What Tools do System Administrators Use?

System administrators, often referred to as sysadmins, are the unsung heroes of the IT world. They typically go unnoticed because their work ensures that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. However, they are the ones responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and securing an organization’s computer systems and networks. When something goes wrong, that’s when you’ll truly appreciate their critical role.

To effectively manage these complex environments, sysadmins rely on a diverse set of tools. Let’s explore the essential tools system administrators use in their day-to-day operations, with a special focus on the often-overlooked importance of project management tools in this field.

Project management tools: the unsung heroes of system administration

Before delving into the technical tools that sysadmins commonly use, it’s crucial to highlight the importance of project management tools in the realm of system administration. While often associated with software development or business management, PM tools are invaluable for system administrators to organize their work, prioritize tasks, and collaborate with team members.

Among the various project management tools available, GanttPRO stands out as the best option for system administrators, being a simple and functional Gantt chart maker. GanttPRO offers a user-friendly interface, powerful features, and specific functionalities that cater to the unique needs of IT professionals. With its help, sysadmins can effectively plan system upgrades, schedule maintenance tasks, and manage complex IT projects with ease.

Now, let’s explore the wide array of tools that system administrators use to keep their organizations’ IT infrastructure running smoothly.

Monitoring and performance tools

1. Nagios is an open-source monitoring system that helps sysadmins track the health and performance of their IT infrastructure.Thanks to its real-time alerts for potential issues, administrators can proactively address problems before they escalate.
2. Zabbix is another popular open-source monitoring solution that offers a wide range of features, including network monitoring, server monitoring, cloud monitoring, and application monitoring. It’s super versatile and, thus, one of the favorites among system administrators.
3. Prometheus is a powerful monitoring and alerting toolkit focused on reliability and scalability. It’s particularly well-suited for monitoring dynamic cloud environments and microservices architectures.
4. While not a monitoring tool itself, Grafana is often used in conjunction with monitoring systems to create visually appealing and informative dashboards. Sysadmins use it to visualize complex data from various sources in a single, customizable interface.

Network management tools

5. Wireshark is an essential network protocol analyzer that allows system administrators to capture and inspect network traffic in real-time. It plays an indispensable role in troubleshooting network issues and performing security audits.
6. Nmap (Network Mapper) is a versatile network scanning and discovery tool. Sysadmins use it to identify active hosts on a network, detect open ports, and gather information about operating systems and services running on remote machines.
7. PuTTY is a free, open-source terminal emulator that supports various network protocols, including SSH, Telnet, and rlogin. It’s usually implemented for remote access to servers and network devices.
8. Network Performance Monitor by SolarWinds is a unified monitoring, observability, and service management platform. It offers features like automated network discovery, performance analysis, and customizable alerts.

Security tools

9. Nessus is a widely-used vulnerability scanner that helps system administrators identify potential security weaknesses in their systems and networks. It performs comprehensive scans and then provides detailed reports on discovered vulnerabilities.
10. Snort is an open-source intrusion detection system and intrusion prevention system. It monitors network traffic in real-time, and detects and prevents various types of attacks and suspicious activities.
11. While primarily known as a penetration testing tool, Metasploit is also used by system administrators to test their systems’ security. It’s good at identifying vulnerabilities and validating the effectiveness of security measures.
12. OpenVAS is a comprehensive vulnerability scanning and management solution. It provides a framework for vulnerability scanning and supports thousands of vulnerability tests.

Backup and recovery tools

13. Bacula is an open-source network backup solution that allows system administrators to manage backups across multiple machines and operating systems. It supports various backup types and offers features like data verification and encryption.
14. Veeam Backup & Replication is another popular backup and disaster recovery solution, particularly for virtualized environments. It comes with features like instant VM recovery, SureBackup for automated backup testing, and cloud integration.
15. Amanda (Advanced Maryland Automatic Network Disk Archiver) is an open-source backup system that can back up data from multiple computers on a network to a single server. Similar to the other tools from the list, it supports various backup media and offers features like data compression and encryption.
16. Clonezilla is a free and open-source disk cloning and imaging tool. System administrators often use it for system deployment, bare-metal backup and recovery, and disk cloning.

