Different Types of

System Administrators
A System Administrator (SysAdmin) is like the “mechanic” or
“caretaker” of computer systems in an organization. Their job
is to make sure that servers, networks, storage, and
applications are running smoothly. They manage user
accounts, monitor system health, install updates, and solve
problems when things go wrong.
In large organizations, sysadmins specialize in certain areas
(like network, database, or security).
Skills Needed:
Basic knowledge of operating systems, networking,
troubleshooting, problem-solving, and communication.
TYPES OF SYSADMIN
Network Administrator
A Network Administrator manages the organization’s
communication lines. They ensure internet connections, local
area networks (LAN), and wide area networks (WAN) are
running properly. They configure routers, switches, and
firewalls, and they also monitor traffic for unusual activity.
Without them, employees may lose connection, slowing down
business.
Skills Needed: Knowledge of TCP/IP, subnetting, routing,
firewall configuration, and troubleshooting tools like
Wireshark. Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Roles: Setting up secure Wi-Fi, ensuring smooth connectivity

between offices, troubleshooting slow internet.
Database Administrator (DBA)
A DBA manages databases, which are the backbone of
information systems. They handle installation, backups,
recovery, and optimization. Their main task is to ensure that
data is secure, consistent, and available for use. They tune
queries and indexes so applications can run faster.
Skills Needed: Knowledge of TCP/IP, subnetting, routing,
firewall configuration, and troubleshooting tools like
Wireshark. Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Roles: Backing up large student databases in a university,

ensuring e-commerce inventory is always up to date, or
restoring data after corruption.
Security Administrator
A Security Administrator protects the organization from cyber
threats. They set up firewalls, manage antivirus solutions,
configure intrusion detection systems, and enforce security
policies. They regularly monitor logs for suspicious activity
and perform vulnerability assessments.
Skills Needed: Cybersecurity fundamentals, knowledge of
firewalls, IDS/IPS, encryption, SIEM tools, and risk
assessment. Must be detail-oriented and proactive.

Roles: Protecting the company from hacking, managing

employee access rights, and responding to incidents like
malware infections.
Storage Administrator
A Storage Administrator manages the data storage systems of
an organization. They set up storage arrays, handle backups,
and design disaster recovery solutions. In enterprises, they
manage SAN (Storage Area Networks) and NAS (Network
Attached Storage). Their role is critical in companies that
generate terabytes of data daily.
Skills Needed: Knowledge of SAN/NAS, RAID, backup
solutions, replication, disaster recovery tools, and
performance tuning.

Roles: Ensuring backups are available during a system crash,

scaling storage as the business grows, and securing stored
data.
Web Administrator
A Web Administrator manages websites and web servers.
They install and configure Apache, IIS, or Nginx servers,
handle SSL/TLS certificates, and ensure websites remain
accessible and secure. They also monitor website uptime and
load balancing.
Skills Needed: Knowledge of web servers, HTML basics, SSL
certificates, DNS management, and troubleshooting.

Roles: Maintaining a university’s online portal, ensuring a

business’s e-commerce site runs smoothly, managing SSL for
secure transactions.
Cloud Administrator
A Cloud Administrator manages cloud services such as AWS,
Azure, or Google Cloud. They configure cloud resources,
monitor usage, and manage costs. They also handle security,
virtual machines, and integration between on-premises and
cloud environments.
Skills Needed: Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP),
virtualization, networking, cloud security, and automation.

Roles: Migrating business systems from physical servers to

cloud servers, setting up virtual networks, and ensuring
compliance in cloud storage.
Virtualization Administrator
A Virtualization Administrator manages virtual environments
using hypervisors (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM). They create and
maintain virtual machines, manage VM migrations, and
ensure efficient resource allocation. This role is growing due
to the popularity of virtual and cloud infrastructures.
Skills Needed: Hypervisors, virtual networking, VM
management, storage integration, monitoring tools.

Roles: Running multiple virtual servers on one machine,

migrating workloads with no downtime, ensuring efficient use
of hardware resources.
DevOps / Automation Administrator
A DevOps or Automation Administrator bridges development
and IT operations. They automate deployments, create CI/CD
pipelines, and manage containers like Docker and
Kubernetes. Their goal is to speed up software delivery while
ensuring stability.
Skills Needed: Scripting (Python, Bash), CI/CD tools (Jenkins,
GitLab), containers, Infrastructure as Code (Ansible,
Terraform).

Roles: Automating repetitive tasks, deploying applications

across multiple servers instantly, and reducing downtime.
Email / Messaging Administrator
An Email Administrator manages communication systems
such as Microsoft Exchange, Zimbra, or Postfix. They configure
email servers, secure mail traffic, manage spam filters, and
integrate messaging tools like Teams or Slack.
Skills Needed: Mail protocols (SMTP, IMAP, POP3), Exchange or
Postfix, spam filtering, and authentication methods (SPF,
DKIM, DMARC).

