| ganisations use a three tier support staff solution, | | | | deep in something fixing it and post haste. They |
| with tier one (help desk) personnel handling the | | | | are in charge of making sure connectivity works |
| initial calls, tier 2 (technicians and pc support | | | | for all users in their organisation, and making sure |
| analysts) and tier three (network administrators). | | | | data security is handled properly for connections |
| Most of those organisations follow a fixed staffing | | | | to the outside internet. (For network |
| ratio, and being a network administrator is either | | | | administrators doing security aspects, this can be |
| the top job, or next to top job, within the | | | | a full time job in and of itself.) |
| technical support department. | | | | Trouble tickets work their way through the help |
| Network administrators are responsible for making | | | | desk, then through analyst level support, before |
| sure computer hardware and the network | | | | hitting the network administrator level; as a result, |
| infrastructure itself is maintained properly for an | | | | in their day-to-day operations, they should not be |
| IT organisation. They are deeply involved in the | | | | dealing directly with end users as a routine |
| procurement of new hardware (does it meet | | | | function. Most of their jobs should be on |
| existing standardisation requirements? Does it do | | | | scheduling and implementing routine maintenance |
| the job required?) rolling out new software installs, | | | | tasks, updating disaster prevention programs, |
| maintaining the disk images for new computer | | | | making sure that network backups are run and |
| installs (usually by having a standardised OS and | | | | doing test restores to make sure that those |
| application install), making sure that licenses are | | | | restores are sound. |
| paid for and up to date for software that need it, | | | | Other jobs that fall on the network administrator's |
| maintaining the standards for server installations | | | | tasks include fighting for the IT budget and |
| and applications, and monitoring the performance | | | | setting standardised installs packages up so that all |
| of the network, checking for security breaches, | | | | end user desktops are identical. While the network |
| poor data management practices and more. | | | | administrator probably isn't doing the installs on |
| Most network administrator positions require a | | | | new computers, he is likely to be the one in |
| breadth of technical knowledge and the ability to | | | | charge of setting up what gets installed, and |
| learn the ins and outs of new networking and | | | | setting user access policies, as well as evaluating |
| server software packages quickly. While designing | | | | the purchase of new equipment to replace older |
| and architecting a network is usually the job of a | | | | gear that has been deployed. Similar decisions are |
| network engineer, many organisations roll that | | | | made regarding software packages (both for end |
| function into a network administrator position as | | | | user support and server levels) and networking |
| well; day to day and month to month "Is it up?" | | | | hardware. |
| jobs fall on the shoulders of the network | | | | Network administrators are jokingly referred to |
| administrators. | | | | as the highest level of techie you get before you |
| One of the chief jobs of a network administrator | | | | get turned into a pointy haired boss and made |
| is connectivity; the cry "The networks down" | | | | into management. |
| usually means the network admin has to be hip | | | | |