A system administrator, or sysadmin, is a person who is responsible for the upkeep,
configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems; especially multi-user computers,
such as servers.
The system administrator seeks to ensure that the uptime, performance, resources, and security
of the computers he or she manages meet the needs of the users, without exceeding the
budget.
To meet these needs, a system administrator may acquire, install, or upgrade computer
components and software; provide routine automation; maintain security policies; troubleshoot;
train and/or supervise staff; or technical support in projects.
Related fields Many organizations staff other jobs related
to system administration.
In a larger company, these may all be separate positions within a computer support or Information
Services department.
In a smaller group they may be shared by a few sysadmins, or even a single person.
A database administrator maintains a database system, and is responsible for the integrity
of the data and the efficiency and performance of the system.
A network administrator maintains network infrastructure such as switches and routers,
and diagnoses problems with these or with the behavior of network-attached computers.
A security administrator is a specialist in computer and network security, including the
administration of security devices such as firewalls, as well as consulting on general
security measures.
A web administrator maintains web server services that allow for internal or external access
to web sites.
Tasks include managing multiple sites, administering security, and configuring necessary components
and software.
Responsibilities may also include software change management.
A computer operator performs routine maintenance and upkeep, such as changing backup tapes
or replacing failed drives in a RAID.
Such tasks usually require physical presence in the room with the computer; and while less
skilled than sysadmin tasks require a similar level of trust, since the operator has access
to possibly sensitive data.
A postmaster administers a mail server.
A Storage Administrator.
Create, Provision, Add or Remove Storage to/from Computer systems.
Storage can be attached local to the system or from a Storage Area Network or Network
Attached Storage.
Create File Systems from newly added storage.
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 a related field: computer science, information
technology, computer engineering, information systems, or even a trade school program.
On top of this, nowadays some companies require an IT certification.
Other schools have offshoots of their Computer Science program specifically for system administration.
Some schools have started offering undergraduate degrees in System Administration.
The first, Rochester Institute of Technology started in 1992.
Others such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of New Hampshire, Marist College,
and Drexel University have more recently offered degrees in Information Technology.
Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research in Pune, India offers Masters degree
in Computers Applications with a specialization in System Administration.
The University of South Carolina[2] offers an Integrated Information Technology B.S.
degree specializing in Microsoft product support.
As of 2011, only five U.S. universities, Rochester Institute of Technology, Tufts, Michigan Tech,
and Florida State University have graduate programs in system administration.
In Norway, there is a special English-taught MSc program organized by Oslo University College
in cooperation with Oslo University, named "Masters programme in Network and System Administration."
There is also a "BSc in Network and System Administration" offered by Gjøvik University
College.
University of Amsterdam offers a similar program in cooperation with Hogeschool van Amsterdam
named "Master System and Network Engineering".
In Israel, the IDF's ntmm course in considered a prominent way to train System administrators.
However, many other schools offer related graduate degrees in fields such as network
systems and computer security.
One of the primary difficulties with teaching system administration as a formal university
discipline is that the industry and technology changes much faster than the typical textbook
and coursework certification process.
By the time a new textbook has spent years working through approvals and committees,
the specific technology for which it is written may have changed significantly or become obsolete.
In addition, because of the practical nature of system administration and the easy availability
of open-source server software, many system administrators enter the field self-taught.
Some learning institutions are reluctant to, what is in effect, teach hacking to undergraduate
level students.
Generally, a prospective 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, MCITP, Red Hat RHCE, Novell CNA, CNE, Cisco CCNA or CompTIA's A+
or Network+, Sun Certified SCNA, Linux Professional Institute among others.
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 the system
administrator of a secondary school.
Skills
Some of this section is from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, which is
in the public domain as a work of the United States Government.
The subject matter of system administration includes computer systems and the ways people
use them in an organization.
This entails a knowledge of operating systems and applications, as well as hardware and
software troubleshooting, but also knowledge of the purposes for which people in the organization
use the computers.
Perhaps the most important skill for 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.
They may also need to have team work and communication skills; as well as being able to install and
configure hardware and software.
System administrators are not software engineers or developers.
It is not usually within their duties to design or write new application software.
However, sysadmins must understand the behavior of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot
problems, and generally know several programming languages 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 preventive measures.
In some organizations, computer security administration is a separate role responsible for overall
security and the upkeep of firewalls and intrusion detection systems, but all sysadmins are generally
responsible for the security of computer systems.
Duties A system administrator's responsibilities
might include: Analyzing system logs and identifying potential
issues with computer systems.
Introducing and integrating new technologies into existing data center environments.
Performing routine audits of systems and software.
Applying operating system updates, patches, and configuration changes.
Installing and configuring new hardware and software.
Adding, removing, or updating user account information, resetting passwords,etc.
Answering technical queries and assisting users.
Responsibility for security.
Responsibility for documenting the configuration of the system.
Troubleshooting any reported problems.
System performance tuning.
Ensuring that the network infrastructure is up and running.
Configuring, adding, and deleting file systems.
In larger organizations, some of the tasks above may be divided among different system
administrators or members of different organizational groups.
For example, a dedicated individual(s) may apply all system upgrades, a Quality Assurance
team may perform testing and validation, and one or more technical writers may be responsible
for all technical documentation written for a company.
System administrators, in larger organizations, tend not to be systems architects, system
engineers, or system designers.
In smaller organizations, the system administrator might also act as technical support, Database
Administrator, Network Administrator, Storage Administrator or application analyst.
See also
Application service management Bastard Operator From Hell
DevOps Forum administrator
Information technology operations Large Installation System Administration Conference
League of Professional System Administrators LISA
Professional certification Superuser
Sysop System Administrator Appreciation Day
References
Further reading Essential Linux Administration: A Comprehensive
Guide for Beginners, 2011 by Chuck Easttom Essential System Administration, 3rd Edition,
2001, by Æleen Frisch The Practice of System and Network Administration,
2nd Edition, by Thomas A. Limoncelli, Christine Hogan and Strata R. Chalup
Principles of Network and System Administration, 2000,2003(2ed), by Mark Burgess
Time Management for System Administrators, 2005, by Thomas A. Limoncelli
UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook, 4th Edition, 2010, by Evi Nemeth, Garth Snyder,
Trent R. Hein, Ben Whaley External links
The US Department of Labor's description of Network and Computer Systems Administrators