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Managing Hardware and Software

The computers, software, networks, printers and other peripherals that are at a site also contribute to the type and amount of work a Systems Administrator must perform. Some considerations include:

How many, how big and how complex?
Once again greater numbers imply more work. Also it may be more work looking after a few Windows NT machines than a collection of FreeBSD computers. Some sites will have supercomputers, which require specialised knowledge.

Is there a network?
The existence of a network connecting the machines together raises additional problems and further increases the workload of the Systems Administrator.

Are the computers heterogenous or homogenous?
Is the hardware and software on every machine the same, or is it different. A great variety in hardware and software will make it much more difficult to manage, especially when there are large numbers. The ability to specify a standard for all computers, in both hardware and software, makes the support job orders of magnitude easier.

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© Lee Stretton 2005 |