I lead AI development at a small startup where our IT department is quite limited and primarily relies on Microsoft's stack, especially Intune for device management. We've recently purchased Nvidia DGX Spark devices, which run on ARM CPUs and don't work with Intune. Our IT team is struggling to integrate them into our corporate network. I'm concerned about putting pressure on our sysadmins, but I believe there should be workable solutions. What are some options or advice on how to proceed?
12 Answers
It seems like these devices were bought without checking in with IT first. That's a common issue in many places! With our university setting up shared Linux clusters, we had to streamline processes to accommodate user needs. Given your startup's size, expecting sysadmins to juggle new, unexpected hardware is a bit much. Have you thought about how busy your IT team will be trying to make this work?
At a startup? No way that’s feasible!
What you’ve stumbled into is indeed shadow IT. Management tools are often costly, and having unvetted products complicates everything when they don’t fit existing systems. You're not alone in this kind of frustration! Just make sure it’s part of a more comprehensive plan next time.
If those devices weren’t procured via the IT department, it makes sense they’re frustrated. It's often referred to as 'shadow IT'. I’d recommend considering something like FleetDM along with Intune to manage the Linux systems more effectively. That could bridge the gap!
If you think it can be done, why not jump in and take the lead on finding a solution yourself? It might be an opportunity to show your tech savvy!
The role of IT isn't just about making things work. They need to manage devices following policy and verify compatibility beforehand. Users shouldn't just purchase random devices and expect IT to handle it without prior vetting.
Why were the Nvidia devices bought without checking their compatibility first? It sounds like a major oversight by whoever authorized this purchase. Proper diligence is crucial in these situations.
Intune does support a couple of Linux distros, but Nvidia's specific version isn't officially supported. Next time, definitely get IT involved during procurement to avoid this mess.
Why ask a forum? Isn’t AI supposed to solve all this? Just kidding! But really, integrating new hardware into your existing setup can be tough without planning.
It's likely that the lack of control and fear of not being able to manage these devices led to the IT team's pushback. Onboarding new tech requires careful planning.
There are ways to work around this! You could separate these machines from your main corporate network, find alternative management solutions that are compatible, and work from there. It will take time, though. If IT is already stretched thin, introducing new devices unexpectedly just complicates things further.
Maybe instead of forcing these new devices onto the corporate network, consider using them in a dedicated development lab if that aligns with your usage! That might simplify things a lot.
Departments going off on their own and buying random tech can be a huge pain for IT. It’s important to involve them in the procurement process to avoid friction later on. They need to ensure everything fits the company’s ecosystem properly.
Totally agree; my wiring closets are a mess because of decisions like this.