Who is a system administrator? Functional responsibilities of a system administrator

Hello friends! Our century is the century of technological progress. The Machine Age. It is impossible to imagine even the most seedy company without a computer! The director of the enterprise, in the accounting department, in the offices of department heads, and even ordinary employees - everyone has computers at their workplaces. Corporate mail, news, market, bank - all these benefits of the modern workforce undoubtedly help to survive in the cruel world of business. But how do you make it all work together? How to make sure that employees are not “in contact” and “classmates” sitting in work time, but were you busy? How to protect secret information from a work computer from hackers? This is why the profession of system administrator exists.

We'll help you master new profession - more details

If you ask Google who he is, he will answer something like this:

System administrator is an employee whose job responsibilities involve providing regular work parka computer equipment, networks and software, as well as ensuring information security in the organization.

Popularly, such a specialist is simply called “administrator” or “sysadmin”.

So let's figure it out...

What does a system administrator do?

To responsibilities system administrator This includes ensuring the stable operation of computer equipment.

This stage includes:

installation and configuration (and sometimes even purchase) of computers,
components and peripheral devices (printers, scanners, etc.)

When doing this, the main thing is to lay out computer communications so that even the most sophisticated worker does not pull out the plug with his foot and spill the coffee. system unit.

The most difficult thing in the work of a system administrator is to explain to the boss’s beautiful blonde secretary that there is no need to pin the mouse wire with buttons to the table, even if it gets in the way)))

Setting up programs and ensuring their stability, reliable operation will be, perhaps, the most labor-intensive part of the work of a system administrator. The software can be completely different, depending on the specifics of the enterprise. For example, from regular Microsoft word & excel, to ORACLE DBMS and accounting programs.

The main problem in the operation of the software is, unfortunately, human factor, since usually employees’ complaints to the system administrator begin with the words: “I pressed the wrong button and everything suddenly disappeared somewhere.” Synchronize the work of programs and set correct protection“from fools” - that’s half the work of a system administrator.

The system administrator must also know and be able to correctly configure access parameters so that each employee can turn on only his computer, his profile, and launch only those programs to which he has access according to his status in the campaign. If the employees’ work is connected to the Internet, then the system administrator will have to configure access parameters in world wide web so that neither “in contact” nor “oddnoklassniki”, so beloved by office workers, are accessible from work computers.

A system administrator is a very significant figure in a company, like a knight on a chessboard. It seems like he’s not the most important person, but it’s absolutely impossible to live without him. Sometimes it is enough to complete admin courses to become a ruler office computers. But computers tend to break down, both for an ordinary employee and for the general director.

Advantages of being a system administrator

The incomparable advantages of the job include almost complete independence, because finding a person at the company who will understand computers at the level of a system administrator and will check your work is almost impossible. It is the system administrator who is the “virtual director” in the campaign, therefore, having correctly configured the equipment and given valuable instructions to the “office plankton”, you can safely spend the drab work days, indulging in social networks or absorbing modern youth online games. In addition, the solution to problems with equipment of superiors and senior management (top manager, chief accountant, personnel officers, etc.) will provide good connections and will help you move up the career ladder.

Representatives of this profession, again, have an order of magnitude less paperwork than other workers. As practice shows, while at the end of the month or year, department heads and subordinates are intensively writing reports, settling accounts and summing up results, system administrators are spinning twisted-pair soldiers in their offices.

The obvious advantages include the salary of system administrators. According to the site “job.ru” for services this kind of companies are willing to pay on average from $1,200 to $3,000.

The disadvantages (cons) of the profession include:

Uneven and sometimes high workload. Through the efforts of careless users, computers glitch and break down with enviable regularity in almost any enterprise.
Lack of understanding and sometimes absolute unwillingness to understand at all how the system works. The mouse is buggy - the system administrator is to blame. The site does not work - the system administrator is to blame. The power supply has burned out - the system administrator is to blame. And go and prove that the voltage in the electrical network does not depend on you!
Limited opportunities for career advancement. If the company’s activities are not related to the provision of services in the field of information technologies, then there is nothing more to count on except for an increase in salary.