Configuration management tools

17. Ansible is an agentless configuration management and automation tool. It uses YAML-based playbooks to define configuration tasks and can manage large numbers of systems simultaneously.
18. Puppet is another popular configuration management tool that uses a declarative language to describe system configurations. It ensures consistency across large-scale infrastructure.
19. Chef is a configuration management tool that treats infrastructure as code. It uses “recipes” and “cookbooks” to define how systems should be configured and maintained.
20. SaltStack (often referred to as Salt) is a powerful configuration management and remote execution tool. It’s known for its speed and scalability. This makes it an appealing tool for  managing large infrastructures.

Virtualization and containerization tools

21. VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform where system administrators can create and manage virtual machines. It includes features like live migration, high availability, and distributed resource scheduling.
22. Docker is a popular containerization platform that allows sysadmins to package applications and their dependencies into containers. This approach guarantees consistency across various environments and streamlines the deployment process.
23. Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform. It automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Within the industry, it can be considered as an essential tool for managing complex, distributed systems.
24. Proxmox is an open-source virtualization management platform that combines KVM hypervisor and LXC containers. In a web-based management interface, sysadmins can find features like live migration and take advantage of high availability.

Remote access and support tools

25. TeamViewer is a remote desktop and remote support tool that allows system administrators to access and control remote computers. It’s particularly useful for providing support to remote users or accessing systems in different locations.
26. Remote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft that provides remote display and input capabilities. Sysadmins commonly use it to remotely access Windows servers and desktops.
27. VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a graphical desktop sharing system that allows remote access to another computer. Even though it’s platform-independent, it is often used for remote administration of Unix-like systems.
28. AnyDesk is another remote desktop tool that offers high performance and low latency. System administrators who need to provide remote support or access systems over low-bandwidth connections will find it particularly useful.

Scripting and automation tools

29. PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft. Unsurprisingly, it’s widely used by Windows system administrators for automating repetitive tasks and managing Windows environments.
30. Bash (Bourne Again Shell) is the default shell on most Unix-like systems. System administrators use Bash scripting to automate tasks, manage systems, and create custom tools.
31. Python is a versatile programming language that’s popular among system administrators for its ease of use and extensive libraries. It’s extensively used for creating custom scripts and tools for system management and automation.
32. Perl is another scripting language that system administrators use quite a lot, particularly for text processing tasks. Its powerful regular expression capabilities make it useful for log analysis and data manipulation.

Log management and analysis tools

33. ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) is a popular open-source solution for log management and analysis. Elasticsearch provides powerful search and analytics capabilities. Logstash handles log ingestion and processing, and Kibana offers visualization and exploration features.
34. Splunk is a commercial log management and analysis platform with advanced features for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine-generated data. It’s quite popular in large enterprises with complex logging requirements.
35. Graylog is an open-source log management platform that provides centralized log collection, analysis, and alerting. The key features include full-text search, dashboards, and stream processing of log data.
36. Papertrail is a cloud-based log management service that allows system administrators to aggregate logs from various sources, search them in real-time, and set up alerts for specific events.

Cloud management tools

37. AWS CloudFormation is an essential tool for infrastructure-as-code for system administrators working with Amazon Web Services. Its most remarkable feature is that it allows to create and manage AWS resources using templates.
38. Azure Resource Manager, on the other hand, is Microsoft’s equivalent to CloudFormation for the Azure cloud platform. It also enables sysadmins to deploy, manage, and monitor resources as a group.
39. Google Cloud Deployment Manager is another alternative for those working with Google Cloud Platform. Its infrastructure-as-code capabilities allow sysadmins to define and deploy cloud resources programmatically.
40. Terraform is a popular open-source infrastructure-as-code tool that works across multiple cloud providers. System administrators can define and provision infrastructure using its declarative language.

