Network Administrator

As a network administrator, your tasks generally fall into the following areas:

• Designing and planning the network
• Setting up the network
• Maintaining the network
• Expanding the network

Each task area corresponds to a phase in the continuing life cycle of a network. You might be responsible for all the phases, or you might ultimately specialize in a particular area, for example, network maintenance.

Designing the Network

The first phase in the life cycle of a network involves creating its design, a task not usually performed by new network administrators. Designing a network involves making decisions about the type of network that best suits the needs of your organization. In larger sites this task is performed by a senior network architect: an experienced network administrator familiar with both network software and hardware.

Setting Up the Network

After the new network is designed, the second phase of network administration begins, which involves setting up and configuring the network. This consists of installing the hardware that makes up the physical part of the network, and configuring the files or databases, hosts, routers, and network configuration servers.

The tasks involved in this phase are a major responsibility for network administrators. You should expect to perform these tasks unless your organization is very large, with an adequate network structure already in place.

Maintaining the Network

The third phase of network administration consists of ongoing tasks that typically constitute the bulk of your responsibilities. They might include:

• Adding new host machines to the network
• Administering network security
• Administering network services, such as NFS^TM services, name services, and electronic mail
• Troubleshooting network problems

Expanding the Network

The longer a network is in place and functioning properly, the more your organization might want to expand its features and services. Initially, you can increase network population by adding new hosts and expanding network services by providing additional shared software. But eventually, a single network will expand to the point where it can no longer operate efficiently. That is when it must enter the fourth phase of the network administration cycle: expansion.

Several options are available for expanding your network:

• Setting up a new network and connecting it to the existing network using a machine functioning as a router, thus creating an internetwork
• Configuring machines in users' homes or in remote office sites and enabling these machines to connect over telephone lines to your network
• Connecting your network to the Internet, thus enabling users on your network to retrieve information from other systems throughout the world
• Configuring UUCP communications, enabling users to exchange files and electronic mail with remote machines