Systems Administrator

[zetsway]

So I go on this job interview yesterday and I'm sitting in front of two programmers. One is a C# programmer the other is a VB.NET programmer. There looking for a systems administrator. So they asked me some questions(that I know they just grabbed off of google because they didn't make any sense) about servers and such.

I give them some answers which they didn't like.

Here's an example:

Interviewer: We have 23 servers, how would you make sure all of the latest updates came down from M$.

Me: Well first, I would have a WSUS server and I would have a report generated to my e-mail.

Interviewer: You wouldn't check each server.

Me: Oh, No! Why would I do that?

Interviewer: So how would you install a printer on a user's computer.

Me: Bring out some vb-scripting of course. It's a network printer so I would put the script in my GPO(group policy).

Interviewer: Huh? Sysadmins don't know how to code.

Me: Of course they do. Perl, Python, VBScript, etc. those are the stuff that I use to make my job easier.

Interviewer: No, no, no. We don't want you coding. No coding! This is a systems administrator job and sysadmins don't code.

Of course now I'm upset because who in their right mind will sit there and not code to make his life easier????

Needless to say I told those people I don't even want the job because I can't deal with such stupidity.

What do you think? Should a sysadmin know how to code?

 

[theevilsharpie]

<Insert 'Not Sure If Serious' Pic Here>

Of course sysadmins should know how to code. Why wouldn't they?

 

[zetsway]

ok I thought maybe it was me...so I'm not totally insane

 

[KB]

You gave all the right answers for me (ex sys admin, now coder). I did my first coding as a sys admin while building databases and scripts to automate my job.

My guess is that they were afraid you would replace them.

 

[Zargon]

You gave all the right answers for me (ex sys admin, now coder). I did my first coding as a sys admin while building databases and scripts to automate my job.

My guess is that they were afraid you would replace them.

sounds like they were very threatened.

not sure I would write code just to install ONE printer though

but what a dumbass question anyways, since when did sysadmins do help desk tasks :biggrin:

 

[zetsway]

sounds like they were very threatened.

not sure I would write code just to install ONE printer though

but what a dumbass question anyways, since when did sysadmins do help desk tasks :biggrin:

Ok but get this...they asked me how would you reinstall an OS...

I'm like I use Ghost or Altiris there are so many out there.

Interviewer: What? No! We don't do that here. We use the Windows CD and reinstall the drivers.

Me: Ok let me get this straight. You reload windows, drivers and all of the programs for the user. Is that correct?

Interviewer: Yes. How else would you do it?

Me: PXE, I don't get up from my desk if I don't have to.

 

[sourceninja]

sounds like they were very threatened.

not sure I would write code just to install ONE printer though
...

I would. If I have to install it once, chances are I'm going to have to install it again, and again, and again, and again....

 

[Crusty]

IMO it looks like you dodged a bullet.

 

[Zargon]

Ok but get this...they asked me how would you reinstall an OS...

I'm like I use Ghost or Altiris there are so many out there.

Interviewer: What? No! We don't do that here. We use the Windows CD and reinstall the drivers.

Me: Ok let me get this straight. You reload windows, drivers and all of the programs for the user. Is that correct?

Interviewer: Yes. How else would you do it?

Me: PXE, I don't get up from my desk if I don't have to.

how big/small? I work at a place that doesnt use ghost/altris, but its smaaaaaall,(and we are poor budgetwise) but my last work was 150 or so computers and we didnt. it SUCKED. the head admin thought ghost was a waste of money

 

[sourceninja]

how big/small? I work at a place that doesnt use ghost/altris, but its smaaaaaall,(and we are poor budgetwise) but my last work was 150 or so computers and we didnt. it SUCKED. the head admin thought ghost was a waste of money

There are tons of imaging solutions out there, even for small business. You can even use open source tools and set it up for free.

Unless your office is just 1 computer, not using imaging is probably a mistake.

 

[zetsway]

150??? well this place has 350 users and 23 servers..

Two db servers
Two IIS boxes
one exchange server 03
domain controller

They asked me how do you backup active directory??? So, I'm like okay you want to backup AD and you don't even have an image in place for when it dies so you can quickly get your servers in place?

I was like please don't ask me questions on such petty issues....

They have a wireless network that they said was segregated from their network but as I asked the questions I knew it was all mesh together.

And everyone has admin rights to their machines....I was like why are you asking me about group policy, it's not like it's going to do anything since people have admin rights to their boxes.....that would have been one nightmare of a place to work

 

[Zargon]

There are tons of imaging solutions out there, even for small business. You can even use open source tools and set it up for free.

