Day of the system administrator

Kevin, as a system administrator, you are often the last resort when it comes to technical problems in the workplace. But sometimes the problems are easier to solve than the people seeking help think. Which request was the most amusing from your point of view?

The most amusing requests are usually a layer 8 problem. A layer 8 problem is mostly 60cm in front of the screen and is human.

Some of these queries are solved by the mere presence of the admin. The famous admin aura actually seems to exist, because as soon as an admin is standing next to the user, the problem can no longer be replicated. The subsequent attempts by users to show that they have not hallucinated the technical difficulties are usually very amusing.

One of my colleagues once complained about a defective keyboard. Apparently, the user discovered the Num Lock key by chance and pressed it. The look on my colleague’s face when a problem that had been going on for three days was solved within two seconds with the press of a button was really great.

One of my absolute favorite quotes in this context is: “Have you ever restarted the computer?”

Every user I have supported has heard this saying many times. In the majority of cases, colleagues now remember this mantra. However, if it is forgotten, I am always happy to point it out to my colleagues and see how the problem is once again solved by itself.

Take us into your profession. What does the typical working day of a system administrator look like?

I start my day by checking that all important systems are running smoothly. Normally, these also run smoothly. However, if a system does fail, we system administrators work with the highest priority to get the system in question up and running again.

This describes my most important task: I make sure that our servers remain accessible and that my colleagues can carry out their work unhindered. Fortunately, such problems rarely occur.

Once all systems have been checked, I view the current support requests on our internal technical support board. I start organizing the support tickets and make appointments with the relevant colleagues.

If a query turns out to be particularly tricky, the first step is to do some research. Many problems and questions that you have to solve as a system administrator cannot be tackled without research. A large part of my everyday life therefore consists of gathering information.

Another part of my day is spent finding out about new hardware and software. By keeping my knowledge up to date on a daily basis, I can make more informed decisions when it comes to introducing new hardware or software.

This approach also helps to protect Softway AG from cyber threats. Current reports of known security vulnerabilities are therefore closely monitored. If there are known security vulnerabilities in systems that we use, these are closed as quickly as possible if a fix is already available.

An additional area of responsibility for system administrators is the installation of new systems. This often involves several days of work. Here too, the first step is to research the best practice for each new installation. Once the requirements of a new system have been discussed, we carry out a test phase in which the new application, server or policy is tested and checked for functionality. If the test phase was successful, the change is transferred to the production system. Accordingly, 80% of the time is taken up by planning and preparation.

This also reflects the everyday life of a system administrator very well. I spend most of my time planning and preparing.

Which tasks are particularly tricky or challenging?

Tasks that require special care are very tricky. Especially when it comes to changes in productive operation. These changes often involve a great deal of planning and testing.

It is challenging, for example, if the backup procedure is to be changed. A new backup solution must work from day one, especially if a shutdown of the previous solution is unavoidable. In this case, negligent configuration of the backup system poses an enormous risk for the company. In the worst case, it could even threaten the company’s existence. The testing and research effort for such tasks is therefore enormous, as you have to be absolutely sure that everything is set up correctly.

Similar to the backup system, the same applies to changes in the domain environment. The principle here is the same: “Do it right the first time or suffer the consequences”. Domain controllers are very sensitive and adjustments such as raising the “forest function level” must be carefully considered and planned. If problems occur here, you can only hope that at least the backup solution was configured correctly.

Which tasks do you enjoy the most?

At Softway AG, I look after the technology for our livestreaming and webinar room, among other things. I was the technical lead for the planning and setup of this project.

Everything that has to do with images and sound has always been very interesting to me. Whether films, TV, live broadcasts or music. That’s why I was very happy at the time that there should be a room in which webinars, product training and live streams could be produced.

Setting up our media room has given me many new insights into this topic, as I was able to put my theoretical knowledge into practice.

An example of this is the topic of lighting: How do I place the softboxes so that the green screen is well lit and the presenter is clearly visible both sitting and standing without strange shadows? What kind of lighting should be used to get either soft or hard shadows on the presenters? What looks more natural to the viewer, even if the setup looks unnatural outside the livestream?

I was also able to learn a lot more about handling cameras. One example of this is: How do I position a person in the frame so that the presenter looks natural and there is no subconscious reluctance on the part of the presenter?

These tasks, which are more in the media area, are an excellent change from the normal working day of a system administrator and I particularly enjoy them.

Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship at Softway AG back then?

I decided to train at Softway because I realized during my internship that both the tasks and my colleagues at Softway AG were great.

When I was looking for an apprenticeship, I applied to a lot of companies. I was invited to an interview or an internship at most of the companies. Some of the companies made a friendly impression, while others were rather disorganized. In addition, the future area of responsibility often seemed very inflexible to me and consisted of uninteresting and repetitive tasks.

In contrast, at Softway AG, I immediately noticed at the interview that this company treats people honestly. My trainer Andreas Adam conducted the interview and I immediately noticed that he wasn’t just interested in finding out whether I was suitable from the company’s point of view. It was also important to Andreas to find out whether Softway AG was also suitable for me.

This impression was confirmed once again during the subsequent internship. The tasks I was given during the internship were well thought out and showed both me and the trainers that this apprenticeship was very suitable for me. After the apprenticeship, I can also say that the tasks provided a very good foundation, which was repeatedly required during my apprenticeship.

The contact with my colleagues at Softway also confirmed that I had found an excellent training position here. The open and informal atmosphere in the company was very important to me. This approach is really practiced. That is why I am very happy to be part of Softway AG!