Who is a system administrator and what does he do? System administration

IN lately Almost no large company or organization can do without it. He - system administrator , “king and god” of computer hardware. Some consider the profession of a system administrator to be prestigious and highly paid, while others do not know what system administrators actually do.

A system administrator, usually simply called a system administrator, is one of the most sought-after employees in any organization with a large fleet computer equipment or more or less organized network from computers. Ensure performance computer network company, the serviceability of all computer equipment and software as well as the information security of the company - this is the job of a system administrator.

Some managers of enterprises and organizations who are “far away” from computer technology consider the professions of a system administrator and, for example, a programmer to be identical. In a number of other cases, the system administrator is “equated” to an advanced PC user who knows how to install the necessary software.

System administrators are also equally considered "geniuses" whose actions are inexplicable from the point of view of ordinary person, and hopeless “lazy people” in stretched sweaters who do nothing but sleep at work...

Due to the very ambiguous attitude towards the profession of “system administrator”, the position of system administrator is paid differently. As a rule, in small companies the system administrator is an “enike specialist” (i.e., a computer specialist for all occasions) and does not receive a very high salary.

Large companies cannot get by with just Enikey. The staff of such companies may include a web server administrator, a database administrator, a systems engineer, and a network security administrator. Each of these specialists has their own clearly defined range of tasks and deep knowledge in their field of activity.

I want to be a system administrator!

According to a survey recently conducted by the Research Center of the recruiting portal SuperJob.ru in Russia, The profession of a system administrator is considered prestigious by 47% of respondents. The opposite opinion was expressed by 21% of Russians surveyed.

Many people are attracted to the system administrator profession by the non-standard nature of their tasks., the need to think creatively, the opportunity to improve oneself and constantly learn something new.

About 3% of respondents who participated in the survey value the profession of a system administrator for its salary, another 3% - for freedom of action. The same number of respondents value free time problem that arises for a system administrator if the computers and networks entrusted to him are working normally.

System administrator - such a specialty does not yet exist in domestic universities. Basically, future system administrators receive education in related IT specialties in technical universities or in technical faculties and departments of classical universities. As a rule, the diploma of a graduate of one of these specialties will include “engineer”, “engineer computer technology", "system programmer".

A system administrator must have a set of certain qualities in order to become “professionally qualified.” A system administrator must have technical thinking, the ability to react quickly and clearly in extreme situations, and a high degree of responsibility.

It goes without saying that appropriate knowledge in the field of computer technology is also required in accordance with the chosen job profile. So, for example, a web server administrator needs knowledge of Unix systems, experience in configuring web servers, mail servers, deep knowledge of the TCP/IP protocol stack, etc. But a database administrator needs completely different skills and abilities: knowledge of systems database management (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Oracle), knowledge of the operating systems on which the databases operate ( Windows Server, *nix systems), knowledge of the information-logical language SQL.

The profession of “system administrator” is very difficult, but also very interesting. Good system administrator with high level professional qualities are in demand in the labor market. If you are ready to take this thorny path, feel free to dare and may good luck accompany you!

System administrator or system administrator- this is an employee job responsibilities which includes ensuring proper and stable operation computer hardware, network and software, as well as company information security. Alternative names: system administrator(English) sysadmin), often simply admin.

In charge system administrator includes not only tracking network security organization, but also to create optimal performance of computers and software for users, often interconnected general work for a certain result.

Often, system administrator functions are assigned to companies engaged in IT outsourcing. As a rule, an outsourcing company provides a lower cost of service than maintaining a full-time system administrator and carries out work on the basis of a subscription agreement.

Due to rapid growth and development network technologies, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a single system administrator to deal with all the problems, so specialized forums and printed publications have long appeared aimed at exchanging experiences among novice system administrators and providing assistance in solving various problems.

Professional holiday of a system administrator- last Friday of July.

System administrator specializations

System administrators can be divided into several categories:

Web server administrator— installs, configures and maintains web server software. Typically works for a hosting company. Knowledge of Unix systems is required (mainly Linux way and FreeBSD), ability to configure Apache web server And mail servers(qmail, Sendmail, Exim, Postfix), which are installed on more than 90% of web servers around the world; additionally IIS web server and OS Windows family Server. A deep understanding of the OSI model and the TCP/IP protocol stack is required.

Database Administrator — specializes in database maintenance.You need deep knowledge of DBMS (at least one of MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Oracle, Informix, Firebird), operating system on which the database runs (Windows Server, *nix (mainly Linux/FreeBSD) or Solaris), knowledge of database implementation features, as well as knowledge of the information-logical language SQL.

Network Administrator - is engaged in the development and maintenance of networks. In-depth knowledge in the field is required network protocols(TCP/IP, IPX stack) and their implementation, routing, VPN implementation, billing systems, active network equipment(usually Cisco) physical construction networks (Ethernet, Token ring, FDDI, 802.11).

