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2021 marks the 22nd System Administrator Appreciation Day, which is intended to recognise the role of system administrators and other IT workers around the world.

System Administrator Appreciation Day also known as Sysadmin Day or SAAD, is celebrated on the last Friday of July. It was created in 2000 by system administrator Ted Kekatos. Ted was inspired by a magazine advertisement in which a system administrator is presented with a basket of fruit and flowers by his colleagues as a token of gratitude for setting up new printers. 

The system administrator is a qualified professional, responsible for managing computer environments with a focus on guaranteeing the availability, security, and operation of these services. 

The systems administrator role has a broad spectrum of performance, namely the implementation and management of:

It is common for the system administrator to develop small solutions through programming and provide technical support. 

When an organisation owns its own technical infrastructure, the system administrator is also responsible for provisioning, designing, implementing, and maintaining the technical infrastructure of servers.

Although not a Security specialist, the system administrator has knowledge of security methodologies and practices, necessary for the correct performance of his/her functions, without compromising the systems he/she manages. Frequently the system administrator is the first to detect security incidents and is the one who subsequently applies measures to contain them.

As for characteristics, a system administrator must be a good communicator with the ability to articulate the resolution of any problems with a team and ensure they are solved in a timely manner. He/she needs to have the right mindset to understand the complexity of the systems they are dealing with. 

A system administrator needs analytical and problem-solving skills. As a rule, you should be a good performer in multitasking mode, it is an essential trait. However, in larger organizations there are often System Administrators who specialize in specific services, such as database management. 

Other key skills include correct time management and good active listening and understanding skills.

One site about this initiative is https://sysadminday.com/.