Enterprise Linux System Administration

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Course Description

This Enterprise Linux System Administration training course is an in-depth course that explores installation, configuration and maintenance of Linux systems. The course focuses on issues universal to every workstation and server. Like all Guru Labs courses, the course material is designed to provide extensive hands-on experience. Topics include: installation and configuration; the boot process; user and group administration; filesystem administration, including quotas, FACLs, RAID and LVM; task automation; client networking; SELinux; software management; log files; troubleshooting; and more.

Supported Distributions:

•     Oracle Linux 7
•     Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
•     SUSE Linux Enterprise 12

Course Outline

    1. Linux Kernel & Devices

1.         Hardware Discovery Tools
2.         Configuring New Hardware with hwinfo
3.         Kernel Hardware Info – /sys/
4.         /sys/ Structure
5.         udev
6.         Managing Linux Device Files
7.         List Block Devices
8.         SCSI Devices
9.         USB Devices
10.         USB Architecture
11.         Kernel Modules
12.         Configuring Kernel Components and Modules
13.         Handling Module Dependencies
14.         Configuring the Kernel via /proc/
15.         Console
16.         Virtual Terminals
17.         Keyboard & locale configuration
18.         Serial Ports
19.         Random Numbers and /dev/random

    Lab Tasks

1.         Adjusting Kernel Options
2.         Linux Kernel Driver Compilation
3.         Introduction to Troubleshooting Labs
4.         Troubleshooting Practice: Kernel Modules

    2. Systemd Overview

1.         System Boot Method Overview
2.         systemd System and Service Manager
3.         Modifying systemd services
4.         Systemd Service Sandboxing Features
5.         systemd Targets
6.         Using systemd
7.         Linux Runlevels Aliases
8.         Legacy Support for SysV init

    Lab Tasks

1.         Managing Services With Systemd's systemctl
2.         Creating a systemd unit file

    3. GRUB2/Systemd Boot Process

1.         Booting Linux on PCs
2.         GRUB 2
3.         GRUB 2 Configuration
4.         GRUB 2 Security
5.         Boot Parameters
6.         Initial RAM Filesystem
7.         init
8.         Systemd local-fs.target and sysinit.target
9.         Systemd basic.target and multi-user.target
10.         Legacy local bootup script support
11.         System Configuration Files
12.         RHEL7 Configuration Utilities
13.         SLES12 Configuration Utilities
14.         Shutdown and Reboot

    Lab Tasks

1.         Boot Process
2.         Booting directly to a bash shell
3.         GRUB Command Line
4.         Basic GRUB Security
5.         Troubleshooting Practice: Boot Process

    4. Software Maintenance

1.         Managing Software
2.         RPM Features
3.         RPM Architecture
4.         RPM Package Files
5.         Working With RPMs
6.         Querying and Verifying with RPM
7.         Updating the Kernel RPM
8.         Dealing With RPM & Yum Digest Changes
9.         Yum Plugins & RHN Subscription Manager
10.         YUM Repositories
11.         YUM Repository Groups
12.         Compiling/Installing from Source
13.         Manually Installed Shared Libraries
14.         Rebuilding Source RPM Packages

    Lab Tasks

1.         Managing Software with RPM
2.         Creating a Custom RPM Repository
3.         Querying the RPM Database
4.         Installing Software via RPM & Source and Rebuilding SRPMs
5.         Troubleshooting Practice: Package Management

    5. Local Storage Administration

1.         Partitioning Disks with fdisk & gdisk
2.         Resizing a GPT Partition with gdisk
3.         Partitioning Disks with parted
4.         Non-Interactive Disk Partitioning with sfdisk
5.         Filesystem Creation
6.         Persistent Block Devices
7.         Mounting Filesystems
8.         Resizing Filesystems
9.         Filesystem Maintenance
10.         Managing an XFS Filesystem
11.         Swap
12.         Filesystem Structures
13.         Determining Disk Usage With df and du
14.         Configuring Disk Quotas
15.         Setting Quotas
16.         Viewing and Monitoring Quotas
17.         Filesystem Attributes

