System administrator
A system administrator describes someone responsible for running, or running some aspect of, a computer system.
The precise meaning varies. Organisations with very large or complex computer systems typically divide up computer staff according to specialism, in which case a system administrator ("sysadmin") is someone responsible for the maintenance of the existing computer system, and who is specifically not :
- Technical Support
- DBA
- Application Analyst
- Programmer
- Network Specialist
- operating system updates, and configuration changes
- installing and configuring any new hardware/software
- adding/deleting/modifying user account information, resetting passwords, etc.
- answering technical queries
- responsibility for security
- responsibility for documenting the configuration of the system.
- troubleshooting any reported problems.
But may (particularly in smaller organisations) include much of the job description given in the separate articles listed above.
See also: BOFH, PFY, SAGE (organization), System Administrator Appreciation Day.
