Network Administrator

Definition

Network Administrator: the role that is played when a person administers one or more networks

Classification

Network Administrator in the OPF Method Component Inheritance Hierarchy

As illustrated in the preceding figure, Network Administrator is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

Type: Concrete
Superclass: Administrator
Subclasses:
- None

Responsibilities

The typical role-specific responsibilities of a Network Administrator:

Ensure Network Characteristics.
Ensure that each network has the required characteristics:
- Ensure the network hardware components are functioning properly.
- Ensure the correct (e.g., latest) versions of the network software components are installed.
- Ensure proper network routing.
- Ensure that the networks have the required:
  - Operational availablity.
  - Performance.
  - Reliability.
  - Security.
  Ensure and maintain required levels of network security.
- Ensure that adequate hardware components are available when needed.
Administer Networks.
Administer one or more related (LAN, WAN, intranet, or extranet) networks:
- Acquire, install, configure, upgrade, and maintain the associated network(s):
  - Network Hardware components (e.g., connections, network connectivity devices).
  - Network software components (e.g., firewall software).
- Observe and assess network behavior including:
  - Correctness (e.g., proper routing).
  - Performance.
  - Operational availability.
  - Scalability.
  - Security.
- Analyze network failures and fix associated defects.
- Perform network load balancing.
- Perform network disaster recovery.
- Perform network capacity and scalability planning and trend analysis.
- Recommend network upgrades and improvements.
Administer Network Accounts.
Administer network user and group accounts including identification, authentication, and authorization:
- Create, modify, lock, unlock, and delete user accounts and group accounts.
- Provide account Identifiers (e.g., User IDs).
- Assign and change passwords.
- Assign computers to users.
- Assign user and group access permissions to computers, directories, and files.
- Allow or disallow user dial-in privileges.
- Set and modify account expiration dates.
Administer Network Policies.
Administer the various kinds of network policies including:
- Set and administer computer policies regarding common machine settings such as common computer startup programs, common shared folders, and sending common network maintenance notifications.
- Set and administer system policies by setting default hardware configurations and restricting what changes a user can make to these configurations.
- Administer user policies such as default monitor resolutions, backgrounds, and color schemes, limiting what applications can be run, and preventing user access or modification of network drives.
Document Network Administration.
Develop the required network administration documentation:
- Network administration plans in network administration section of the deployment plan.
- Network installation procedures in network administration section of the installation manual.
- Network administration operational tasks in network administration section of the operations manual.
- Network administration task performances in the operations log.
- Network status in the status report.

Network Administrator typically inherits the general role responsibilities from the Role method component.

Personal Profile

To fulfill these responsibilities, network administrators typically should have the following personal characteristics, expertise, training, and experience:

Personal Characteristics

To fulfill these responsibilities, network administrators typically should have the following personal characteristics:

A generalist who can perform many different tasks.
Able to comfortably multitask (i.e., perform multiple architecting tasks concurrently).
Able to make important decisions given incomplete and conflicting knowledge.
Highly self-directed, being able to both manage and (re)prioritize the multiple concurrent and competing challenges, issues, ambiguities, and contradictions that necessarily occur during the prduction of the database architecture and design.
Strong analytical problem solving skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and thus able to explain network administration to its diverse audiences.
A team-building leader with good interpersonal and relationship building skills.

Expertise

To fulfill these responsibilities, network administrators typically should have the following expertise:

Deep knowledge of the theory, practice, and tools of:
- LAN and WAN networks.
- Intranets, extranets, and the Internet.
- COTS networking products (e.g., Cisco, F5, and Foundry).
- Network connectivity devices (e.g., routers, load balancers, firewalls, hubs, switches, etc.).
- Network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, WAP)
Deep knowledge of the architectures of the:
Able to debug and program at the network level.
Deep knowledge of the various environments (e.g., development, integration, test, and production).
Able to upgrade the network software and hardware components.
A bachelor’s degree or better in software engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or the equivalent.
Certified network administrator.

Training

To fulfill these responsibilities, network administrators typically should have the following training:

A bachelor’s degree or better in software engineering, computer science, or the equivalent.
Technical training in:
- Network theory, practice, and tools.
- Network administration.
- Network hardware components:
  - Network cabling.
  - Network connectivity devices.
- Network protocols.
Reads books, technical journals, and conference proceedings in network administration.
Relevant verdor certifications (e.g., Microsoft certified systems engineer qualification, Cisco certification, HP UNIX certification).

Experience

To fulfill these responsibilities, systems administrators typically should have the following prior experience:

Installing, configuring, updating, and maintaining (e.g., diagnosing and repairing):
- Network cabling at the data center.
- Network file systems (e.g., NFS, RFS, or AFS).
- Network connectivity devices (e.g., routers, hubs, firewalls, distributers).
- Directory Naming Service (DNS) / BIND.
- NIS/NIS+.
With:
- Network file synchronization schemes (e.g., rdist and track).
- TCP/IP networking protocols.
- Non-TCP/IP networking protocols (e.g., OSI, Chaosnet, DECnet, Appletalk, Novell Netware, Banyan Vines).
- High-speed networking (for example, FDDI, ATM, or SONET).
- TCP/IP networks that contain routers and multiple media.
- X/X terminals.
- Dial-up networking (e.g., SLIP, PPP, or UUCP).
Maintaining a site-wide modem pool/terminal servers.
At a site that is connected to the Internet.

Deployment Work Products:
- Deployment Plan (TBD)
- Installation Manual (Network installation)
Operations Work Products:
- Operations Manual (network administration operational tasks)
- Operations Log (network administration events)
Disaster Recovery Work Products:
- Disaster Recovery Plan
- Data Center Center Inventory
Management Work Products:
- Status Report.

Guidelines

Include this role in the endeavor-specific process only if the endeavor includes the usage phase.
The same person often plays both the system administrator and network administrator roles.
This role typically inherits the common team guidelines from the roles process component.