A system administrator is a professional employed in organisation with a responsibility to ensure the smooth functioning of multi-user computers i,e servers, networks, and computer systems.Â
Many big companies hire system administrators to manage their daily operations, such as database, network, servers, web, security and plenty other. In this article, let us know more about the role and responsibilities of system administrator.
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Who is a System administrator?
A System administrator is an IT professional responsible for managing, maintaining, and ensuring the smooth operation of an organization’s computer system, network, and servers. They are also popularly known by many names, such as IT administrator, system administrator, and admin.Â
They make sure that the computers, networks, and servers installed in the organisation are working effectively and have higher performance. To fix any issue they might troubleshoot the entire system, install, or upgrade components. They also provide routine automation and maintain security policies.
System Administrator: Key Takeaways
- System administrator are IT Professionals responsible for ensuring proper working of various operating units inside an organisation.
- Along with bachelor degree in related fields a system administrator must have hands on practical experience to handle on field work pressure.
- A system administrator role is also popular as other names such as IT administrator, System administrator, admin, etc.
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What Does a System Administrator Do?
A system administrator is an essential part of an organisation responsible for ensuring an effective working and ideal performance of the company’s systems, network, and servers. Let us know some more roles and responsibilities of a system administrator below.
A system might be responsible for managing different sections such as database, network, security, web, computer operator, and SRE (Site Reliability Engineer). In small organisation, all these segments are handled by a single individual or small groups. However, in big companies separate roles are allocated based on different roles.
- Regular overview of computer systems and identify potential issues with computer systems. They might analyze system logs to find the issues.Â
- Install new updates troubleshoot the entire system, and add updates.
- Install and configure new hardware and software packages in organization systems.
- They are responsible for adding new users to the system and updating their account information. They also reset passwords, update account details, remove users, etc.Â
- They assist users with any queries regarding system working or network connectivity issues. They assist new users with various functionalities and working of the organisation system.
- A System administrator ensures parity between the developer, testing, and production environment.
- They are responsible for ensuring safety protocols in the system and documenting the configuration of the system.Â
- They troubleshoot any issues found at any time in the system and ensure that the systems and servers are up and running.
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Qualifications to Become a System Administrator
Qualifications to become a system administrator are flexible and most organisations require a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a relevant field.Â
Industry-level certifications in relevant areas might help you draw the attention of potential recruiters and stand ahead of other candidates during recruitment. Some of the major certifications are offered by CompTIA, Microsoft, Linux Professional Institute, Linux Foundation Certified Engineer, and other recognised institutions whose certifications are valued by top firms. Some of the important certifications for system administrators are mentioned below.
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator
- Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
System Administrator Skills
Let us throw some light on the skills you need to add to become a successful system administrator.
Strong Understanding of Operating Systems
A system administrator must be aware of the workings of different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS. Familiarity with the different OS operating servers and working environments can help them troubleshoot any issues that might arise while working. Having knoweldge of cloud based platforms is also important as many companies are integrating cloud services on their platforms.
Computer NetworkingÂ
Having a strong command of Computer networks and experience with routers, firewalls, and network security principles is important to ensure smooth connectivity and fix any issues while operating. Familiarity with some important concepts of computer networking is required such as TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, Subnetting, etc.Â
Scripting and Automation
As a system administrator, you must be able to automate tasks using scripts such as Python, Powershell, etc to improve the efficiency of the server and computers. You must be aware of important configuration management tools like Ansible, Chef, Puppet, etc.
Database ManagementÂ
Based on the needs you might have to manage the database and hence it is important to have a good understanding of SQL, and Oracle to secure the database and make changes as per requirement.Â
Security
Knowledge of encryption, access control mechanisms, authentication, and familiarity with cybersecurity practices is important. Must be able to implement and manage security protocols, firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), double factor authentication, antivirus, etc to protect systems in organisation.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
Must ensure data is stored in an optimized manner with proper backup and syncing. Disaster recovery planning must be implemented to recover data after any unexpected loss of data due to failures.
Problem-Solving Skills
As a system administrator, you must be quick in diagnosing issues and implementing quick fixes.
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Can Fresher Get Good Opportunities as System Administrator?
If you are a recent graduate from Computer Science or equivalent Tech Stream then it might be easier for you to find good opportunities for the System administrator role. Go for the relevant certifications from recognised institutions and start applying for the role of the system administrator in top tech firms.Â
However, brushing up on your skills and knowledge is important in this job profile as you must be familiar with the technology to ensure a quick fix. Gain hands-on experience and learn the fundamentals of IT to increase your chances of getting good opportunities in this field.Â
You must prepare yourself to handle unforeseen issues and often face high-pressure situations that may arise during system outages or security breaches. However, with proper knowledge and experience, you will learn to handle these situations easily. Learn Programming, networking, database management, operating systems, and other relevant fundamentals of IT field and clear interviews easily.
Are System Administrators Paid Well?
System administrators are technical experts who are responsible for smooth running of organisation various operations. They receive competitive salaries due to their complex working and experience in the field. System administrator in India can earn between 1.8 lakh to 9.0 lakhs with an average annual salary of 5 lakhs.Â
A fresher can work as an intern and gather experience working as a system administrator. Being a fresher you can also earn an average salary of 15,000 to 20,000 per month. However, with experience and knowledge you might get a good increment but you continuously need to learn and upskill your knowledge.Â
System Administrator FAQs
Q1. Who is a system administrator?
Ans: System administrator are IT professionals responsible for ensuring smooth working and effective performance of computer systems, servers, networks, databases, security in an organisation. To become a system administrator you must have a good knowledge of computers and IT.
Q2. What is the role of system administrator?
Ans: A system administrator fixes any issues in the system, troubleshoot and maintain computer servers and networks. They make sure that all the systems are in proper working conditions and meet the needs of the organisation on a daily basis.
Q3. Do you need coding for system administrator?
Ans: Coding is not mandatory for a system administrator. However, this depends on the domain which they are working. If you are working as a database administrator you might require to have a good knowledge of database and SQL, MySQL, mongoDB and other relevant query language. Knowledge of coding might help you communicate with developers and also find major issues related to program.
Q4. Is System Administrator a good job for freshers?
Ans: Freshers from a tech background and good knowledge of computer, networks and database can get good opportunities working as a system administrator. Get a relevant certification after graduation, work on relevant projects and find good paying jobs in top tech firms.
