availability at any time and any place in the globe. The only hazard is that the files are to be uploaded individually.

Document findings, actions, and outcomes

Any problem regarding those things that at created by human has surely got a solution, and all the solutions are known to human, at least few of them should know about it and taking help of them , the problem can be identified, sorted out and can even be fixed or restored. But any such problem is sure to make one or one's organization looses something, at eat some valuable time of their production. That is why; technicians always want to make the users know the preventive measures. However, knowing everything is not possible. But at least the problem that is being fixed in front of one's eye can be known. So the problem which is been sorted out and fixed should be known from the specialized personnel, to ensure that his problem nerve comes back in future, and at least losses of organization can be restricted from this particular problem or some related problems even.

Thus, once one gets a problem or unusual behaviour from the system that is no permitting o work with it anymore, he is needed to be asked questions about the changes he made to the system, before it has started misbehaving. Once that answers are found, joining or dismantling the answers will make the problem exposed. And after that is exposed, the backups are needed to prevent data losses before fixing the problem. After that is done, letting the problem to be fixed by professionals, and lastly getting the knowledge about the problem and other relative problem, that will help to take preventive measure in future. Taking this process as a flowchart to maintain and prevent or sort out a problem, will not only reduce the time taken for the problem, but also reduce the losses that one's company will have to bear for the problem time and system engagement due to the problem.