What is Server Administration?

Server administration manages information on a company’s servers, updates hardware and software, and protects against cyberattacks. Server administration is crucial in maintaining and securing a company’s digital services and information. In this overview, you’ll learn more about server administration, what it can do, who uses it, and how to learn it to determine how to add this skill to your professional toolbox.

What Can You Do with Server Administration?

Server administration can be an exciting and fulfilling career. Server Administrators play a vital role in maintaining company information and troubleshooting end-user issues. In this way, Server Administrators know their services are always needed to help the company and its employees flourish. Serving in an essential role can lead to a sense of fulfillment with seeing that one’s job duties have a daily impact. Every company needs ways to manage its data and keep information secure in today's digital world. Thus, Server Administrators can impact virtually any industry of their choosing.

Server administration is an excellent role for individuals who enjoy problem-solving. Whether troubleshooting hardware, identifying needed systems patches or analyzing system logs, Server Administrators face daily challenges and get to flex their intellectual muscles. Server Administrators also experience the thrill of working with new technologies. Over the past few decades, Server Administrators have moved from physical servers to cloud servers. Cybersecurity threats also continue to grow and involve. For individuals who like learning new things, Server administration possesses opportunities for gaining new skills and talents. 

Server Administrators learn various cybersecurity and database management skills and programming languages. Professionals who learn server administration skills can pursue other careers by further focusing on cybersecurity, database management, or computer science skills. Server Administrators can pursue positions in IT, Cybersecurity, or Web Development, to name a few.

How Do You Get Server Administration Tools? How Much Does it Cost?

Server Administrators need to know coding languages such as Python and SQL. Python is an open-source coding language that individuals can learn for free through online tutorials, the python website, and skill-sharing resources. Likewise, individuals can also learn SQL for free on their own. Open source means that the language or software is freely available for modification or redistribution. Open-source software or coding languages often have robust communities that constantly evolve the source material and are available to advise new learners.

Tools that Server Administrators may use, depending on their specialization or the company they work for, include Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Windows Admin Center. AWS is a popular on-demand cloud computing platform with secure hosting and a robust community. It provides many services that assist businesses and Server Administrators in managing servers. Anyone can download AWS for free with limited features, which is an excellent start for beginners looking to learn the basics. Free training resources exist on the AWS training websites. For more complex concepts, intermediate and advanced learners can find additional resources through skill-sharing websites. Windows Admin Center is a browser-based system specifically for managing Windows servers. It is a free product; free training resources are available through Microsoft and skill-sharing websites.

Professional training for Python and SQL is available should you prefer professional instruction. Classes that teach the basics of either programming language cost around $350. You can also find professional classes that teach AWS. Basic classes that teach cloud computing through AWS cost between $700-$1,000.

What Are the Benefits of Learning Server Administration?

Anyone wishing to work in cybersecurity or web development should know server administration. The skill is essential for entrepreneurs and small businesses to manage their servers, protect against cyberattacks, and deploy stable web applications. 

Even if you don’t pursue server administration as a career, learning server administration can give you various skills that will improve your resume or assist with a future career in computer science, IT, or web development. Such skills include coding languages, database administration, and cybersecurity. Server Administrators also gain soft skills in organization, problem-solving, attention to detail, and customer service. 

Server Administrators play a vital role in maintaining and securing company data and personal employee information. They also assist in troubleshooting and keeping hardware and software up to date. Without Server Administrators, a company puts its data and digital security at risk. Professionals pursuing server administration can be assured of job security and take pride in their essential role within a company. 

Read more about why you should learn server administration. 

Server Administration Careers

Server Administrators are needed across virtually every industry to protect digital information in today's heavily digital world. However, a few sectors may rely on server administration more heavily than others. Telecommunications relies on the web to deliver services. Banking and other financial services are increasingly moving online and to mobile applications. The same applies to retail (especially e-commerce) and healthcare services. Servers are required to host all of these services, and Server Administrators are needed to keep hardware and software up to date and information secure. Similarly, it’s useful for Web Developers to have server administration skills to host their websites and keep them up to date independently. 

Server administration plays a significant role in information technology and cybersecurity. Server Administrators and IT teams work closely together to develop policies, assist end-users, and protect digital systems against attacks. While IT professionals manage information within a company, Server Administrators focus on a company’s servers. IT professionals and Server Administrators play integral roles within a company’s overall cybersecurity.

How to Learn Server Administration

Cybersecurity is an essential aspect of server administration. There are a few options for learning this vital skill. The most popular learning option includes live classes, which can be taken in-person or live online. Live classes offer engagement with an instructor that will answer a student’s questions in real-time. However, in-person class options are dependent on where a student is located. Live online courses can be taken from anywhere with an internet connection and do their best to replicate the feel of in-person classrooms. They also don’t feature a commute, which can be time-consuming and costly.