Database management tools

41. phpMyAdmin is a free, web-based tool for managing MySQL and MariaDB databases. It provides an intuitive interface for performing various database operations and is widely used by system administrators.
42. pgAdmin is a comprehensive management tool for PostgreSQL databases. Features like query tools, schema browsers, and backup/restore capabilities are within the top request.
43. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio is a comprehensive environment for managing SQL Server databases. Therefore, sysadmins can expect to get tools for configuring, monitoring, and administering SQL Server instances in there.
44. Oracle Enterprise Manager is a strong option for organizations that rely on Oracle databases. It delivers a wide range of tools that can simplify the management and monitoring of Oracle database environments.

Ticketing and service desk tools

45. JIRA Service Management (formerly JIRA Service Desk) is a widely-used IT service management tool that assists system administrators with efficient tracking and resolution of IT issues. It’s also comfortable to manage service requests, and maintain an organized knowledge base there. THIS flexibility and ease of use make it a go-to for many teams.
46. ServiceNow stands out as a comprehensive IT service management platform that offers a full suite of tools like incident, problem, and change management. Since all of them are seamlessly aligned with ITIL processes, it can be considered as a powerful solution for handling complex IT operations.
47. Zendesk, though primarily a customer service platform, easily adapts to IT service desk needs with features such as intuitive ticket management, an integrated knowledge base, and self-service portals. And all of that is delivered through a cloud-based interface.
48. Freshservice excels in combining simplicity with power. It offers a user-friendly IT service desk software that covers everything from incident and asset management to ITIL-aligned workflows. So, efficient and smooth operations can be ensured in any IT team.

Collaboration and communication tools

49. Slack has become an essential communication tool for many IT teams in recent years. It offers real-time messaging, file sharing, and integration with various other tools commonly used by system administrators as well.
50. Microsoft Teams is another popular collaboration platform with chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and integration possibilities for other Microsoft tools.
51. As a part of the Atlassian suite, Confluence’s strength lies in team collaboration and knowledge management. System administrators often use it to create and maintain documentation, share information, and collaborate on projects.
52. Trello is a visual collaboration tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize and prioritize projects. While it’s not specific to system administration, many sysadmins find it just right for task management and team coordination.

The Importance of project management: GanttPRO

As mentioned earlier, project management tools are crucial for system administrators just as for any other specialists to effectively plan, organize, and execute their tasks. Among these tools, GanttPRO stands out as the best option for several reasons:

1. Visual timeline: In GanttPRO’s Gantt chart interface sysadmins can clearly see project timelines, plan system upgrades, maintenance windows, and other time-sensitive tasks.
2. Resource management: System administrators often need to manage multiple resources, including hardware, software licenses, and team members. Well, GanttPRO’s resource management features help optimize resource allocation and prevent overallocation.
3. Task dependencies: Many IT projects involve complex task dependencies. GanttPRO allows sysadmins to easily define and manage these dependencies to complete tasks in the correct order.
4. Collaboration: GanttPROallows multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously with real-time updates. This is particularly useful for large IT departments or distributed teams.
5. Integrations: GanttPRO can be linked with other tools commonly used by system administrators, such as JIRA, Slack, and Google Calendar.
6. Customizable dashboards: The ability to create custom dashboards in GanttPRO allows system administrators to focus on the metrics and information most relevant to their specific roles and tasks.
7. Risk management: GanttPRO includes features for identifying and managing project risk. This Is crucial for system administrators dealing with critical infrastructure and potential downtime.
8. Mobile access: With GanttPRO’s mobile app, system administrators can stay updated on project progress and make quick adjustments even when they’re away from their desks.

By incorporating a PM tool like GanttPRO into their toolkit, system administrators can significantly improve their project management capabilities, and expect more efficient operations, better resource utilization, and improved overall performance of IT infrastructure.

Conclusion

The success of system administrators hinges on their versatility. Armed with a variety of specialized tools sysadmins can ensure stability, security, and smooth operations within their IT environments. This diverse toolkit transforms their role in today’s tech landscape where it’s essential to combine technical expertise with strategic planning.