Network and System administration Code:  22.626    :  6
View general information   Description   The subject within the syllabus as a whole   Professional fields to which it applies   Prior knowledge   Information prior to enrolment   Learning objectives and results   Content   View the UOC learning resources used in the subject   Guidelines on assessment at the UOC   View the assessment model  
This is the course plan for the second semester of the academic year 2023/2024. To check whether the course is being run this semester, go to the Virtual Campus section More UOC / The University / Programmes of study section on Campus. Once teaching starts, you'll be able to find it in the classroom. The course plan may be subject to change.

Currently, system administration is one of the basic needs for all organizations because computers and servers are the standard digital components in all organizations. Therefore, the network, workstations, information, security and server configure the computer network, which needs to be appropriately managed by an expert to get optimal performance, and avoid security risks. It is not free to say that good computer network management saves many hundreds of hours worker/year in an organization.

The course focuses on covering the functions of the System Administrator and Head of the IT department. Because of the complexity of all the skills needed, the course provides an overview of IT as a tool to be managed inside an organization. We think that knowledge about these areas is essential.

The concept of system administration is, somehow, difficult to define. It comprises a large number of knowledge and skills. That's the reason that leads us to make a view of most of them instead of diving into any. Besides, the Technology changes every few years, but the fundamentals are the same.

Therefore, the course is oriented on how to plan, manage, and maintain a complete computer network system to make it efficient and manage the 'computer department' within the organization. On the other hand, the information contained in the computer system is very valuable and cannot be lost or accessed by unauthorized persons. Hence, the system must be secure and not have security bugs. Our responsibility will then be to achieve these two milestones, design and maintain an efficient and secure computer system. In addition to the technical concepts, we have to consider two critical issues, the legal aspect and the security aspect in the administration and management of systems, since we believe that knowledge of these areas is essential.

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This course is intended to teach the skills for a professional in: 

  • System administration 
  • Head of IT. 

 Both roles have several skills in common. The first one is more centered in technical planning and executing, and the second one in planning and aligning the IT department with the company goals.

As the course provides an overview of the subjects that a system administrator and also an IT manager need to know, it is not possible to go into detail on subjects. Therefore, the entry level for the intended student is a basic knowledge in computer science.

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It is recommended that the student has taken or is taking the subjects of Operating Systems and Databases. 

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It is recommended that the student has taken or is taking the course of operating systems and databases.

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Main objective

The main goal of this course is to present an overview of network administration, providing the tools needed to design, configure and administrate the computer network of any organization.

Having in mind the computer system could be considered a tool within the organization; the student will know how to manage resources and configure operating systems. Besides, the course teaches how to apply the necessary security, applications and hardware to make it as efficient and secure as possible. This responsibility will most likely be one that a computer science engineer will have at some point in his or her career, as computer science plays a crucial role in all professional sectors today.

Specific  Objectives

Specifically, the goals of the subject are:

  • To know the different tasks and responsibilities of a system administrator and how they can be performed.
  • To study the different operating systems and the possibilities of each of these systems.
  • To know the possibilities of communicating different operating systems.
  • The study the concepts and tools related to systems administration.
  • To know the needs of users.
  • To know how software is integrated into an organization.
  • To know what actions can be taken to maximize the security of the computer system.
  • To know how to plan all the computers of an organization.

Because of the transversal view of many technologies and the fact that technology changes every few years, when the student needs to apply the learned skills, the real necessity will guide him/her to go more deeply into the aspects relevant to his/her work.

What will the student be capable of doing in the end? Create and maintain a computer system well integrated with the company and users.

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This course is divided into seven different modules:

  1. Introduction to system administration
  2. Server administration/management
  3. User administration/management
  4. Network administration/management
  5. Data administration/management
  6. Security administration/management
  7. The computer system within the organization

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The assessment process is based on students' own work and the assumption that this work is original and has been carried out by them.

In assessment activities, the following irregular behaviours, among others, may have serious academic and disciplinary consequences: someone else being involved in carrying out the student's assessment test or activity, or the work being not entirely original; copying another's work or committing plagiarism; attempting to cheat to obtain better academic results; collaborating in, covering up or encouraging copying; or using unauthorized material, software or devices during assessment.

If students are caught engaging in any of these irregular behaviours, they may receive a fail mark (D/0) for the assessable activities set out in the course plan (including the final tests) or in the final mark for the course. This could be because they have used unauthorized materials, software or devices (e.g. social networking sites or internet search engines) during the tests, because they have copied text fragments from an external source (internet, notes, books, articles, other student's projects or activities, etc.) without correctly citing the source, or because they have engaged in any other irregular conduct.

In accordance with the UOC's academic regulations , irregular conduct during assessment, besides leading to a failing mark for the course, may be grounds for disciplinary proceedings and, where appropriate, the corresponding punishment, as established in the UOC's coexistence regulations.

In its assessment process, the UOC reserves the right to:

  • Ask the student to provide proof of their identity, as established in the university's academic regulations.
  • Request that students provide evidence of the authorship of their work, throughout the assessment process, both in continuous and final assessment, by means of an oral test or by whatever other synchronous or asynchronous means the UOC specifies. These means will check students' knowledge and competencies to verify authorship of their work, and under no circumstances will they constitute a second assessment. If it is not possible to guarantee the student's authorship, they will receive a D grade in the case of continuous assessment or a Fail in the case of final assessment.

    For this purpose, the UOC may require that students use a microphone, webcam or other devices during the assessment process, in which case it will be the student's responsibility to check that such devices are working correctly.

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You can only pass the course if you participate in and pass the continuous assessment. Your final mark for the course will be the mark you received in the continuous assessment.

 

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