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Chapter 1: Foundations Section Print copy Page 1 |
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A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care
that the balances are correct. -- Frank Herbert (Dune)
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Introduction |
This chapter provides a gentle introduction to the profession
(some say art) of Systems Administration. Topics introduced include
the aims, requirements and responsibilities of a Systems Administrator.
The chapter also explains the why the subject uses UNIX and provides some background on UNIX and Linux the platform we use. Finally the chapter provides a brief introduction to some of the basic concepts any Systems Administrator deals with networks, clients and servers
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Section 1, page 1: Responsibilities |
Responsibilities |
Before starting, write down what you think the responsibilities
of a Systems Administrator are. At the end of this
subject come back and see if you agree with what you have written.
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This particular icon indicates a group related activity that you should complete. Typically this will entail you communicating with other members of your discussion group (usually via the group's mailing list). This particular group exercise is designed to introduce you to the rest of your group. Do this by sending an introductory email to your group's mailing list (not the 85321 list). If you don't know which group you belong to have a look at the group allocation page. Your introductory messages should include
If you examine your group's mailing list archive on the WWW you will see an introductory message from the lecturer. |
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Section 1, page 2: What is SA |
What is SA? |
Systems Administration is one of the most complex, fulfilling and misunderstood professions within the computing arena. Everybody who uses the computer depends on the Systems Administrator doing their job correctly and efficiently. However the only time users tend to give the Systems Administrator a second thought is when the computer system is not working. (One of the reasons why Systems Administrators often feel like police). |
Lack of understanding |
Very few people, including other computing professionals, understand
the complexity and time consuming nature of Systems Administration.
In addition few people, especially computing people, recognise the
importance and value of Systems Administration to a business.
Even fewer people realise the satisfaction and challenge that Systems Administration presents to the practitioner. It is one of the rare computing professions in which the individual can combine every facet of the computing field into one career. |
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Section 1, page 3: What Systems Administrators do |
What SAs do |
Systems Administration is an old responsibility gaining new found importance and acceptance as a profession. It has come into existence because of the increasing complexity of modern computer systems and networks and because of the economy's increasing reliance on computers. Any decent size computer site now requires at least one person to keep the computers running happily. If the computers don't work the business suffers. |
Programs that do SA |
Over the last few years there has been a trend amongst vendors
to market Systems Administration programs that promise to allow
companies "do away with their Systems Administrators". None of
them do. Systems Administration is to wide ranging and complex
a task for any computer program to ever carry out effectively.
However there are a wide range of GUI tools that assist a Systems Administrator in carrying a wide variety of tasks. |
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Section 1, page 4: Knowledge |
Knowledge |
At some time during their career a Systems Administrator will make use of knowledge from the following (far from exhaustive) list of, both computing and non-computing, fields.
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Section 1, page 5: Reasons for Systems Administrators |
Reasons |
It can be said that Systems Administrators have two basic reasons
for being
These two reasons often conflict with one another. Users generally have an adverse effect on the efficient running of a computer system. Other conflicting factors include management wishing to restrict the amount of money spent on computer systems. While the users will always want more disk space and faster CPUs. The System Administrator must attempt to balance these factors. The real work required to fulfill these aims depends on the characteristics of the particular computing system and the company it belongs to. Factors that affect what a Systems Administrator needs to do come from a number of categories including the following |
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Section 1, page 6: Users |
Users |
The type of work and how much there is depends on your users
Having to look after machines for 2000 users is a touch more difficult than looking after a machine with 2 (in some cases). The level of the user's expertise can effect how much work a Systems Administrator will have to perform. This factor is a combination of the user's actual expertise and their perceived expertise. A user who thinks they know a lot (but doesn't really) can often be more trouble than a user who knows nothing and admits it. What are the users trying to do? If the users are scientists doing research on ground breaking network technology it is going to be harder to maintain their machines. If you work for a Wall Street financial institution the emphasis on security will be greater than if you are managing a student computer at a University. Are the users responsible or irresponsible? Do the users follow the rules or do they make their own? Do the users like to play with the machines? Managing a machine used by hundreds of University computing students is much more difficult than managing one used by professionals. |
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Section 1, page 7: Users who know what they know |
Users who know what they know |
Picture it. You are a Systems Administrator at a United
States Air Force base. The people using your computers include
people who fly million dollar weapons of destruction that have
the ability to reduce buildings if not towns to dust. Your users
are supremely confident in their ability.
What do you do when an arrogant, abusive Colonel contact s you saying he cannot use his computer? What do you say when n you solve the problem by telling him he did not have it plugged in? What do you do when you have to do this more than once? This is based on a real story. |
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Section 1, page 8: Computers |
Computers |
How many, how big and how complex are the computers on your site.
Once again greater numbers imply more work.
Are the computers networked? The existence of a network connecting the machines raises additional problems. Are the computers heterogeneous or homogeneous (all different or all the same). It is much simpler if all the computers on the site are exactly the same. Both in the type of operating system and hardware they use as well as the configuration. This almost NEVER happens. Especially when people get hold of them. |
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Section 1, page 9: Support |
Support |
Are you alone? At some sites there is one administrator who does
everything from installing peripherals, fixing motherboards, doing
backups, adding users, drawing up policy etc. At other sites there
are other administrators, operators and technicians to help out.