Systems Engineer or system architect — is engaged in building a corporate information infrastructure at the application level. Works, as a rule, in an outsourcing company or large company, corporations. Need knowledge

common operating systems (Windows NT, 2000, XP, Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS)
directory services Active Directory, Lotus Domino, LDAP
common DBMS
mail, groupware and web servers, CRM, ERP, CMS
document flow systems - the connection of which in the context of business processes is involved.

Network Security Administrator - deals with problems accordingly information security, documenting security policies, regulations and provisions on information resources. Works, as a rule, in an outsourcing company or a large company, corporation. Knowledge of encryption and authentication protocols and their practical application(VPN, RADIUS, SSL, IPsec, RAS), PKI planning, access control systems (firewalls, proxy servers, smart cards, CheckPoint, SecurID), incident analysis, backup.

System administrator for a small company (from 5 to 50 jobs) - is engaged in maintaining the functionality of a small fleet of computer equipment and maintaining the network. Has no assistants and performs all computer and communications related duties, including technical support users. In software development companies, it maintains Web servers, programs used by developers. They can also test software developed by the company.

Requires knowledge of Microsoft OS, office and accounting programs type Microsoft Office and 1C, ability to lay local network, basic knowledge databases and programming languages.

Who is a system administrator and why is he needed? Why does this employee in the organization earn more than an ordinary accountant or manager? Who is he: a servant or a highly qualified specialist who should have a high salary?

In any organization there are many people who believe that system administrators simply do not deserve their money, since for the most part their working day can be considered incomplete.

I would like to express my opinion on this matter.

Responsibilities of a Russian system administrator

The responsibilities of a system administrator in Russia include a very wide range of responsibilities, which in all civilized countries are usually distributed among several specialized system administrators.

In my organization, the system administrator must deal with:

maintaining the functionality of the entire computer park of the enterprise: from installing the operating system to personnel training proper operation with additional peripheral devices;
consulting organization employees on the operation of various software, from creating tables in Microsoft Office to safe use global network Internet;
purchasing new computer equipment, purchasing licensed software, starting from communicating with managers of distributors and retail stores and ending with receiving the goods (fortunately, they don’t tell you to take the bus to pick it up);
designing an SCS, taking into account various factors that may affect its performance over many years of its life;
daily monitoring various systems security, starting from monitoring antivirus systems and ending with intrusion systems.

In addition, every employee of the enterprise believes that if a system administrator knows how to repair a computer, then he can just as easily repair any other device that has at least one blinking light and a wire for 220 connections. Therefore, they bring to system administrators for repairs: kettles, heaters, calculators , CD players, phones, video cameras and many more household appliances, which in their opinion are almost no different from a computer.

Not to mention that CNC machines costing several million rubles are also classified as simple computer equipment.

Problems that probably every system administrator faces

There are a lot of problems that a system administrator faces when working in any organization at any level.

Explaining to people that a system administrator cannot fix a burned-out video card without buying a new one is practically impossible. Sometimes, you have to listen to stories about their old acquaintances “programmers” who, with their eyes closed and without the help of a soldering iron, repaired such video cards in 10 minutes.

Explain to people that it is impossible to install on the old one Windows computer XP instead of Windows 98, and subsequently installing some kind of CAD system on it for designing 3D models is also very difficult. In Russia, for some reason, everyone thinks that they know a little more about this issue than you, even without special problems trying to prove it to you.

I understand that in Russia the level computer literacy among users is very low, but in my opinion the point here is not that, but the fact that the Russian people are an ambitious, self-sufficient people who consider it their duty to figure everything out on their own and then teach it to others.

Among other things, the system administrator must do all these actions practically without spending the company’s money, because the attitude towards the system administrator, both as an individual employee and as a large IT department, is the same - this is a department/specialist who actually does not earn any money for the enterprise, only spending it . In Russia there is no such thing as savings, which also form part of the income.

Why is this strange system administrator planning to buy 1-2 48-port Cisco switches, if you can get by with several dozen cheap 8-port D-Links. Why buy an expensive HP ProLiant DL Server if you can do everything on a simple Intel construction kit and not bother.

Attitude of other employees towards the system administrator

For most enterprise employees, a system administrator is a person who receives too much money and works too little. No one thinks that the position of a system administrator is a position with a large share of responsibility. Easy to use one of the services: SQL database, Internet gateway, mail server, etc. may result in significant losses for the company. It is clear that downtime in the work of an accountant will also have a negative impact on the well-being of the company, but in comparison with the first, they are small.

Is a system administrator a servant?

It depends on what you mean by the term servant.

Absolutely everyone can be included in this cohort of people. All positions, excluding managers, can be called servants, so you should not offend IT specialists and demand impossible things from them.

Not a single large company that has an impressive number of computers can do without a system administrator. Many people still don’t know what the essence of the system administrator profession is. The performance of the local network, software, equipment and antivirus programs provided by the system administrator. People who are far from computers do not see any difference between a programmer and a system administrator. For them, any work on a computer is associated with bespectacled people who are not interested in anything except the release of a new program.

