The Tasks that Encompass System Administration
System administration is the process of maintaining and operating a computer system or a network.
Taken as a whole, its falls under the purview of the information technology department of the company, business, organization, or firm.
The persons who take care of the system administration requirements are system administrators and they have a wide range of duties that differ from one organization to another.
There are a few basic tasks that are integral part of system administration, and taken together they help in the smooth functioning of an organization or company.
Planning and preparing
System administration includes aspects like designing the network and also deciding upon the locations of the server. It also includes interaction with the network service providers who are going to be associated with an organization.
Moreover, the preparation for the right kind of environment for the running of the systems is also important. Therefore, system administration also encompasses controlling the temperature, humidity, of the working environment.
Installation and maintenance
One of the most important components of the process of system administration is the installation of hardware like terminals, computers, disk drives, printers, amongst various other things.
Maintenance is another core aspect of the administration of a particular system. It is the job of the system administrator to conduct maintenance checks and shutdown systems and boot them up, whenever required. Maintenance also includes, tuning up the system for better performance.
Configuration and trouble shooting
Complex system configuration is a part of all that is encompassed by system administration. A system administrator must configure aspects like Kernels, Servers, and X Windows etc.
There are numerous regular occasions when network connection slows down or other services that break down. System administration includes trouble shooting these problems on a regular basis.
Maintenance of the local documentation
An organization needs system documentation in terms of correct procedures to be followed, a user’s guide for new users etc.
Other local documents include:
- Various procedures for system administration
- Data recovery plans
- Bug report forms
...... etc.
Educating and helping users
The best way that you can preserve and maintain a system is by helping users understand it, and show them the best ways of using it. Not everybody is computer savvy, and many first time users of various applications need to be helped and educated for the same.
For this to happen, a training module has to be drawn up by system administrators, and they must instruct employees on a periodic basis. This is an ancillary component of system administration, nonetheless, very important.
Draw up baselines
It’s important that a system administrator generates system reports and also co-relates the growth and through this have a fair idea of the changes that have to be made over time. Such data must be used to buy the spares, hardware and software updates that are needed.
System administration is all about maintaining and upgrading the system in a timely manner. It’s also about problem solving and looking at the future with regards to the growth of the company and system requirements therein.
