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Network and Systems Administration Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Network and Systems Administration distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/network-and-systems-administration/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

TCP/IP Model

The foundational four-layer communication protocol suite (Network Interface, Internet, Transport, Application) that governs how data is packaged, addressed, transmitted, routed, and received across the internet and local networks.

DNS (Domain Name System)

A hierarchical, distributed naming system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses, enabling users to access resources by name rather than by numerical address. It uses a system of authoritative name servers and recursive resolvers.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

A network management protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network, eliminating the need for manual configuration of each host.

Active Directory

A Microsoft directory service that provides centralized authentication, authorization, and directory services for Windows-based networks. It organizes resources into a hierarchical structure of domains, organizational units, and group policies.

Virtualization

The technology that creates abstracted, virtual versions of physical hardware resources such as servers, storage devices, and networks, allowing multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical host, improving resource utilization and flexibility.

Firewall

A network security device or software that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security rules, establishing a barrier between trusted internal networks and untrusted external networks such as the internet.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

A data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into a single logical unit for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both, using techniques like striping, mirroring, and parity.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A technology that creates a secure, encrypted tunnel over a public network such as the internet, enabling remote users or branch offices to access private network resources as if they were directly connected to the local area network.

Load Balancing

The process of distributing network traffic or computational workloads across multiple servers or resources to optimize resource utilization, maximize throughput, minimize response time, and ensure no single server is overwhelmed.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

The practice of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files rather than through manual processes or interactive configuration tools, enabling version control, repeatability, and automation.

Key Terms at a Glance

Active Directory:A Microsoft directory service for Windows domain networks that provides centralized identity management, authentication via Kerberos, and Group Policy enforcement.
Ansible:An open-source automation tool that uses agentless architecture and YAML playbooks to manage configuration, deployment, and orchestration across servers.
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol):The inter-domain routing protocol that exchanges routing information between autonomous systems on the internet, enabling global connectivity.
CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing):A method for allocating IP addresses and routing that replaces the older classful addressing system, using variable-length subnet masks denoted with slash notation (e.g., /24).
Container:A lightweight, portable, self-sufficient unit that packages an application with all its dependencies, sharing the host operating system kernel for efficient resource usage.
DHCP:Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a network protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and other configuration parameters to devices joining a network.
DMZ (Demilitarized Zone):A perimeter network segment that sits between an internal trusted network and an external untrusted network, hosting public-facing services like web and mail servers.
DNS:Domain Name System, a hierarchical distributed naming system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses used for network communication.
Failover:The automatic switching of operations from a failed system or component to a standby redundant system, ensuring continued service availability with minimal interruption.
Firewall:A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined rules, serving as a barrier between trusted and untrusted networks.
Group Policy:A feature of Windows Active Directory that allows administrators to define and enforce security settings, software installation, and user configurations across all domain-joined computers.
Hypervisor:Software that creates and manages virtual machines by abstracting physical hardware resources. Type 1 runs on bare metal; Type 2 runs on a host operating system.
IaC (Infrastructure as Code):The practice of defining and managing computing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files, enabling version control, automation, and repeatable deployments.
LDAP:Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, an open standard for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over a TCP/IP network.
Load Balancer:A device or software that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure reliability, availability, and optimal performance of applications.

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Network and Systems Administration Cheat Sheet - Quick Reference Guide | PiqCue