INET 4031

About This Course

There are two sides to the coin when it comes to systems: the technical side (creating virtual machines, configuring networking, adding disk space, provisioning server software, etc.) and the soft-skill side (understanding the challenges of system administration and clear communication). Throughout this course, students will gain an overview of systems administration: integration of hardware, software, and operational practice.

Emphasis will be placed on the following three things: 1) gaining practical Linux/Unix skills, 2) learning how server systems are managed, whether a server in a closet or a server in cloud, and 3) the challenges of managing system infrastructure in modern IT. Hands-on labs are a key part of this course, with students diving deep into virtualization technology, using Python scripts to automate server configuration tasks, exploring cloud providers, and more. Also included in this course are industry speakers, tours, and demonstrations.

Sample textbook: The Practice of System and Network Administration. Limoncelli, Hogan, and Chalup. Third Edition. 

Instructor

Joseph Axberg photo
Joseph Axberg

MS, software engineering, University of St. Thomas; BS, electronics engineering, University of Nebraska

Mr. Axberg has worked in many roles in telecommunications and information technology, from architecture to system administration. He has experience with virtualization and cloud services including VMware, Amazon Web Services, and Azure. He is a cloud architect at Optum Technology, leading a team of developers transitioning virtual desktop services to a hybrid cloud solution. Prior to that, he worked at CenturyLink in telecommunications engineering and operations deploying voice and data services, where he managed the transition of a national 8XX call routing platform from Sybase to MySQL. Mr. Axberg is currently pursuing a BA in English at St. Catherine University.

  • INET 4031 – Introduction to Systems
  • INET 4041 - Networking II: Emerging Technologies

Information Subject to Change

Course details, syllabus, and instructor are subject to change. Current course details can be found by clicking on the Term link(s) above.