This is where the DBA can live or die by email. Keep upper management (The Dept head's boss) informed by using blind copy (bcc) if very important stuff like this is going on, so when disaster does eventually strike you can fully document it. Be discreet and choosy about what you decide to email to upper management, yet still getting the crucial points across. I had this happen as well, and I fully documented it, and the department head ended up losing his job, instead of me. 🙂 E-Mail is a DBA's best friend, and I see too many that don't use it to their benefit by keeping people informed of what is going on with the company's multi-million dollar databases. Use it, it might save your job one day. Don't let the CTO tell you one day "If only you would have told me about this before, I could have done something about it." Let them fall on the sword, make sure it is not you. Email can really help a lot with this, but remember, to be discreet. HTH 🙂