System administrator

A system administrator, systems administrator, or sysadmin, is a

person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and/or
network. System administrators may be members of an information
technology (IT) or Electronics and Communication Engineering 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 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, supervising or training computer operators, and
being the consultant for computer problems beyond the knowledge of
technical support staff. To perform their job well, 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 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.

However, 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.

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 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.

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 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, Rochester Institute of Technology[1] started in
1992. Others such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Marist College, and
Drexel University have more recently offered degrees in Information
Technology.

As of 2008, only four U.S. universities, Rochester Institute of Technology[2],

New York City College of Technology, Tufts, and Michigan Tech have
graduate programs in system administration.[citation needed] In Norway, there is a
special English-taught MSc program organized by Oslo University College [3]
in cooperation with Oslo University, named "Masters programme in Network
and System Administration." University of Amsterdam (UvA) offers a similar
program in cooperation with Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) named
"Master System and Network Engineering"[1]. 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 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, 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 mathematics or
computing teacher to serve as the system administrator of a secondary
school.

Duties of a system administrator

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.
• Performing backups.
• 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.
• 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.

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(s) may apply all system
upgrades, a Quality Assurance (QA) team may perform testing and
validation, and one or more technical writers 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:

• Technical support
• Database administrator (DBA)
• Network administrator/analyst/specialist
 • Application analyst
• Security administrator
• Programmer

System administrators, in larger organizations, tend not to be system

architects, system engineers, or system designers. However, like many roles
in this field, demarcations between systems administration and other
technical roles often are not well defined in smaller organizations. 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.

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. Most of the following
discussion also applies to network and Windows system admins.

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:

1. User administration (setup and maintaining account)

2. Maintaining system
3. Verify that peripherals are working properly
4. Quickly arrange repair for hardware in occasion of hardware failure
5. Monitor system performance
6. Create file systems
7. Install software
8. Create a backup and recover policy
9. Monitor network communication
 10. Update system as soon as new version of OS and application
software comes out
11. Implement the policies for the use of the computer system and
network
12. Setup security policies for users. A sysadmin must have a strong
grasp of computer security (e.g. 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 using tape backup.

Many tasks for system administration can be automated 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 should able to quickly and correctly diagnose the problem.
You must figure out what is wrong and how best it can be fixed in small
amount of time.

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.

Tasks Performed by a System Administrator

The system administrators undertake the important responsibility of

managing the servers, which typically involves installing and upgrading the
servers. They also provide the essential hardware support for the laptops,
desktop personal computers, the printers and for monitors in the company.
System administrators also undertake the tasks of configuration of the
hardware devices, testing new softwares and designing the structure of the
network. These professionals have to learn many technologies on the job,
which are new in the market, for increasing the efficiency of their work.

The system administrator job description also involves taking appropriate

steps for the right up-gradation of the systems and solving any kind of
problems, which might occur in the systems. They play an important role in
the timely completion of the projects by working closely with application
teams. System administrators daily monitor the NT Server Event Log, NT
Server Hardware and also the scheduled archival software. They also test the
operating system software, the networking software and also the computer
hardware. They also take keen interest in the design and configuration of
these softwares. After finding out which components are not functioning well
due to some kind of defect in them, system administrators replace these
components with good quality ones. In the backup tape management,
system administrators carry out the task of changing, storing and labeling
the tapes, apart from buying the new tapes. System administrators are also
responsible for changing tapes according to HSM software guidelines.

There are many system administrators who are engaged in the inventory
and organization of different types of software and hardware resources. They
also contribute in the important field of creation and maintenance of
documentation, which has technical information. The system administrator
job description also consists of closely monitoring and developing the
procedures for backups of the servers. Almost all the system administrators
have a very good knowledge of TCP/IP and networking concepts.

Technical support
Technical support (also tech support) is a range of services providing assistance with
technology products such as mobile phones, televisions, computers, or other electronic or
mechanical goods. In general, technical support services attempt to help the user solve specific
problems with a product—rather than providing training, customization, or other support
services.

Most companies offer technical support for the products they sell, either freely available or for a
fee. Technical support may be delivered over the telephone or online by e-mail or a web site.
Larger organizations frequently have internal technical support available to their staff for
computer related problems. The internet is also a good source for freely available tech support,
where experienced users may provide advice and assistance with problems. In addition, some
fee-based service companies charge for premium technical support services.[1]

Coverage of support

Technical support may be delivered by different technologies depending on the situation. For
example, direct questions can be addressed using SMS, Online chat, E-mail or Fax; basic
software problems can be addressed over the telephone or, increasingly, by using remote access
repair services; while more complicated problems with hardware may need to be dealt with in
person.