    Lab Tasks

1.         Creating and Managing Filesystems
2.         Hot Adding Swap
3.         Setting User Quotas

    6. LVM & RAID

1.         Logical Volume Management
2.         Implementing LVM
3.         Creating Logical Volumes
4.         Activating LVM VGs
5.         Exporting and Importing a VG
6.         Examining LVM Components
7.         Changing LVM Components
8.         Advanced LVM Overview
9.         Advanced LVM: Components & Object Tags
10.         Advanced LVM: Automated Storage Tiering
11.         Advanced LVM: Thin Provisioning
12.         Advanced LVM: Striping & Mirroring
13.         Advanced LVM: RAID Volumes
14.         SLES Graphical Disk Tool
15.         RAID Concepts
16.         Array Creation with mdadm
17.         Software RAID Monitoring
18.         Software RAID Control and Display

    Lab Tasks

1.         Creating and Managing LVM Volumes
2.         Creating LVM Thin Volumes
3.         Troubleshooting Practice: LVM
4.         Creating and Managing a RAID-5 Array

    7. Remote Storage Administration

1.         Remote Storage Overview
2.         Remote Filesystem Protocols
3.         Remote Block Device Protocols
4.         File Sharing via NFS
5.         NFSv4+
6.         NFS Clients
7.         NFS Server Configuration
8.         YaST NFS Server Administration
9.         Implementing NFSv4
10.         AutoFS
11.         AutoFS Configuration
12.         Accessing Windows/Samba Shares from Linux
13.         SAN Multipathing
14.         Multipath Configuration
15.         Multipathing Best Practices
16.         iSCSI Architecture
17.         Open-iSCSI Initiator Implementation
18.         iSCSI Initiator Discovery
19.         iSCSI Initiator Node Administration
20.         Mounting iSCSI Targets at Boot
21.         iSCSI Multipathing Considerations

    Lab Tasks

1.         Using autofs
2.         NFS Server Configuration
3.         iSCSI Initiator Configuration
4.         Multipathing with iSCSI

    8. User/Group Administration

1.         Approaches to Storing User Accounts
2.         User and Group Concepts
3.         User Administration
4.         Modifying Accounts
5.         Group Administration
6.         Password Aging
7.         Default User Files
8.         Controlling Login Sessions
9.         RHEL DS Client Configuration
10.         SLES DS Client Configuration
11.         System Security Services Daemon (SSSD)

    Lab Tasks

1.         User and Group Administration
2.         Using LDAP for Centralized User Accounts
3.         Troubleshooting Practice: Account Management

    9. Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)

1.         PAM Overview
2.         PAM Module Types
3.         PAM Order of Processing
4.         PAM Control Statements
5.         PAM Modules
6.         pam_unix
7.         pam_nologin.so
8.         pam_limits.so
9.         pam_wheel.so
10.         pam_xauth.so

    Lab Tasks

1.         Restricting superuser access to wheel group membership
2.         Using pam_nologin to Restrict Logins
3.         Setting Limits with the pam_limits Modules
4.         Using pam_limits to Restrict Simultaneous Logins

    10. Security Administration

1.         Security Concepts
2.         Tightening Default Security
3.         SuSE Security Checker
4.         Security Advisories
5.         Fine Grained Authorizations with Polkit
6.         File Access Control Lists
7.         Manipulating FACLs
8.         Viewing FACLs
9.         Backing Up FACLs
10.         File Creation Permissions with umask
11.         User Private Group Scheme
12.         Alternatives to UPG
13.         AppArmor
14.         SELinux Security Framework
15.         SELinux Modes
16.         SELinux Commands
17.         Choosing an SELinux Policy
18.         SELinux Booleans
19.         Permissive Domains
20.         SELinux Policy Tools
21.         SUSE Basic Firewall Configuration
22.         FirewallD

    Lab Tasks

1.         User Private Groups
2.         Using Filesystem ACLs
3.         Exploring AppArmor
4.         Exploring SELinux Modes
5.         SELinux File Contexts
6.         SELinux Contexts in Action

    11. Basic Networking

1.         IPv4 Fundamentals
2.         TCP/UDP Fundamentals
3.         Linux Network Interfaces
4.         Ethernet Hardware Tools
5.         Network Configuration with ip Command
6.         Configuring Routing Tables
7.         IP to MAC Address Mapping with ARP
8.         Starting and Stopping Interfaces
9.         NetworkManager
10.         DNS Clients
11.         DHCP Clients
12.         SUSE YaST Network Configuration Tool
13.         Network Diagnostics
14.         Information from ss and netstat
15.         Hardware and System Clock
16.         Managing Network-Wide Time
17.         Continual Time Sync with NTP
18.         Configuring NTP Clients
19.         Useful NTP Commands

