---
title: "Short note: system administrator duties"
subject: "Operating System"
chapter: 9
key: "semester_6/operating_system:sysadmin-roles-responsibilities"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/operating_system/sysadmin-roles-responsibilities
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Short note: system administrator duties

Operating System · Chapter 9: System Administration

- Asked in: 2070 Bhadra, 4 marks; 2071 Bhadra, 5 marks; 2072 Magh, 4 marks; 2073 Bhadra, 3.5 marks; 2073 Magh, 3.5 marks; 2074 Bhadra, 3 marks; 2075 Baisakh, 4 marks (asked 7 times)
- Video: [WHAT DOES A SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR DO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W5qJa_LwCU) — IT Career Guide
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/operating_system/sysadmin-roles-responsibilities
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/operating_system/chapter-9

## Question

Write a short note on the roles and responsibilities of a system administrator.

## Short answer

A system administrator installs, configures, and maintains systems and networks, ensuring reliable services. Responsibilities include user account management, security (patches, permissions, monitoring), backup and recovery, performance tuning, network administration, troubleshooting, and policy enforcement.

## Answer

A **system administrator** (sysadmin) is the person responsible for installing, configuring, maintaining and securing the computer systems and network of an organisation, so that users get a reliable service.

#### Roles and responsibilities
1. **Installation and configuration:** install the operating system, software, drivers and hardware; set up servers and network services.
2. **User account management:** create, modify and delete user accounts, groups, passwords, home directories and disk quotas.
3. **Security:** apply patches, set file permissions, run firewalls and antivirus, monitor logs, detect intrusions and enforce the security policy.
4. **Backup and recovery:** take regular backups, test restoration, plan disaster recovery.
5. **Monitoring and performance tuning:** watch CPU, memory, disk and network usage; fix bottlenecks.
6. **Network administration:** manage IP addressing, DNS, DHCP, mail and web servers.
7. **Resource management:** disk space, printers, and software licences.
8. **Troubleshooting and user support:** solving users' problems, maintaining documentation.
9. **Upgrades and planning:** hardware/software upgrades, capacity planning, automation by shell scripts and cron jobs.
10. **Policy and training:** write and enforce usage policy; train users.

A good sysadmin is also ethical: respects user privacy and uses the root privilege only when needed.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is the main purpose of a system administrator's work?
   A. Writing application software for users
   B. Installing, configuring, maintaining and securing systems and network so users get reliable service
   C. Only creating user passwords
   D. Selling hardware to the organisation
   Answer: B. A sysadmin is responsible for installing, configuring, maintaining and securing the systems and network of an organisation. (Key point: Definition of sysadmin)

2. Which task belongs to user account management?
   A. Creating and deleting accounts, groups, home directories and disk quotas
   B. Tuning CPU scheduling in the kernel source
   C. Replacing faulty monitors
   D. Designing the network cable layout
   Answer: A. Account management covers creating, modifying and deleting accounts, groups, passwords, home directories and quotas. (Key point: User account management)

3. Besides taking regular backups, what else should a sysadmin do for backup and recovery?
   A. Delete the old backups immediately
   B. Test restoration and plan disaster recovery
   C. Store backups on the same disk as the data
   D. Give all users access to backup files
   Answer: B. Backups are only useful if they can be restored, so restoration must be tested and a disaster recovery plan prepared. (Key point: Backup and recovery)

4. Which statement fits the ethical side of a sysadmin's job?
   A. Use root privilege at all times for convenience
   B. Read users' private files whenever possible
   C. Respect user privacy and use root privilege only when needed
   D. Share the root password with all staff
   Answer: C. A good sysadmin respects privacy and uses root privilege only when required. (Key point: Security and ethics)

## Related in Operating System

- [Sysadmin roles; improving OS performance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Foperating_system%3Asysadmin-roles-os-performance) — Operating System, chapter 9
- [Sysadmin of CIT Pulchowk; secure system](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Foperating_system%3Asysadmin-pulchowk-secure-system) — Operating System, chapter 9

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