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Kael
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04 Sep 2012, 5:37 pm

Currently I am self-studying to become a sysadmin at Symyx (where my father works) and I am hitting a wall.
I need help determining what I need to know and help understanding the basics of IT work, my father performed this
job in the past but insists that I will be able to understand the books he gave me if I keep reading them. I would appreciate any help
with locating or understanding what I should need to know to do this job correctly. The books father gave me are network design books
that contain 900+ pages and a LAN wiring book that contained approx 275 (I finished the book but understood little) The book I am currently
attempting to read is CCIE Fundamentals: Network Design and Case Studies, Second edition. (from Cisco systems)


As an afterthought I would also like a dumb-ed down explanation of the OSI model if possible
Thank you for your replies.


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AngelKnight
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04 Sep 2012, 6:00 pm

Kael wrote:
Currently I am self-studying to become a sysadmin at Symyx (where my father works) and I am hitting a wall. I need help determining what I need to know and help understanding the basics of IT work, my father performed this job in the past but insists that I will be able to understand the books he gave me if I keep reading them. I would appreciate any help with locating or understanding what I should need to know to do this job correctly. The books father gave me are network design books that contain 900+ pages and a LAN wiring book that contained approx 275 (I finished the book but understood little) The book I am currently attempting to read is CCIE Fundamentals: Network Design and Case Studies, Second edition. (from Cisco systems)

As an afterthought I would also like a dumb-ed down explanation of the OSI model if possible. Thank you for your replies.


This is, sort-of, a tall order. You could look up the Wikipedia OSI model I suppose, but if it helps, think of it as individual layers that are interdependent. Say, take layer 3 (Network). It's relied upon by layer 4 (Transport), and in turn relies upon layer 2 (Data-link). The idea of an "onion" isn't a bad one: one layer of an onion relies on the layer just below it to directly provide a structure, and in turn provides a structure to the layer directly above. Yet, the whole provides you with a complete onion, with all those "layers".

Substitute "structure" for "service," and see if that helps.



Kael
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04 Sep 2012, 6:09 pm

Yeah, tall order is an apt description, Thanks for your reply. I'll be studying this all month and I just hope that the books actually start to make sense.
I drew a chart of the OSI model's functions, it helped a small bit.


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Robdemanc
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06 Sep 2012, 3:06 pm

I remember studying this at uni. Packet switching, Topology, OSI, ATM. I found it interesting but focused on software development.

Good luck