policy@mtek.com (05/24/91)
The automated report attached below provides the results of the
recent survey of past practices and future forecasts in policy
administration based on returns received as of the report date.
Again, this survey isn't "Real Science (TM)", but it certainly
points to some encouraging trends now underway -- and some clear
and present dangers that may stubbornly endure.
Thanks to all the administrators and system managers who took
the time to provide their input.
Bud Hovell
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policy@mtek.com
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Copyright 1991 by Bergen B. Hovell, Jr. This document is distributable for
any non-profit-making purpose so long as its contents are unaltered and
complete.
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POLICY SURVEY TABULATION
As of: 05/23/91
Total responses: 293
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Count %
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My *primary* job location is in:
1 0.3 Africa
9 3.1 Australia
19 6.5 Canada
40 13.7 Europe, except Soviet Union
1 0.3 Far East, except Japan and Soviet Union
0 0.0 Indian subcontinent
2 0.7 Japan
1 0.3 Mexico and Central America
0 0.0 South America
0 0.0 Soviet Union
215 73.4 United States
5 1.7 Other
My local organization is *primarily*:
67 22.9 Commercial - hardware or software manufacture
19 6.5 Commercial - hardware or software sales or service
11 3.8 Commercial - other manufacture
7 2.4 Commercial - other sales or service
131 44.7 Educational [university or other]
14 4.8 Governmental, except military
5 1.7 Health-care
2 0.7 Military
0 0.0 Religious or fraternal
24 8.2 Research, except educational
13 4.4 Other
Multi-user facilities of some kind have been locally available:
2 0.7 Fewer than six months
8 2.7 More than six months
10 3.4 More than 1 year
18 6.1 More than 2 years
8 2.7 More than 3 years
13 4.4 More than 4 years
94 32.1 More than 5 years
140 47.8 More than 10 years
I have total system administration experience of:
3 1.0 Fewer than six months
13 4.4 More than six months
45 15.4 More than 1 year
30 10.2 More than 2 years
33 11.3 More than 3 years
37 12.6 More than 4 years
104 35.5 More than 5 years
28 9.6 More than 10 years
I have total experience as a user [including sysadmin] of:
0 0.0 Fewer than six months
0 0.0 More than six months
7 2.4 More than 1 year
8 2.7 More than 2 years
16 5.5 More than 3 years
16 5.5 More than 4 years
100 34.1 More than 5 years
146 49.8 More than 10 years
Total users on all systems I currently administer:
8 2.7 1-5 users
41 14.0 6-25 users
40 13.7 26-50 users
49 16.7 51-100 users
82 28.0 101-500 users
23 7.9 More than 500 users
50 17.1 More than 1000 users
My *primary* administration activities are on systems which are:
241 82.3 Un*x [any flavor]
24 8.2 VMS
0 0.0 PC LAN
22 7.5 Combination - 2 or more of the above
6 2.1 Other multi-user
Historically, our policies [written or not] have included:
87 29.7 General guidelines
6 2.1 Specific do's & don'ts
159 54.3 Both of the above
32 10.9 None of the above
1 0.3 Don't know
8 2.7 New site - no historical practice
Historically, actual policy has been *mainly* defined by:
95 32.4 Informal day-to-day user practices
13 4.4 User-committee decisions [or similar formal means]
5 1.7 Directions of user's immediate supervisor
152 51.9 Sysadmin or system manager decisions
19 6.5 Upper management decisions
4 1.4 Don't know
5 1.7 New site - no historical practice
Historically, actual policy-enforcement authority came *mainly* from:
28 9.6 No one - each user did what he needed to do
17 5.8 Users, through active peer pressure
8 2.7 User-committee decisions [or similar formal means]
17 5.8 User's immediate supervisor or manager
191 65.2 Sysadmin or system manager
25 8.5 Upper management
3 1.0 Don't know
4 1.4 New site - no historical practice
Historically, policy information was presented to users *mainly* by:
63 21.5 Verbal info, primarily from other users
96 32.8 Verbal info from manager, supervisor, or sysadmin
44 15.0 On-paper-only written info from manager, supervisor, or sysadmin
84 28.7 On-line interactive [as well as on-paper] written policies
2 0.7 Don't know
4 1.4 New site - no historical practice
Recently, users raise policy questions:
69 23.6 Virtually never
65 22.2 Probably about once a year
108 36.9 Probably about once a month
41 14.0 Probably about once a week
10 3.4 More frequently
Recently, middle and upper managers raise policy questions:
96 32.8 Virtually never
67 22.9 Probably about once a year
97 33.1 Probably about once a month
25 8.5 Probably about once a week
8 2.7 More frequently
Future policies [written or not] will include:
52 17.8 General guidelines
6 2.1 Specific do's & don'ts
207 70.7 Both of the above
13 4.4 None of the above
15 5.1 Don't know
Future actual policy will be *mainly* defined by:
57 19.5 Informal day-to-day user practices
35 12.0 User-committee decisions [or similar formal means]
3 1.0 Directions of user's immediate supervisor
160 54.6 Sysadmin or system manager decisions
26 8.9 Upper management decisions
12 4.1 Don't know
Future actual policy-enforcement authority will *mainly* come from:
13 4.4 No one - each user will do what he needs to do
13 4.4 Users, through active peer pressure
10 3.4 User-committee decisions [or similar formal means]
17 5.8 User's immediate supervisor or manager
198 67.6 Sysadmin or system manager
30 10.2 Upper management
12 4.1 Don't know
Future policy information will be presented to users *mainly* by:
29 9.9 Verbal info, primarily from other users
44 15.0 Verbal info from manager, supervisor, or sysadmin
52 17.8 On-paper-only written info from manager, supervisor, or sysadmin
152 51.9 On-line interactive [as well as on-paper] written policies
16 5.5 Don't know
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