SA Tenets – Automate The Hell Out Of Everything

This is a continuation of the “SA Tenets” series of posts in which I discuss my beliefs about System Administration and work in general

Automate The Hell Out Of Everything

There is an old joke that goes like this:

• The junior SA can’t help you because she is too busy because nothing is automated.
• The journeyman SA can’t help you because she is too busy automating everything.
• The senior SA can’t help you because she is too busy playing a First Person Shooter.

I’m sure most senior SAs are watching graphs, writing docs, and learning a new skill, but that is not as funny.

Spend Time Now to Save Time Later

Any task that you have to repeat more than three times should be automated. And right now, before you have to do it again. You will quickly go insane repeating mundane tasks by hand, and you will NEVER be able to handle more than a handful of machines.

I think this is really important – and I’m not alone. Karl thinks so. So does Doug. Automating your tasks now is going to save you time later and shorten the time spent fixing issues in the middle of the night. Doug points out that 1000:1 host-to-SA ratios are within the reach of companies with good automation, and that is generally unheard of because so few have bothered to take the time.