An application administrator installs, updates, optimizes, debugs and otherwise maintains computer applications for an organization. In most cases, these applications have been licensed from a third party, but they may have been developed internally. Examples of application types include enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer resource management (CRM), and point of sale (POS), legal contract management, time tracking, accounts payable/receivable, payroll, SOX compliance tracking, budgeting, forecasting and training. In many cases, the organization is absolutely dependent that these applications be kept running. The importance of application administrators and the level to which organizations depend upon them is easily overlooked. Application Administrators Handbook provides an overview of every phase of administering an application, from working with the vendor before installation, the installation process itself, importing data into the application, handling upgrades, working with application users to report problems, scheduling backups, automating tasks that need to be done on a repetitive schedule, and finally retiring an application. It provides detailed, hands-on instructions on how to perform many specific tasks that an application administrator must be able to handle.

Table of Contents

• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• CHAPTER 1 What Does an Application Administrator Do?
• CHAPTER 2 Design
• CHAPTER 3 Architecture
• CHAPTER 4 Features Common to Many Applications
• CHAPTER 5 Specifics About Your Application
• CHAPTER 6 Taking Responsibility for an Application
• CHAPTER 7 Change Control Management
• CHAPTER 8 Installing Software
• CHAPTER 9 Support Software
• CHAPTER 10 Updates and Patches
• CHAPTER 11 Supporting Your Application
• CHAPTER 12 Disaster Recovery
• CHAPTER 13 Handling Problems with an Application
• CHAPTER 14 Operational Activities
• CHAPTER 15 Security
• CHAPTER 16 The Server
• CHAPTER 17 Performance Tuning
• CHAPTER 18 The Network
• CHAPTER 19 Your Organization
• CHAPTER 20 Users
• CHAPTER 21 Leveraging the Vendor Relationship
• CHAPTER 22 The Government Gets Involved
• CHAPTER 23 Windows Tools
• CHAPTER 24 UNIX Tools
• CHAPTER 25 Linux Tools
• CHAPTER 26 Tools for Your Toolbox
• CHAPTER 27 Third-Party Tools
• CHAPTER 28 Troubleshooting Tips
• CHAPTER 29 Things to Do or Know How to Do in Advance
• CHAPTER 30 Things Will Happen That You Don't Want to Think About
• CHAPTER 31 The End of Days—Decommissioning an Application
• CHAPTER 32 Things Every Application Administrator Should Know
• CHAPTER 33 Education
• CHAPTER 34 Parting Advice