Chapter 1

Introduction
 Definition, Scope & Goals, Roles, Practice,
and Philosophy of system administration
 System components

Asedo Sh.
Network & Sys Admin 1
 System Administration
Activities performed by a system administrator (or
"admin", "sysadmin", "site admin") such as

• monitoring security configuration,

• managing allocation of user names and
passwords,
• monitoring disk space and other resource use,
• performing backups, and
• Set up new hardware and software

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Network & Sys Admin 2

 A system Administrator
A person who is responsible for the upkeep,
configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems;
especially multi-user computers, such as servers.

Often known as Operator, Network Administrator, System

Programmer, System Manager, Service Engineer, Site
Reliability
Engineer etc.

One who, as a primary job function, manages computer

and network systems on behalf of another, such as an
employer or client.
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Role of Network Administrator
Controlling corporate strategic
assets
Controlling complexity
Improving service
Balancing various needs
Reducing downtime
Controlling costs

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 OSI Management Functional Areas

“ F C A P S ” represents the five functional areas of

network management defined by the ISO
Telecommunications Management Network (TMN)
model.

Fault Management

Configuration & Name Management

Account Management
Performance Management
Security Management 11/15/2025

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 OSI - Fault management

The facilities that enable the detection, isolation, and

correction of abnormal operation of the OSI
environment.

It is essential that the system be able to detect, report,

and recover from failures as quickly as possible.
Detects, isolates, and corrects problems in a network.
Ensures minimal downtime by identifying failures quickly.
Uses alarms, logs, and diagnostic tools to resolve issues.
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 OSI - Configuration and Name Management

The ability to configure a system to operate in a desired

manner.

This could include

• manual creation of static routing tables in routers,
• Manages network settings and device configurations.
• Handles naming and addressing of devices in the network.
• Ensures proper provisioning of services.
NB : Configuration management is best performed at a central site.
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 OSI - Account Management
The facilities that enable
• charges to be established for the use of managed
objects and
• costs to be identified for the use of those managed
objects.
• the ability to account for the resources consumed in a
system

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 OSI - Performance Management

How a system's performance may be monitored

• Behaviour of managed objects
• Effectiveness of communication activities
• Monitors network performance to ensure efficiency.
• Uses metrics like bandwidth utilization, latency, and
packet loss.
• Helps in capacity planning and optimization.
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 OSI - Security Management

Address those aspects of OSI security essential to - :

• Operate OSI network management correctly and
protect managed objects
• Protects network resources from unauthorized
access and threats.
• Implements policies like encryption, firewalls, and
authentication.
• Ensures compliance with security regulations.11/15/2025

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Corporate Networked
Environments
Have team(s) of specialists in various
areas

Well defined tasks

• job descriptions

In small networks usually one person A Single Tree

• multi-skilled and multi-tasked Does Not Make
A Forest
In reality – often some where in
between….
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Network & Sys Admin 11/15/2025 12
 Tasks of a Network Administrator

Security Management
Performance Management

Planning for Growth

Fault Management and Recovery
Account/User Management
Networked Application Support

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 Security Management

Firewalls
Usernames
Password control
Resource Access Control

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 Performance Management

Availability
Response Time
Accuracy

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 Planning for Growth

A Network (or any organisation) is not static

Growth means increased load on a network. This must be

planned for….

Systems eventually need replacement. This must be planned

for – in advance…

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 Fault Management and Recovery

Monitoring
• Reporting status

Testing
• Fixes and Patches
• Updates
• Repairs
• Change Management
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 Account / User Management
Communication Facilities
• Connection - Rental - Charges
Hardware Usage
• Lease - Rent - Hire
Consumables Usage
• Power, Paper, Media (Diskettes, CDs…)
Software Usage
• Licensing,
• Application usage
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 Account / User Management

Accounts are Managed for:

• Intrusion detection / prevention
• Charging for Services
• Legal protection of the Organisation

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 Networked Application Support

Client / Server systems support

Internet support

Server support
• Applications and Hardware

Helpdesk
• Printing

• eMail
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 Network
Support

Another way to think about what a Network

Administrator does is to look at the network structure

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 Network Infrastructure

WAN

Routers
Switches

Hubs

LAN LAN LAN LAN

Users Users Users Users

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 Networking Support - WAN
Core Infrastructure Management

Media
• Fibre
• Microwave
• Leased circuits (eg. ISDN-Integrated Services Digital
Network)
• Copper based
• ATM

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 Networking Support – WAN (cont’d)

IP and other routable protocol issues

• Routing (strategies, protocols)
• Higher-level networking services (e.g. DNS)

Equipment management

Security

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 Networking Support - LAN
The edge/user networks management

Media
• Cable-based (eg. CAT 5, CAT 6, ..)
• Fibre

LAN related
• Ethernet and other LAN related protocols

• MAC issues (eg. registrations)

• Desktop and server related fault management

• Load-balancing (topology and infrastructure items eg. hubs and

switches) 11/15/2025

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 Networking Support - LAN
Equipment management
• Standardisation
• Cataloguing for inventory control

Troubleshooting
• The methodologies (planned procedures for known
problems)

Security

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Network Application Support

Application Analysis
• Response time requirements
• Timing requirements

• Availability requirements (mission critical?)

