As a system administrator, it’s impossible to become a qualified one without reading some books on system administration. Indeed, picking the best books on system administration from the vast sea of technical literature is a difficult task. You can easily get lost in the ocean of books. Again, reading just 10 “best” books is not enough to make you an excellent system administrator. But it will help you understand certain specific knowledge points in system administration. Here we will share some books recommended by system administrators worldwide. We hope you enjoy reading.
RedHat Linux Bible
RedHat Linux is the most popular and widely used Linux distribution in both commercial applications and personal free use. Christopher Negus’s RedHat Bible | Linux Bible 2011 Edition series is so thoroughly detailed on the topic of learning RedHat Linux that no other book does it better. This book covers everything from beginner to expert-level users, from general Linux knowledge to aspects specific to RedHat Linux, from everyday user-level commands to complex system administration tools. For administrators who want a reference book at hand for learning and quick solutions in emergencies, this book can be called the “Bible”.
Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide
Shell scripting is something every system administrator cannot avoid, especially those working on Linux or UNIX. If you want to know what shell scripts can do, you can read Mendel Cooper’s Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide. Simply put, after reading this book you will learn how to perform magic in shell scripts. However, if you are just a beginner, Machtelt Garrels’s Bash Guide for Beginners might be more suitable for you. Both books are ebooks and can be downloaded for free from the TLDP (The Linux Documentation Project) site.
Solaris 10 System Adminstration
Please don’t get me wrong if I mention a book primarily focused on certification exams. I can’t deny that the content of these two books is an excellent opportunity to learn the Solaris 10 system. Solaris 10 is known as the most powerful server-side operating system on earth. Bill Calkins’s Solaris 10 System Administration | Solaris 10 System Administration Part One and Part Two, although mainly oriented towards the Solaris 10 certification exam, also covers the knowledge needed by junior to expert-level Solaris 10 and UNIX administrators. Furthermore, if you wish, you can take this opportunity to pass this industry-leading certification exam.
Perl CookBook
Becoming a Perl expert has always been the dream of all system administrators. Although Perl is a programming language, it is mainly used by system administrators for script processing. Tom Christiansen and Nathan Torkington’s Perl Cookbook | Perl Reference Manual (Photocopy Edition) (2nd Edition) will show you through examples how to control your system and achieve automation through Perl. This book is one of the best published by O’Reilly.
Mastering Windows Server 2008 R2
Published by Wiley, Mastering Windows Server 2008 R2 is very popular among Windows system administrators. By studying this book you can truly become a “Master”. Just don’t be intimidated by its 1400-page thickness. Basically, this book covers every nuance of Windows Server 2008 R2 administration. The author of this book is Mark Minasi.
MySQL High Availability | High Availability MySQL (Photocopy Edition)
Whether you are a Windows or Linux system administrator, you need to deal with MySQL databases. Due to a lack of understanding of MySQL’s powerful features, most administrators worry about its business continuity. This book, written by Charles Bell, Mats Kindahl, and Lars Thalmann, will show you how MySQL can ensure your business runs smoothly, even in disaster situations. You will learn about several MySQL features that protect your system during power outages, whether the system runs on physical hardware, virtual machines, or even in the cloud. You can get a copy of the book here.
TCP/IP Protocol Suite
More than 40 years after its creation, TCP/IP still dominates the networking world; without TCP/IP, we cannot imagine what the Internet would look like. TCP/IP Protocol Suite | TCP/IP Protocol Suite (4th Edition) is suitable for both students and professionals; readers do not need prior knowledge of all aspects of TCP/IP. The book uses hundreds of illustrations to help readers understand technical points, along with many examples to connect the technology with real-world applications. As long as TCP/IP exists on the Internet, this book serves as an excellent reference.
A very good and clear understanding of DNS is a prerequisite for becoming a qualified system administrator. DNS and BIND is one of the most highly regarded system administration books published by O’Reilly. This book will help you understand and troubleshoot some of the Internet’s most fundamental components, such as how domain-to-IP-address resolution works, how email functions, and more. Whether you are a system administrator who deals with DNS management in daily work or just a regular user wanting to learn more about the Internet and how it works, you will find this book truly worth reading.
Sendmail
Sendmail is the most widely used open-source email solution on Linux and UNIX systems. Sendmail claims that the “sendmail” command can accomplish any email-related operation. However, knowing how to decipher sendmail’s configuration options is something every system administrator needs to learn, and I personally find it a bit daunting. If you read the O’Reilly book Sendmail, one thing you will deeply agree with is that sendmail’s configuration syntax has meaning and well-defined purposes. This book covers content suitable for everyone from beginners to super experts in Sendmail. Therefore, if you haven’t grown tired of Sendmail, you need this book no matter which reader group you belong to.
Networking is a complex subject, especially for newcomers to the IT field. This full-color book is well-focused, with the right level of detail, making each topic clear and easy to understand. The book uses a unique approach to strip networking of its complexity, reducing it to basics, teaching beginners of Windows networking in this manner. After gaining a solid foundation in networking, beginners can explore more advanced topics and technologies. Each chapter also includes self-test questions at the end, allowing readers to check their understanding of the topic after reading. All Windows system administrators should have a copy.
About the Author
Sifat is a senior system administrator who still enjoys typing commands at the console. With 14 years of experience in system operations and management in the IT and communications industry, Sifat has a proven track record in IT organization, IT process management, and cost control. He is quite experienced in effectively reducing the costs and operational expenses of software and hardware integration and virtualization. Sifat holds professional certifications in ITIL and VMware.