Types of Technical Support

Time and Material

This type of technical support has been very common in the services industry. It is also known as
"Break-Fix" IT Support. The concept behind this type of support is that the customer pays for the
materials (Hard Drive, Memory, Computer, etc.) as well as pays the technician based on their
pre-negotiated rate when they have a problem.[2]

Block Hours

Block Hours is basically a way to purchase a bunch of hours upfront to pay a reduced hourly
rate. The premise behind this type of support is that the customer has negotiated a discounted
rate and a fixed number of hours to use either per month or year. This allows them the flexibility
to use the hours as they please without doing the paperwork and the hassle of paying multiple
bills.

Managed Services

Managed Services is basically a fancy word for that means a company will receive a list of well
defined services on going basis with well defined "response and resolution times" sometimes for
a fixed rate of a Flat Fee. This can include things like 24/7 Monitoring of Servers, 24/7 Help
desk for your day to day computer issues and On site visits by technician when issues cannot be
resolved remotely. Some companies also offer additional services like Project Management and
Vendor management in the monthly price.

Outsourcing technical support

With the increasing use of technology in modern times, there is a growing requirement to
provide technical support. Many organizations locate their technical support departments or call
centers in countries with lower costs. There has also been a growth in companies specializing in
providing technical support to other organizations. These are often referred to as MSP's
(Managed Service Providers)[3]

For businesses needing to provide technical support, outsourcing provides them with the ability
to maintain a high availability of service. This comes as a result of peaks in call volumes during
the day, periods of high activity due to the introduction of new products and maintenance service
packs, and the necessity to provide consumers with a high level of service at a low cost to the
business.[4] For businesses needing technical support assets, outsourcing enables their core
employees to focus more on their work in order to maintain productivity.[5] It also enables them
to utilize specialized personnel whose technical knowledge base and experience may exceed the
scope of the business, thus providing a higher level of technical support to their employees.

Multi-tiered technical support

Technical support is often subdivided into tiers, or levels, in order to better serve a business or
customer base. The number of levels a business uses to organize their technical support group is
dependent on a business’ need, want, or desire as it revolves around their ability to sufficiently
serve their customers or users. The reason for providing a multi-tiered support system instead of
one general support group is to provide the best possible service in the most efficient possible
manner. Success of the organizational structure is dependent on the technicians’ understanding
of their level of responsibility and commitments, their customer response time commitments, and
when to appropriately escalate an issue and to which level.[6] A common support structure
revolves around a three-tiered technical support system.

Level 1(L1)

This is the initial support level responsible for basic customer issues. It is synonymous with first-
line support, level 1 support, front-end support, support line 1, and various other headings
denoting basic level technical support functions. The first job of a Tier I specialist is to gather the
customer’s information and to determine the customer’s issue by analyzing the symptoms and
figuring out the underlying problem.[6] When analyzing the symptoms, it is important for the
technician to identify what the customer is trying to accomplish so that time is not wasted on
“attempting to solve a symptom instead of a problem.” [6] Once identification of the underlying
problem is established, the specialist can begin sorting through the possible solutions available.
Technical support specialists in this group typically handle straightforward and simple problems
while “possibly using some kind of knowledge management tool.” [7] This includes
troubleshooting methods such as verifying physical layer issues, resolving username and
password problems, uninstalling/reinstalling basic software applications, verification of proper
hardware and software set up, and assistance with navigating around application menus.
Personnel at this level have a basic to general understanding of the product or service and may
not always contain the competency required for solving complex issues.[8] Nevertheless, the goal
for this group is to handle 70%-80% of the user problems before finding it necessary to escalate
the issue to a higher level.[8]
Level 2(L2)

This is a more in-depth technical support level than Tier I containing experienced and more
knowledgeable personnel on a particular product or service. It is synonymous with level 2
support, support line 2, administrative level support, and various other headings denoting
advanced technical troubleshooting and analysis methods. Technicians in this realm of
knowledge are responsible for assisting Tier I personnel solve basic technical problems and for
investigating elevated issues by confirming the validity of the problem and seeking for known
solutions related to these more complex issues.[8] However, prior to the troubleshooting process,
it is important that the technician review the work order to see what has already been
accomplished by the Tier I technician and how long the technician has been working with the
particular customer. This is a key element in meeting both the customer and business needs as it
allows the technician to prioritize the troubleshooting process and properly manage his or her
time.[6] If a problem is new and/or personnel from this group cannot determine a solution, they
are responsible for raising this issue to the Tier III technical support group. In addition, many
companies may specify that certain troubleshooting solutions be performed by this group to help
ensure the intricacies of a challenging issue are solved by providing experienced and
knowledgeable technicians. This may include, but is not limited to onsite installations or
replacements of various hardware components, software repair, diagnostic testing, and the
utilization of remote control tools used to take over the user’s machine for the sole purpose of
troubleshooting and finding a solution to the problem.[6][9]

