Comments on: Consulting vs. Contracting…. A primer…. http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/ Ranting and raving about storage and technology Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:36:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ryan http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7598 Ryan Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:22:09 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7598 The problem that I'm facing is spending 200K (or so) per year is a lot of money for drives or controllers that don't fail (touch wood). For that sort of money, you can afford to buy the failed parts. Thanks for the reply. I enjoy reading your thoughts. The problem that I’m facing is spending 200K (or so) per year is a lot of money for drives or controllers that don’t fail (touch wood). For that sort of money, you can afford to buy the failed parts.

Thanks for the reply. I enjoy reading your thoughts.

]]> By: Jesse http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7587 Jesse Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:25:20 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7587 Drives aren't the worry. You can ebay refurbished drives cheap and 95% of the time they work perfectly. (out of 45 drives in my Clariion, 30 of them are ebay drives.) The problem is when the storage processors (SPs) and DAE line-cards fail. *THOSE* you can have some trouble coming up with replacements of... One place I've been has three CX700's they're getting ready to retire because it's cheaper to merge the storage into the new CX4 that's on the floor than to continue to pay maintenance. Now if it were *ME*, I'd keep one of the CX700's online, fold the second one's drives into it, and keep the two SP pairs and one rack of drives for spare parts... Doing that they could EASILY get another couple of years out of the storage without spending a dime on it. It would make a *GREAT* Disk_Storage_Unit in Veritas and would allow them to get the expensive CX3-80 storage off the media server. But that's just me, I'm thirfty that way. :) Drives aren’t the worry. You can ebay refurbished drives cheap and 95% of the time they work perfectly. (out of 45 drives in my Clariion, 30 of them are ebay drives.)

The problem is when the storage processors (SPs) and DAE line-cards fail. *THOSE* you can have some trouble coming up with replacements of…

One place I’ve been has three CX700′s they’re getting ready to retire because it’s cheaper to merge the storage into the new CX4 that’s on the floor than to continue to pay maintenance.

Now if it were *ME*, I’d keep one of the CX700′s online, fold the second one’s drives into it, and keep the two SP pairs and one rack of drives for spare parts… Doing that they could EASILY get another couple of years out of the storage without spending a dime on it.

It would make a *GREAT* Disk_Storage_Unit in Veritas and would allow them to get the expensive CX3-80 storage off the media server.

But that’s just me, I’m thirfty that way. :)

]]> By: Ryan http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7586 Ryan Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:58:12 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7586 Hi. Have you ever done any investigation into the cost / benefit of paying for maintenance on a SAN as drives fail rather than as a service contract? Thanks, rz Hi.

Have you ever done any investigation into the cost / benefit of paying for maintenance on a SAN as drives fail rather than as a service contract?

Thanks,
rz

]]> By: Jesse http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7585 Jesse Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:21:16 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7585 I'm finding more recruiters forced by their customers into dropping depth-charge offers, some close to half what I'm used to receiving. I luckily can still politely decline and move on, though if it came down to it it would be a matter of "some income is better than none". What amazes me most was recently, a large financial institution came in looking for a very VERY senior level position but when pushed on the rate they told me it was about what I was making 10 years ago when I was just entering the SAN world from the old days of SCSI. When I told the guy what my usual rate is he confided in me that he'd been getting rejected a *LOT* for the same reason. Keep in mind guys, it's not the recruiter's fault, he's told by the end-customer what to offer. It's not his fault they're not fully engaged with the reality of the situation. That reality is as follows: "If you pay peanuts you get monkeys." I’m finding more recruiters forced by their customers into dropping depth-charge offers, some close to half what I’m used to receiving. I luckily can still politely decline and move on, though if it came down to it it would be a matter of “some income is better than none”.

What amazes me most was recently, a large financial institution came in looking for a very VERY senior level position but when pushed on the rate they told me it was about what I was making 10 years ago when I was just entering the SAN world from the old days of SCSI.

When I told the guy what my usual rate is he confided in me that he’d been getting rejected a *LOT* for the same reason.

Keep in mind guys, it’s not the recruiter’s fault, he’s told by the end-customer what to offer. It’s not his fault they’re not fully engaged with the reality of the situation.

That reality is as follows: “If you pay peanuts you get monkeys.”

]]> By: Will http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7584 Will Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:37:40 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7584 I wondered if you are seeing a overall drop in the rates your are able to get? I have about 12 years in the storage industry and about 20 years consulting, and while I don't believe we will ever see 1999/2000 rates anytime soon it seems that Storage Vendors and direct clients are actively trying to pigeon hole me into something akin a MSCE or Operations Residency when asking me to solve complex architectural problems or develop technology road maps. I wondered if you are seeing a overall drop in the rates your are able to get? I have about 12 years in the storage industry and about 20 years consulting, and while I don’t believe we will ever see 1999/2000 rates anytime soon it seems that Storage Vendors and direct clients are actively trying to pigeon hole me into something akin a MSCE or Operations Residency when asking me to solve complex architectural problems or develop technology road maps.

]]> By: Jesse http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7548 Jesse Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:06:36 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7548 Well - residencies are always fixed rate, monthly billing. Smaller projects are either fixed rate for an SOW - IE 1. Install VMWare & P2V 3 servers 2. Migrate from McData 8 port to Cisco 24 port switch. Would be a single charge, no matter how long it takes. When things go wrong it's not as good a deal, but customers like knowing what they're going to spend up front. I only get into the variable billings when the requirements are vague, keeps me from getting suckered in.. IE. - "I need to P2V a *FEW* hosts." - Fixed rate per host. or the worst (and best): "I just have a few questions." - Hourly rate with a minimum, 1 hour if it's phone/remote or 5 hours if it's on-site. "I just have a few questions" can be the most profitable. ;-) Well – residencies are always fixed rate, monthly billing.

Smaller projects are either fixed rate for an SOW – IE

1. Install VMWare & P2V 3 servers
2. Migrate from McData 8 port to Cisco 24 port switch.

Would be a single charge, no matter how long it takes. When things go wrong it’s not as good a deal, but customers like knowing what they’re going to spend up front.

I only get into the variable billings when the requirements are vague, keeps me from getting suckered in..

IE. –

“I need to P2V a *FEW* hosts.” – Fixed rate per host.

or the worst (and best):

“I just have a few questions.” – Hourly rate with a minimum, 1 hour if it’s phone/remote or 5 hours if it’s on-site.

“I just have a few questions” can be the most profitable. ;-)

]]> By: Nigel Poulton http://blog.50micron.com/2009/11/04/consulting-vs-contracting-a-primer/comment-page-1/#comment-7546 Nigel Poulton Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:11:16 +0000 http://blog.50micron.com/?p=583#comment-7546 Hi Jesse, Well put. How do you normally bill? Im not after rates, more about when you bill by proect, by day/hour and if you bill differently for different types of work.....? Whether you find most clients in the states prefer daily rate or project with SoW and overall project cost? Nigel Hi Jesse,

Well put.

How do you normally bill? Im not after rates, more about when you bill by proect, by day/hour and if you bill differently for different types of work…..?

Whether you find most clients in the states prefer daily rate or project with SoW and overall project cost?

Nigel

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