Leverage script programming (scripting) and Linux/Unix system commands to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
Reduce human errors
Improve response time
Indispensable to adminstrating and managing large cluster of computers.
Example script installing and configuring Docker for all user accounts on CloudLab:
Overseeing backup
Computing systems will fail.
Large computing systems will fail frequently.
Backup is time consuming, tedious, and highly critical.
Should be automated!
Installing and upgrading software
Installing software as needed.
Upgrading/patching security holes of existing software as needed.
Juggling multiple versions of same software.
Manage software to manage installed software.
Monitoring
Help identifying issues related to the computing systems.
Collecting and analyzing log files
Monitoring resource avaiability (CPU and memory utilization, storage availability,)
Troubleshooting
The sysadmin identifies the issue via monitoring or users’ complaints
The sysadmin needs to fix the issue.
Maintaining local documentation
Overtime, computing systems will become customized according to the preferences and styles of their current sysadmins.
Software vendors
Deployment methods
Automation scripts
It is critical that sysadmins maintain detailed documentations so that you and others can understand/remember how the systems worked (and evolved) for maintenance and upgrade purposes.
Vigilantly monitoring security
Attempts within 12 hours on molly:
This is only the most naive type of hacking attempts, there are others.
Exercise:
Visit https://www.iplocation.net
Find out where are these IP addresses located.
Tuning performance
Based on system monitors, sysadmins can, and should, configure system components (operating system configurations, software-specific configuration) in order to improve users’ application performance.
In many cases, sysadmins need to work with users to ensure that users apply application-specific run-time configuration to ensure optimal performance.
Developing site policies
The main responsibility of sysadmins are to deploy and maintain complex computing systems that support a diverse set of applications and users.
This includes developing appropriate documents regarding:
Acceptable use of computer systems
Management and retention of data
Privacy and security of networks and systems
Adherence to regulation (local and governmental)
Anything specifics that you want (hope) the users to follow …
Working with vendors
Be the liaison between vendors and the institutions (businesses).
Hardware vendors
Software vendors
Cloud providers
Fire fighting
On-the-fly troubleshooting of critical issues
Most of the time user-related
Critical patching of security issues (outside of normal maintenance schedule)
Relevant Tools
Highly comfortable with keyboard (say goodbye to the mouse)
