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As an IT professional, you have likely come across the term “operating system” as well as a job that requires skills in system administration. You already know what an operating system is and how it goes hand in hand with system administration. But how exactly do these two go together? Are they the same thing? Do they overlap? In this article we will explore the differences between operating systems and system administration so that you can better understand where your skillsets lie.
What Is An Operating System?
We can define an operating system as the software that controls all of the hardware in a computer. The operating system is responsible for managing all of the computer’s resources, such as memory, disk space, network connections, etc. The operating system also manages the applications that run on the computer, as well as provides a user interface (UI) through which users can access the computer and run programs. The first computer operating systems were developed in the 1950s, and since then the technology has evolved quickly and become a critical component of most computer systems.
System Administration
System administration is the process of managing computer systems and networks. Administrators monitor and maintain servers and networks, ensuring that they are running properly and are protected from viruses, hacking attempts, and other threats. System administrators also plan for growth and expansion in order to keep systems running at maximum efficiency and handle any sudden growth spurts that might occur. System administrators often work to achieve high availability through redundancy and failover. The tools and resources used by system administrators have changed over time, but the core responsibilities of the job have remained the same.
Differences between an operating system and system administration
There are a few key differences between an operating system and system administration, including what each one specifically entails, who typically performs each role, and the typical job titles that you would expect to find in these fields. Let’s break it down: - What is being controlled: In operating systems, the hardware is being controlled by the software. In system administration, the software is being controlled by the hardware. - What is being managed: In operating systems, resources like memory and disk space are being managed. In system administration, the resources being managed are server hardware like CPU, memory, and disk space. - What is being provided: In operating systems, a UI is being provided for users. In system administration, a UI is being provided for the server. - What is being done: In operating systems, programs are being executed. In system administration, server OS installations are being performed.
How Are Operating Systems and System Administration Related?
There have been a number of studies that have attempted to determine the relationship between operating systems and system administration. One study shows that although the two fields are similar in many ways, there are also a lot of differences between the two. When the study was conducted, participants were asked to choose one of two options: to either say that operating systems and system administration are one and the same or that they are completely different. The results showed that the majority of the participants believed that the two fields are very similar, but that they are not the same thing. Another study shows that there is a relationship between operating systems and system administration, specifically that one is a subset of the other. This means that operating systems are a subset of system administration and system administration is a subset of operating systems.
Key takeaway
The computer operating system and system administration are two separate fields that each require specific skillsets. The operating system controls the hardware and manages resources, while system administration manages the software and resources. These two fields are related but they are not the same thing. When it comes to computer systems, there are many different pieces that must work together in order for everything to function optimally. It’s important to understand the difference between these two fields so that you can better understand how they fit into the bigger picture.
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