Characteristics of a system administrator

What qualities do a good system administrator need?

Firstly, he must have a good technical education. Knowing what is a system unit, what is a monitor, and how to reinstall the operating system will clearly not be enough.
Secondly, a good system administrator must be proficient at a level clearly superior to the basic one.

Most programs and especially technical description they are accompanied precisely in English and gaps in knowledge of the language can be expensive, and even in a reputable company without knowledge

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 undeservedly receive 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 employees of the organization on the operation of various software, starting from creating tables in Microsoft Office and up 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 eyes closed and without the help of a soldering iron we repaired video cards like this 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 a few dozen cheap 8-port D-Links. Why buy an expensive HP ProLiant DL Server if you can do everything on simple constructor Intel doesn't 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 and so on. 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.

System administrator (eng. system administrator) is an employee whose job responsibilities involve ensuring the normal operation of the fleet of computer equipment, networks and software in the organization. Other names: sysadmin, often just admin.

System administrators are employees whose responsibilities include not only monitoring network security organization, but also to create optimal performance of computers and software for users, often interconnected general work for a certain result.

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

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

Not a single company whose computer park consists of more than one machine can exist without a system administrator (sysadmin).

A system administrator is an information technology professional who is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the server, hardware, and software installed on enterprise computers.

Job responsibilities

Creation and maintenance of a computer complex and network;

Monitoring work operating systems and software;

Installation and adjustment of software;

System resource allocation;

Coordination and administration of systems;

Maintaining the functionality of a network or several computers;

Control and assistance to network users;

Implementation remote administration(if direct access to a computer is not possible);

Providing support to the system operator;

Network maintenance;

Network repair and installation;

Installation and repair of equipment.

If any malfunctions in the operation of the operating system are detected, all responsibility falls on the shoulders of this specialist. Naturally, the system administrator must understand hardware and programs in order to troubleshoot problems efficiently. He must also take care of reliable protection information from viruses and hacker attacks. Now more and more technical universities are opening training for these specialists. And this is not surprising, because almost any enterprise has its own computer network, and she definitely needs control network administrator, maybe not even one.

Requirements

The system administrator must have good knowledge software and network equipment for small and medium networks.

Understand various configurations computer, operating systems and network standards.

Be able to reliably provide information security computer network.

Know technical English, as most of the documentation is written in it.

Personal qualities

Attentiveness;

Thoroughness and systematicity in work;

Patience;

Perseverance;

Accuracy;

Painstaking;

Responsibility.

Education

Higher, incomplete higher, secondary specialized technical education.

Places of work

Enterprises and organizations;

Companies and firms;

Computer centers;

Educational establishments.

System Administrator Day was invented by Chicago system administrator Ted Kekatos in 1999. Since 2000, System Administrator Day has been celebrated annually and everywhere on the last Friday of July.

So, today we will try to answer the question: “Who is a system administrator?” In addition, we will figure out how much such a person earns, what he does, and how good and important his work is in modern world. After all, every profession has its place. Let us quickly begin to analyze our topic for today.

Concept

System administrator - who is this? Let's try to answer this question, but first we'll decipher this concept. After all, the name of our profession today is far from being a Russian abbreviation.

The thing is that “sysadmin” stands for “system administrator”. That is, this person is working with some kind of networks. And since this is a computer profession, then, as you might guess, such people will work with these machines.

System administrator - who is this? Once we have learned the full name of the position, revealing his responsibilities and profession as a whole will be several times easier. So let's try to do this. After all, before starting work, it is always important to know what lies ahead.

What does he do?

After we have explained the concept a little and figured out the question: “Who is a system administrator?” - need to know about job responsibilities such workers. Especially if you are interested in this profession. Maybe they will “tear your skin” and demand huge amounts of work?

