Editing System administrator (section)

== Skills ==
{{hatnote|Some of this section is from the [http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/network-and-computer-systems-administrators.htm Occupational Outlook Handbook], 2010–11 Edition, which is in the [[public domain]] as a [[work of the United States government]].}}

The ''subject matter'' of system administration includes computer systems and the ways people use them in an organization. This entails a knowledge of [[operating system]]s and [[computer application|application]]s, as well as hardware and software [[troubleshooting]], but also knowledge of the purposes for which people in the organization use the computers.

Perhaps the most important skill for a system administrator is [[problem solving]]—frequently under various sorts of constraints and stress. The sysadmin is on call when a computer system goes down or malfunctions, and must be able to quickly and correctly diagnose what is wrong and how best to fix it. They may also need to have teamwork and communication skills; as well as being able to install and configure hardware and software.

Sysadmins must understand the behavior of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot problems, and generally know several [[programming language]]s used for [[Scripting Language|scripting]] or automation of routine tasks. A typical sysadmin's role is not to design or write new application software but when they are responsible for automating system or application configuration with various configuration management tools, the lines somewhat blur. Depending on the sysadmin's role and skillset they may be expected to understand equivalent key/core concepts a software engineer understands. That said, system administrators are not [[software engineer]]s or [[software development|developer]]s, in the job title sense.

Particularly when dealing with [[Internet]]-facing or business-critical systems, a sysadmin must have a strong grasp of [[computer security]]. This includes not merely deploying software patches, but also preventing break-ins and other security problems with preventive measures. In some organizations, computer security administration is a separate role responsible for overall security and the upkeep of [[Firewall (computing)|firewall]]s and [[intrusion detection system]]s, but all sysadmins are generally responsible for the security of computer systems.