Your System Administration workflows are too complex. How can you simplify them?

Do not rush into automation, which is tempting for engineers. FIRST ensure that your workflows delivers value. Workflows become fossilized as they stack the need of an history of organizational changes, with each organization having evolving objectives and constraints, themselves implemented by various experts in heterogenous ways: tools, languages, etc. So review those workflows, cut the unneeded parts, challenge the low value steps, and ensure you have a clear map of them. By clarifying the added-value of your workflows, you also will have a good idea of the priorities. Only then can you identify the steps that are worth automating.

The first step is to identify repetitive tasks by interviewing different teams and identifying the root causes and needs. Some tasks are repetitive but still require human decision-making. To automate the task, it is necessary to find a tool that is already in place with minor configuration. If the infrastructure is on the cloud, I suggest using the built-in cloud infrastructure. The final option is to develop a specific script to automate the entire process. This script should developed based on security best practices and align with the rules and regulations.

In my opinion, the hardest part in automation is to surpass the resistance of the users unwilling to adopt the changes and fear of loosing their role in the company.The solution is clear communication and explaining the benefits.

Workflow automation is at the heart of every organization. Automating repetitive tasks streamlines processes, reducing the time and effort needed to complete them. This allows team members to focus on other important activities, which helps improve overall productivity. With automation, human errors are reduced and you're sure that tasks are completed consistently according to set time and this will undoubtedly enhance the quality of deliverables. In fact, in the software development lifecycle, by automating processes such as testing, deployment, and reporting, teams can deliver features and updates faster, aligning with the organization's agile iterative development approach.

Consider migrating large sets to cloud storage services like Azure or AWS: Microsoft Azure Backup and Veeam Cloud Connect for backups and disaster recovery. Cloud solutions can significantly reduce hardware overhead, improve efficiency and security, and relieve your IT team for more important tasks, like designing better IT processes for your sales team!

Leverage cloud services and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to abstract and automate infrastructure management. This approach allows you to treat infrastructure configurations as code, making it easier to manage and version.

If you are considering on-premises technologies for business in 2024 you need an incredible argument. Otherwise, you need to obtain the benefits of a secure, escalated and performance-oriented architecture in cloud powerful platforms.

leveraging cloud solutions empowers system administrators to focus on strategic tasks while benefiting from a flexible, secure, and cost-efficient environment.

One of the most significant benefits of cloud computing is its scalability. Cloud services can be easily scaled up or down based on your needs, allowing you to adjust resources in real time without the need for significant upfront investments in physical hardware. Cloud services typically offer high availability, ensuring that your applications and data are accessible whenever needed. Reputable cloud providers invest heavily in security measures. Cloud services follow a pay-as-you-go model, which can be more cost-effective than the traditional capital expenditure model. You pay only for the resources you use, which can lead to significant savings, especially for startups and small businesses that might not have large IT budgets.

Standardizing processes in system administration is crucial for consistency, efficiency, and quality assurance. By documenting workflows, identifying best practices, and collaborating with teams, administrators can establish a foundation for standardized procedures. Naming conventions, automation, and scripting tools further enforce consistency, while regular reviews and updates ensure adaptability. Training programs and feedback mechanisms help integrate standardized processes into the team's workflow, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Utilizing version control for documentation and scripts, and measuring key performance indicators, complete the strategy, creating a reliable and efficient system administration environment.

I found that dividing workflow sequence in modules which again contains smaller parts is easier to automate and saves time in tracking bugs and adding features

I can’t stress enough the importance of SOPs and standardization, as well as auditing that process to ensure it is being met. Doing something a hundred different ways means potentially encountering a hundred different problems. Standardized procedures greatly increase your team’s efficiency while lowering operational complexity- and if you spend less time on operations, you get to invest more in projects and strategic planning.

Process standardisation is must for long term benefit realisation. A quick fix here and there might produce desired result for a limited time period, but if you want to achieve long standing success there is nothing better than to understand the AS-IS process flow, and pencil the optimised TO-BE process flow. Next set of tasks will be around communicating the same to all stakeholders, get their feedback and implement the same on ground.

Optimising your automated tools and scripting processes can help with efficiency in coding structure resulting in expedited results and reporting. Allowing you to focus on tasks which require a higher level of focus such as ongoing operations. It’s best to get your baseline and most commonly used toolset and spend your initial efforts on improving those first.

Procure utilizar sistemas e ferramentas de fornecedores únicos, criando um eco sistema integrado, garantindo um maior índice de confiabilidade dos dados.

My experience began before we had the automation tools we have today. From the early days of .bat script files to full spectrum auto detection and trigger based workflows. Automation will simplify workflows and remove the element of human error. These workflows can also work after hours to onboard or off board talent; on demand permission elevations, monitor file changes, truncate log files, and perform system maintenance. You can use native o/s tools to create and schedule tasks or a third party system. This can reduce FTE hours, maintained critical scheduled tasks, reduce defects and decrease OPEX.

