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Greetings,

Just looking for a bit of advice here. I graduated last year and was very privileged to be hired before graduation by my current employer. I enjoy my job, and have learned a great deal. As I am wrapping up my first year in IT, I am thinking ahead about what I should be focusing on in order to stay relevant (I know that list can get pretty exhaustive, but I’m trying to eat this elephant one bite at a time).

I support a local group of users, plus a remote group spread across few different states, I handle workstation purchasing, set up, decommissioning, printer support, general network support as well as other duties (hey, if it’s powered by electricity…call IT!). We have a partner who has a very good IT support structure who works with us as well, handling most of the remote tickets, network administration, etc. I am the only on premise ‘boots on the ground’.

Although we are spread out, we are not a big organization by no means and are not on a domain. I see this as a basic skill to have and one that probably won’t be implemented here for quite some time. I’m not looking to leave here, but after my last lay off in 2012, I don’t mess around when it comes to being proactive career-wise.

Any tips on working with server administration on my own time? Buying software and setting up a bunch of VM’s at home and play around with was what I was thinking, but that can get sort of pricey. I would rather not just be ‘book smart’ on this topic, but actually have my hands into, just in case I ever need it.

Thanks!

22 Spice ups
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no domain ?

you say small Co ? but how small, the day to day workings in IT are So much easier in a domain environment, is there no chance to get management on board with this ‘essential’ upgrade ?

I did school support once, one school had no domain, and every teacher’s PC went to the webz via a single PC with the shared connection, we were supposed to do a single day each week for basic house keeping work, it became a nightmare, and they ‘only’ had around 20 staff, but that meant that teachers could only use their own PC, not able to use other PC’s unless they had an account set up, and that would have no connection to their own PC account.

seriously, push to get a server / domain set up pdq, it will make your day easier, and you can sell it be explaining how much easier day to day work will be, and HOW MUCH MORE you can get done, remote access, standard logons etc

as for your initial query

set up a decent home PC, grab some evaluation software, should be valid for 6 months, set up a basic domain - server / client set up, several accounts, file server, maybe exchange, it doesn’t cost the earth, and it IS a vital tool in our possession

luck to you

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Jump right in with a home lab, if you can. An old (not too old) server can be had fairly cheap or free. Your company may even let you have retired hardware.

Even if you’re not interested in certificates, get your hands on some MCSA books. Reading and working through the exercises will get you some experience and familiarity with server administration. Know anyone who recently passed? Ask to borrow their books.

ESXi and Hyper-V are free hypervisors. Evaluation (180 day) copies of the Server 2016 or 2019 are also free and can be ‘re-armed’ if you need more time. Of course, there’s always Linux systems available. Practice what you can: build an AD domain, upgrade and migrate servers, install software (Spiceworks), etc.

Learn PowerShell and do the same things as you did manually… build a VM, install the OS, install roles/services, etc. all with PowerShell.

If work budget allows and it makes sense to the business, see if you can set up a test environment at your job.

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Thanks for the reply

I agree that life would be much easier with a domain/server configuration. I know security wise, and just plain ease of management it would be the way to go. As far as size, we have roughly 45 employees, spread out along 6 locations in three different states.

I want to get my ducks in a row (so to speak) to push for this change.

Cloud or on premise? Any suggestions?

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Thanks for the suggestions. I will look into these solutions that you referenced. I actually have a few older server boxes here that I can probably use with very little convincing. Learn as I go here, with a lab environment, then present to management.

Thanks!

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Sadly, there is no replacement for working in a proper Organisation when it comes to “Domains”.

Even with labs and such, you will never see the full scale of how servers, server applications, file servers, email servers, DBs interact with each other and other user requirements (DNS, DHCP, authentication, Single Sign-On etc) along with it.

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The biggest thing I can recommend is to buy Windows Pro or Enterprise and virtualize a DC. If you have a spare PC, or funds for a used server, run Windows Server (2016 or 2019… that’s where the new stuff is going)

It’s been by far the best learning experience for me, since we don’t have an official test domain at work.

