Discussion on:

Nine traits of the veteran Windows administrator

Seriously, this list is gospel. I am a Windows Admin and every word applies. I have all the respect in the world for traditional SysAdmin but I know many that have no clue what 'an Admin in the Trenches' really goes through on a daily basis.

Let the flaming begin!

The main trait of a veteran Windows Admin (or at least a good one), is that we're efficiency experts. We'll tend toward the solution that is most efficient in terms of time spent (by us and the users), accuracy of the work, and cost to the company.

For example, with point #1, you're right. Most of us won't bother with vi or emacs because there are better choices for Windows. For example, Sapien PrimalScript will help error-check your VBScript code as you type it, offer auto-complete suggestions, automatically include a comment header, maintain a snippet library, etc. Why waste time learning vi or emacs when a purpose-built editor like that makes you more efficient and effective?

For point #3, I think you do us a disservice. When faced with a technical problem, we'll solve it ourselves if we can do so in a reasonable time. If the answer doesn't come quickly, you can bet Google is the next step. No need to reinvent the wheel. If the solution requires a repetitive manual effort, but there are only 3 machines affected, we'll do it manually. The time it would take to script that task would be wasted. But if it's 20, 50, or 500 machines, scripting to the rescue!

I'd also add:

No. 10: We know the difference between our home and work PCs

Because network security is one of our jobs, we realize that what we do on our home PCs and what is acceptable on company PCs is different. We don't bring in cool software from home, because it risks network security (see No. 8) and potentially puts the company at risk for licensing problems. If we need software to do our job, we order it through proper channels. If not, we leave it off our work PCs. We wish everyone did the same, not because it makes our jobs easier (it would) but because it protects everyone. This is one reason we don't trust most of you with administrator access (see No. 2). You may administer your home computer just fine, but corporate networks are different in subtle ways you might not realize (e.g., if the bad guys steal your home banking credentials, you've lost some money... if they steal the company's banking credentials, we could lose the company).

All those definitely apply to being a Windows Admin. We are responsible for the whole chain, from the "Server" being down to the network cable that the user kicked out with their feet.

That describes it perfectly.

I read through the Unix admin list as well. It was a bit of an eye opener to see that Unix admins take opposite approaches to issues. I once had a coworker who had spent most of his career at IBM. When we would have a problem, he would spend days trying to figure out the cause rather than fixing the problem. It took me six months to train him that sometimes we cant fix the initial cause since the cause was probably some Microsoft developer!

As a Windows Admin, I too agree with the points on the list. As somewhat of a perfectionist, I also can identify with a Unix SysAdmin's desire to find the root cause and address it.

The issue becomes one of time/resources: how much time can reasonably be spent determining the root cause of an issue before you say "The heck with it, lets address the symptom". Of course, if the problem is chronic, it then becomes most cost effective to resolve the underlying issue(s)....

Experience gained in the trenches is a great teacher. All aspects of the computing environment, keyboard to firewall and everything inbetween, you end up owning and supporting. Well stated, Mark.

It's why WIndows admins drink so much coffee. You've always to got to be ready to put out the next fire by p**sing on it. Just don't start me on:
1) Late night or weekend working
2) End users
3) End users (needs listing twice)

Most Window Admins are swifting going bald from all the headbanging and hair pulling!

That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I first read the title.

I Agree !

To be honest, I would add this to trait No. 3:

1 - Microsoft Support
2 - Technet Forums
3 - Google Search

How about our own built Knowlledge Base

I believe in reproducible results. I'm not interested in learning a unique solution to every problem. But scripts... how does a real administrator get anything done without them? "You just click on..." may be fine for some people but 4NT, KiXtart, batch files, PSTools, etc. are my best friends. When NT first arrived, I met some of the team and I asked them when the CLI tools from LANMAN were coming back. "Why would you want those?" they asked(!!!). The resource kits came out not to long after that.

Maybe you don't qualify for true MS Windows administratorship. Have you considered a career as a Unix sysadmin?

In my experience, MS Windows admins act almost phobic when it comes to scripting -- including me, before I got into Unixy work, despite the fact that I was eyeball deep in that stuff back in the day when DOS was what I had available to me. When I made the switch to Unix, a whole new world opened up to me.

The problem, I think, is that MS Windows actually provides a hostile environment for admin scripting, and most MS Windows admins rationalize that away by acting like scripting is unnecessary. Well, I suppose it is technically unnecessary, as long as you prefer doing a lot of unnecessary, repetitive work, choosing to fight fires all the time rather than anticipate future fires and automate the solution before it's needed.

I agree with the comment from nkhowland about scripting. The serious Windows Admin VETERAN who doesn't know his way around a batch script isn't either, a serious Windows Admin, or a veteran. Not everything can be accomplished in a GUI, and if I have to do the same thing more than twice, you better bet your boots that I will write a script to do it. I am over worked and I do NOT have time to click through two dozen screens over and over, when I can write a script to do it.

And what VETERAN turns to only Powershell to get scripting done? Powershell has only been a viable option for a couple years, If I am scripting on windows I am probably doing with with a Batch/CMD script, yes sometimes PS or VBS/WSH come into play, but I am not comfortable in PS just yet. We are talking Veterans here, not the little wet behind the ears kids, who wouldn't know a command line if it bit them in the butt!

If you are overworked try scripting your repetitive tasks, maybe you will have more time for the real problems!

Great synopsis of a veteran Windows Admin! Couldn't have summarized it better myself being a vetaran of over 25 years. I might add that if you are a supervisor, train and delegate to subordinates based upon their strengths. Free yourself up to address more challenging issues which may require you to learn something new and expand your horizon.

is it just me that is reading this wrong or....
But I still agree with everyword!