Roles: Ensuring company emails are delivered, preventing

phishing emails, and troubleshooting mail delivery issues.
Application/System Support Administrator
This role supports enterprise applications (ERP, CRM, HR
systems). They install, patch, and troubleshoot applications,
working with both users and developers. They ensure
business-critical apps are always up and running.
Skills Needed: Application support, OS administration,
problem-solving, vendor management, and customer service
skills.

Roles: Fixing errors in payroll systems, maintaining ERP

databases, troubleshooting application crashes.
Specialized / Hybrid Roles
Some sysadmins don’t fit into just one category they are
hybrids. For example, a Linux Administrator focuses on Linux
servers, while a Windows Administrator specializes in Active
Directory. In small businesses, one sysadmin may handle all
roles (network, storage, web, etc.). In bigger companies,
sysadmins often specialize.
Skills Needed: Versatility, ability to learn quickly, adaptability,
and broad technical knowledge.

Roles: Acting as a “jack of all trades” in SMEs or specializing

deeply in one technology in enterprises.
Types of System
Maintenance
A System maintenance is one of the most important
responsibilities in IT and system administration. No matter
how well a system is designed, problems eventually appear
due to hardware failures, software bugs, new requirements, or
changes in the environment. Maintenance ensures that
systems remain reliable, secure, and useful over time.
Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance refers to fixing errors or faults that
occur in a system after they have been discovered. This is the
most common type because no system is perfect—bugs,
crashes, or unexpected errors will always happen. The role of
corrective maintenance is to restore the system to its normal
working state as quickly as possible.
Roles: IT staff or system administrators perform corrective
maintenance when systems go down, such as restarting services,
replacing faulty hardware, or applying patches. Developers may
also be involved if the issue is related to coding.

Examples:
A university’s online enrollment system crashes due to an
unhandled error; developers patch the bug.
A company server suffers a hardware failure in its RAM;
technicians replace the faulty RAM.
Adaptive Maintenance
Adaptive maintenance involves modifying a system so that it
continues to function in a changed environment.
Environments change frequently new operating systems, new
hardware, new legal regulations, or updated third-party
services and systems must adapt. The role here is to ensure
compatibility and compliance so that the system doesn’t
become obsolete.
Roles: System administrators and developers often carry out
adaptive maintenance when an organization upgrades its IT
infrastructure. Compliance officers may also be involved if
changes are related to laws or regulations.

Examples:
Updating a hospital’s medical records software to work on
Windows 11 instead of Windows 7.
Modifying an e-commerce site to handle new VAT tax laws in the
Philippines
Perfective Maintenance
Perfective maintenance is all about improvement. Instead of
fixing errors or adapting to changes, this type of maintenance
focuses on enhancing the system to make it faster, easier to
use, or more reliable. Even if the system is working fine, there
is always room for improvement. The role here is to extend
the lifespan and usability of the system by adding new
features or optimizing existing ones.
Roles: Developers, designers, and system administrators work
together to implement user-requested features, optimize
performance, or redesign interfaces for better usability.

Examples:
Adding a “dark mode” option to a student portal because users
requested it.
Optimizing the performance of a university grading system by
indexing its database, reducing query time from 5 seconds to 1
second.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is carried out before problems occur.
It involves monitoring, cleaning, updating, and tuning the
system to avoid failures in the future. The goal is to detect
and remove potential issues before they can cause real
problems. Preventive maintenance reduces downtime and
helps ensure business continuity.
Roles: System administrators, IT technicians, and security teams
perform preventive tasks regularly. Their job is to schedule
updates, monitor logs, and carry out system health checks.

Examples:
Regularly applying OS and application patches to prevent
security vulnerabilities.
Checking hard drives for errors and replacing them before they
completely fail.
Updating antivirus signatures weekly to prevent infections.
Predictive Maintenance (Modern Approach)
Predictive maintenance is a proactive and data-driven
approach. It uses monitoring tools, analytics, and sometimes
machine learning to predict when a component is likely to
fail, so maintenance can be done before an actual
breakdown. This type is growing in popularity in modern IT
environments, especially with cloud and enterprise
monitoring solutions.
Roles: Advanced system administrators, DevOps engineers, and
IT operations staff use monitoring dashboards and AI-driven
tools to forecast issues. They analyze logs, performance metrics,
and alerts to predict failures.

Examples:
A server monitoring system detects unusual patterns in hard disk
usage and warns admins of a likely drive failure.
Using AI-based monitoring tools (like Splunk or Elastic) to
predict network congestion.
Corrective - IT support & troubleshooting teams.
Adaptive - Sysadmins & developers when environments change.
Perfective - Developers and admins working on upgrades.
Preventive - IT operations and maintenance teams.
Predictive - Advanced sysadmins & DevOps using modern
monitoring tools.
THANK
YOU!