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System Admin: final project

11/30/2021

Note: This assignment wasn’t graded for accuracy, so some of the technical details might not be. Scenario descriptions not provided.

ORGANIZATION 1

Deploy OpenLDAP. It’ll relieve H.R. of the hours spent with each new team member for user account logins. It’s also inter-operable with the Linux computers so referenced as in-use by some of the software engineers. And as an open-source directory service, it bears no cost to the company’s limited revenue.
Require complex passwords. As a software company, <Company 1> relies on network services and Cloud services. Therefore, user accounts authenticated by complex passwords must be a layer of protection against account compromise. Further, logins to OpenLDAP should use SASL at a minimum.
Deploy Linux or the same distribution. Presently, multiple distributions are used on the Linux computers of some team members. One operating system i.e. Linux or its distribution will streamline downloads, system updates, and software troubleshooting among the computer fleet; eliminate the necessity for different distributions on Linux computers; encourage role-based collaboration (e.g., between software engineers); and collaboration between departments (i.e. software engineers and designers)
Inventory Laptops. For example, MAC addresses; make; and model can be recorded in a spreadsheet provided already by the Cloud services... [used]. If tracked, an existing laptop (if available) provisioned to a new team member can retain days of productivity lost in the current provisioning of a newly purchased laptop. In addition, those computers lost, damaged, stolen, or retired can be budgeted for and replaced sooner.
Establish a password policy. Currently, new team members receive logins for Cloud services from H.R. In addition to complex passwords (See #2), the password policy must require that team members change their passwords upon initial login to Cloud services and OpenLDAP. Doing so maintains differentiated event logs and a layer of protection against account compromise.

ORGANIZATION 2

Use Directory Services. Active Directory is deployed at <Company 2>, but the “IT person” spends a few hours downloading sales applications to every new employee’s computer. In the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), Create a Group Policy Object (GPO) for these applications so that new employees can provision their own computers.
Backup data. The organization stores customer data on local computers only, so a salesperson will lose immediate access to that data if his or her computer is lost; stolen; retired; or damaged beyond restoration. The Cloud and Windows Backup and Restore are but a couple of options for necessary data redundancy.
Use the Cloud for communications. The organization hosts its own email server, instant messenger, and -- as noted in #2 -- local machine software. However, hosting this software in-house is unscalable for one IT worker, as the organization expects hundreds of other workers within a year. Use Cloud services to relieve of the increased demand on memory capacity and bandwidth.
Create Role-Based Access Control groups. The salespeople at work with lots of clients, but directory-style access to that data on every company computer indicates no subcategories among salespersons or clients. RBAC groups can organize salespersons to access only relevant networked resources for their client segments.
Establish a procurement policy. In the next year, the organization expects growth to hundreds of employees from its current 80-100 employees. Yet there’s only a couple of extra computers in the fleet. A procurement policy might be a contract to purchase a predetermined number of computers from a vendor in intervals throughout the year.

ORGANIZATION 3

Disable permissions. There’s no difference in authentication and authorization between former and current employees. uses Active Directory, so use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to remove the user accounts of former employees.
Backup the file server. The non-profit has its entire file server on just one disk, so it stands to lose all data if the disk is damaged, misplaced, or stolen. Backup the server to an off-site networked location in lieu of transporting it off-site for safekeeping every night. That way, the file server is accessible to designated employees regardless of their location or that of the file server.
Perform incremental backups. It’s assumed that the nightly backups of the file server are full backups. If so, incremental backups accommodate frequent changes in data but use less disk space. In addition, the organization can use block storage like in #2 for full backups every week. If so, full backups to multiple block storage devices are strongly recommended.
Use Active Directory. uses Active Directory, and yet the “sole IT person” maps the file server and installs software onto every new employee’s computer. In the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), Create a Group Policy Object (GPO) for these resources so new employees can provision their own computers.
Install Chat. Employees end up asking each other for assistance instead of using the difficult and confusing ticketing system. Given its limited budget, the non-profit can install an open-source chat application to facilitate real-time help among colleagues.

Attendees sitting in front blank blue screens in a computer lab

College students at the computer lab (Credit: "Εργαστήριο Η/Υ - Computer Lab" by University of Macedonia-uom.gr | CC BY 2.0)

Jubalyn ExWilliams lives in Pennsylvania (United States). You can find her writings and commentaries, including "Sys Admin: final project," at landturn.com/blog.

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Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today.

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The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year. 

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