Well, maybe I did major in McGuyver.

Well I been running thru Iraq this week doing a little of this and that and I came to my first real problem. We have this server that streams video all day and it's not working so we need to find out what the problem is.

Well we turn it on and see that one of the processors is bad (it has a dual processor). Simple enough job. Well we pop open the top and we see a sight that would chill the blood of any IT guy.

Inside to server is about 1 inch of sand covering everything. Well I say I think we found our problem. We blow out the sand and try plugging it back up to see if it works. This time the server powers up and then shuts down about a second later. We all are looking at each other like this is bad. Luckily for us we have a spare server (well not really spare but, the motherboard on it was broken) but the processors are good and it has some RAM we can take to bump up the storage on the halfway operating server. Well the problem is that we need something conductive like silicone to go between the heat sink and the chip. Something that is easily available 2000 miles away but hard to get in the middle of Al Nowhererastan. So think Tommie what is conductive, can take heat with out evaporating or catching fire, and is malleable? Aluminum. Well we can get some from a can (we can make it thin if we flatten it enough) or from some foil. Well Lance Corporal Toker, the IT guy, (more on him later) looks at me in pure horror when I suggest that he acquire me some tin foil so we can stuff it on the processor.


"Sir, I don't think that is going to work.” he said.

I said, "I don't think it's going to work either so that makes two of us. However, let's look at the situation right now. Does the server work as it is?"

Toker: No.

Me: Have you tried every method you know.

Toker: Yes.

Me: Did they work?

Toker: Obviously not.

Me: Indeed, so let's look at it like this. Right now the sever is down, if my way doesn't work then what did we lose? You can't over break something that's already broken. Now then if my suggestion works then we win. The way I see it this is a win-win situation. The worse that can happen is that we end up where we already are.

Toker: Ok sir but I still don't think this will work.

Me: Toker this is the beauty of our jobs we aren't paid to think. You think you can find some foil from the chow hall?

Toker: I'm on it.


Well he gets back about five minutes later with some tin foil cut it into 4 squares about the size of the processor. I place the foil on the two replacement processors we bolt the processors back on and then plug the thing up. Well as you would expect, nothing happens. I can see Toker with that "I told you so" grin on his face. I pull the server back out of the rack and I swap processor locations to see if that will work. Nothing. I swap the old processors with the new processors to see if that will do anything. Nothing.

Toker: Sir...

Me: Hold on a second Toker I'm thinking (in real life I'm in panic mode because I think I really broke it).

Me: Ok, let's put the new processors back in and just wait.

I power it up and bingo! The sever starts up and begins to run. I really couldn't tell you what happened I suspect that the foil had to get warm enough to mold to the heat sink really that's just a shot in the dark. All I know is now it works.

Me: Ok let's turn it off.

Toker: I bet you it won't turn back on.

Me: Maybe. But, let's make sure it's not a fluke.

Turn it off, Turn it back on and everything is fine. We do it two more times just to make sure and it works fine.

Me: Well log back onto the server and set it up then let the Lt. Col know you fixed the problem.

Toker: Wow, that was good. How long do you think it will last?

Me: I have no idea. We are lucky it turned on now.

Toker: Well how did you know it would work?

Me: I didn't. I just knew it didn't work before.