system administrator

system administrator

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) or Electronics and Communication Engineering 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. To perform his or her job well, a system administrator must demonstrate a blend of technical skills and responsibility.

An individual responsible for maintaining a multi-user computer system, including a local-area network (LAN). Typical duties include:

Adding and configuring new workstations
Setting up user accounts
Installing system-wide software
Performing procedures to prevent the spread of viruses
Allocating mass storage space

The system administrator is sometimes called the sysadmin or the systems administrator. Small organizations may have just one system administrator, whereas larger enterprises usually have a whole team of system administrators.

system administrator (sysadmin)

A system administrator (sometimes abbreviated as sysadmin) is a person who is responsible for managing a multi-user computing environment, such as a local area network (LAN). The responsibilities of the system administrator typically include installing and configuring system hardware and software, establishing and managing user accounts, upgrading software and backup and recovery tasks.