A.Y.T.I.: Assignment 1

When I was young, I have really never seen myself as an IT student. My dream when I was little was to become a doctor. But that ambition changed when I was in high school. I can’t remember who told me this thing, but someone said to me that it will take 10 years to study to become a doctor. Wow! That’s a long time. I don’t want to study for about 10 years. That’s why I was discouraged to become a doctor.When I was in high school, I can’t remember what I want to be. There were so many things that came up from my mind. At that time, I wanted to become a computer engineer, if my memory is right. I thought also of becoming a musician when I was in 4^th year because music was my passion at that time. I also thought of enrolling only in a 2 year course program.After I graduated, I stopped schooling first to take a rest. When I decided to come back schooling, my first choice is to take up the course Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management. I also thought of taking up Bachelor of Science in Music, but I did not prioritize that. So my first choice would be BSHRM. But my father didn’t want me to take up that course because he said it’s hard to find a job with that course. Also, it is not in demand in other countries. So he said to me that I would take up IT or Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. He wanted me to take up this course because it’s easy to find a job with this course because computers and technology are now arising. So in short, this course was my father’s decision. Not mine. Oh well, because I am a good son, I followed what he said. I also thought that this could be a good course because it can widen my knowledge about computers and information technology as well. At my first year of becoming an IT student, everything was not really easy. Maybe because later I realized that I was now in college and the subjects are getting harder. I will admit that at the first semester of my first year, I had a failing grade. I also failed 2 times in my programming 1 subject. I took the subject for three times. I also have failing grades with other subjects. Now today, I am now in 4^th year, but my subjects are 3^rd year subjects. It’s really hard to accept for me. But of course, that’s life and I have to accept it. For 4 years being an IT student, I can say that I have embraced my course now, and I love my course. I now become more interested in IT stuff, unlike before where I don’t much really care about computers and how to operate them. Now, I dreamed of becoming an IT Professional someday. To be a competent IT professional, you must know what the expectations of your colleagues, your industry, your clients and the general public are. Meeting these expectations is what qualifies you to call yourself a professional, and what gives you recognition as a professional.
In today's world the role of the IT professional is crucial. IT has become an essential resource for most organizations. The evolving scenario is one of a growing complexity of computer systems and businesses dependence on them. Qualified and competent IT professionals are needed to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of computers. 10 years from now, I see myself as a successful person in the IT industry. To become an IT professional, I must have strategies in order to become one.

My strategies:

Focus and Finish my studies first.
Learn from the experts.
Learn to be always updated from the latest trends in Information Technology
Explore the world of Information Technology

Focus and Finish my studies- In order to become an IT Professional, I must focus and do well on my studies.

Learn more from the experts- I am still young in this field, so in order to become a successful IT Professional, I must learn from the experts.

Learn to be always updated from the latest trends in Information Technology-I must be always updated so that I can cope up with the fast pacing change of IT.

Explore the world of Information Technology-

These are some definitions of Information Technology:

Information technology refers to both the hardware and software that are used to store, retrieve, and manipulate information. At the lowest level you have the servers with an operating system. Installed on these servers are things like database and web serving software. The servers are connected to each other and to users via a network infrastructure. And the users accessing these servers have their own hardware, operating system, and software tools. Information technology (IT) is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. It refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies. Many companies now have IT departments for managing the computers, networks, and other technical areas of their businesses. IT jobs include computer programming, network administration, computer engineering, Web development, technical support, and many other related occupations. Since we live in the "information age," information technology has become a part of our everyday lives. That means the term "IT," already highly overused, is here to stay. IT (information technology) is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange, and use information in its various forms (business data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and other forms, including those not yet conceived). It's a convenient term for including both telephony and computer technology in the same word. It is the technology that is driving what has often been called "the information revolution. Information technology is very broad. There are so may topics incorporated in Information technology. Exploring these topics is one of my ways to be done in order to become an IT Professional in the future.

Some of the IT topics are:

Computer Programming

Networking

Database Systems

Systems Analysis and Design

Software Engineering

Multimedia

And many more

I know you will not believe me, but I want to experience these different fields in IT after 10 years. These fields in Information Technology are:

Programming

Computer programming (often shortened to programming or coding) is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging / troubleshooting, and maintaining thesource code of computer programs. This source code is written in a programming language. The code may be a modification of an existing source or something completely new. The purpose of programming is to create a program that exhibits a certain desired behaviour (customization). The process of writing source code often requires expertise in many different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algorithms and formal logic.

