Systems Administration: a crucial area for any business
IT infrastructures are subjected to several risks. A hardware component could fail, an application could generate errors, a system could be targeted by a cyber-attack, users could malicious, etc. To guarantee its proper functioning, IT infrastructures resort to systems administrators.
In general, systems administration refers to the planning, implementation, and maintenance of IT infrastructures. It is a specialized task carried out by qualified individuals. Most systems administrators have higher education degrees in IT engineering. There are also complementary certifications that certify skills in certain technologies. Depending on a company’s size, you can specialize in certain areas, such as network administration, database administration, or one with a wider scope.
System administrators are therefore, the guardians of IT infrastructures. They are responsible for detecting/preventing failures, correcting them, and taking measures so that they don’t occur again. Additionally, they are capable of adjusting system, in order to improve the infrastructure’s overall performance.
One of the most important tasks they perform is keeping services running impeccably and continuously. This involves undertaking several tests and analysis of logs and alerts resulting from active monitoring.
Additionally, systems administration encompasses tasks from different areas, that may vary from one organization to another. Some of the more common ones are:
- Preventive Interventions, updating and correcting;
- Managing server resources;
- Managing users;
- Global monitoring of infrastructure, services and hosts;
- Addressing contingency situations;
- Solving technical problems;
- Installing hardware and software;
- Testing components for compatibility with infrastructure;
- Defining policies for backups and verifying their execution;
- Implementing and monitoring security and network policies (firewalls, antivirus, etc.);
- Generating reports and other documentation;
- Technical support and keeping track of clients.
To carry out all of these necessary operations for systems administration, they need to have total access to the system. This implies careful consideration and responsibility when carrying out tasks, since they may put the IT infrastructures performance at risk, if they are done carelessly, resulting in business losses.
These factors, combined with possible emergencies, make it essential to have a team of experienced system administrators, capable of quickly diagnosing problems and solving them in the shortest time possible.
Companies that pay attention to systems administration, have fewer system failures, and gain in productivity. Many resort to support services and external maintenance with the aim of focusing on managing their business and lowering their operational costs.
Eurotux provides highly specialized professionals in this field, that can help clients reach their business objectives, in the form of a proper running IT structure.
