[svlug] Help me in Defining what a "Sr Linux Admin" is.

[Robert Keng]

It all depends on your environment, duties, etc...

For a typical Sr Linux Admin supporting a 100 - 200 server production
environment:

Fundamentals
  - must be familiar with at least one configuration automation suite
(puppet, cfengine, etc)
- must be proficient with at least one directory technology (NIS/ypserv,
openldap, JSDS, etc)
 - must be proficient with at least one email suite (sendmail, qmail,
postfix)
- must be proficient with standard monitoring tools (nagios, cacti, big
brother, etc)
- must be proficient with nss/pam
- must be proficient with bind
- must be proficient with system tuning (should know sysctl inside out)
- must be proficient with fundamental network technologies (e.g. should be
able to explain how TCP 3 way handshake works)
- must be an expert bash scripter/toolsmith
 - must be an expert with install automation (kickstart)
 - must be an expert with at least one major backup platform (Netbackup,
Networker, TSM, etc)
- must be an expert troubleshooter, and know how to use the following tools
at will (sysstat suite, tcpdump/wireshark, nmap, netstat, strace)
- must be an expert with fundamental storage technologies (filesystems,
mdadm, NFS, RAID, inodes, lvm, snapshots, etc)
- must be an expert with network configuration on Linux (know ethtools, can
configure bonding, bridges, 802.1q, etc., in your sleep)
- must be an expert at process and physical/virtual memory management

Specific (depending on environment, may require all, some, or none of the
below...you know, things people list as "highly desirable")
- proficient or expert with iptables
- proficient or expert with additional scripting languages (PHP, Python,
Perl, etc)
- proficient or expert with apache
- proficient or expert with tomcat
- proficient or expert with jboss
- proficient or expert with building, deploying, and maintaining lamp stacks
 - proficient or expert with SANs (FC or iSCSI) and udev rules
- proficient or expert with the use/configuration of standard network
devices from one major network vendor (usually cisco, but am starting to see
people ask for foundry and juniper)
- proficient or expert with SVN/CVS or maybe even Clearcase

- proficient or expert with one DB platform (Mysql, Oracle, postgres)
- proficient or expert with one of the major virtualization technologies
(VMWare, XEN, etc)
- proficient or expert with server load balancing (F5/Citrix), and/or GSLB

-Robert

On 9/4/08, james at linuxrebel.org <james at linuxrebel.org> wrote:

> All,
>
>   One of the things I want to do (That is polite) before I depart my
> current position is to leave behind a proper definition of what a Sr.
> Linux Admin is.  (and thereby explain why I'm no longer wanting to
> remain with them under the guise of my new "duties" or rather lack of
> duties.)
>
>   The PHB's seem to think it has more to do with Time in slot, than
> knowledge and I'd like to properly define things otherwise.  Most
> helpful in this will be something from HR types who understand the job.
> What I'm most unsure of is proper wording aka "Power Pointable bullet
> points"  to define the job.
>
> Any help, thoughts, robust guffaws?
>
> James
>
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> svlug at lists.svlug.org
> http://lists.svlug.org/lists/listinfo/svlug
>
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