Mark asked me:-

What sites do you go for when the servers are not running well? ;-)

That's when I go on my lunchbreak!

(No, really, prospective employers, I am working hard on the problem!)

Actually, I have found having a cigarette to be one of the best problem solving techniques- sometimes you just get too caught up in a problem to see an alternative approach. Swearing profusely also seems to help.

Luckily the servers I administer have uptimes of 6-9 months, not counting flood, fire, and other acts of "workmen". My stock question to most server problem calls off-site is "did you have workmen working in the office yesterday?". They put up a shelf in one room, they manage to get sawdust in the server in another? How? I don't know. "Act of Workmen"!

Ricardo