A second option includes on-demand, asynchronous, or self-paced learning. This type of learning is best for students who have experience setting their own learning pace or have work or family obligations that interfere with regularly scheduled classes. This option allows students more freedom but lacks an instructor or guidance. Self-motivation is required to progress through the material. 

Finally, students can select from various free options such as seminars, online tutorials, guides, blog posts, or videos. These options are great for individuals wanting to learn the basics of Adobe Creative Suite. However, like other learning options, they don’t feature a live instructor and may fall short for students pursuing more complex topics to advance their careers. Free tutorials can also be outdated. 

A Brief History of Server Administration

Server technology has increased over the decades. The World Wide Web (or webpages) was invented in 1989, and the first web server was privately established in 1990. Only in 1993 did the World Wide Web enter the public domain. It caught on quickly. By the end of the year, 500 web servers were known to exist worldwide. Over 10,000 servers were known at the end of 1994. The setup could have been more efficient. Rack-mounted servers were the norm, meaning hubs used rack shelves to stack multiple servers in a small space.

Server administration in the 1990s was primarily hardware focused. Administrators needed to navigate a mess of wires and server rooms. Their primary duties were ensuring everything was connected properly and physically running smoothly. Managers also required regular monitoring of cooling systems to prevent multiple servers stacked together (often in a small room) from overheating. Any outages also needed to be quickly troubleshooted. 

As server technology changed, so did the role of Server Administrator. Servers were designed to be more compact and better manage heat. Server clusters were invented that allowed the workload to be shared among other servers if one experienced an outage. Remote server management allowed servers to be monitored and maintained without being in the physical server room. Server Administrators took on more responsibilities toward IT, coding, troubleshooting, and cybersecurity.

Around 2013, servers entered the cloud, requiring Server Administrators to understand cloud computing. In the future, server technology is expected to continue to evolve. Hardware will likely become more compact and efficient, and software will develop to keep up with technological advances. 

Comparable Fields

Server Administrator is a role that is under the Information Technology umbrella. However, as Server Administrators perform cybersecurity-related tasks, the position can be a stepping stone to a role in cybersecurity. 

Server Administrators are responsible for managing information security through installing security patches, installing and updating antivirus software and firewalls, developing and implementing security best practices, and remaining up to date with the latest practices for combating cyber threats. Server Administrators perform additional duties, including updating server hardware and software, assisting end-users, managing user rights to information, troubleshooting problems, and educating end-users on security best practices. 

Cybersecurity Specialists monitor and identify vulnerabilities across all digital systems, including networks, software applications, and data centers. They update hardware and software and respond to any cyberattacks.

Server Administrators are uniquely qualified to pivot to a position in cybersecurity due to their experience in troubleshooting, problem-solving, updating systems, and taking security measures. A Server Administrator advancing to a cybersecurity position will generally perform less administration and more cybersecurity across multiple systems beyond company servers.

Server Administrators and cybersecurity professionals possess strong job security in that their roles are essential to securing digital business operations. Both fields can work in virtually any industry. And both see high salaries, with cybersecurity positions generally landing higher. 

Learn Cybersecurity & Tech Skills with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Server Administrators require cloud computing, cybersecurity, and database administration skills. Individuals can learn all of these skills through Noble Desktop. Their small class sizes feature industry-expert instructors with free retake options. Courses can be taken in-person in NYC or online from anywhere.

Cloud Computing with AWS focuses on Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the most popular cloud computing platforms. Students learn how to build and secure enterprise-level cloud environments with AWS. 

Python is a coding language commonly used by Server Administrators. Noble Desktop offers Python for Network Security, where students learn how to use Python for network monitoring and security. Students must be comfortable coding with Python or have attended Noble Desktop’s Python Programming Bootcamp. 

The previously mentioned courses are available through Noble Desktop’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp. In this extensive course, students learn cybersecurity threats and prevention practices and how to use Python for cybersecurity, Linux for cybersecurity, digital forensics, and cloud computing. Individuals can also view all of Noble Desktop’s cybersecurity courses should they wish to take them individually. 

An additional course not included in the Cybersecurity Bootcamp that Server Administrators may be interested in is the SQL Server Bootcamp. Students learn the coding language SQL for managing databases, querying information, and extracting insights.

Key Insights

• Server Administrators work to manage and secure company data and information.
• Server Administrators perform duties such as updating hardware and software, assisting end-users, troubleshooting problems and developing and implementing security best practices.
• You can learn coding languages and tools used by Server Administrators for free.
• Server Administrator job duties and roles have evolved rapidly alongside server technology.
• Though cybersecurity is a different field from Server Administration (considered under IT), Server Administrators perform cybersecurity-related tasks that make cybersecurity a logical career for advancing Server Administrators. 
• You can receive comprehensive server administration training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.