Introductory Flashcards
sysadministration:
configure servers, monitor networks, provision. Tech generalist. Keep an organization up and running. Diverse set of tech skills.
The field in IT responsible for maintaining reliable computer systems in a multi-user environment.
sys admin manages what areas?
software, hardware, services necessary for operations. email, file storage. services, servers, software,
server
software or a machine that provides services to other software or machines.
forms of server hardware:
towers, rack servers, blade servers.
file server wants:
storage for more files.
how to connect to servers remotely:
ssh, KVM switch, hub.
KVM switch
Keyboard, mouse, monitor to connect to multiple servers. (Keyboard, video, mouse) to control different computers connected to it.
cloud:
virtual storage. server storage. networking service with data centers with hundreds of thousands of servers.
where is the cloud?
datacenters.
drawbacks of using the cloud:
costs can add up over time especially for long terms significant storage, you are dependent on the service provider for infrastructure and service availability, susceptible to downtime, security risks.
who decides which policies to use?
sys admin, usually.
should users be allowed to install software?
probly not. could get malicious software.
how to advise users on complex passwords and their requirements?
enforce complex passwords with a mix of symbols, numbers, letters, over 8 char.
should users be allowed to use personal websites like facebook?
personal call. Some companies do hate or like it, depending. I think that there are opportunities to promote the business from social media platforms that we can consider, and that there are times when it is definitely profitable for employees to do that, but when it comes to a reduction in productivity, it can also be necessary to restrict those activities if they are interrupting workflow.
vital to set a device password on company phones. The employees should have the company data on their phones and devices protected, or else bad actors could take advantage of their decisions.
password protection against if devices are lost or stolen.
Documentation
all established IT policies should be documented and easily accessible to employees, whether on the company intranet, shared drive, other platforms. Promotes understanding and adherence. Wiki, etc.
services that need managed:
file storage, email, provide network access, ensure secure connections, initial setup, updates, security patches, compatibility checks with the computer systems.
managing users and hardware:
make and remove users and accounts and machines.
standardized machines.
h
hardware lifecycle:
when built? how used? what happens to this if someone needs a new one? new or used? who maintained? how many users have used it?
procurement:
where hardware is bought
deployment:
hardware is set up for employee
maintenance:
software updated and fixed up if issues occur
retirement:
hardware is unusable, no longer needed, removed.
one way to manage provisioning:
stickers, tracking numbers.
what do you do to cut time when deploying?
automate.
batch update:
update all your servers once a month with all the fixes of that month instead of every time a new update comes out. security and critical at the same time. Make sure the services work.
what can get your company discounts when dealing with procuring equipment?
setting up business accounts with dell, hp, etc. Going and just purchasing off Amazon is typically not scalable.
what do you probably need to establish a relationship with a vendor?
formal approval from upper management.
what are often business that offer specialized services, products, and/or skilled labor to other businesses?
service vendors
why hire me as a full-service vendor?
temp contractor: disruptive, lengthy, expensive. Me: simple contract, single contract agreement, I assume responsibility for supplying and managing resources to carry out project.
vendor life-cycle management:
a structured way of finding and working with a website person or other service provider. three stages:
before contract
while contract is active,
after contract is finished
vendor: pre-contract:
what do you need? find vendors. submit proposals. review proposals. check references. choose best vendor.
contracted vendor:
make sure vendor is doing what supposed to, meeting deadlines, communicate with vendor on issues, watch out for problems.
post contract vendor:
make sure vendor completed all responsibilities, handle remaining payment, paperwork, keep records of project to refer back.
what are video conferencing machines?
idk.
service vendors:
businesses offering specialized services, products, skilled labor.
what is an end to end standardization for conducting business partnerships with vendors?
vendor life-cycle management.
vendor identification and engagement:
identify potential vendors, engage, collect info, inform vendors of service needs, solicit requests for proposals (rfp), invitations to bid (itb). Organization selects and considers a small number of promising proposals. Some organizations use official procurement officers to ensure fair and ethical vendor selections.
Vendor qualification and risk mitigation
The organization advances the shortlisted proposals to the qualification stage. In this stage, the organization and/or procurement officers request additional information from the vendor to help exclude vendors that might pose a risk to the organization.
Vendor evaluation and selection:
The organization and/or procurement officers evaluate the vendor information collected during the qualification phase. The organization’s vendor selection team analyzes the vendor information to determine each vendor’s health and stability as a business, as well as their ability to deliver on the organization’s request. Some of the data points used in this evaluation and selection may include the vendor’s:
History: Does the vendor have a clean business record?
Ratings and quality: What are other customers saying about the vendor online and through services like the Better Business Bureau?
Expertise: Does the vendor have the experience, skills, talent, and/or expertise to deliver on needed services?
Cost: Will the vendor’s proposal fit into the organization’s budget?
Offer compliance: Does the vendor’s proposal fulfill all of the requirements of the organization’s request?
Responsiveness and customer service: How long does it take the vendor to respond to the organization’s requests? What is the vendor’s approach to offering timely customer service?
endor information management and onboarding:
The selected vendor goes through an onboarding process with the organization. Information about the vendor is recorded in the organization’s procurement system and provided to the appropriate stakeholders for the engagement. Information management is important to the vendor life-cycle management and maintaining strategic relationships with vendors. The organization’s IT department may issue IT equipment to the vendor for establishing secure and monitored connections to the organization’s network. The organization might also offer vendors training sessions for the organization’s relevant policies, procedures, expectations, systems, network, tools, etc.
what does a project manager do?
monitor the performance criteria, milestones, due dates, deliverables defined in the SoW and contract.
risk management:
supply chain and product upgrade limitations and other risks. need contingency plans, ensure vendor does not create compliance problems with supply chains as this might impact org reputation. monitor risks to updating, maintaining, upgrading. is the vendor available and capable of upgrading?
org can support vendor relationships by:
develop healthy partnership, ensuring mutual benefit in all parties, develop a communication plan with check-ins.
post contract:
warranties, post contract support. procurement officer and project manager are assigned to vendor offboarding. analyse if obligations are met. revisit warranty, obligations. record warranty information. make stakeholders aware of inclusions, exclusions, expiration dates of warranties. keep records of services, tech support, contact. should have defined maintenance plans.
use the org offboarding checklist to complete the post-contract closing.
vendor return IT equipment, remove the vendor identity profiles on the organization’s network. ensure intellectual property is stored properly.
who plans life cycle schedules for supporting products?
commercial vendors of computer operating systems.
what is the EOL?
end of life date, when the vendor plans to end all support for the product and it is reclassified as a legacy product.
what should you do before the EOL?
update, upgrade, replace.
why should you upgrade?
after the EOL, the vendor won’t give support, which can be dangerous for security systems.
