Linux Systems Administration
What does a Linux Systems Administrator do?
Linux is an Operating System. It comes in many variations, essentially differentiating themselves by running different programs to accomplish similar tasks and storing files in different locations.
The important thing about being a System Administrator is having Admin Privileges. For a Linux System Admin, this is the root user.
A Linux System Administrator root user is responsible to:
- Manage System Uptime
- Monitor Logs
- Keep Security Tight
- Install and Configure Applications
In general, the Administrators keep the Linux System healthy.
Who needs a Linux System Administrator?
There are many options in terms of which Operating System to go with. Many offices rely on Microsoft Networks. However, when it comes to hosting websites and having low-cost reliable servers, it is hard to beat Linux since it costs nothing and has been in development since 1991.
There are many out of the box solutions when it comes to Linux that come pre-installed with everything you need. Many of these solutions update themselves automatically with the latest software and are extremely stable.
Much like a car needs a good mechanic, a Linux System needs a good Administrator. Not necessarily for the times when everything is running smoothly, but for the times when you have problems. Hardware failures, botched updates and undesirable defaults settings are some examples of the problems a Linux System may encounter. A Linux System Administrator can diagnose the underlying cause of the problem and correct it.
What Linux System should I get and where should I host it?
There is no shortage of hosting providers which will charge you a monthly fee to provide you with a Linux Operating System, as well as power and an internet connection for that Linux Machine.
These hosting providers maintain data centres all around the world. They range in price depending on the internet connection you need, the hardware for the system in terms of CPUs, HD space and RAM. They also offer several add-on services that allow you to load balance, backup, or even migrate your websites easily.
In terms of which Linux Operating Systems I would go with, I have the most experience with Debian. So Debian or a distribution derived from Debian like Ubuntu would be my first choice. But there are circumstances where other Linux distributions make better sense. For example, WHM is a very popular piece of software which works better on a Cent/OS system. WHM is very dependant on specific locations for storing configuration and testing this system is focused on software built for Cent/OS. Installing WHM on Debian is or at least used to be a pain because the directory structure didn’t line up.
Hosting your Linux system should be done with either Google (Google Cloud Services), or Amazon (AWS). Both of these services offer your choice of data centre location, they have competitive pricing, they are likely to be around for the forseeable future, and they have tremendous potential in terms of scalability.