    Lab Tasks

1.         Network Discovery
2.         Basic Client Networking
3.         NTP Client Configuration

    12. Advanced Networking

1.         Multiple IP Addresses
2.         Configuring a DHCP server
3.         IPv6
4.         Interface Aggregation
5.         Interface Bonding
6.         Network Teaming
7.         Interface Bridging
8.         802.1q VLANS
9.         Tuning Kernel Network Settings

    Lab Tasks

1.         Multiple IP Addresses Per Network Interface
2.         Configuring IPv6
3.         Troubleshooting Practice: Networking

    13. Log File Administration

1.         System Logging
2.         systemd Journal
3.         systemd Journal's journalctl
4.         Secure Logging with Journal's Log Sealing
5.         gnome-system-log
6.         Rsyslog
7.         /etc/rsyslog.conf
8.         Log Management
9.         Log Anomaly Detector
10.         Sending logs from the shell

    Lab Tasks

1.         Using the systemd Journal
2.         Setting up a Full Debug Logfile
3.         Remote Syslog Configuration
4.         Remote Rsyslog TLS Configuration

    14. Monitoring & Troubleshooting

1.         System Status – Memory
2.         System Status – I/O
3.         System Status – CPU
4.         Performance Trending with sar
5.         Determining Service to Process Mapping
6.         Real-time Monitoring of Resources — Cgroups
7.         Troubleshooting Basics: The Process
8.         Troubleshooting Basics: The Tools
9.         strace and ltrace
10.         Common Problems
11.         Troubleshooting Incorrect File Permissions
12.         Inability to Boot
13.         Typos in Configuration Files
14.         Corrupt Filesystems
15.         RHEL7 Rescue Environment
16.         SUSE Rescue Environment

    Lab Tasks

1.         System Activity Reporter
2.         Cgroup for Processes
3.         Recovering Damaged MBR

    A. Pre-Installation Considerations

1.         Pre-Installation Considerations
2.         Hardware Compatibility
3.         Multi-OS Booting
4.         Partition Considerations
5.         Filesystem Planning
6.         Selecting a Filesystem

    B. Installing RHEL7

1.         Anaconda: An Overview
2.         Anaconda: Booting the System
3.         Anaconda: Common Boot Options
4.         Anaconda: Loading Anaconda and Packages
5.         Anaconda: Storage Options
6.         Anaconda: Troubleshooting
7.         FirstBoot
8.         Kickstart
9.         Network Booting with PXE
10.         A Typical Install

    Lab Tasks

1.         Linux Installation
2.         Automating Installation with Kickstart

    C. Installing SLES12

1.         YaST Install Program Interface
2.         Network Installation
3.         SLP for SUSE Linux Installation
4.         Installation Choices
5.         Kernel Crash Dump Configuration
6.         Network Booting with PXE
7.         Creating AutoYaST2 Files
8.         Using AutoYaST2 files
9.         linuxrc Automation
10.         Installation Diagnostics
11.         After The First Reboot
12.         A Typical Install

    Lab Tasks

1.         SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Installation
2.         Automating Installation with AutoYaST

    D. Manage Virtual Machines

1.         Virtualization: What and Why?
2.         Introducing libvirt
3.         libvirt: Basic Concepts
4.         libvirt: Storage Architecture
5.         libvirt: Network Architecture
6.         libvirt: Graphical Tools
7.         libvirt: Command Line Tools
8.         virsh: Basics
9.         virsh: Common Tasks
10.         virt-install
11.         Virtual Machine Guest Tools & Drivers
12.         libguestfs and guestfish

    Lab Tasks

1.         Installing a Virtual Machine

    E. Backups

1.         Backup Software
2.         Managing Optical Media
3.         Tape Libraries
4.         Backup Examples

    Lab Tasks

1.         Using rsync and ssh for Backups
2.         Using tar for Backups
3.         Using cpio for Backups
4.         Creating ISO Images for Backups
5.         Using dump and restore for Backups

Learning Path

• Please contact us for suggestions.

• Advanced Linux System Administration and Networking Training

Ways to Attend

• Attend a public course, if there is one available. Please check our schedule, or register your interest in joining a course in your area.
• Private onsite Team training also available, please contact us to discuss. We can customise this course to suit your business requirements.