Programmer is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to programming may also be known as a programmer analyst. A programmer's primary computer language (Lisp, Java, Delphi, C++, etc.) is often prefixed to the above titles, and those who work in a web environment often prefix their titles with web. The term programmer can be used to refer to a software developer, software engineer, computer scientist, or software analyst. However, members of these professions typically possess other software engineering skills, beyond programming; for this reason, the term programmer is sometimes considered an insulting or derogatory oversimplification of these other professions. This has sparked much debate amongst developers, analysts, computer scientists, programmers, and outsiders who continue to be puzzled at the subtle differences in these occupations. Computer programmers write, test, debug, and maintain the detailed instructions, called computer programs that computers must follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Many technical innovations in programming — advanced computing technologies and sophisticated new languages and programming tools — have redefined the role of a programmer and elevated much of the programming work done today. Job titles and descriptions may vary, depending on the organization. Programmers work in many settings, including corporate information technology departments, big software companies, and small service firms. Many professional programmers also work for consulting companies at client' sites as contractors. Licensing is not typically required to work as a programmer, although professional certifications are commonly held by programmers. Programming is widely considered a profession (although some authorities disagree on the grounds that only careers with legal licensing requirements count as a profession). Programmers' work varies widely depending on the type of business they are writing programs for. For example, the instructions involved in updating financial records are very different from those required to duplicate conditions on an aircraft for pilots training in a flight simulator. Although simple programs can be written in a few hours, programs that use complex mathematical formulas whose solutions can only be approximated or that draw data from many existing systems may require more than a year of work. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer’s supervision. Different programming languages are used depending on the purpose of the program. Programmers generally know more than one programming language, and because many languages are similar, they often can learn new languages relatively easily. In practice, programmers often are referred to by the language they know, such as Java programmers, or by the type of function they perform or environment in which they work—for example, database programmers, mainframe programmers, or Web programmers. Programmers also update, repair, modify, and expand existing programs. Some, especially those working on large projects that involve many programmers, use computer-assisted software engineering (CASE) tools to automate much of the coding process. These tools enable a programmer to concentrate on writing the unique parts of a program. Programmers working on smaller projects often use “programmer environments,” applications that increase productivity by combining compiling, code walk through, code generation, test data generation, and debugging functions. Programmers also use libraries of basic code that can be modified or customized for a specific application. This approach yields more reliable and consistent programs and increases programmers’ productivity by eliminating some routine steps. Programs vary widely depending on the type of information they will access or generate. For example, the instructions involved in updating financial records are very different from those required to simulate flight for pilot training. Simple programs can be written in a few hours, but some programs draw data from many existing systems or use complex mathematical formulas. These programs may take more than a year to create. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer’s supervision. Programmers test a program by running it to ensure that the instructions are correct and that the program produces the desired outcome. If errors do occur, the programmer must make the appropriate change and recheck the program until it produces the correct results. This process is called testing and debugging. Programmers may continue to fix problems for as long as a program is used. Programmers working on a mainframe, a large centralized computer, may prepare instructions for a computer operator who will run the program. Programmers also may contribute to the instruction manual for a program. Programmers in software development companies may work directly with experts from various fields to create specialized software—either programs designed for specific clients or packaged software for general use—ranging from games and educational software to programs for desktop publishing and financial planning. Programming of packaged software constitutes one of the most rapidly growing segments of the computer services industry. Increasingly, advanced software platforms are bridging the gap between computer programmers and computer users. New platforms, such as spreadsheet, accounting, and enterprise resource planning applications, have created demand for computer specialists who have first-hand knowledge of a user-base. These workers use such platforms to develop programs that meet the specific needs of this base. Computer programmers often are responsible for creating the software platform, and then fine-tuning the final program after it has been made. Computer programmers often are grouped into two broad types—applications programmers and systems programmers. Applications programmers write programs to handle a specific job, such as a program to track inventory within an organization. They also may revise existing packaged software or customize generic applications purchased from vendors. Systems programmers, in contrast, write programs to maintain and control computer systems software for operating systems, networked systems, and database systems. These workers make changes in the instructions that determine how the network, workstations, and central processing unit of a system handle the various jobs they have been given, and how they communicate with peripheral equipment such as terminals, printers, and disk drives. Because of their knowledge of the entire computer system, systems programmers often help applications programmers determine the source of problems that may occur with their programs.

