It calls users' attention to factors within their control that can prevent frequent or prolonged outages. Because it focuses on remote site controls, the ISA is a particularly useful tool for negotiating with users who want to hook up to corporate networks. It helps you manage users' expectations by sending a clear message that reliability comes at a price. Environment Users accustomed to PCs typically don't give much thought to a computer's physical environment. When that first server arrives, they set it up wherever there's space, often without air-conditioning, backup power, a clean power supply, or physical security.
Expensive peripherals end up jammed into whatever space is available.
If electrical outlets are in short supply, everything ge ts plugged into a single power strip. In the absence of environmental safeguards, users may treat the equipment like office furniture, moving it around frequently and casually. In one company, staffers moved a disk tower every time they needed the work table on which it sat. Technicians couldn't determine the source of the resulting disk errors until a fatal crash occurred during a move. In another case, a loose cable on a server caused messages to be re-sent until the network overloaded.