System administration is what system administrators do to keep a complex, multi-user, industrial strength computer system like SCN running. (It's not a PC!) System administration on SCN is interesting because so many people have done so many things in so many ways--and not bothered to document!! (Well, that's not entirely true. Recently I did find some notes made in 1996. But they were incomplete.)
It is often asked why Ops "never gets anything done". Well, that's a long story, but in fact things do get done. Check this list of recent accomplishments. And a list of current efforts.
To do better in the future--to avoid some of the problems that have made improvements so difficult--system administration on SCN is to be done in accordance with certain required practices. System administrators take note!
I do not--cannot!!--do all of SCN's system administration work. Key to making this work, and to avoid interfering with each other, is assignment of specific responsibilities. Here some key areas and the person who has taken charge:
One of the things I am trying to do is redefine bigger tasks into smaller bite-sized roles or responsibilities that people would feel comfortable undertaking. Here's a list of possible roles and projects; send me a message (jj@scn.org) if you might be interested in helping.