University of Kirkuk Subject: Network Administration
College of CS&IT Level: Third Year, Second Semester
Computer Sc. Department Academic Year: 2025-2026
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Essa Ibrahim Essa AL-JUBORIE
CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION & BASIC CONCEPT
1. Network Administration is the Backbone of IT Infrastructure
1) Just as the skeleton supports the human body, network
administration supports all IT operations.
2) Without effective administration, communication, data sharing,
and digital services failure.
3) Every modern organization — from banks to hospitals to
universities — relies on well-managed networks.
2. Network Administration Ensures the following:
a. Connectivity: Administrators keep devices, applications, and users
seamlessly connected.
b. Security: Firewalls, VPNs, and encryption protect sensitive data
from cyber threats.
c. Efficiency: Monitoring and optimization ensure resources are
used wisely, reducing downtime and costs.
Example: An e-commerce platform depends on secure, efficient
networks to process thousands of transactions daily.
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University of Kirkuk Subject: Network Administration
College of CS&IT Level: Third Year, Second Semester
Computer Sc. Department Academic Year: 2025-2026
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Essa Ibrahim Essa AL-JUBORIE
CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION & BASIC CONCEPT
3. Evolving with Cloud, AI, and Automation
a. Cloud: Hybrid environments demand new skills in managing
distributed resources.
b. AI: Machine learning enhances anomaly detection and predictive
maintenance.
c. Automation: Scripts and orchestration tools reduce manual work,
and increasing reliability.
Example: AI-driven monitoring systems can detect unusual traffic
patterns faster than humans.
4. We Monitor
• System & Services (Available, reachable)
• Resources (Expansion planning, maintain availability)
• Performance (Round-trip-time (RTT), throughput)
• Changes and configurations (Documentation, revision control,
logging)
5. We Keep Track of
• Statistics (For purposes of accounting and metering)
• Faults (Intrusion Detection)
1) Detection of issues,
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University of Kirkuk Subject: Network Administration
College of CS&IT Level: Third Year, Second Semester
Computer Sc. Department Academic Year: 2025-2026
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Essa Ibrahim Essa AL-JUBORIE
CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION & BASIC CONCEPT
2) Troubleshooting issues and tracking their history
• Ticketing systems are good at this
• Help Desks are a useful to critical component
6. What is normal for your network?
If you’ve never measured or monitored your network you will
need to know things like:
– Typical load on links
– Level of latency between endpoints
– Typical percent usage of resources
– Typical amounts of “noise”:
Network scans
Dropped data
Reported errors or failures
7. Why do all this?
Know when to upgrade
- Is your bandwidth usage too high?
- Where is your traffic going?
- Do you need to get a faster line, or more providers?
- Is the equipment too old?
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University of Kirkuk Subject: Network Administration
College of CS&IT Level: Third Year, Second Semester
Computer Sc. Department Academic Year: 2025-2026
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Essa Ibrahim Essa AL-JUBORIE
CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION & BASIC CONCEPT
8. Keep an record trace of changes
- Record all changes
- Makes it easier to find cause of problems due to upgrades
and configuration changes
9. Maintain history of network operations
– Using a ticket system lets you keep a history of events.
– Allows you to defend yourself and verify what happened
10. Why network management?
I. Accounting
– Track usage of resources
– Bill customers according to usage
II. Know when you have problems
- Stay ahead of your users! Makes you look good.
- Monitoring software can generate tickets and automatically
notify staff of issues.
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University of Kirkuk Subject: Network Administration
College of CS&IT Level: Third Year, Second Semester
Computer Sc. Department Academic Year: 2025-2026
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Essa Ibrahim Essa AL-JUBORIE
CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION & BASIC CONCEPT
11. Final Takeaway
Network administration is not static — it’s a dynamic, evolving
discipline.
Administrators are the unsung heroes ensuring that IT
infrastructure remains reliable, secure, and future-ready.
As technology advances, the role will continue to expand,
blending traditional skills with cloud, AI, and automation
expertise.