Profession ICT system administrator

IT systems administrators install, configure, and support an organisation's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet system or a segment of a network system. Maintain network hardware and software. Monitor network to ensure network availability to all system users and perform necessary maintenance to support network availability.

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Personality Type

• Investigative / Realistic

Tasks ict system administrator

• Diagnose hardware and software problems and replace faulty components.
• Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
• Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments including computer hardware, systems software, applications software and all configurations.
• Plan, coordinate and implement network security measures to protect data, software and hardware.
• Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks, and to coordinate computer network access and use.
• Perform routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintain control records.
• Design, configure and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.
• Recommend changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes.
• Confer with network users about how to solve existing system problems.
• Program in scripting languages, such as Javascript, PERL, CGI, Vbscript, etc.

Related professions hardware, network

• Computer hardware technician
• Computer network technician
• Computer systems technician
• Data communication lines or cables installer
• IT computer repairer
• IT hardware engineer
• IT hardware testing technician
• IT network specialist
• IT operations technician
• Statistical data manager

Knowledge

• ICT infrastructure

  The system, network, hardware and software applications and components, as well as devices and processes that are used in order to develop, test, deliver, monitor, control or support ICT services.

• Hardware components

  The essential components that make up a hardware system, such as liquid-crystal displays (LCD), camera sensors, microprocessors, memories, modems, batteries and their interconnections.

• Quality assurance methodologies

  Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.

• ICT system programming

  The methods and tools required to develop system software, specifications of system architectures and interfacing techniques between network and system modules and components.

• ICT system user requirements

  The process intended to match user and organisation's needs with system components and services, by taking into consideration the available technologies and the techniques required to elicit and specify requirements, interrogating users to establish symptoms of problem and analysing symptoms.

• Software components libraries

  The software packages, modules, web services and resources that cover a set of related functions and the databases where these reusable components can be found.

• Organisational policies

  The policies to achieve set of goals and targets regarding the development and maintenance of an organisation.

Skills

• Integrate system components

  Select and use integration techniques and tools to plan and implement integration of hardware and software modules and components in a system. Apply specific testing techniques to ensure integrity during system integration.

• Manage system testing

  Select, perform and track testings on software or hardware to detect system defects both within the integrated system units, the inter-assemblages and the system as a whole. Organise testings such as installation testing, security testing and graphical user interface testing.

• Provide technical documentation

  Prepare documentation for existing and upcoming products or services, describing their functionality and composition in such a way that it is understandable for a wide audience without technical background and compliant with defined requirements and standards. Keep documentation up to date.

• Apply ICT system usage policies

  Follow written and ethical laws and policies regarding proper ICT system usage and administration.

• Manage system security

  Analyse the critical assets of a company and identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities that lead to intrusion or attack. Apply security detection techniques. Understand cyber attack techniques and implement effective countermeasures.

• Solve ICT system problems

  Identify potential component malfunctions. Monitor, document and communicate about incidents. Deploy appropriate resources with minimal outage and deploy appropriate diagnostic tools.

• Migrate existing data

  Apply migration and conversion methods for existing data, in order to transfer or convert data between formats, storage or computer systems.

• Implement ICT recovery system

  Create, manage and implement ICT system recovery plan in case of crisis in order to retrieve information and reacquire use of the system.

• Manage changes in ICT system

  Plan, realise and monitor system changes and upgrades. Maintain earlier system versions. Revert, if necessary, to a safe older system version.

• Monitor system performance

  Measure system reliability and performance before, during and after component integration and during system operation and maintenance. Select and use performance monitoring tools and techniques, such as special software.

• Administer ICT system

  Handle components of ICT system by maintaining configuration, managing users, monitoring resource use, performing backups and installing hardware or software to comply with the set requirements.

• Support ICT system users

  Communicate with end users, instruct them on how to progress with tasks, use ICT support tools and methods to solve problems and identify possible side effects and provide solutions.

• Interpret technical texts

  Read and understand technical texts that provide information on how to perform a task, usually explained in steps.

• Maintain ICT system

  Select and apply system and network monitoring techniques. Identify and fix operational problems. Ensure that system's capabilities and efficiency match company specifications.

• Perform backups

  Implement backup procedures to backup data and systems to ensure permanent and reliable system operation. Execute data backups in order to secure information by copying and archiving to ensure integrity during system integration and after data loss occurrence.

• Apply system organisational policies

  Implement internal policies related to the development, internal and external usage of technological systems, such as software systems, network systems and telecommunications systems, in order to achieve a set of goals and targets regarding the efficient operations and growth of an organisation.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB