System Administration and Me What is system administration? System administration is basically adding and configuring new workstations, setting up user accounts, installing system-wide software, performing procedures to prevent the spread of viruses, and allocating mass storage type. While there are a lot more things that make up the job description of most system administrators, these are the ones that I'll be touching on in this report. But before getting into what that stuff means, let's talk a little bit about what's required for a system administration position. Many things are needed. First and foremost, you should have some knowledge in hardware. If you know what the difference between a scanner and a monitor, that's a good start. But there is a lot more than that. Some good things to learn are the difference between a server and a workstation, routers, hubs, cables, the difference between a NIC (Network Interface Card) and a modem, and firewalls. There are many more pieces of hardware that make up a computer network. Also, knowing how to troubleshoot, replace, or even fix hardware will come in quite handy.Once you have a good grasp on hardware, then you should look into software. The main software of a network is the OS (Operating System) that the network is based on. Some of the main operating systems that run networks are Windows NT, Unix, and Linux. These are the main programs that all the other programs run off of. It's not very likely that one can completely master all, or even one of these operating systems. There is a lot of knowledge pent-up in operating systems, and to be considered a master in one of them would take a while. But luckily, you don't have to know everything about them. A good, solid foundation in an operating system is usually enough. If you know all of the commands, or know where to find them, you should be fine. When you get a firm grasp on operating systems, then you should learn s...
