The 13 fundamental rules of systems administration

Being a good systems administrator is not just about knowing how to set up and maintain servers and understanding how system commands work. Its knowing these things and also holding yourself to a few fundamental rules that’ll make all systems run smoothly and keep customers happy.

These 13 fundamental rules have proven to be quite valuable through the years; they have even helped a lot of system administrators keep their cool when the going got really hot.

® Don’t do it if you can’t back out of it

Except for the simplest changes, you should always have a good backup plan. Are you prepared to undo the changes you are about to make? Always plan your changes well ahead of time, and ask a peer or coworker to review them whenever possible. A second set of eyes are helpful to spot things you may not have noticed.

® Never make changes on Friday

Avoid changing anything right before you’re going to be away for a few days. Always do them earlier in the week so the changes settle in and you can leave the systems running without the benefit of you hovering over them all the time.

® Identify root causes

If you run into any problems, always dig down to the root of it. Try using the “five why’s” rule… The server crashed. Why? Because it ran out of memory. Why? Because one process went a bit haywire. Why? Because it got itself into a loop. Why? Because there was an error in the configuration file. Why? Because I decided to edit that file right before I left the office on Friday!

® Practice your disaster recovery plan

Always practice your disaster recovery plans so you’ll feel comfortable when you have to put them to good use. If you don’t practice them, two things could happen. First, you won’t be confident that they will work and second, you might feel unsure of the steps you need to take.

® Test your scripts

It’s easy to make mistakes, so never rely on a script that you haven’t thoroughly tested! Even if you have been scripting for years and years, it’s still essential to test them without any arguments.

® Document your work

Always document the process that you run routinely. What are the things that you do that  wouldn’t be obvious to someone else? Always have enough of what you do written down that someone can take over your work and understand it.

® Pay attention to your mistakes

Understanding the mistakes in your thinking is the only way to get past them and improve. Pay attention to the kind of things you do wrong and notice that when you make the same mistakes more than once. Maybe you don’t take the time to verify that your backups are usable, whatever the issues may be, and make a point of reminding yourself of those things that you might easily overlook.

® Be paranoid

Always ask yourself questions, such as, “Could someone misuse this?” or “Could someone break this?”. If you think defensively it could save you a lot of pain and when it comes to system administration, paranoia is a virtue!

® Pay a LOT of attention to security

Your security efforts should be equal to the data you are protecting! Always know what you are protecting and follow the best practices such as monitoring critical services and vulnerability testing. Be alert for any signs of break-in or system compromise and be prepared.

® Back up everything

Even if your servers are replicated, always have a good backup policy. Test your backups and make sure they are working well before your need to rely on them.

® Everyone’s time is as valuable as yours

Yes, you are a wizard in your own magical domains, but get to meetings on time and get back to people quickly when they ask for help, even just to say you are working on their problems. Treat your customers with respect, even if they don’t know what’s going on.

® Keep your users informed

Always make sure your users know what to expect, especially when there are some major upgrades planned. It helps if they have confidence in you and trust the services they depend on. Communicate! Consider using a ticketing system.

® Never stop picking up new skills

If you are not trying your best to move ahead, you’re falling behind. Always be on the lookout for new things you can learn and you’ll be ready to take on new responsibilities.

Many of these rules you have probably heard numerous times, some you have probably learned the hard way. Always live by these rules if you intend to keep users and yourself happy.

Are you in need of IT assistance? Contact The Computer Guyz in Cape Town or Centurion and we can provide you with fast, reliable IT support, repairs or even website hosting and graphic design. Give us a call today!