Level 3(L3)

This is the highest level of support in a three-tiered technical support model responsible for
handling the most difficult or advanced problems. It is synonymous with level 3 support, back-
end support, support line 3, high-end support, and various other headings denoting expert level
troubleshooting and analysis methods. These individuals are experts in their fields and are
responsible for not only assisting both Tier I and Tier II personnel, but with the research and
development of solutions to new or unknown issues. Note that Tier III technicians have the same
responsibility as Tier II technicians in reviewing the work order and assessing the time already
spent with the customer so that the work is prioritized and time management is sufficiently
utilized.[6] If it is at all possible, the technician will work to solve the problem with the customer
as it may become apparent that the Tier I and/or Tier II technicians simply failed to discover the
proper solution. Upon encountering new problems; however, Tier III personnel must first
determine whether or not to solve the problem and may require the customer’s contact
information so that the technician can have adequate time to troubleshoot the issue and find a
solution.[8] In some instances, an issue may be so problematic to the point where the product
cannot be salvaged and must be replaced. Such extreme problems are also sent to the original
developers for in-depth analysis. If it is determined that a problem can be solved, this group is
responsible for designing and developing one or more courses of action, evaluating each of these
courses in a test case environment, and implementing the best solution to the problem.[8] Once
the solution is verified, it is delivered to the customer and made available for future
troubleshooting and analysis.
Level 4(L4)

While not universally used, a fourth level often represents an escalation point beyond the
organization. This is generally a hardware or software vendor. Within a corporate incident
management system it is important to continue to track incidents even when they are being
actioned by a vendor and the Service Level Agreement (or SLA) may have specific provision for
this.

Remote PC repair or Remote Computer Repair

Remote PC repair or Remote Computer Repair is a method for troubleshooting software

related problems via remote desktop connections [10]. Technicians use software that allows the
technician to access the user's desktop via the Internet. With the user's permission, the technician
can take control of the user's mouse and keyboard, transfer various diagnostic and repair
applications to the user's desktop, run scans, install antivirus programs, etc. If the remote service
permits it, the technician can even reboot the PC and reconnect remotely to continue his work
without the user needing to assist.

Common repairs available with online computer support providers are computer virus and
spyware removal, computer optimization, registry repair, device driver issues, Web related
issues,and Windows security updates.

Generally, only software can be "repaired" remotely; a computer with a broken hardware
component such as a motherboard or hard disk can in some cases be diagnosed, but must be
repaired in person.

Technical support center certification

Technical support centers can be certified to help ensure a particular business is maintaining a
high level of information technology service and support standards. Of the certifications
available for support centers and technicians, there are three internationally recognized
certifications geared specifically towards support centers as a whole – The Help Desk Institute
(HDI) Support Center Certification, the Support Staff Excellence Certification from TSIA, and
the Service Strategies, Service Capability and Performance (SCP) Standards.[11][12][13] All
certifications were developed by experts and organizations from around the world and both were
developed under the premise of enhancing the quality of customer service and support.

Database administrator
A database administrator (DBA) is a person responsible for the design,
implementation, maintenance and repair of an organization's database. They are
also known by the titles Database Coordinator or Database Programmer, and is
closely related to the Database Analyst, Database Modeler, Programmer Analyst,
and Systems Manager. The role includes the development and design of database
strategies, monitoring and improving database performance and capacity, and
planning for future expansion requirements. They may also plan, co-ordinate and
implement security measures to safeguard the database.[1] Employing organizations
may require that a database administrator have a certification or degree for
database systems (for example, the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator).[2]

Also called Database Co-ordinator, Database Programmer Closely related jobs Database
Analyst, Database Modeller, Programmer Analyst, Systems Manager

In summary

Database administrators design, implement, maintain and repair an organisation’s database. The
role includes developing and designing the database strategy, monitoring and improving database
performance and capacity, and planning for future expansion requirements. They may also plan,
co-ordinate and implement security measures to safeguard the database.

A database administrator may

• undertake daily administration, including monitoring system performance, ensuring

successful backups, and developing/implementing disaster recovery plans
• manage data to give users the ability to access, relate and report information in different
ways
• develop standards to guide the use and acquisition of software and to protect valuable
information
• modify existing databases or instruct programmers and analysts on the required changes
• test programs or databases, correct errors and make necessary modifications
• train users and answer questions