I can break stuff or experiment with features I’d like to implement (like 2FA) at home safely. Plus… once I got access to RSAT, Hyper-V, WAC, and RDP at work… I couldn’t stand my network at home.

My whole home network is on a domain. I have a DC on a VM, a free Azure DC with the free trial funds, WAC, 2 access points bridged to create a shared network throughout the house, and I do everything I can get my hands on through PowerShell.

I couldn’t live any other way now.

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Not only easier, but it’s industry-standard. If you want to progress beyond this collection of workers on what amounts to a home-based network, you are right in that you need to think beyond the constraints that currently exist where you are.

As for cloud vs. on-prem, both are still relevant but something like Azure may be more accessible to you, given both your current situation as well as your experience level. Someone looking for an on-prem sysadmin or netadmin is likely going to be looking for a candidate who already has multiple years of experience and can lead them out of a jam, not someone who’s looking to get their feet wet for the first time. And as you’ve discovered, acquiring those resources for an on-prem domain is a little more involved.

Lots of training available out there on Azure, both free and paid.

And don’t discount the possibility – no matter how remote – that you might be able to implement an AAD set-up with your current organization. I obviously can’t speak to whether it could happen or if it’d even be a good idea, but it’s something to think about. If by some miracle your powers-that-be say “yes,” that’s an opportunity to get hands-on experience.

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ITProTV offers virtual labs exactly for that reason - home labs can get pretty expensive. Take a look at our course library and virtual lab offering. You can use SPICE30 for a 30% discount. I’m happy to answer any questions if you decide to pursue online training.

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As for what you should be focusing on, that is determined by your long-term career goals. In other words, get an idea of what you’d like to do and studying the applicable skills: Security, System Administration, Programming, Database Administration, whatever.

Second Weirdfish re: Domains. There are a number of ways to do it and they aren’t that expensive. Being spread out over multiple states, Azure is a viable option. You can pretty much put your entirely infrastructure there.

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Many good advice here.

  • I know your problem… I am in a similar situation. My Boss does not want to “complicate things”… hmpf. But for whom? (we have still talks to do)

  • Try to convince your Boss either to get cloudy or to start a Domain. Get a sheet with very good reasons not to stay like you are.

  • Get as well a comparison sheet of costs.

There is no way to get a lab work like the real deal. I was doing my MCSA and just by learning and testing in the Lab I would never had passed my exam. I was doing this at work and luckily I had to build up a Domain from scratch. The provided solutions for lab-“Problems”… you will forget them once you maintain your own domain… they just teach you how to troubleshoot correctly.

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First start with the CompTIA IT certifications and then work out on what interests you.

If there is no domain that presents a number of security problems for your organization. It also limits your growth in the field.

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From someone who has worked from enterprise to small business and outsourced onsite service, if you’re wanting to get into more what I call the “sexy side” of IT, you are going to have to change jobs where there is more opportunity to get into those things. Either with a large company where you can start off entry level and grow into the position, or with an outsource services company like the one your current employer is using if they offer training and mentoring programs.

In the beginning of your career you may have to change jobs 2 times or more to further your development and find where you want to be.

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With the right hardware you can use Hyper-V in Windows or VMware has a free version. It doesn’t even have to be expensive hardware if you’re starting a basic home lab. A $400 used workstation from couple years ago will work. You can use Windows server 180 days without a license.

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There are no shortcuts to the 10,000 Hour Rule.

And learn PowerShell.

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Wow, thanks for the advice and replies!

It’s always helpful to hear from those who have the real world experience. I have a lot to ponder, and ultimately will be responsible for my success (or lack thereof). I will do what I can independently to learn and grow, and keep my eyes open for opportunities that may arrive here (or elsewhere).

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You can build a lab for cheap/free:

If you’ve got a few systems, you can get evaluation software from Microsoft.

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Thanks essjae, I gave it a quick look over, and will check it out in depth when I get some more time. Looks like a pretty good resource!