Rouages: “We’re one of the most frequently used services, but also one of the least visible”
Ensuring round-the-clock access to the University’s network and the internet, maintaining IT infrastructure, and ensuring the secure management of our data… These are all essential tasks for the fulfillment of our own objectives, which Carine Lavalette and Arnaud Gavara carry out daily within the Information Systems and Digital Department (DSIN). They are system and network administrators, and this month, they talk to us about their work in the video series “Rouages” produced by the University.
They are among the unsung heroes at the University. Behind every click of your mouse, behind every keystroke, every time you open your email inbox or access your files, it’s thanks to them. They are the system and network administrators. Within the Information Systems and Digital Technology Department (DSIN), they form the IT Support Service: the SMI. “The University employs nearly twenty system and network administrators. We are divided into two teams: the first is responsible for the network, security, and IP telephony, and the second is responsible for the server and storage systems. Paradoxically, we are one of the most used departments but also one of the most hidden within UM,” notes Arnaud Gavara, network and security administrator.
From versatility to greater specialization
Even if you don’t know them, they know you and work for you. “We serve everyone at the University,” explains Carine Lavalette, a systems administrator. “Whether it’s the 7,600 staff members across all departments, the Professors the labs, or the 48,000 students.” ” From Richter, their home base, they manage services for the managed IT infrastructure of over 4,000 workstations, but also provide network access for many more devices. “If you add in personal computers, those purchased with lab funds, phones… That’s a lot of people! “We don’t think about it when we log in, but if we can do it, it’s because system and network administrators are behind the scenes,” notes Arnaud Gavara.
While their responsibilities are varied, they have become significantly more specialized over time. Carine Lavalette, for example, works primarily on the IT system. “My job is to upgrade the infrastructure and keep it running smoothly to provide users with the best possible service. This includes servers, storage, backups…” All in all, her role includes managing the UM’s data center, which consists of 870 virtual servers hosted by 60 physical machines known in the industry as “pizza boxes”—a term referring to machines that are stacked on top of one another, have neither a keyboard nor a screen, and are accessed remotely.
More recently, the department has focused on a major project: the disaster recovery plan (DRP). This has nothing to do with the health measures we’ve been dealing with for the past year; rather, it’s about ensuring the protection of the University’s IT system in the event of a serious cyberattack, such as the one that occurred last April. “It’s much more than just backing up data,” explains the administrator . “The goal is to ensure the security of the system that enables this data to function.” “Accidents can always happen, but part of our job is precisely to plan for them—the seatbelt, the shoulder straps, and the parachute!” adds Arnaud Gavara.
Safety, Support, and Service
While their areas of expertise set them apart, Carine Lavalette and Arnaud Gavara share a common commitment to ensuring optimal security. The IT department is, in fact, bound by the obligation to maintain systems in operational condition. This involves performing network maintenance without disrupting users—or at least minimizing any disruption. It also means keeping services such as email constantly operational and secure.
In fact, both experts point out: “It’s important to raise awareness and train university staff on security so that, for example, they don’t open fraudulent emails. The consequences can be severe.” They cite the cyberattack suffered by UM last April: “It was the use of an account obtained through phishing that allowed a hacker to take control of certain University servers. Fortunately, we were able to thwart this attack, but at the cost of many days of work and not without an impact on UM’s operations.”
A passion for the craft
Supporting university staff in designing or responding to a project is another aspect of his role that Arnaud Gavara particularly enjoys: “What I like is when someone comes to me with a problem to solve or a project to implement, and that sparks a conversation.”
Both of them also provide user support through the service center. The system runs smoothly thanks to the ticket system, but, according to Carine Lavalette, it also has some drawbacks, since “when they go through the service center, staff members sometimes tend to forget that we are University employees just like them.” This does not prevent the administrators from viewing their work as a passion.
A passion they both say they fell in love with from a very young age. And while this field is certainly still not known for its diversity, Carine asserts: “I’ve managed to carve out a place for myself, even if I’ve sometimes had to elbow my way through, but that has its advantages too, and I really love this job. ” As for the qualities they believe are necessary to be a good administrator? “Versatility, independence, logical thinking, but above all, rigor! Rigor and organization. IT is unforgiving, especially when you work within the SMI and are responsible for managing the entire network and all the university’s servers,” concludes Arnaud Gavara.