IT Services: Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing (paperback) (Enterprise Computing Series)

A.3 System Administrator (SA)

Education

A relevant BS degree preferred. As an alternative, candidates with previous experience in IT may also qualify. The quality of the experience as demonstrated by achievement may compensate for lack of formal education.

Experience

Generally, one year of satisfactory performance in related area, and approximately one to two years of job experience to date. Experience should include exposure to commercial, administrative, or industrial work environments.

Skills

• Demonstrates an aptitude for systems work.

• Adheres to procedures, maintains records, and follows problems through to resolution.

• Demonstrates a systematic, disciplined, and analytical approach to problem solving.

• Demonstrates detailed knowledge of hardware and software architectures and their components, and can identify, explain, and address hardware and systems architectures, their components , and software development methods .

Performance Expectations

• Within a loosely supervised environment: Uses standard operating facilities, diagnostic tools, technical manuals, and system documentation to identify, diagnose, and solve basic system problems as directed.

• Can describe and document the operational environment, including:

  • its architecture.

  • external interfaces.

  • communication aspects.

• Performs server performance tuning:

  • Provide tier II and III support to the help desk for performance issues.

  • Maintain historical information on server performance.

  • Make adjustments to UNIX-level system parameters.

  • Compile database statistics.

  • Make adjustments to database to increase performance.

  • Compile network performance metrics.

  • Follow change control.

  • Graphically illustrate resource usage by CPU, disk, memory, network, etc.

• Server monitoring and corrective action:

  • Maximize server uptime.

  • Ensure disk drive capacity within defined limits.

  • Ensure network connectivity is alive and well.

  • Ensure paging software is active.

  • Ensure no "run away" processes.

  • Ensure memory utilization is within defined limits.

  • Ensure all databases are active after backup process.

  • Detect problems or bottlenecks.

  • Analyze performance compared to capacity.

  • Provide tier II server level support.

  • Troubleshoot database problems.

  • Perform software event monitoring.

  • Perform system and disk fault detection.

• Provide print services:

  • Troubleshoot printer problems in the decentralized environment.

  • Perform black box hookups.

  • Perform software installation/configuration on new printers.

  • Perform file server management of print queues.

  • Provide spooling services including spooling software.

  • Provide secured printing capability printing.

  • Resolve printing problems.

• Provide application server support:

  • Assist in software installs /upgrade.

  • Assist in creation of scheduling jobs.

  • Assist in directory setup.

  • Assist in application tuning.

  • Assist in job monitoring.

  • Mount tapes on servers as required.

• Provide engineering support:

  • Install and test new technologies.

  • Provide support in the benchmark lab.

  • Test interoperability of new hardware and software.

  • Research new technologies and provide recommendations.

• Provide server security:

  • Design and oversee the implementation of printer security measures.

  • Design and oversee the implementation security measures on computing devices to protect individual hosts from unauthorized access.

  • Load external media to avoid introducing any viruses.

• Perform software distribution:

  • Create media for software distribution.

  • Test unloads of media before distribution.

  • Provide documentation of how to unload media.

  • Provide site assistance of unloading of software.

  • Document site requirements for software in which to execute.

  • Provide installation for application software.

  • Move site specific software into production when requested .

  • Follow change control process for production moves.

  • Assist development and DBA teams on production software installations.

• Demonstrates a calm, rational, and organized approach to tasks when under pressure.

• Manages own time effectively to respond to user requests in a timely fashion and provide users with agreed levels of service.

• Applies the given standards, procedures, and tools to accomplish work assigned. Produces all required documentation for tasks completed, according to established standards.

• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills with users/customers, colleagues, and immediate management.

Training and Development

• Obtains instruction in the structure, business, and methods of the organization.

• Obtains instruction in any related areas of technical specialization.

• Obtains training in systems programming and support, the standard methods and tools of the organization, and service delivery processes.

• Attends courses covering relevant technical or specialist areas (e.g., hardware, systems software, technical architecture, tools, operating system functions, security, disaster recovery, communications/networking, performance engineering, and capacity management).

• Increases knowledge of IT and its uses within the organization.

• Increases professional knowledge and awareness by reading and participating in technical activities outside of immediate employment.

• Successfully completes trial experiences that involve those skills of higher competency required at the next level of advancement.