[AusNOG] Time for AusSOG I think (was Re: Happy Sysadminday)

[Robert Brockway]

On Mon, 2 Aug 2010, Matthew Moyle-Croft wrote:

> I agree pretty much.
>
> The artificial divide between those who move information and those who 
> process it and store it is arbitrary and artificial.

Wow this is a cheering me up on a Monday morning :)

I've been quite concerned about the apparent divergence of skills within 
IT in recent years.  The 'split' between a system admin & a network admin 
is a good example of this.

Computer systems & networks are so interwined at many levels that I think 
any division is arbitrary (as you say).

Afterall - who said the 'system' in system administration refers to a 
single computer system.  The entire network owned by an organisation is 
itself a system, as is the Internet.

How can someone be a good sysadmin if they don't understand networking 
properly?  They need to have a deep understanding of network protocols at 
every layer if they are going to have a chance of actually solving the 
complex problems that arise with modern systems and networks.

There seems to be a significant difference in how recruiters (and some 
companies) view the concept of a 'sysadmin' vs how I would do so.

IMHO an experienced sysadmin is someone who can construct (and then 
manage) an arbitrarily complex network with a variety of systems and 
applications all on their own - the only constraint should be their time.

SAGE-AU has discussed a name change in recent months, and even whether the 
term 'system administrator' itself has been lost.  If recruiters and 
employers continue to take a narrow view of the term then it loses value.

> Being successful in our industry is about integration - understanding 
> and being successful in the art and science of taking all the components 
> (software, systems, storage, networks, datacentres, commercial and 
> legal) and building the best services.

Well said.

Cheers,

Rob

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