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Chapter 1 - Introduction To System Administration

This document provides an introduction to system administration. It defines a system administrator as the single trusted person responsible for administering an entire system with root/superuser privileges. The roles of a system administrator include installing and maintaining servers, performing backups and updates, managing user accounts, and troubleshooting issues. Key skills required are problem solving, analysis, programming, and soft skills. The document also describes Linux/UNIX architecture with the kernel managing hardware and the shell interfacing with users. It introduces virtual machines and the software VirtualBox, and explains how to log in as the root user and use the su command to switch to root privileges.

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Abdul Kilaa
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© © All Rights Reserved
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222 views

Chapter 1 - Introduction To System Administration

This document provides an introduction to system administration. It defines a system administrator as the single trusted person responsible for administering an entire system with root/superuser privileges. The roles of a system administrator include installing and maintaining servers, performing backups and updates, managing user accounts, and troubleshooting issues. Key skills required are problem solving, analysis, programming, and soft skills. The document also describes Linux/UNIX architecture with the kernel managing hardware and the shell interfacing with users. It introduces virtual machines and the software VirtualBox, and explains how to log in as the root user and use the su command to switch to root privileges.

Uploaded by

Abdul Kilaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CMPD393 System Administration

Chapter 1:
Introduction to
System Administration
Objectives
• Define the system administrator’s position
• Know the administrator’s roles and
privileges
• Able to explain the skills required to be a
system administrator
Objectives
• Discover the Linux/UNIX architecture that
includes the kernel and shell
• Virtual machine and Virtual Box
• Log in to root
• Understand the usage of su command
Definition of System Administrator
• A single-trusted person that is responsible to
administrate the whole system
• Known as superuser or root user (UNIX
environment) - holds absolute power to the
system
• Use special user-id to log on to the system:
root
Administrator’s Privileges
• Modify the contents or attributes of any files –
although owned by other users
• Initiate or kill any process – except essential for
running the system
• Change any user’s password – without entering
the old password
• Set the system clock
• Control user’s access to;
– Scheduling service
– Networking service
Administrator’s Roles
• Responsible for installing, supporting, and
maintaining servers or other computer systems
– Installing and configuring new hardware and software
– Performing routine audits of systems and software
– Performing backups and restores
– Applying OS updates, patches, and configuration
changes
– Adding, removing, or updating user accounts
information such as resetting passwords
Administrator’s Roles (cont.)
• Planning and responding to service outages and
other problems that occur within the system
– Capacity planning
– Contributing and implementing Disaster Recovery
(DR) and Business Continuity (BC) plans and planning
– Introducing and integrating new technologies into
existing data center environments
– Analyzing system logs and identifying potential
issues/problems in the systems
– Troubleshooting any reported problems
Administrator’s Roles (cont.)
• Scripting; light programming, project
management for systems-related projects,
supervising or training computer operators
– Automate common or repetitive (routine)
tasks
• Consultant for computer problems beyond
the knowledge of technical support staff
– Answering technical queries
Skills Required
• Problem-solving skill
– On call when a computer system malfunction
– Quickly and correctly diagnose the crisis and
produce the best solution
• Analyzing skill
– Understand the behavior of software
• Deploy
• Troubleshoot problems
Skills Required
• Programming skill
– Understand some various types of
programming languages
– Scripting or automation of routine tasks
• Soft-skill
– Users feel warm and know that their problems
will be fixed in no time
– Good interaction among colleagues/team
members
CATEGORIES OF
SYSTEM
ADMINISTRATOR

SN 2014
OS Architecture
Linux/UNIX Architecture
Linux/UNIX Architecture
Monitor
Hardware
User Interface tool
Software
Printer

Operating System
CPU
Shell

Hard
Kernel
Drive
User
UNIX Architecture
Kernel Shell

• Interacts with the • Interacts with the


machine hardware user
• Core of the operating • Interface between
system (OS) – user and kernel
system’s boot strap • Interpreter -
program loads kernel Translate user
into memory at startup commands into action
• Perform housekeeping • Example: bash, ksh
– memory, schedule
processes, prioritize
Virtual Machine
• Known as a guest.
• Created within a computing environment,
called a host.
• As separate computer systems.
• Computer files that run on a physical
computer and behave like a physical
computer.
• Logically isolated from each other and the
underlying physical machine.
NSMS 2012 16
Virtual Box
• Oracle provides VirtualBox for running
multiple virtual machines on a physical
machine.
• Runs on an existing host operating system
as an application.
• Convenient for users who want to run a
VM on their personal computers.

NSMS 2012 17
NSMS 2012 18
NSMS 2012 19
root
• Default user ID for system administrator – user
ID and password is automatically created during
installation
• User ID = 0 (zero)
• Use to perform administrative task
root (cont.)

Command for print working


login: root directory
password:
Output: / means root
# pwd
directory
/
# Prompt: # indicates login as
root
su
• su command - Switch from nonprivileged
account to the superuser account
• Other command: sudo <command> - only used
when you have only one or two command line to
be executed as system administrator.
su command with ‘-’ argument
• Argument ‘-’ ensures
login: surizal
that the administrator is
password:
$ whoami presented the same
surizal environment as he/she
$ su – logged in to root
password: • Recreates user’s
# pwd
/root
environment
# • Runs as separate sub
shell
su command without ‘-’ argument

login: surizal • To execute command


password: as root but retain
$ whoami
user’s current
surizal
$ su environment
password:
# pwd
/home/surizal
#
Exit su mode

• Exit sub shell $ su –


• Press [Ctrl+d] or password:
# exit
exit command $
References
1. Das, S. (2012). Your UNIX/LINUX The Ultimate
Guide: Third Edition. McGraw-Hill
2. Hahn, H. (2008). Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix and
Linux. California: McGraw-Hill Higher Education

This teaching material belongs to:


Systems and Networking Department,
College of Computing and Informatics,
Universiti Tenaga Nasional.

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