Network administration guide
Good network administration is the backbone of today's technology-dependent enterprises. Network administrators are charged with keeping expansive networks and numerous applications running smoothly, and the job can seem overwhelming at times. We're coming to the rescue with this guide that brings you back to basics. We polled our readers about their most common tasks to find out what the heart and soul of network administration consists of on a daily basis. Here we've outlined the main topics, such as network design, troubleshooting, backup, documentation, security, and managing users.
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:
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.
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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.
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 |
This checklist was created by Doug Chick.
Updated July 2007
TASK LIST
Task 1: Design, install and evaluate network
Task 2: Perform and manage regular backups
Task 3: Provide technical documentation
Task 4: Manage users and provide user support
Task 5: Monitoring and troubleshooting assistance
Task 6: Security management and virus prevention