No more hiding in the server room

How to start out in system adminstration?

I'm currently a high school student. I'm thinking about getting a Computer Science degree. Is that good for system administrators?

Also how else can I learn? Are there books, websites, demos, etc that I can work with?

Thanks!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jason Short on June 29, 2010 at 1:15am

Computer Science will be more about theory and programming than about system administration. I find that most of what I learned (I have a CS degree) does not directly apply to the sysadmin world, BUT having some idea of what's going on "under the hood" helps a lot.

Microsoft has trial versions of a lot of their software (good for 30 days, 60 days, something like that). And Linux is free.

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Permalink Reply by Cole Lavallee on June 29, 2010 at 9:14pm

I agree with Jason.

A CS degree would be somewhat helpful, as knowing why applications do certain things/how they relate to the hardware/networking type of environment.

VMware Player is free, and you can get trial versions of Microsoft products and free Linux distros. Also, check out the Microsoft Virtual Labs as well!http://www.microsoft.com/events/vlabs/default.mspx

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Permalink Reply by Dan Taylor on June 30, 2010 at 10:39am

My original degree was Computer Science and I must say that having majored in Software Design and Implementation it has certainly helped my understanding of the world of System Administration. Knowing what is going on beneath the hood gives me insight in to what is going on which positions me better to diagnose problems (Rather than things just being a magic box with a pixie inside).

For actual SysAdmin skills I feel there's only one way to learn those, by grabbing the stuff and doing it. I cut my teeth support the web infrastructure for an online role play group, it taught me a lot about the dos and don'ts of the SysAdmin life. This knowledge was refined further when I hit the world of work and picked up my current Job (Where I've been for the past 4 and half years).

There are few things I've learned that really can't be taught (You can be told, but you won't understand until they happen).

1. Only promise what you know you can deliver.
2. Always take a backup before you begin
3. Log all the changes you make, especially at 3 am because you won't remember
4. Do not turn the Exchange Server off in the middle of the day.
5. Do not unplug the internet connection for the company
6. A cup of tea near a server will ruin your day - just don't do it :)

So as well as doing your degree try and go and find some work doing SysAdmin type tasks, even if its unpaid - the experience will pay dividends if you choose to continue down that career path.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Short on July 1, 2010 at 5:43am

I agree with that. The best teacher is experience. Painful, painful experience. :)

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Permalink Reply by Shane Corellian on July 1, 2010 at 4:14pm

A CS degree will help you understand the why and the how of System Administration. It cannot, however, replace constant learning and experience. I know quite a few "admins" who have a CS degree but when asked to create a new GPO give the dull stare of a dairy cow.

Some companies will only hire a Sys Admin who has a CS (or comparable) degree but from my experience that number is getting smaller. When I interview an applicant for a Sys Admin position I ask questions that will give me a glimpse of their problem solving skills and, to a degree, certain certifications.

It's funny that you'd bring up this question now... I've written a few blogs for my company about Sys Admins who "memorize" instead of "understand" Systems Management. To me a person who only memorizes answers is destined for a Help Desk, first call position vs. a true Sys Admin and Network Architect.

http://www.adminarsenal.com/admin-arsenal-blog/bid/42392/Understand...

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Permalink Reply by John McGrath on July 7, 2010 at 1:52am

Second to Jason.

Experience is your best friend; VMware has free versions of its server software, and creating a Vmware server is experience you can use later.

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_serv...

I use this version with an old server I re-purposed.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Marc Dekeyser on July 8, 2010 at 11:58am

Rehashing what is already said :) THat CS degree will help you get a foot in the door more easily then a high school degree.
Whilst you're doing that you can get hands on experience building environments and trying to crash them & fix em! Fun xD!!

Read as much of the windows server reference architecture as you can and try to understand why that document is as it is. Once you're done with this certifications should be a piece of cake if you truly understand what it is all about.

And now comes the hard stuff... Actually landing a job without any experience in the corporate world... You might want to do volunteer work to get some experience running actual environments to strengthen your resume.

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Permalink Reply by Cody Harlow on July 8, 2010 at 5:15pm

Thank you for all the replies. Sorry for getting back so late.

I have a DreamSpark account so I have access to Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2008 R2 along with SQL Server and the like.

@Cole Lavallee - Thanks for those virtual labs!

Now my next question is programing languages. I currently love and adore Python. Is there anyone using PowerShell or Visual Basic Scripting for Windows and would that be beneficial to learn?

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Permalink Reply by Dan Taylor on July 8, 2010 at 6:15pm

PowerShell and VBScript are core tools of my job, they enable me to automate tasks that would otherwise need excessive repetition.

I'm sure that you can use Perl Scripts to accomplish the same things but I find that often the native windows tools work just that bit better on a Windows Machine.

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Permalink Reply by Cole Lavallee on July 8, 2010 at 6:29pm

Agreed.

There's so much you can do now with PowerShell ( and even intergrate VBScript with PoSH). I'd most definitely start looking into PowerShell. It's a native Microsoft tool, huge user base and extremely powerful.

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Permalink Reply by Phil Shannon on August 12, 2010 at 6:34pm

Hi Cody-

I agree with some of the other comments. In the corporate desktop world Windows seems to be a clear #1. If you someday want a job supporting corporate Windows environments, learning PowerShell and/or VB Script is better than Perl.

You could get some great free e-training from Microsoft, check this website:

http://www.microsoft.com/education/MSITAcademy/itastudentpass.mspx

There are some great resources for learning powershell here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptcenter/powershell.aspx

Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Egan on October 1, 2010 at 10:56am

Hi Cody,

I never went to college (or university, call it what you will) and I honestly don't beleive it has negatively impacted my career - I've had plenty of hands-on experience, and try to back it up with industry certifications.

If you're really passionate, get involved in labs and stuff at home - build up a server, play with some technologies you're interested in. Take part in forums (like this one) to learn things and contribute. Build up a base of technical knowledge.

THe hardest part is always cracking the first role - try for helpdesk roles, where you'll be able to demonstrate your passion, previous knowledge, and learn more.

good luck with it all mate :)