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A system administrator, '''systems administrator''', or '''sysadmin''', is a person employed to maintain, and operate a Computer system or Network . System administrators may be members of an Information Technology department. The duties of a system administrator are wide-ranging, and vary widely from one organization to another. Sysadmins are usually charged with installing, supporting, and maintaining Server s or other computer systems, and planning for and responding to service outages and other problems. Other duties may include Scripting or light Programming , Project Management for systems-related projects, supervising or training computer operators, and being the consultant for computer problems beyond the knowledge of Technical Support staff. A System Administrator must demonstrate a blend of technical skills and responsibility. SKILLS The ''subject matter'' of systems administration includes computer systems and the ways people use them in an organization. This entails a knowledge of Operating System s and Application s, as well as hardware and software Troubleshooting , but also knowledge of the purposes for which people in the organization use the computers. However, perhaps the most important ''skill'' to a system administrator is Problem Solving -- frequently under various sorts of constraints and stress. The sysadmin is on call when a computer system goes down or malfunctions, and must be able to quickly and correctly diagnose what is wrong and how best to fix it. System administrators are not Software Engineer s or Developer s. It is not usually within their duties to design or write new applications software. However, sysadmins must understand the behavior of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot problems, and generally know several Programming Language s used for scripting or automation of routine tasks. Particularly when dealing with Internet -facing or business-critical systems, a sysadmin must have a strong grasp of Computer Security . This includes not merely deploying software patches, but also preventing break-ins and other security problems with preventative measures. In some organizations, computer security administration is a separate role responsible for overall security and the upkeep of Firewall s and Intrusion Detection System s, but all sysadmins are generally responsible for the security of the systems in their keep. RELATED FIELDS Many organizations staff other jobs related to systems administration. In a larger company, these may all be separate positions within a computer support or Information Services (IS) department. In a smaller group they may be shared by a few sysadmins, or even a single person.
In some organizations, a person may begin as a member of technical support staff or a computer operator, then gain experience on the job to be promoted to a sysadmin position. TRAINING Unlike many other professions, there is no single path to becoming a system administrator. Many system administrators have a degree in generic fields: Computer Science , Computer Engineering , Information System Management , or even a trade school program. Other schools have offshoots of their Computer Science program specifically for systems administration. Some schools have started offering undergraduate degrees in Systems Administration. The first, , Marist College , and Drexel University have more recently offered degrees in Information Technology. , named "Masters programme in Network and System Administration". However, many other schools offer related graduate degrees in fields such as network systems and computer security. In addition, because of the practical nature of systems administration and the easy availability of Open-source Server software, many systems administrators enter the field self-taught. Generally, a prospective administrator will be required to have some experience with the computer system he or she is expected to manage. In some cases, candidates are expected to possess industry certifications such as the Microsoft MCSA , MCSE , Red Hat RHCE or Novell CNA , CNE . Sometimes, almost exclusively in smaller sites, the role of system administrator may be given to a skilled user in addition to or in replacement of his or her duties. For instance, it is not unusual for a mathematics or computing teacher to serve as sysadmin of a secondary school. DUTIES OF A SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR A system administrator's responsibilities might include:
In larger organizations, some tasks listed above may be divided among different system administrators or members of different organizational groups. For example, a dedicated individual may apply all system upgrades, a Quality Assurance (QA) team may perform testing and validation, and one or more Technical Writer s may be responsible for all technical documentation written for a company. In smaller organizations, the system administrator can also perform any number of duties elsewhere associated with other fields:
System administrators, in larger organizations, also tend not to be between systems administration and these other roles are often not well defined in smaller organizations. However, even in larger organizations, senior systems administrators often have skills in these other areas as a result of their working experience. In smaller organizations, IT/computing specialties are less often discerned in detail, and the term "system administrator" is used in a rather generic way — they are the people who know how the computer systems work and can respond when something fails. ORGANIZATIONS Professional Organizations
Unions SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS Certification Organizations
Periodicals Books
Online Resources
Technology Unions and related links
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