Sysadmin

Discussion in 'Software' started by twizzle, Sep 27, 2010.

  1. twizzle

    twizzle Gigabyte Poster

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    At my company i've been told we're to start becomming more of sysadmins than first line support. Having never done this before i have no clue what to do. Can someone give me rough ideas about teh sort of things to be looking at and software to use? We're sysadmins for both Linux and Windows servers on teh same network. I need to know about backups, checking services and events, scheduling windows updates etc just any tips really on how to get started and where to go.
    And before you suggest it, nope we wont get any training on this, we're just expected to fly withit!
     
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  2. dales

    dales Terabyte Poster

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    Ah sysadmin's (I take it theres a hefty raise with that), what you need to do is think about all the computers and backend infrastructure in your network gather it all up in your arms and (to coin horrid mgmt speak) run with it! It sounds like you have a fairly good idea of what you might need to know anyway. It's quite likely you have all the software you need to perform the role, I would ask for an extensive list and start googling and bookmarking basic walkthrough's of tasks with the software you are unfamiliar with. Mostly though apart from backup's and checking logs every morning you will only know what you need to know when the phone rings.

    Helpful eh!! |Good luck anyway
     
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  3. twizzle

    twizzle Gigabyte Poster

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    Sadly no rise, the company consider it more of a sideways move than upwards.

    I do have a rough idea whatto check for, but it is very rough. I'm more interested in peoples procedures and experiences with this, and what sort of software would be best. I know next to nothing about linux and am expected to be sysadmin for 4 centos and fedora severs, plus 4 windows 2k3. Checking logs is obvious, its teh rest of it i havent a clue.
     
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  4. Josiahb

    Josiahb Gigabyte Poster

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    As Dale says its really a case of grabbing a full list of what you use and googling for info, TechNet can be fairly useful for a lot of the windows stuff.

    I'd suggest finding out what your running and then setting up some virtual instances, least then you can play with it and break it without completely screwing the infrastructure! :p
     
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  5. twizzle

    twizzle Gigabyte Poster

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    I was setting up a w2k3 server at home on weekend. Only got it installed so still need to configure it. have also ordered Master Visually Windows Server 2003 by James Pyles from amazon as it was cheap (sorry james! cant afford full price). SO if i can get all tis set up i can play about. But my company havent really given us a clue where to start, just said your going to be sysadmins, now write procedures etc by next week on what you need to do! Yeah as if thats not going to make me panic! Luckily one of our guys knows some windows server stuff and anothe is learning linux, so i dont expect it to be that bad, but you know what its liek starting something you've never done before, and doing that remotley as well.
     
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  6. nugget
    Honorary Member

    nugget Junior toady

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    Who was doing your sysadmin stuff before? They should be able to give a guide as to what to look out for.

    Since when is a move from 1st level support to sysadmin a sideways move? Sounds like your company firstly doesn't have a clue and secondly have figured out it's cheaper to get you to do it than whoever did it for you.
     
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  7. twizzle

    twizzle Gigabyte Poster

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    Thats exactly it! They want a cheap option as we're supporting another companies system so that we can make money. By getting us to do it, saves them some readies. Its more work, not that i mind that, but on stuff i havent much of a clue. I know the ideas behind things like having a test server for updates etc (which again we dont have) so that the live server has as little disruption as possible. And things liek backing up at weekends to less downtime. But no clue as to what backup software to use, how to know which updates are required and which are desirable etc. I know how to look at event viewer, but not really what to look for, same with services. And when it comes to linux,?????????
    But its an oppertunity so i've got to go with it. And thats besides all the normal day to day support we do, website designs, hardware call outs and general stuff we do now.
     
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  8. Josiahb

    Josiahb Gigabyte Poster

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    Not at all uncommon, I've been lucky in the time I've been here that I've never had to rebuild a server thanks to a ****ty update. Partly because I always run 2 months behind everyone else due to lack of time....

    We back up everything daily..... First backup of any significant data storage is the big one, once you've got a full set its adds and changes which take far less time.

    Sounds luike you've got a hell of a lot of work and a hell of a lot of learning to do in a short space of time, I'd do everything you can to make it a team effort, pool resources as much as possible so everyones got access to everything.
     
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  9. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    I would buy some Linux administration books aimed at beginners. They can't expect to change your entire job over night and have to give you time to adjust to it.
     
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  10. Sparky
    Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    The joy of IT. :biggrin
     
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  11. BrizoH

    BrizoH Byte Poster

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    Just remember that also means your CV should now read Sysadmin should you decide to look elsewhere (i.e for a company that is willing to pay what the role deserves :tune)
     
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  12. zebulebu

    zebulebu Terabyte Poster

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    Sounds like it might be time to get the f***outta Dodge, to be honest. No company that has even an inkling of a clue thinks that the move from first line to Systems Admin is a sideways step. Systems Admins are generally third line at the very least. You usually need excellent software and hardware skills, to go along with the anayltical mind that a sys admin requires, and a good few years experience working with networks/systems and dealing with the oddities that the job throws at you on a semi-regular basis.

    No raise, no proper test environment, no training = recipe for disaster. I'd start looking elsewhere.
     
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  13. twizzle

    twizzle Gigabyte Poster

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    Our experience is 4 guys answeringteh phone dealing with bespoke software support that was written by our devlopers and sometimes some basic linux or windows issues for otehr customers. We already stumble with configuring Linux servers and backup scripts. But its money for the company so we have to try. I'm up for it as its experience, just not sure we're well prepared.
     
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  14. LukeP

    LukeP Gigabyte Poster

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    Sounds challenging. I like.
    Hopefully payrise will follow. :D

    If nothing else, the experience gained will be worth it.
     
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  15. Theprof

    Theprof Petabyte Poster

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    This is an interesting scenario... Good luck dude all the best! This will be a good learning experience for you.
     
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  16. Josiahb

    Josiahb Gigabyte Poster

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    Truer words have never been spoken, until then you've gotta do what you can to try and swim rather than sink!
     
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  17. soundian

    soundian Gigabyte Poster

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    Let me get this straight, your company has manage to persuade another company that 4 first-line bespoke application techs can administer several servers utilising two radically different technologies with no training?
    They also view this as a sideways step rather than a big leap into the unknown.
    Sounds like the commercial version of all those people who think "it's all just computers". You know the ones, the people who think you can fix their phone/DVD player/TV/iPod etc just because you work in IT.

    Time to start looking elsewhere I think. It's only a matter of time before the excrement hits the rotating air-redistribution system.
     
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  18. SimonD
    Honorary Member

    SimonD Terabyte Poster

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    I agree with both Zeb and Soundian, this is going to end BADLY, not just for you but also your company because you won't be able to comply with your SLA's and that's going to cause issues, then the fact that you don't understand the technology (no disrespect to you but a Sysadmin is not the same level as a 1st level call taker).

    I would start looking elsewhere.
     
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  19. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    I would speak to your management as to me it sounds like maybe somewhere down something has got lost in translation. Sometimes companies give a job a title like sysadmin and it ends up being far from it. I would be suprised if I company hands over their systems without a cast iron guarantee on their abilities and skills to undertake the job and stringent SLA's in place. If your company is going down that route then they will get hammered when it goes wrong and their money making adventure will end up costly.
     
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  20. twizzle

    twizzle Gigabyte Poster

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    Thanks for the encouragement guys...:rolleyes:

    I do plan on using whatever experience i can get from it and just suck it and see for now.

    So what tools do you use to do basic management of linux and windows servers? Bearing in mind i dont think we need to set up user accounts on these ones, well not yet anyway.
     
    Certifications: Comptia A+, N+, MS 70-271, 70-272
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