John Croson's Blog Home

Image via Wikipedia Some time ago, I installed the SUA package with the thought I might use it for scripting and other tasks that I find easier to accomplish using GNU -like tools rather than Windows . Recently I needed to run a batch script that programatically checks for the evidence of some data files and injects them into MS Sql via DTS . This script worked fine on another server for years with a few tweaks now and then, and suddenly during my tests on this machine, it was failing. What I found was that my script was using the Windows FIND command, which is also installed by SUA. When I used FIND in my script, it was using the SUA flavor, and not the Windows version. I checked my PATH environment and saw that SUA's path was listed first, then %SystemRoot% , and %SystemRoot%\System32 where Windows FIND is installed. If I were a betting man, I'd have to say that since the SUA tools are listed before Windows, they get processed first. I've not tested this, but really...

Last week Friday, a tape got stuck in our Dell PowerVault 132T Library. Luckily, I was able to remove the tape and resume order to our backups ...or so I thought. After checking in Saturday it was clear that we were going to be without backups, something that makes my skin crawl. Image by artescienza via Flickr So promptly after our return to work after a nice long Labor Day weekend, I rushed out and to purchase an external drive to backup data to. My choice for such emergency trips is usually Milwaukee PC , since they are likely to have what I need in a pinch even if it is a few more dollars. Image via Wikipedia They indicated there indeed was a 2tb drive in stock, so I bought an enclosure and we headed over to the display case to retrieve the drive. Unfortunately the drive was no where to be found...bummer. A 1tb drive was likely not going to be quite large enough, but it was going to have to do. I started planning what data to trim from the backups to make room, then sudd...