Network administration: Help for designing, managing and troubleshooting your network |
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| 27 Nov 2006 | SearchNetworking.com |
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Network administration is an arduous task. The administrator's responsibilities often involve many different aspects and may include such tasks as network design, management, troubleshooting, backup and storage, documentation, , security and virus prevention as well as managing users.
While the specific job description for network administrators will be slightly different for each organization, common responsibilities include:
(Clicking on the links below take you to separate sections where you'll find tips, advice and help for each particular task.)
TASK LIST
 Task 1: Design, install and evaluate network
Task 2: Perform and manage regular backups
Task 3: Provide technical documentation and perform network audits
Task 4: Monitoring and troubleshooting assistance
Task 5: Security management and virus prevention
This guide will help you with each step and responsibility. Refer back to it often when you have questions or need advice in each specific area.
Immediate to-do's: Do these before completing any other step in this guide
- Backups and recovery disks, RAID and images (Veritas, ArcServe, ghost, imagecast)
- Are operating system recovery disks requited (server or workstation)? Have they been created recently, copies and placed in a safe location?
- Are backup recovery disks needed?
- Is a full backup being made on a routine basis? Have you placed a verified, full backup in a safe, offsite location?
- Are daily, incremental backups being made? (They should be!)
- Do any other software packages require or allow recovery diskettes? Have they been created and stored in a safe location? (Antivirus, operating system, applications, etc.)?
- Is RAID and/or disk mirroring enabled and verified that it is functioning correctly?
- Service packs, critical updates, security updates: Are the latest of these installed? Is there a schedule for updating these items? (Weekly or monthly)
- Antivirus installed and updated? Recovery disks required? Is automated scan enabled and running? Are automatic download updates or push downs of updated DAT files available and configured? Is there a schedule for updating these items? (Weekly or monthly)
- Complete steps 1, 2 and 3 and then perform a full backup and store in a safe location.
- Secure physical access to the servers, enable BIOS passwords, lock server room, ensure battery backups are installed and operating properly. Is the power supply adequare for the number of devices you have plugged in?
- Verify and record all software licenses in possession. Are additional licenses required? Remember you could be liable for this!
Use your PDA and/or calendar feature in your mail program to schedule and remind you of these critical items.
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This checklist was created by Doug Chick.
If you're just getting started in the networking field, you've got a lot to learn, and with the rate of changes in networking technology, you can expect to always have a lot to learn, but here are 10 essential networking topics that you should concentrate on.
Additional checklist – Critical items that may require steps 1-5
| Antivirus protection | Mail servers
| | Backups and data redundancy | Monitoring network traffic
| | Documentation | Network routers
| | Fax machines | Network security
| | File servers | Network switches/hubs
| | File sharing | Printer servers and printers
| | Help desk /Work order tracking | Software licenses
| | Internet connectivity | SQL servers
| | Internet security | Time clock servers
| | Internet servers | User accounts
| | Inventory of hardware and software
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This checklist was created by Doug Chick.
Updated July 2007
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