Documentation!

Today I have learned the importance of keeping record of software versions and usernames relating to remote computers.

On Friday Holland contacted us reporting that their PC, which we configure with our software was playing up. Apparently it was so bad it was restarting as soon as it was powered on.

The machine is what we call a scanstation. Basically its a pc running our software with a scanner attached. Configuring a replacement is not that big a deal, install the correct version of the software and the scanner driver. Ship it out and sort out last bits of configuration remotely.

I had almost done this once I was informed, by chance, that this scanstation also performed its own local processing, meaning that it has its own database and server software.

The people who know how to set one up have left the company. Have they documented anything about what they did when setting this thing up?  Have they heck.

No one knows a login for the machine.  Without which I can't pop on, look at it, back up the database and restore it all on the new one.

No record of what version of the software to install. Now there are rumours an upgrade had been performed. So any documentation I have found is likely out of date.

We have a support system and a wiki to store this stuff.  But it probably just ended up in their heads.

Document everything...