That is why the salary of a system administrator depends on the size and profile of the company. If the company is small, one specialist most often performs all computer work, while not earning very much. In large companies, responsibilities are distributed among several administrators with a narrow range of tasks: working with databases, Internet resources, and ensuring network security.

What does a system administrator do?

Today, the system administrator specialty does not exist in universities. They become specialists in related IT professions: computer engineers, programmers, etc.

Mandatory qualities include: composure in unforeseen situations, excellent knowledge of computer technology. For example, a web service administrator needs to navigate Unix systems, TCP protocols and IP, etc. If the work is related to databases, you need completely different knowledge: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Oracle. And although many consider the work of a system administrator to be endlessly boring, the demand for competent specialists in the labor market is quite high.

Salary depends on the assigned functions and the company’s personnel policy.

Pros and cons of the system administrator profession

Advantages:

decent wages are one of the main factors that young professionals pay attention to;
The system administrator can use the acquired knowledge for his own purposes;
high demand for specialists. If a company has more than 5 computers, they need a system administrator.

Flaws:

Many employees do not fully understand what the responsibilities of a system administrator are. The result is doing unnecessary work;
high demands on the skills and knowledge of a specialist;
irregular working hours. No equipment is immune from breakdown, and at the beginning of the working day no one cares about the cause of the malfunction and the time required to fix it;
even if all systems are operating normally, the system administrator needs to do something. Otherwise, company employees will gossip that he is “sleeping” in the workplace;
in organizations where one system administrator position is open, it is difficult to request leave;
almost all useful literature written in English.

A professional feature of the sysadmin profession is the lack of career growth as such. These people consider their work done perfectly if no one notices its results. Of course, with each year of work, a specialist acquires more and more knowledge, but it is entirely related to core activities, and not to organizing the labor process or managing people.

As for the prospects of the profession, here it occupies one of the leading positions. Every year the need for personnel with advanced computer skills increases, and the situation will only change upward.

System administrator(English) system administrator) - an employee whose job responsibilities involve ensuring regular work fleet of computer equipment, networks and software, as well as ensuring information security in the organization. Other names: system administrator(English) sysadmin), often simply admin.

System administrator- an employee whose responsibilities include not only monitoring the organization’s network security, but also creating optimal performance of computers and software for users, often connected by common work for a certain result.

Often system administrator functions transferred to IT outsourcing companies. Typically, such companies provide a lower cost of service than maintaining a full-time employee and carry out work on the basis of subscription contracts.

Due to the rapid growth of the Internet and the development of network technologies, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a single system administrator to confront all problems, so specialized forums and printed publications have long appeared aimed at broadening the horizons of novice system administrators and providing assistance in solving various problems.

Professional holiday of a system administrator- last Friday of July.

Specialization

System administrators can be divided into several categories:

Web server administrator - installs, configures and maintains web server software. Typically works for a hosting company. Knowledge of Unix systems (mainly Linux and FreeBSD), the ability to configure the Apache web server and mail servers (qmail, Sendmail, Exim, Postfix), which are installed on more than 90% of web servers worldwide, are required; additionally IIS web server and Windows Server OS family. A deep understanding of the OSI model and the TCP/IP protocol stack is required.

Database Administrator

Specializes in database maintenance.

You need deep knowledge of the DBMS (at least one of MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Oracle, Informix, Firebird), the operating system on which the database runs (Windows Server, *nix (mainly Linux/FreeBSD) or Solaris), knowledge of the features database implementations, as well as knowledge of the information-logical language SQL.

Network Administrator

Engaged in the development and maintenance of networks. Deep knowledge is required in the field of network protocols (TCP/IP stack, IPX) and their implementation, routing, VPN implementation, billing systems, active network equipment (usually Cisco), physical construction of networks (Ethernet, Token ring, FDDI, 802.11).

Systems Engineer(or system architect)

Engaged in building corporate information infrastructure at the application level. As a rule, he works in an outsourcing company or a large company or corporation. You need knowledge of common operating systems (Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS); directory services Active Directory, Lotus Domino, LDAP; common DBMS, email, groupware, web servers, CRM, ERP, CMS, document management systems - the connection of which in the context of business processes is involved.

Network Security Administrator

Deals, respectively, with information security problems, documenting security policies, regulations and provisions on information resources. Works, as a rule, in an outsourcing company or a large company, corporation. Requires knowledge of encryption and authentication protocols and their practical application (VPN, RADIUS, SSL, IPsec, RAS), PKI planning, access control systems (firewalls, proxy servers, smart -cards, CheckPoint, SecurID), incident analysis, backup.

System administrator for a small company

(from 5 to 50 jobs) - is engaged in maintaining the functionality of a small fleet of computer equipment and maintaining the network. Has no assistants and performs all computer and communications related duties, including technical user support. In software development companies, it maintains Web servers, programs used by developers. They can also test software developed by the company.

Knowledge of Microsoft OS, office and accounting programs is required like Microsoft Office and 1° C, ability to install a local network, basic knowledge of databases and programming languages.