• Security requirements

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 The Server support
Analysis of new Server hardware
• Network interface speed
• The number of interface
• Sustained network output and inputs

Network availability requirements

Network security requirements

Backup related requirements

• Disk size
• Rate of change of data
• Backup policies 11/15/2025

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 OK…
That is what an Administrator
does…

So…..
How do we learn Network or Systems
Administration?

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 How to be a Sys/Net Admin
(yet another Job Description…)

Learn Operating System basics eg Unix/Linux

Learn shell utilities and script programming
Learn how to Install and Configure OS
Learn DNS
Learn TCP/IP networking
Learn NFS and NIS- Network Information Service(DB) (or
equivalent…)
Learn about system tuning and accounting
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 Learning System Administration

System Administration is a profession with no fixed career

path.

• Few degree granting programs

• Heavy reliance on practical experience
• Specializations in many different areas possible
• Breadth of expertise as necessary as depth in some areas
• Background knowledge and requirements vary
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 Learning System Administration
Breadth of knowledge
• Operating system concepts

• TCP/IP networking

• Programming
• ...

Depth of knowledge
• certain OS flavor

• specific service (DNS, E-Mail, Databases, Content-Delivery, ...)

• specific implementation/vendor (Oracle, Hadoop, Apache, Cisco, ...)

•
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specific area of expertise (security, storage, network, datacenter, ...)
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• ...
Goals of System/Network Administration

Put together a network of computers

Get them running
Keep them running (despite Users….)
Provide a Service to Users

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Challenges of System/Network Administration

Systems or Network Administration is more than

just installing computers or networks.

It is about planning and designing an efficient

community of computers that allow users to get
their jobs done.

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Challenges of Administration (cont’d)

Design Logical, Efficient networks

Easily deploy & update many machines
Decide what services are needed
• know the business tasks & customers

Plan and implement adequate security

Provide comfortable User environment
Be able to fix errors and problems
Keep track of & be able to use knowledge
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 Style of
Network Administration
Some of the aspects of System
Administration

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 Comparison of System/Network
Management Styles
Fire-Fighting
• Managing by responding to situations when they happen
(Reactive)
Preventative management
• Monitor network and make repairs and changes before
problems appear (Proactive)

 These are two opposite extremes. Most managers

combine both.

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 Fire-Fighting

Investigate the Fault or Problem

• Isolate the problem and identify/define it

• Use tests and tools to diagnose the problem

• Solve the problem and document the solution

Prioritize multiple problems

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Preventative Management
The Good Circle management cycle

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 system
components
Network & Sys Admin 11/15/2025 40
 What is a System?
“A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent
elements that together form a complex whole.”

In the context of this class, we generally consider computer-

human systems consisting of
• the computer(s)

• the network

• the user(s)

• the organization’s goals and policies

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 System components

Operating Systems
File Systems
Processes and Job Control
Devices and Controllers

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 Operating Systems (1/11)

Software that shares and controls the

hardware resources of a computer
An operating system has several key
elements:
1. A technical layer (Kernel & drivers)
• It drives the hardware of the computer, like disk
drives, the keyboard and the screen
2. A file system
• which provides a way of organizing files logically
3. A simple user interface
• which enables users to run their own programs and
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to manipulate their files in

Network a simple
& Sys Admin way. 43
 Operating Systems (2/11)
Of central importance to an operating system is a
core software system or kernel which is responsible
for allocating and sharing the resources of the
system between several running programs or
processes.
OS Users Tasks CPUs Unix-Like OS Manufacturer Type
MS/PC DOS S S 1 BSD [Link] Berkeley BSD
Windows 3X S NonPre-M 1 SunOS (Solaris 1) Sun Microsystems BSD/Sys5
Mac System7 S NonPre-M 1 Solaris (2) Sun Microsystems Sys5/BSD
Windows 9X S M- 1 Ultrix DEC/Compaq BSD
AmigaDOS S M- 1 OSF1/Digital Unix DEC/Compaq BSD/Sys5
Unix-like M M n HPUX Hewlett-Packard Sys5
VMS M M n AIX IBM Sys5/BSD
NT/2000/XP M M n
IRIX Silicon Graphics Sys5
OS390 M M n
GNU/Linux GPL Free Software Posix (SysV/BSD)
Unixware Novell Sys5
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 Operating Systems (3/11)

Multi-user operating systems

• It allows multiple users to share the resources of a single
host.

