Why I love being an IT Systems Network Administrator.

byJerryBossard

99 followers

8 years ago

Some of you may be wondering what is an IT Systems / Network Administrator?

Well... generally a Systems Administrator or SysAdmin is a person who manages and maintains servers for an organization. Typically, a SysAdmin position is found in medium to large size businesses and can be highly specialized. For example, I am a Windows SysAmdin, which means I have a vast amount of knowledge and experience with a Windows Server environment. SysAdmins are fortunate in that "we" get our own IT recognized holiday! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Administrator_Appreciat...

A Network Administrator is generally a person who manages and maintains the networking equipment for an organization. Usually Network Admins are needed in medium to large organizations to manage switches, routers, wireless access point and firewalls. All these devices make it possible for the user to access shared resources on servers and gain access to the internet. Unfortunately there is not a Network Administrator Appreciation Day for all my fellow Network Admins out there, but we all need you too. I raise a glass to you. :-)

In my situation I continue to receive the best of both worlds. Over the past 10 years I have been able to work for two organizations in which I was the SysAdmin and Network Admin. I love being able to do both. It keeps me in tune with what the network and servers are doing on a daily basis. In my experience I have been able to set up and maintain multiple racks of server and networking equipment in multiple datacenters. I love working in datacenters. There is a kind of peace and tranquility in a datacenter that you cannot find anywhere else in the world. Don't get me wrong... I love living in the country and the quietness of a clear star-filled night is great, but there is just something about being in a datacenter; surrounded by a bunch of servers and networking equipment all working away, moving data at extremely fast speeds.

Here the back side of one of my smaller racks of equipment.

In addition to working full-time I get to use my IT skills in my own part-time IT consulting business. I love to reach out to small companies and help them in their IT needs. Most small businesses don't have a need for a rack in a datacenter but always like to know that their small server is just as important as a full rack of equipment. I tend to focus on small business organizations as they tend to need the most help. Unfortunately in small businesses IT is last on the list and without the proper security in place any business could lose everything caused by a simple virus or ransomware attack.

With technology growing at a rapid pace it is extremely difficult for businesses to stay up to date with security. Today, security is the most important thing to anyone and their data. It does not matter if your data is on your local computer, server or in the cloud. Security measures can be easy to put in place and can be automatic, but most small business owners don't know what questions to ask and assume their antivirus is good enough.

As you've probably discovered by now... I love to help others in their IT needs. I have over 20 years of experience in the industry ranging from small "Mom & Pop" shops up to organizations over 300 people and have experience with a small business that has a huge impact on the world which serves over 1 Million simultaneous visitors per second on their website during peak times of the year. It takes a great understanding of how to design networks and servers to serve out a webpage for 1 Million people per second.

One thing that I love about technology is that the local "IT Guy" is good to have but not always required. In this new age of technology I can remotely help anyone around the world and the use of remote IT assistance is gaining traction. I can create a secured connection with anyone around the world and share resources like desktop screen sharing to help with someone's IT needs.

In closing, one other thing that I love about being a SysAdmin is I get to learn about all the new tech tools and how they may impact servers and networks. I am truly a nerd at heart and have been gifted with a people-person personality. Many people find me like-able and approachable. This has been a blessing as I reach out to people and they feel confortable around me. I am not one to give someone a solution I don't believe in and will not give a BS answer about it just to get a sale. Why would I want to give out false information or stretch the truth? I have a reputation at stake. I truly give people facts and solutions to problems without the worry of will I be around to help and support them.

In my upcoming blogs I will cover some of my favorite tech companies and solutions like Microsoft, Dell Laptops, Dell Servers, NetApp Storage, Synology NAS Storage, PepLink, Fortinet, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), VMware & VMware VDI, NVidia and Extreme Networks to name a few.

Lastly, I'm not one to make a plug for myself, but if you have any questions about anything discussed in this blog please don't hesitate to ask. There are no stupid questions. If you are in need of some assistance or have questions about your business technology and security please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to offer up some advice and meet new people.

Thanks,

- Jerry