jcgargano@ucdavis.BITNET (Joan Gargano) (04/29/88)
To: Data Communications Managers, Network Adminstrators
I am a gradute student in the California, State University,
Sacramento, Management Information Science program. I am working on my
thesis, "Skills Requirements for Network Administration in Management
Information Systems". My thesis will require the results of two surveys.
I need your assistance to complete the first of these surveys.
In the first survey, the requirements of a management informations
systems network manager will be defined in terms of business, technical,
management and information systems skills. This survey is being conducted
of network administrators for large organizations with local area networks
as well as connections to wide area networks, to determine the degree of
importance of each of the skills to performance as a network
administrator.
Second, the curriculum of management information systems degree
programs in the country will be reviewed in a summary of educational
coursework provided to support the network management specialization.
Finally, an evaluation will be performed of the skills determined
important by current network administrators for network management and the
ability of current management information science/systems programs to
provide them.
Please complete the following survey and return it to me with any
comments you would like to add. I will be happy to send you a copy of my
results when my thesis is complete.
Your assistance in this project is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Joan Gargano
Computing Services
University of California
Davis, CA 95616
(916)752-2591
Knowledge and Skills Requirements for
Network Administrators
Please provide the following information about your organization, title,
background and duties.
Organization type (underline one):
Educational Government Commercial Military
Approximate number of networked hosts: ___________________
Wide area network connections (underline all that apply):
Internet BITNET UUCP SPAN CSNET VNET DEC Easynet
Supported Network Protocols (underline all that apply):
TCP/IP RSCS UUCP DECNET
Your working title _____________________________________________________
Undergraduate degree ____________________________________________________
Graduate degrees ________________________________________________________
Electronic mail address (optional): _____________________________________
Number of years working with computer networks __________________________
Received formal education in data communications/ Y N
computer networks
If yes, how many courses? _____________
Have taken seminars in data communications/ Y N
computer networks
If yes, how many seminars? ____________
Percentage of knowledge and skills from on 25 50 75 100
the job training and experience.
Do you have a formal organizational networking plan? Y N
Is an understanding of organizational information Y N
sources and processing helpful to you as a network
administrator?
Do you set managerial policies as boundaries and Y N
guidelines for local computer networks.
Do you have a formal network design and documenta- Y N
tion methodology.
Please indicate the importance of a working knowledge of the following
areas to perform your job as network administrator.
Low High
1. Data transmission, ie., frequency, spectrum, 1 2 3 4 5
bandwidth, transmission attenuation.
2. Transmission media, twisted pair, coaxial cable 1 2 3 4 5
fiber optic cable, microwave.
3. Types of signals and modulation. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Communication networking techniques, ie., 1 2 3 4 5
circuit switching, packet switching.
5. Local area networks, transmission media, 1 2 3 4 5
topologies and protocols.
6. Wide area networks, transmission media, 1 2 3 4 5
topologies and protocols.
7. The Open Systems Interconnection Model using 1 2 3 4 5
a layered model of communications functions.
8. The Department of Defense heirarchical model 1 2 3 4 5
internetworking and the TCP/IP protocols.
9. IBM's Systems Network Architecture 1 2 3 4 5
10. Digital Equipment Corporations's Decnet 1 2 3 4 5
11. Integrated Services Digital Network standards 1 2 3 4 5
12. The Internet Request for Comments documents. 1 2 3 4 5
13. General knowledge of wide area networks such 1 2 3 4 5
as the Internet, BITNET, UUCP, SPAN, etc.
14. Voice communications 1 2 3 4 5
15. Distributed databases 1 2 3 4 5
16. Network design methodologies and techniques 1 2 3 4 5
17. Electronic mail systems 1 2 3 4 5
18. Network monitoring 1 2 3 4 5
19. Systems analysis and programming 1 2 3 4 5
20. Theoretical basis for routing strategies 1 2 3 4 5
In your opinion:
How many semester courses of data communications/computer networking
coursework is necessary to prepare management information science/systems
students for network adminstration positions? _________________________
Joan Gargano
Electronic Mail Postmaster
Computing Services Network Administrator
University of California, Davis
(916)752-2591