Not at all. In fact, the job of “sysadmin” is what almost every user dreams of. You will have to configure operating systems, reinstall, install software and connect equipment. This also includes setting up an Internet connection, treating your computer for viruses, and protecting the system from various infections. In general, everything that the average user can do now.

In truth, a system administrator, programs and computers are three integral components of this profession. Sometimes particularly advanced system administrators even engage in programming. It gives them significant advantage in front of other employees. Let's now see what pros and cons this profession has. After all, everything can’t be that good, right? Then everyone would aspire to be a system administrator.

Minuses

Well, let's start with negative aspects. After all, it is they who, as a rule, make us think about whether this or that place is suitable for us or not. Notes “is a system administrator good or bad” can often be found in many articles on the topic of work.

The first thing that should be noted is that a person must have perseverance. Working as a system administrator, you will have to spend most of your time at the computer, without looking away from it. Fortunately for most modern users It's not such a big deal.

In addition, system administrators are endowed with enormous opportunities and, as a result, responsibility. After all, the work within the company, which is performed on computers, will depend on you. Something will break - and you will have to fix it quickly and efficiently. In cases where you know exactly what you are doing, there is no need to be afraid.

The monotony of work and its monotony is another significant disadvantage of the chosen profession. Every day everything will come down to the fact that you come to check the operation of the computers, configure the equipment if necessary, and then go to work on your workplace and carry out the boss’s instructions regarding PC setup. Many people get very tired of this schedule.

pros

True, our current profession also has a number of advantages. These are the ones you can meet when reading the notes “sysadmin - good or bad”. In fact, positive aspects there are much more negative ones here.

The first point is the work schedule. Very often, system administrators are hired with a flexible schedule, that is, on call. When services are not needed, you come to the workplace, then check the operation of all equipment and leave. And sometimes you stay in your office and mind your own business until your services are needed. But the salary still drips.

The second point is the ease of operation for most users. Modern people very advanced in computers. This is why you can fix most of the difficulties that arise on computers without any problems. If the work is “not dusty and simple”, and even brings good income, then the employee will perform it at the highest level.

It is also worth noting that in most cases, system administrators are left to their own devices after conducting daily equipment checks. You can drink coffee, play games (especially if your bosses are not watching you, but have provided you with a separate office), work on the Internet, or chat with friends. All this has a very beneficial effect on your lifestyle. The main thing is not to “go too far” and start “working to the detriment”.

Plus, working on a computer is predominantly mental work. You don't have to carry bricks, work in bad weather conditions and so on. Typically, employees are provided with their own offices where they can drink tea, warm up and just feel comfortable.

If you are not a supporter of communicating with people, then a system administrator is your profession. All you will do is work at the computer. There is minimal contact with living people here. So this is Goldmine for reserved individuals.

How much does he earn

Here's another pretty one important point. After all, any profession and position must be paid somehow. System administrator salary is a connection on which, as a rule, the quality of a person’s work depends.

The point is that if you are required to great job for a small salary, then, of course, it’s worth refusing. A freelance system administrator (they called - they came and fixed it, went home) receives from 10,000 rubles a month. But employees of even the smallest companies with full-time or flexible hours - from 20,000 rubles.

With all this, the higher the salary, the better the system administrator will perform his duties. After all, then he will be interested in it. Thus, we can say that our profession today is quite a profitable occupation.

Conclusion

Our conversation has now come to an end. Today we found out who system administrators are, what they do, what the pros and cons of this profession are, and how well the work of such workers is paid.

As you can see, this "place" can be suitable for most advanced computer users. To be honest, you have to learn to be a system administrator. For example, on In addition, you can complete specialized courses to get a “crust”. But sometimes you can do without it. That's it.

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. Performance local network, software, hardware 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, 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 assigned functions and personnel policy companies.

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 running normal mode, 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.