• In order to do this, it is necessary to protect users from

one another by giving them a unique identity or user name
and a private login area, i.e. by restricting their privilege.

• In short, we need to simulate a virtual workstation for

each individual user, with private files and private
processes
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 Operating Systems (4/11)

Insecure operating systems

• home computer operating systems did not address
security issues.
• Operating systems developed during this period include
Windows, Macintosh, DOS, Amiga-DOS.
All of these systems are completely insecure: they place no
limits on what a determined user can do.
 Fortunately these systems will slowly be replaced by
operating systems which were designed with resource sharing
(including networking) in mind.
• Still, there is a large number of insecure computers in use
and many of them are now connected to networks.11/15/2025This

should be a major concern for a system administrator.

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 Operating Systems (5/11)

Securable operating systems

• Operating systems like Unix and NT as securable operating
systems.
• This should not give the impression that Unix and NT are
secure : by its nature, security is not an achievable goal, but
an aspiration that includes accepted levels of risk
• A fundamental prerequisite for security is the ability to
restrict access to certain system resources.

• The main reason why DOS, Windows 9x and the MacIntosh

are so susceptible to virus attacks is because any user can
change the operating system’s files. 11/15/2025

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 Operating Systems (6/11)

In order to restrict access to the system we require a notion

of ownership and permission.

Ordinary users should not have access to the hardware

devices of a secure operating system’s files

System administrators need access to the whole system in

order to watch over it, make backups and keep it running and
to make changes to the system when it is required.

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 Operating Systems (7/11)

Shells or command interpreters

• Today it is common for operating systems to provide graphical
window systems for all kinds of tasks.

• Most operating systems provide an alternative command line user

interface which has some form of interpreted language, thus
allowing users to express what they want with more freedom and
precision.

• Windows proprietary shells are rudimentary; Unix shells are rich in

complexity and some of them are available for installation on
Windows.

• Shells can be used to write simple programs called scripts 11/15/2025

or batch
files which often simplify repetitive administrative tasks.
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 Operating Systems (8/11)

Logs and audits

• Operating system kernels share resources and offer
services. They can be asked to keep lists of transactions
which have taken place so that one can later go back and
see exactly what happened at a given time. This is called
logging or auditing.

• Full system auditing involves logging every single

operation that the computer performs.
• This consumes vast amounts of disk space and CPU time and
is generally inadvisable unless one has a specific reason to
audit the system.
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 Operating Systems (9/11)
Logs and audits (cont’d)
• Organizations have become afraid of break-ins from system
crackers and want to be able to trace the activities of the
system to be able to look back and find out the identity of a
cracker.

• For some organizations auditing is important, however. One

use for auditing is so-called non-repudiation or non-denial.
• Non-repudiation is a security feature that encourages users
to be responsible for their actions.

• If everything on a system is logged, then users cannot back

away and claim that they did not do something: it’s11/15/2025
all there
in the log.
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 Operating Systems (10/11)
Privileged accounts
• Operating systems that restrict user privileges need an
account which can be used to configure and maintain the
system. Such an account must have access to the whole
system, without regard for restrictions. It is therefore called
a privileged account.

• In Unix the privileged account is called root, also referred

to colloquially as the super-user.

• In Windows, the Administrator account is similar to

Unix’s root, except that the administrator does not have
automatic access to everything as does root. 11/15/2025

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 Operating Systems (11/11)

Privileged accounts (cont’d)

• Administrator and root accounts should never be used for
normal work: they wield far too much power.
• One of the major threats to Internet security has been the
fact that everyone can now be root/Administrator on their
own host. Principle (Minimum privilege)
Restriction of unnecessary privilege protects a system
from accidental and malicious damage, infection by
viruses and prevents users from concealing their actions
with false identities. It is desirable to restrict users’
privileges for the greater good of everyone on the
network.
No one should use a privileged root or Administrator
account as a user account. To do so is to place the 11/15/2025
system
in jeopardy. Privilege should be exercised only when
absolutely necessary
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 File systems

It will be discussed in chapter 4.

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 Three Pillars of Exceptional System
Design

Scalability
Security
Simplicity

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Three Pillars of Exceptional System Design: Scalability

System
Overload
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 Three Pillars of Exceptional System Design: Scalability

Scaling Scaling
Vertically Horizontally Scaling Down

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Three Pillars of Exceptional System Design: Security

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Three Pillars of Exceptional System Design: Simplicity

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 Questions

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