You wouldn’t have seen me smiling like this in the batch photograph of PTL 4310 class that happened last week in Mumbai, had the events on day 01 and day 02 sustained itself in the subsequent days of the training. I am kind of used to the first day problems in a classroom: be it a hardware issue or an incomplete OS install. Last Monday it was a combination of both. And the result: none could install the Portal Server on Day 01. I had all my participants looking at me with an expression of helplessness and a huge question mark which read ‘what next?’
Cut to day 02: I spoke to them at length during the first half and sent them out for a walk after lunch, requesting them not to turn up for an hour or so
. The technical support folks at Pragathi Software were kind enough to download and make a few set of Solaris 10 CDs, and I walked around the classroom performing a media installation of Solaris 10 OS on all machines. Why not Jumpstart? I felt very lazy to set up one. Moreover, it was only a matter of installing six boxes. And the ending of the whole story: well, it’s a happy one.
Vikram, my PTL 4310 participant used his mobile to picture all of us while I demonstrated the first successful Portal Server Installation in the class. After all the hassles that we went through on the day 01 and part of day 02, this moment was certainly worth capturing.
Tomorrow it’s another ‘First Day’ for me here at Hyderabad. Though I don’t expect a replay of Mumbai events here at Hyderabad, I guess I’m prepared for those surprise elements on the first day of training.
You all have a good week ahead.