Are you a full time administrator? In some cases the administrator looks after the machines in addition to performing their "real job". |
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Section 1, page 10: What a Systems Administrator needs to know |
What a Systems
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The short and sweet answer is that to be a really good
Systems Administrator you need to know everything about the
entire computer system including operating system, hardware,
software, users, management, network and anything else you can
think of that might affect the system in any way.
Failing that lofty aim the System Administrator must have the ability to gain this all encompassing knowledge. The discovery process may include research, trial and error, or begging. The abilities to learn and problem solve may well be the two most important attributes for a Systems Administrator. |
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A job descriptionReading 1.1SAGE Systems Administration job description Compulsory |
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Section 2, page 1: What 85321 will teach you |
What 85321 will teach you |
It isn't possible to produce expert Systems Administrators in a single 13 week subject. Instead 85321 aims to produce people who fulfill the requirements of a Junior Systems Administrator, as described in the SAGE job descriptions, without the one to three years experience. Experience is an important part of Systems Administration. |
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Section 2, page 2: How will 85321 teach Systems Administration |
How 85321 teaches SA |
Some parts of Systems Administration are independent of
the type of computer being used (handling user
complaints and getting on with management). However by necessity
there is a great deal of complex platform dependent knowledge that
a Systems Administrator must have in order to carry out their job.
The ability to maintain and understand a complex collection of operating system, hardware, software and network is an essential part of Systems Administration. It is not something that can picked up from a text book or by theory. There is a Chinese proverb that has been paraphrased as
Tell me and I'll forget; show me
and I may remember; involve me
and I'll understand.
85321 attempts to fulfill this proverb.
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The platform |
This subject has been written with the UNIX operating system in mind
as the main computing platform. In particular this subject has been
written with the Linux operating system, a version of UNIX that
runs on IBM PC clones, in mind. It is necessary to have access to
the root password of a UNIX (not necessarily Linux) machine to get
the most benefit from this subject.
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Section 2, page 3: Reasons for UNIX |
Reasons for UNIX |
The reasons for choosing UNIX, and especially Linux, over any of the
other available operating systems include
Just as there are advantages in using UNIX there are also disadvantages. If you want to see a few of them have a look at the UNIX haters WWW page (the page might be a bit slow, or may have disappeared). "My Operating System is better than yours" is a religious war that I don't want to discuss here. |
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Section 2, page 4: UNIX in industry |
UNIX in local industry |
The following list was obtained from the local
AT&T; (a UNIX
vendor) technician. It is a list of companies in the
Rockhampton area that are using UNIX.
There are also another 20 or so smaller sites serviced by AT&T.;
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Section 3, page 1: UNIX and Linux history |
UNIX history |
The history of UNIX is an oft told tale and it is sometime hard to get the right version. I've collected a couple of versions. While it is not essential that you know about the history of UNIX it does provide an interesting background. |
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UNIX HistoryReading 1.2Optional but recommended UNIX history Light-hearted history of UNIX |
UNIX today |
At the current point in time it appears that UNIX has ensconced
itself into the following market niches
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Section 3, page 2: Introducing Linux |
Introducing Linux |
This subject has been specifically written to centre on the Linux operating system. Linux was chosen because it is a free, complete version of the UNIX operating system that will run on cheap, entry level machines. |
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Introduction to LinuxReading 1.3Optional but recommended Short introduction to Linux. |
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Linux HistoryReading 1.4Optional but recommended Linux history |
How to pronounce Linux |
Here's how Linus Torvalds (the creator of Linux) pronounces Linux. |
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Section 4, page 1: Computing today |
Computing today |
This section is intended to provide a very brief introduction to some important concepts about the field of computing today. It's short, not complete but does offer some view of a large part of computing. |
Local area networks |
Most companies today have local area networks consisting of client and server machines communicating using ethernet. Increasingly these local area networks are also connected to the Internet. |
Clients |
In most cases the client machines are running some form of graphical user interface usually either Windows (3.1 or 95) or the Mac. These client machines are usually fairly powerful and do their fair share of computational work. |
Servers |
The server machines usually provide
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Client/server communication |
The clients and servers communicate using a wide variety of communication
protocols. Most sites will be running either IPX (Novell) or TCP/IP
as their base network protocol. Increasingly sites will be moving towards
TCP/IP as this is the protocol used on the Internet.
On top of these base network protocols there are other protocols used to provide the file and print sharing. Examples of these protocols include Novell, NFS and SMB. SMB is the protocol used by the Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems to share files and print services. There are programs that will allow a UNIX machine to talk the SMB or Novell protocols. |
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Section 4, page 2: Your site |
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As students studying a third year computing subject most of you
will have used a computer site that has a local area network,
and client and server computers.
Prepare a short mail message that describes each of the components of the computer site you are most familiar with. Send the mail message to your groups mailing list. |
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Section 5, page 1: Conclusions |
Conclusions |
Systems Administration is an interesting, much needed and misunderstood
profession. A Systems Administrator will deal with topics from all
fields of computing and a few totally unrelated to computing. A
Systems Administrator must be able to learn, problem solve and deal
with people. The work a Systems Administrator performs will depend
on the characteristics of their particular site.
85321 is designed to provide a practical introduction to Systems Administration using the Linux operating system as the platform. It is designed to provide the knowledge to fulfill most of the requirements of a Junior Systems Administrator as specified by SAGE (a professional body). Most computer sites today will have the following components
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URL: http://mc.cqu.edu.au/subjects/85321/study-guide/chap1/chapter1.html
AUTHOR: David Jones
Last modified: 24 Feb, 1996
