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Server Administation - Troubleshooting

The server administrators responsibilities could include:

- Maintaining the stability and security of Web servers
- Perform general network administration tasks-setting up user and group accounts and assigning users with access rights
- Backing up the data on the server, so that it can be restored if necessary
- Monitoring the performance of the server

Troubleshooting:

An organized, common-sense approach to isolating the source or sources of a problem and then finding the solution.
Intuition and past experience with a setup also come into play, as well as the history of the setup.

A key element to any troubleshooting is a systematic approach to problem solving, here is a common troubleshooting model:

1. Identify the exact issues
2. Re-create the problem
3. Isolate the cause
4. Formulate the correction
5. Implement the correction
6. Test
7. Document the problem and solution
8. Give Feedback

Here are some common questions to help you isolate a problem:

What is the exact nature of the problem?
Many reported problems are based on false expectations of the user, rather than malfunctions of equipment or software.
Troubleshooting

Has the setup ever worked correctly?
If the setup has functioned properly in the past, chances are good you can make it work again.
If it has never worked correctly, there may be a design flaw or basic incompatibility that you need to isolate.

When did the problem first appear?
Pinning down the time the problem appeared will help you isolate the cause.
Concentrate on any changes to the setup that occurred between the time it last operated correctly and the time the problem was first noticed.

Has the problem ever been present before?
If the problem has happened before, determine the cause of the previous occurrence, find the solution used then, and try it again.

Has any attempt been made to solve the problem?
Often attempts to fix a problem introduce an unrelated set of changes that can mask the cause of the original problem.

Was any software or hardware installed or removed just before the problem appeared?
Installing and removing hardware and software are majors sources of problems. Installing new items can introduce conflicts, and removing old items can also destroy files needed by current items.

Was there any physical change to the setup before the problem appeared?
Moving the computer very carefully from one office to another may cause the Internet connection to fail because the computer might be connected to a completely different branch of the network.
Cables and cards can work loose during a move, and sometimes wires are reconnected incorrectly.

What software is being used?
Software is constantly being upgraded, so knowing the exact version of all software is crucial.


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DISCLAIMER: Technology changes very rapidly. The information presented here as a study guide to illustrate concepts. No claim is made that this information is up to date, or that it represents the current technology used today.

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