Database Administration

Database administration is the function of managing and maintaining database management systems (DBMS) software. Mainstream DBMS software such as Oracle, IBM DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server need ongoing management. As such, corporations that use DBMS software often hire specialized IT (Information Technology) personnel called Database Administrators or DBAs. A database administrator (DBA) is a person responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and repair of an organization's database. They are also known by the titles Database Coordinator or Database Programmer, and are closely related to the Database Analyst, Database Modeler, Programmer Analyst, and Systems Manager. The role includes the development and design of database strategies, monitoring and improving database performance and capacity, and planning for future expansion requirements. They may also plan, co-ordinate and implement security measures to safeguard the database. The duties of a database administrator vary depending on job description, corporate and Information Technology (IT) policies and the technical features and capabilities of the DBMS being administered. They include disaster recovery (backups and testing of backups), performance analysis and tuning, data dictionary maintenance, and database design.

Job description:

A database administrator (DBA) is responsible for the performance, integrity and security of a database. Additional role requirements are likely to include planning, development and troubleshooting. The database approach incorporates the following principles:

data remains consistent across the database;
data is clearly defined;
users access data concurrently, in a form that suits their needs;
there is provision for data security and recovery control (all data is retrievable in an emergency).

Database administrator (DBA) roles are increasingly identified by the databases and processes they administer and the capabilities of the database management system (DBMS) in use.

Typical work activities:

The work of a database administrator (DBA) varies according to the nature of the employing organization and the level of responsibility associated with the post. The work may be pure maintenance or it may also involve specializing in database development.

Typical responsibilities include some or all of the following:

establishing the needs of users and monitoring user access and security;
monitoring performance and managing parameters to provide fast query responses to 'front end' users;
mapping out the ‘conceptual design’ for a planned database in outline;
considering both 'back end' organization of data and 'front end' accessibility for end users;
refining the ‘logical design’ so that it can be translated into a specific data model;
further refining the ‘physical design’ to meet system storage requirements;
installing and testing new versions of the database management system (DBMS);
maintaining data standards, including adherence to the Data Protection Act;
writing database documentation, including data standards, procedures and definitions for the data dictionary (‘metadata’);
controlling access permissions and privileges;
developing, managing and testing backup and recovery plans;
ensuring that storage, archiving, backup and recovery procedures are functioning correctly;
capacity planning;
working closely with IT project managers, database programmers and web developers;
communicating regularly with technical, applications and operational staff to ensure database integrity and security;
commissioning and installing new applications.

Because of the increasing levels of hacking and the sensitive nature of data stored, security and recoverability or 'disaster recovery' have become increasingly important aspects of the work.

Roles of the DBA:

Installation of new software — it is the job of the DBA to install new versions of DBMS software, application software, and other software related to DBMS administration. It is important that the DBA or other IS staff members test new software before it is moved into a production environment.
Configuration of hardware and software with the system administrator — in many cases the system software can only be accessed by the system administrator. In this case, the DBA works closely with the system administrator to perform software installations, and to configure hardware and software so that it functions optimally with the DBMS.
Security administration — one of the main duties of the DBA is to monitor and administer DBMS security. This involves adding and removing users, administering quotas, auditing, and checking for security problems.
Data analysis — The DBA analyzes data stored in the database and makes recommendations relating to performance and efficiency of that data storage. This includes the effective use of indexes, enabling "Parallel Query" execution, or other DBMS specific features.
Database design (preliminary) — The DBA can be involved at the preliminary database-design stages, eliminating many problems that might occur. The DBA knows the DBMS and system, can point out potential problems, and can help the development team with special performance considerations.
Data modeling and optimization — by modeling the data, it is possible to optimize the system layouts to take the most advantage of the I/O subsystem.
Responsible for the administration of existing enterprise databases and the analysis, design, and creation of new databases.

Data modeling, database optimization, understanding and implementation of schemas, and the ability to interpret and write complex Structured Query Language (SQL) queries.
Proactively monitor systems for optimum performance and capacity constraints.
Establish standards and best practices for SQL.
Interact with and coach developers in SQL scripting.

