What is the role of the system administrator?
Q. Can you explain the role of the system administrator?
A. The person who is responsible for setting up and maintaining the system is called as the system administrator. System administrators may be members of an information technology department.
Duties of a system administrator
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 servers 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,
The system administrator is responsible for following things:
- User administration (setup and maintaining account)
- Maintaining system
- Verify that peripherals are working properly
- Quickly arrange repair for hardware in occasion of hardware failure
- Monitor system performance
- Create file systems
- Install software
- Create a backup and recover policy
- Monitor network communication
- Update system as soon as new version of OS and application software comes out
- Implement the policies for the use of the computer system and network
- Setup security policies for users. A sysadmin must have a strong grasp of computer security (firewalls and intrusion detection systems)
What is so special about the system administrator account?
The root account has full (unrestricted) access, so he/she can do anything with system. For example, root can remove critical system files. In addition, there is no way you can recover file except us use tape backup.
Many tasks for system administration can automate using perl or shell scripts. For example:
- Create new users
- Resetting user passwords
- Lock/unlock user accounts
- Monitor server security
- Monitor special services etc
Most important skill to a system administrator
Problem solving, period. This can some time lead into all sorts of constraints and stress. When workstation or server goes down, you are called to solve the problem. You shoul able to quickly and correctly diagnose the problem. You must figure out what is wrong and how best to fix it.
System administrators are not...
- Cookie cutting software engineers
- Developers
- It is not usually within your duties to design new applications software.
- But, you must understand the behavior of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot problems, and generally should be good at several programming languages used for scripting or automation of routine tasks such as shell, awk, perl, python etc
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Tags: administrator account, application software, computer system, critical system files, hardware failure, monitor network, monitor system, network communication, passwords, peripherals, Perl, root account, security policies, server security, shell scripts, system administration, system administrator, system performance, user accounts, user administration
December 7th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Hi,
This is excellent information, short and to the point.
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 is essential for sys admin job.
You can be a database administrator
A security administrator
A network administrator
A UNIX / Window administrator
A system administrator’s responsibilities typically include:
* Morning checks of systems/software.
* Performing backups of data.
* Applying operating system updates, and configuration changes.
* Installing and configuring new hardware/software.
* Adding/deleting/creating/modifying user account information, resetting passwords, etc.
* Answering technical queries.
* Responsibility for security.
* Responsibility for documenting the configuration of the system.
* Troubleshooting any reported problems.
* System performance tuning.
* Keeping the network up and running.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
hi,
currently i am working as an linux administration in an firm i just want to know the details what are all the functions of my position.please reply me as soon as possible.
sreenath
January 11th, 2007 at 1:36 am
what is job specification of network administrator
January 31st, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Its very excellent information then,
I am currently working as a system administrator (Windows Based) along with N+, MCSA
I want to be a Network Engineer, so please will u suggest me to study what next or anything which will take me to my aim
Thanking you
warm Regards with great Attitude…..!
May 30th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
i am currently working as network administator with an I.S.P company what is my next step for me to become network enginner.Thank U
December 24th, 2007 at 7:38 am
hai i am working as a system administrator i need to know what are the responsibilities have the remote windows system administrator
i hope i will get the reply thanx
January 19th, 2008 at 8:53 am
hi, i have got system administrator job recently, but i have’t knowledge practical knowledge of servers, i know the theoritical knowledge of servers and workgroups so how can i get knowledge about mcse i dont know which books are related to this. please give me the details of books. thak u
June 11th, 2008 at 11:24 am
i recently joined in system administrator.
i want more data in this field, pls send me details.
thank u.
June 26th, 2008 at 6:05 am
hi am shankar right know am working as system administrator in windows based
very good information in this website am going so mutch of interviews but technicall round is very hard just telme question of technicall round
thankyou
shankar
September 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
its very usefull for beginners .thank you very much
October 19th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
GOD, reading some of the questions!! makes me really wonder how did you get your sysad job at the first place!! Good GOD whats next”??
October 28th, 2008 at 4:51 am
These was very helpful in completing my Assignment
November 10th, 2008 (4 weeks ago) at 8:22 pm
hai I am Robin.R.Diploma holder and CCNA &MCP certified. I need a job as system/network administrator. pls help me…I am currently working on Wave Online Infoway Pvt.Lit: company as technical support engineer from oct-2008
E-mail: wave.robin@gmail.com
Thank you