Unless your office is just 1 computer, not using imaging is probably a mistake.

ive heard good things about drivesnapshot on the freeside, imaging is on my todo list at some point this year. so much to clean up from the previous 'sysadmin' that did zero systems administrating

 

[Zargon]

150??? well this place has 350 users and 23 servers..

Two db servers
Two IIS boxes
one exchange server 03
domain controller

They asked me how do you backup active directory??? So, I'm like okay you want to backup AD and you don't even have an image in place for when it dies so you can quickly get your servers in place?

I was like please don't ask me questions on such petty issues....

They have a wireless network that they said was segregated from their network but as I asked the questions I knew it was all mesh together.

And everyone has admin rights to their machines....I was like why are you asking me about group policy, it's not like it's going to do anything since people have admin rights to their boxes.....that would have been one nightmare of a place to work

sounds awful. they dont have a secondary AD box? thats like step 2 for setting up AD, after installing the PDC.

 

[theevilsharpie]

I'm having a hard time buying this story. I've worked with some programmers that managed their systems in a manner.... inconsistent with best practices, but this is over the top.

I'm crying shens.

 

[zetsway]

sounds awful. they dont have a secondary AD box? thats like step 2 for setting up AD, after installing the PDC.

exactly, I told the interviewer I always have a secondary box for my AD...just throw it in a VM

exchange I would cluster
I think they took more notes from me on how to do their network....

I think they got some from consulting yesterday

Their backups aren't evening mentioning.

They have about four programmers and one desktop support person so I would have to take care of their network and servers....

What didn't make sense to me was I told them I don't have to physically be at the server when I reboot it.

There are management ports and they didn't know those existed but after I explained them they said well I still would like to see the server come up.

Yeah okay....

 

[zetsway]

I'm having a hard time buying this story. I've worked with some programmers that managed their systems in a manner.... inconsistent with best practices, but this is over the top.

I'm crying shens.

I wish I could have videotape tape it. I had a hard time on the interview...It lasted 2 1/2 hours....

None of the people their like hardware nor knew about what the job of a sysadmin entailed.

 

[dpodblood]

Using scripting languages is super common in a sysadmin roll. So common in fact that it's even mentioned in the wikipedia page for "system administrator." Sounds like either they don't know what the hell a sys admin does, or your "interview" was actually some free consulting.

 

[sourceninja]

ive heard good things about drivesnapshot on the freeside, imaging is on my todo list at some point this year. so much to clean up from the previous 'sysadmin' that did zero systems administrating

I setup http://clonezilla.org/ for a friends small company once (about 20 computers) with great success (I also used it at home for a long time). I've also used http://www.fogproject.org/ with success.

Hell I think even MS has a imaging solution that you can setup (at least with vista/7)

 

[Patrickz0rs]

lol wut

 

[Fallen Kell]

Boy am I glad I don't admin windows boxes.... At least with linux/unix the people who interview at least know that I will be writing scripts/programs to make my life easier. Hell, I don't think there is a single task that I won't write a script for (unless I am certain this is going to be a one-off thing) because that way I get perfect duplication every time I do it elsewhere.

 

[KIAman]

Please PM me their info so I can personally berate them for their stupidity.

I'm a programmer by trade and even I know everything you answered.

On a side note, did you ask why sysadmins don't code? Was there any reason?

 

[Fallen Kell]

On a side note, did you ask why sysadmins don't code? Was there any reason?

Probably because the sysadmins they had didn't know how to and didn't realize they were wasting 98% of their time doing things the hard/long way. In other words, were techs who got promoted....

 

[ViviTheMage]

Sounds like they are set in there ways, and you'd be a bit below on that totem poll to change things. Your answers were all right ... ghost is lame, landesk + HII, it's my baby!!

 

[Cogman]

Wow, good thing you didn't get that job. I'm not a sysadmin, but I have lots of respect for you guys.

Your answers were spot on and the guys interviewing you were dumbasses. The notion "sysadmins don't program" is so silly it is crazy. The best sysadmins can program just as well as any programmer.

Who knows, maybe they didn't have a sysadmin so they really didn't know what they were looking for. Their questions sound almost like they pulled them from some source and said "hey, I know the answer to that one" without actually finding out what the real answer is.

 

[Fayd]

exactly, I told the interviewer I always have a secondary box for my AD...just throw it in a VM

exchange I would cluster
I think they took more notes from me on how to do their network....

I think they got some from consulting yesterday

Their backups aren't evening mentioning.

They have about four programmers and one desktop support person so I would have to take care of their network and servers....

What didn't make sense to me was I told them I don't have to physically be at the server when I reboot it.

There are management ports and they didn't know those existed but after I explained them they said well I still would like to see the server come up.

Yeah okay....

"you'll see if the server came back up when all the shit starts working again..." ?