Micro Tech Systems September 2017

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Boise’s Humble Roots

The Changing City of Trees

These days, Boise is a bustling hub of development and business, with one of the most rapidly expanding populations in the country. Despite its growth, I still believe that the Treasure Valley remains a supportive hotbed for small businesses. Sure, a few corporations have moved in, and a some local companies have grown far beyond their small-business roots, but the fact remains that the little guys still account for so much of the city’s livelihood. I think the Treasure Valley’s drastic changes over the past 30 years have really been a double-edged sword. It’s not necessarily bad or good — it’s different. I can sit here and say that, sure, it’d be great to live in the Boise of old,completelydevoidoftraffic,withhuntinggroundsrightinyourbackyard, but youcanbesure that in that versionof theCityof Trees,MicroTechsimply couldn’t exist. We depend on the thriving local small-business economy as much as they depend on us. Living in Boise for so long certainly gives you the feeling that you have some claim on it, and that can make you wish it hadn’t changed — especially when you’re driving down Eagle or Chinden at the height of rush hour. But the influx of newcomers and the success of tried-and-true local businesses (like our own) drive a growth and prosperity that has become the lifeblood of this great city. Truly, it’s been a privilege to see Boise flourish during the many years I’ve lived here.

Years back, before Boise exploded and long before people began migrating into Idaho, I was growing up between Maple Grove and Five Mile, far from any semblance of human civilization. It was absolutely a place you’d call “The Sticks.” Corn fields and unkempt, undeveloped land stretched out far to the west from our house. Though the first roots of development were starting to spread between Cloverdale and 5 Mile, Meridian, Nampa, and Eagle barely existed at the time.

Like many others, my dad came over to Idaho from the Basque country when he was about 14, invited over by his relatives who had been living here

“At the time, Eagle Road was just your typical two-lane highway with dirt on both sides — a far cry from the traffic nightmare it is today.”

for years. My mom was one of the rare Boise natives, living in an even more undeveloped Idaho long before I ever showed up.

As a child, I obviously had no inkling of how Boise might end up. My dad and I would drive just down the road, over to the Glenwood bridge, and we’d be in duck-hunting territory. At the time, Eagle Road was just your typical two-lane highway with dirt on both sides — a far cry from the traffic nightmare it is today.

Randy Amorebieta

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that could’ve easily been put off. Use smaller activities as a way to break up larger ones, and you’ll find a more consistent work rate. Another important component of flow is what Csikszentmihalyi calls the “autotelic experience.” Autotelic means that you view what you’re doing as an end in itself and find the work intrinsically

Everyone has days when work just seems to fly by effortlessly. You feel laser-focused and hyper-productive. In short, you are “in the zone.” This proverbial zone, though, can feel elusive when distractions are plentiful and time is at a premium. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Chick-zent-mee-hal- yi”) has spent his career investigating this state, which he calls “flow,” and his insights can help you harness your most productive self. Csikszentmihalyi’s seminal work, “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” asserts that finding flow doesn’t just increase your ability to accomplish tasks, it also raises your happiness level. “Whenever the goal is to improve the quality of life, flow theory can point the way,” he writes. According to his research, a state of flow is reached when skill and challenge are balanced against one another. When the challenge is too low relative to skill, boredom follows. When it’s too high, anxiety overwhelms the ability to reach flow. Just the right proportion of challenge and skill, and your mind becomes totally engaged in the task at hand. So, how do you get yourself into flow state? The first step is to set clearly defined goals. Once you know what you are working toward, it becomes easier to maintain the focus required to reach optimal flow. The next step is to eliminate distractions that will divert your concentration. Flow is easier to maintain than it is to build up to, and you don’t want your flow broken by something

Find Your Flow How to Get in the Zone

rewarding. If you find meaning in the activity at hand, rather than relying on external motivators, it’s easier to throw yourself into a project.

The next time you find yourself going through the motions or watching the clock at work, don’t write it off as “one of those days.” Instead, take a step back, plan out your task list, and approach your assignments with vigor. Flow doesn’t

strike you like a bolt of lightning; you have to work for it. Once you find a routine that puts you in the zone, stick to it, and great work will follow.

See What Are Customers Are Saying September Testimonial

“I am responsible for the IT at Hayden Beverage. We have multiple warehouses in Idaho andMontana. All IT is based inBoise. I partneredwith MicroTechtomanageallmyserversandrelatedinfrastructureinFebruaryof 2017,afterinterviewingseveralITprovidersintheTreasureValley.Theyhave liveduptothepromisestheymade.Oneservicetheyprovideisanonsitevisit once aweek. The fact that Chad, my lead engineer, is onsite once aweek to physicallycheck thesystems, talkwithmeabout projects, and tellmewhat heseesisgreat.Whenmyleadengineerisnotavailable,anotherengineerwill takehisplacefortheweeklywalkthrough.ThecomfortIgetknowingthatmy leadisnottheonlyonewhoknowsmysystemisverycomforting.Callbacks by the service team are timely; they have learned that I do the first level of troubleshootingbefore I call, somost of the time, they jump to thenext step inthetroubleshootingprocess.Idon’thavetostartatstepone.Itwasagreat decision to partner with MicroTech.” –Richard Rigg

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Imaged-Based Vs. File-Based Backups —Who Wins?

Different image-based backup software includes a variety of different features. Microsoft bundles image-based backup software with their operating systems — no need to install anything extra. However, solid as they are, they’re basic, lacking additional tools. For those looking for a more feature-rich backup option, we recommend Shadow Protect, a software with many features that outshine its Windows counterparts. The best and most obvious difference between Shadow Protect and the standard Windows backup is the speed of its incremental backups. The incremental backups are very fast, and they’re faster for everyone we implement. Typically, we’ll configure it to back up every hour or two, taking about two minutes each time. Virtual Boot technology will allow us to boot your server in a virtual environment to test the backup images, while dissimilar hardware restores are beneficial for recovery in the event of physical damage to your server. So, for the title of your article, who wins? Our recommendation is to use both; they serve different purposes, and when implemented together, you get an excellent multi-methodology backup solution.

When you’re deciding on the best method to back up your files, it can be difficult to discern which type will work best for your business. Imaged- based, file-based — what’s the difference? And which one should you turn to for secure >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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