How vital is the role of system administrators (sysadmin) in your organization? When they do their job well, you don’t even realize they are there. It’s when your computers, servers, networks, and applications have a problem that you understand how valuable sysadmins are to the business. It takes plenty of technical skill to make sure hardware and software is functioning properly 99.9% of the time.
WHAT DO THEY DO?
The daily tasks of a system administrator fall into four categories:
- Routine Checks. Every day, administrators run through a checklist to confirm that servers are running well, enterprise applications are performing as expected and error logs do not show anything alarming. They’ll use automated monitoring tools for this.
- End User Support. Sysadmins respond to calls and support tickets from end users. Problems range from printer errors to flickering computer screens.
- Based on what they see during their routine checks and end user support, administrators will spend a considerable part of each day troubleshooting and fixing problems.
- At the end of each day, sysadmins ensure all enterprise systems and data are backed up. If a catastrophic server or database crash occurs, backups provide a fallback that allows a return to the status quo in the shortest time.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
System Administrator Appreciation Day was started on July 28, 2000 by Ted Kekatos, a system administrator at his workplace. He was inspired by an article that showed a system administrator receiving fruit baskets and flowers from grateful colleagues following the installation of new printers.
What started out as a joke, the website he built soon was drawing huge amounts of traffic. Like all good ideas, it developed a life of its own and System Administrator Day was born. Today, it is recognized by many tech professional organizations and it is marked in many ways, from a simple thank you card to a festival.
SAYING THANK YOU
The system administrator is one of the most vital players on your team. Imagine where your business would be without them? It’s time to thank them for their hard work. The last Friday of July is System Administrator Appreciation Day, which means that on July 28 you should reach out to your IT department and thank them for keeping your organization online.
On July 28th, think about saying thank you by throwing a party for your sysadmins that’ll allow everyone in the business to recognize their contribution toward seamless operations. But, above all else, let your system administrators know they are valued.
Servers will crash, data backups fail, and end users will inadvertently download viruses. Sysadmins are the superheroes who save the day. Show your appreciation and be sure this important team members knows their worth.
Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day from the OnRamp team!
Additional Resources on This Topic
System Administrator Appreciation Day Website
Five Ways to Motivate Tech Employees Without Crazy Perks
Four Traits to Look for When Hiring a System Administrator
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