Rationalizing the tool sets must be front and center of tools optimization conversations. from my observation, tools were purchased because a business unit were bedazzled by an awesome sales rep. or a new manager takes the helm and bringing along tools that the manager was familiar with.. most of the time we only use one or two features of the application. a lot of the time, two tools would have similar features, but with some adjustments and help from the vendor the differences are blurred...

The system administration tools need to be optimized based on your requirement. You need to choose the tools which will best fit for your environment and it will ease the tasks. The existing tools need to upgraded and the tools need to be selected and optimized in such a way that it will take less time in executing the tasks and also easy to program.

In my experience, the simplest tweak often yields the biggest impact. When it comes to simplifying system administration workflows, clear, concise documentation is your secret weapon. Think of it as a life raft in a sea of confusing processes – a beacon of clarity that saves you (and your colleagues) from drowning in frustration. - Craft it for Humans, not Robots - Version Control is your Friend - Make it Findable, Not Buried

Documentation is both the easiest and hardest thing to control. It should be in place for all your processes and procedures. Also you have to build in time within everyones schedule to ensure that it not only gets written, that is it kept up-to-date and it is still relevant for todays work.

Definitely, everything must be in plain english, including the contracts. The documentation should be straight-forward and is easier when it includes screenshots and/or videos. Something to avoid is the exaggeration of cross-references.

A good documentation is like a reliable map, guiding users through complex terrain. The more detail you put in the map without cluttering the better. You will not only do yourself a huge favor but for every person after you as well.

One of the most underutilized and improperly done requirements of a well run organization ( by engineers ) is documentation. When you write a document for something you've done, that document is NEVER ready until someone not familiar with your task can follow your document. Also, every document should be considered living, though perhaps with revisions where required for business (gov/fed/financial). You do not have to have all documentation in one tool, however you should have ONLY ONE portal to your documentation. Example, if you have a process in confluence, that requires using confidential document in google drive, make sure to provide info about getting access to document and a link to the document from confluence.

You can also start your own internal community of practice! Especially in large organizations, folks performing similar tasks can be spread out around the org, or not have a lot of "official" opportunities to share with each other. Even just starting a channel in your chat platform can help folks share, prevent duplicated work, and help get buy-in from the rest of the organization.

Nowadays, the knowledge required to do a job has become very easy to obtain because there are so many available resources. In the past, we had almost only one resource, which was the manual, and it was sometimes difficult to obtain. Training was also very difficult to attend.

I regularly engage with online communities, forums, or groups to seek advice, share insights, and receive feedback. Attend webinars, courses, or workshops to acquire new skills, tools, or best practices. I love to Learn from peers. It offers fresh perspectives, solutions, and insights, aiding in avoiding common pitfalls and challenges while enhancing the expertise.

Learn from others - Outside resources are great to collaborate with. Also, think about internal resources that are your "Single points of success". I've experienced a number of organizations where too much historical knowledge is limited to a few resources who are the OGs. Pick their brains, document, and spread the knowledge. If you don't, there will come a time when they are needed to resolve a business critical issue and are unavailable. Knowledge is only good when it's shared and distributed.

Do not try to re-invent a wheel rather take clues, examples and best practices already adopted across industry and build on top of that. For every problem there exist one solution, adapt the existing solution with some modification based on your problem. This will ensure you get optimum results with least effort.

If you're having trouble making time to make improvements, try to frame the work in terms that center business and customer concerns. With things like complex workflows, it might seem like they are too buried in the organization to matter to the end user. Brittle, difficult workflows make the things users care about harder, so talk about that. Some things that might apply: * The workflows are too unreliable to respond to security vulnerabilities in a timely manner, increasing risk to users and the organization. * The workflows take too long to complete, hindering the team's ability to ship new features or bug fixes. Reframing can give you more credibility when talking with executives and other members of the organization!

One way to go is to understand the business objective and align your technicals accordingly... Adapt ITIL guilding principle with the perspective to get satisfying outcomes. The ITIL guiding principles : Focus on value Start where you are Progress iteratively with feedback Collaborate and promote visibility Think and work holistically Keep it simple and practical Optimize and automate

Adopted the task management methodology that helps me organize and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. I will divide my tasks into four categories based on the tasks - I' will do first, I will schedule for later, I will delegate, and I will no to do .

Streamline processes: Identify redundant or unnecessary steps in your administration workflows and eliminate them. Simplify forms, procedures, and approval processes to reduce complexity. Provide clear instructions: Clearly communicate expectations and instructions to employees. This can reduce confusion and errors, making workflows more streamlined. Regular review: Periodically review administration workflows to identify areas for improvement and ensure they remain efficient and relevant. If it can be automated then make sure it is and let everybody know during a onboarding

To simplify complex systems administration workflows, we adopt Agile principles. Daily standup meetings promote collaboration, innovation, and timely issue resolution. Continuous improvement drives optimization and adaptation to changing requirements. Comprehensive documentation ensures effective knowledge dissemination. Democratization of knowledge strengthens our institution’s resilience and fosters shared responsibility. Combining Agile practices with collaboration and continuous improvement enhances efficiency, reliability, and scalability, positioning us for success in IT operations.