Define what a UNIX system administrator does. 

write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your  thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future  discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use  examples to reinforce your ideas.

Your manager has asked you to  take a look at the operational tasks that the system administrators  perform each day. Much of their time is spent dealing with various  tasks, but each task is manual. Several tasks need to be done (or  redone) many times as various requirements are missed or, unfortunately,  performed incorrectly. Your manager would like you to take a look at  these tasks and move them into scripts that check for the required  information and then execute them in a consistent fashion.

Some of  the other system administrators have heard rumors of this request and  your tasks. They are worried about the impact of scripts and automation  on their job security. The argument is, if someone can simply run a  script to perform certain tasks, what will prevent management from  letting them go and hiring a set of operators? Complete the following:

• Define what a UNIX system administrator does.
  • Describe what the day-to-day tasks and longer running projects would entail.
• Describe the concept of a filter.
  • How can filters be used with UNIX commands?
• Describe the superuser.
  • How are superusers used in a UNIX environment?
  • Why is this superuser used to perform certain tasks?
  • Is it preferable to log in as this superuser, or should you use some other tool to assume the identity of the user?
    • Why?
  • What tools are available?

Throughout  this class, you will work on a UNIX/Linux platform. You will be  required to set up and have available a UNIX-based environment to  perform your work.

• Set up a working UNIX/Linux environment of your choosing.
  • See the Unit 1 Web Resources for example options.

Responses to 2  Students