PROBLEM
The environment runs, but nobody can name the source of truth, the service owner, or what fails on the next update.
PODEJŚCIE
Host and service inventory, configuration and account cleanup, scoped upkeep, and change notes agreed before work starts.
SCOPE
- inventory of hosts, services and accounts
- configuration and exception cleanup
- Windows and Linux upkeep (updates, accounts, core services)
- operational notes and next-step list
DELIVERABLE
- current-state notes (in scope)
- change list
- recommendations for further work (IT / security)
PROCESS
- constraints and problem statement
- environment inspection
- agreed scope
- execute and document
IT administration here means making an existing estate explainable: what is production, what is temporary, who has access, what to update, what to leave alone for a separate project. It is not a “full IT department on retainer” slogan.
I tidy Windows and Linux in agreed scope: inventory, accounts, updates, services, obvious operational risks and change notes. After the work you have a list of what was done and a recommendation for what to split out — for example to system administration or a security assessment.
Out of scope unless we say otherwise: full security assessment, forensics, designing a datacenter from scratch, around-the-clock helpdesk.