There are many challenges in performing these roles. As an IT student, you should prepare more for the real world scenario when dealing with these roles. Challenges surround programmers each and every day, both as motivators and demotivators. While not necessarily a driver of success in every programmer, some prefer to keep it simple and focus on the familiar and ‘what they are good at.’ Nonetheless, leveraging challenges towards positive outcomes is very prevalent where good programmers are found,

challenges that foster …

personal and career growth,
new learning, and
meaning

… represent the best drivers of excitement and reward.

Many programmers will always be able to find fun, productive, and new ways to challenge themselves simultaneously benefiting those around them. Other programmers may seek a challenge that provides that personal meaning, but require a little guidance. Work with programmers and assist them in finding or building upon challenges that are new and exciting to them. Reinvigorating a common task or a persistently onerous effort through finding that challenging, motivating spark will bring new life and engagement to both the work and the programmer. Different programmers are motivated by finding different, personally appealing, Challenges in their daily work. These challenges can be anything from …

Optimizing speed or memory,
Reducing the total number of source code lines,
Satisfying the needs of a client,
Maximizing modularity and reusability, and/or
Crafting that perfect algorithm.

The DBA`s top three operational database management challenges are: database performance, data recovery/availability and upgrading to new database versions. Performance means that the database does not cause unreasonable online response times, and it does not cause unattended programs to run for an unworkable period of time. In complex client-server and three-tier systems, the database is just one of many elements that determine the performance that online users and unattended programs experience. Performance is a major motivation for the DBA to become a generalist and coordinate with specialists in other parts of the system outside of traditional bureaucratic reporting lines. Recoverability means that, if a data entry error, program bug or hardware failure occurs, the DBA can bring the database backward in time to its state at an instant of logical consistency before the damage was done. Recoverability activities include making database backups and storing them in ways that minimize the risk that they will be damaged or lost, such as placing multiple copies on removable media and storing them outside the affected area of an anticipated disaster. Recoverability is the DBA’s most important concern. Recoverability, also sometimes called "disaster recovery," takes two primary forms. First the backup, then recovery tests. The backup of the database consists of data with timestamps combined with database logs to change the data to be consistent to a particular moment in time. It is possible to make a backup of the database containing only data without timestamps or logs, but the DBA must take the database offline to do such a backup. The recovery tests of the database consist of restoring the data, then applying logs against that data to bring the database backup to consistency at a particular point in time up to the last transaction in the logs. Alternatively, an offline database backup can be restored simply by placing the data in-place on another copy of the database. If a DBA (or any administrator) attempts to implement a recoverability plan without the recovery tests, there is no guarantee that the backups are at all valid. In practice, in all but the most mature RDBMS packages, backups rarely are valid without extensive testing to be sure that no bugs or human error have corrupted the backups. To address these challenges of a DBA, I must be prepared in these situations in case these would happen and think what the solutions in answering these challenges are.

Network Administration

Network administrator is a modern professional responsible for the maintenance computer hardware and software that comprises a computer network. This normally includes the deployment, configuration,maintenance and monitoring of active network equipment. A related role is that of the network specialist, or network analyst, who concentrates on network design and security.

The Network Administrator is usually the level of technical/network staff in an organization and will rarely be involved with direct user support. The Network Administrator will concentrate on the overall health of the network, server deployment, security, and ensuring that the network connectivity throughout a company's LAN/WAN infrastructure is on par with technical considerations at the network level of an organization's hierarchy. Network Administrators are considered Tier 3 support personnel that only work on break/fix issues that could not be resolved at the Tier1 (helpdesk) or Tier 2 (desktop/network technician) levels.

