There are heroes living amongst us. If you haven’t noticed, that’s because they’re busy keeping the wheels on our IT infrastructure turning. These skilled practitioners efficiently work away, maintaining everything from system operations through to business communications infrastructure.
The 30th of July marks System Administrator Appreciation Day, or SysAdmin Day. Since these experienced IT champions are fundamental to implementing and managing the portfolio of solutions that Neural Technologies deliver, we want to take time to recognize the outstanding work they do.
This SysAdmin day, we’ve been down amongst the databases, speaking to the workers on the frontline.
In a rare moment of calm amidst the computers, our very own Head of IT — James Matthews — has taken the opportunity to provide an insight into the sysadmin world.
Q1: Can you explain the job role of a System Administrator, and what you do day-to-day?
A sysadmin’s job is to look after all the IT systems in a company. This can include helping employees with specific problems, as well as managing the underlying infrastructure such as servers and networking devices.
Tasks for each day vary so much, depending on what happens to be broken (and who is in the office!) – no day is ever the same.
Q2: What kind of skills does a Sysadmin need to have?
There are so many different responsibilities a sysadmin can have. it is difficult to narrow down specific technical skills.
Generally speaking, problem solving, a keen attention to detail, and the ability to keep calm under pressure are great sysadmin traits. Nothing tests your limits quite like being in a data centre at 3 o’clock in the morning, with all systems down!
Q3: What’s the single most important part of your job?
Keeping business-critical systems up and running.
Q4: What does a successful day look like for you?
A successful day is fixing an issue before anyone even notices. Being proactive rather than reactive is extremely important.
Q5: What does a crisis look like for a System Administrator?
Q6: How should businesses celebrate System Administrators on Sysadmin Day?
Like most back-office departments such as Finance and HR, IT generally goes under the radar – until something goes wrong! A simple thank you goes a long way.
Whether you’re a system administrator, a network administrator, or any of the other vital roles keeping our IT infrastructure intact, it’s time to celebrate your efforts on SysAdmin day this 30th July.
Next time you log on to a computer network operating seamlessly across your business, you know who you’ve got to thank.