Depending on the company, the Network Administrator may also design and deploy networks. However, these tasks may be assigned to a Network Engineer should one be available to the company. The actual role of the Network Administrator will vary from company to company, but will commonly include activities and tasks such as network address assignment, assignment of routing protocols and routing table configuration as well as configuration of authentication and authorization – directory services. It often includes maintenance of network facilities in individual machines, such as drivers and settings of personal computers as well as printers and such. It sometimes also includes maintenance of certain network servers: file servers, VPN gateways, intrusion detection systems, etc. Network specialists and analysts concentrate on the network design and security, particularly troubleshooting and/or debugging network-related problems. Their work can also include the maintenance of the network's authorization infrastructure, as well as network backup systems. The administrator is responsible for the security of the network and for assigning IP addresses to the devices connected to the networks. Assigning IP addresses gives the subnet administrator some control over the personnel who connects to the subnet. It also helps to ensure that the administrator knows each system that is connected and who personally is responsible for the system. Many organizations use a three tier support staff solution, with tier one (help desk) personnel handling the initial calls, tier 2 (technicians and pc support analysts) and tier three (network administrators). Most of those organizations follow a fixed staffing ratio, and being a network administrator is either the top job, or next to top job, within the technical support department. Network administrators are responsible for making sure computer hardware and the network infrastructure itself is maintained properly for an IT organization. They are deeply involved in the procurement of new hardware (does it meet existing standardization requirements? Does it do the job required?) rolling out new software installs, maintaining the disk images for new computer installs (usually by having a standardized OS and application install), making sure that licenses are paid for and up to date for software that need it, maintaining the standards for server installations and applications, and monitoring the performance of the network, checking for security breaches, poor data management practices and more. Most network administrator positions require a breadth of technical knowledge and the ability to learn the ins and outs of new networking and server software packages quickly. While designing and drafting a network is usually the job of a network engineer, many organizations roll that function into a network administrator position as well; day to day and month to month "Is it up?" jobs fall on the shoulders of the network administrators. One of the chief jobs of a network administrator is connectivity; the cry "The networks down" usually means the network admin has to be hip deep in something fixing it and post haste. They are in charge of making sure connectivity works for all users in their organization, and making sure data security is handled properly for connections to the outside internet. (For network administrators doing security aspects, this can be a full time job in and of itself.) Trouble tickets work their way through the help desk, then through analyst level support, before hitting the network administrator level; as a result, in their day-to-day operations, they should not be dealing directly with end users as a routine function. Most of their jobs should be on scheduling and implementing routine maintenance tasks, updating disaster prevention programs, making sure that network backups are run and doing test restores to make sure that those restores are sound. Other jobs that fall on the network administrator's tasks include fighting for the IT budget and setting standardized installs packages up so that all end user desktops are identical. While the network administrator probably isn't doing the installs on new computers, he is likely to be the one in charge of setting up what gets installed, and setting user access policies, as well as evaluating the purchase of new equipment to replace older gear that has been deployed. Similar decisions are made regarding software packages (both for end user support and server levels) and networking hardware. Network administrators are jokingly referred to as the highest level of techie you get before you get turned into a pointy haired boss and made into management.

Web development

Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network) . This can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development. However, among web professionals, "web development" usually refers to the main non-design aspects of building web sites: writing markup and coding. Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, or social network services. For larger organizations and businesses, web development teams can consist of hundreds of people (web developers). Smaller organizations may only require a single permanent or contracting webmaster, or secondary assignment to related job positions such as a graphic designer and/or Information systems technician. Web development may be a collaborative effort between departments rather than the domain of a designated department. A web developer is a software developer or software engineer who is specifically engaged in the development of World Wide Web applications, or distributed network applications that are run over HTTP from aweb server to a web browser. Web developers can be found working in all types of organizations, including large corporations and governments, small and medium sized companies, or alone as freelancers. Some web developers work for one organization as a permanent full-time employee, while others may work as independent consultants, or as contractors for an employment agency. Modern web applications often contain three or more tiers, and depending on the size of the team a developer works on, he or she may specialize in one or more of these tiers - or may take a more interdisciplinaryrole. For example, in a two person team, one developer may focus on the technologies sent to the client such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and on the server-side frameworks (such as Perl, Python, Ruby, PHP,Java, .NET) used to deliver content and scripts to the client. Meanwhile the other developer might focus on the interaction between server-side frameworks, the web server, and a database system. Further, depending on the size of their organization, the aforementioned developers might work closely with a web designer, web producer, project manager, software architect, or database administrator - or they may be responsible for such tasks as web design, project management, and database administration themselves.

System Administration

A system administrator, systems administrator, or sysadmin, is a person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and/or network. System administrators may be members of an information technology (IT) department. The duties of a system administrator are wide-ranging, and vary widely from one organization to another. Sysadmins are usually charged with installing, supporting, and maintaining servers or other computer systems, and planning for and responding to service outages and other problems. Other duties may include scripting or light programming, project management for systems-related projects, supervising or training computer operators, and being the consultant for computer problems beyond the knowledge of technical support staff. A system administrator must demonstrate a blend of technical skills and responsibility in order to perform their job well. The subject matter of systems administration includes computer systems and the ways people use them in an organization. This entails a knowledge of operating systems and applications, as well as hardware and software troubleshooting, but also knowledge of the purposes for which people in the organization use the computers. However, perhaps the most important skill to a system administrator is problem solving -- frequently under various sorts of constraints and stress. The sysadmin is on call when a computer system goes down or malfunctions, and must be able to quickly and correctly diagnose what is wrong and how best to fix it. System administrators are not software engineers or developers. It is not usually within their duties to design or write new application software. However, sysadmins must understand the behavior of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot problems, and generally know several programming languages used for scripting or automation of routine tasks. Particularly when dealing with Internet-facing or business-critical systems, a sysadmin must have a strong grasp of computer security. This includes not merely deploying software patches, but also preventing break-ins and other security problems with preventive measures. In some organizations, computer security administration is a separate role responsible for overall security and the upkeep of firewalls and intrusion detection systems, but all sysadmins are generally responsible for the security of the systems in their keep. Unlike many other professions, there is no single path to becoming a system administrator. Many system administrators have a degree in a related field: computer science, information technology, computer engineering, information system management, or even a trade school program. Other schools have offshoots of their Computer Science program specifically for systems administration. Some schools have started offering undergraduate degrees in Systems Administration. The first, Rochester Institute of Technology [1] started in 1992. Others such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Marist College, and Drexel University have more recently offered degrees in Information Technology. As of 2008, only four U.S. universities, Rochester Institute of Technology New York City College of Technology, Tufts, and Michigan Tech have graduate programs in system administration.^{[citation needed]} InNorway, there is a special English-taught MSc program organized by Oslo University College [3] in cooperation with Oslo University, named "Masters programme in Network and System Administration."University of Amsterdam (UvA) offers a similar program in cooperation with Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) named "Master System and Network Engineering". However, many other schools offer related graduate degrees in fields such as network systems and computer security. One of the primary difficulties with teaching system administration as a formal university discipline, is that the industry and technology changes much faster than the typical textbook and coursework certification process. By the time a new textbook has spent years working through approvals and committees, the specific technology for which it is written may have changed significantly or is now obsolete. In addition, because of the practical nature of systems administration and the easy availability of open-source server software, many systems administrators enter the field self-taught. Generally, a prospective administrator will be required to have some experience with the computer system he or she is expected to manage. In some cases, candidates are expected to possess industry certifications such as the Microsoft MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, Red Hat RHCE, Novell CNA, CNE, Cisco CCNA or CompTIA's A+ or Network+, Sun Certified SCNA, Linux Professional Institute among others. Sometimes, almost exclusively in smaller sites, the role of system administrator may be given to a skilled user in addition to or in replacement of his or her duties. For instance, it is not unusual for a mathematics or computing teacher to serve as the system administrator of a secondary school.

A system administrator's responsibilities might include:

· Analyzing system logs and identifying potential issues with computer systems.

· Introducing and integrating new technologies into existing data center environments.

· Performing routine audits of systems and software.

· Performing backups.

· Applying operating system updates, patches, and configuration changes.

· Installing and configuring new hardware and software.

· Adding, removing, or updating user account information, resetting passwords, etc.

· Answering technical queries.

· Responsibility for security.

· Responsibility for documenting the configuration of the system.

· Troubleshooting any reported problems.

· System performance tuning.

· Ensuring that the network infrastructure is up and running.

In larger organizations, some tasks listed above may be divided among different system administrators or members of different organizational groups. For example, a dedicated individual(s) may apply all system upgrades, a Quality Assurance (QA) team may perform testing and validation, and one or more technical writers may be responsible for all technical documentation written for a company.

In smaller organizations, the system administrator can also perform any number of duties elsewhere associated with other fields:

§ Technical support

§ Database administrator (DBA)

§ Network administrator/analyst/specialist

§ Application analyst

§ Security administrator

§ Programmer

System administrators, in larger organizations, tend not to be system architects, system engineers, or system designers. However, like many roles in this field, demarcations between systems administration and other technical roles often are not well defined in smaller organizations. Even in larger organizations, senior systems administrators often have skills in these other areas as a result of their working experience.

In smaller organizations, IT/computing specialties are less often discerned in detail, and the term system administrator is used in a rather generic way — they are the people who know how the computer systems work and can respond when something fails.

http://www.jidaw.com/article2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_administrator
http://www.tri-c.edu/programs/informationtechnology/pages/home.aspx
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos110.htm
http://tpgblog.com/2009/04/06/worlds-best-programmer-challenge/
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS126315+17-Feb-2009+BW20090217
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Database_administrator