Linux for Unix Administrators

Course Overview

• LINUX ORIENTATION
  1. FSF and GNU
  2. GPL “ General Public License
  3. Linux Kernel and Versioning
  4. Components of a Distribution
  5. Red Hat Linux Products
  6. SUSE Linux Products
• LINUX KERNEL & HARDWARE
  1. Hardware Discovery Tools
  2. Configuring New Hardware with hwinfo
  3. Hardware and System Clock
  4. Console
  5. Virtual Terminals
  6. Keyboard & locale configuration
  7. Serial Ports
  8. SCSI Devices
  9. USB Architecture
  10. Defining a Printer
  11. SCSI Tape Drives & Libraries
  12. Managing Linux Device Files
  13. Kernel Hardware Info “ /sys/
  14. /sys/ Structure
  15. udev
  16. Kernel Modules
  17. Configuring Kernel Components and Modules
  18. Handling Module Dependencies
  19. Configuring the Kernel via /proc/
  20. Random Numbers and /dev/random
  LAB TASKS
  1. Adjusting Kernel Options
  2. Linux Kernel Driver Compilation
  3. Configuring Print Queues
  4. Introduction to Troubleshooting Labs
  5. Troubleshooting Practice: Kernel Modules
• 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
• GRUB2/SYSTEMD BOOT PROCESS
  1. Booting Linux on PCs
  2. GRUB 2
  3. GRUB 2 Configuration
  4. The Boot Loader Specification
  5. GRUB 2 Security
  6. Boot Parameters
  7. Initial RAM Filesystem
  8. init
  9. Systemd local-fs.target and sysinit.target
  10. Systemd basic.target and multi-user.target
  11. Legacy local bootup script support
  12. System Configuration Files
  13. RHEL8 Configuration Utilities
  14. SLES15 Configuration Utilities
  15. 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
• SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
  1. RPM Architecture
  2. Working With RPMs
  3. Querying and Verifying with RPM
  4. Updating the Kernel RPM
  5. Using the Yum & DNF commands
  6. Using the Zypper command
  7. Yum package groups
  8. Zypper Services and Catalogs
  9. Configuring Yum
  10. DNF Repositories
  11. 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. Using Yum
  6. Using Zypper
• 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. Mounting Filesystems
  7. Filesystem Maintenance
  8. Resizing Filesystems
  9. Managing an XFS Filesystem
  10. Swap
  11. Filesystem Attributes
  LAB TASKS
  1. Creating and Managing Filesystems
  2. Hot Adding Swap
• 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. Creating and Managing a RAID-5 Array
• REMOTE STORAGE ADMINISTRATION
  1. Remote Storage Overview
  2. Remote Filesystem Protocols
  3. Remote Block Device Protocols
  4. NFS Clients
  5. NFS Server Configuration
  6. Implementing NFSv4
  7. AutoFS
  8. AutoFS Configuration
  9. SAN Multipathing
  10. Multipath Configuration
  11. Multipathing Best Practices
  12. iSCSI Architecture
  13. Open-iSCSI Initiator Implementation
  14. iSCSI Initiator Discovery
  15. iSCSI Initiator Node Administration
  16. Mounting iSCSI Targets at Boot
  17. iSCSI Multipathing Considerations
  LAB TASKS
  1. Using autofs
  2. NFS Server Configuration
  3. iSCSI Initiator Configuration
• 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. PAM Overview
  10. PAM Module Types
  11. PAM Order of Processing
  12. PAM Control Statements
  13. pam_wheel.so
  14. pam_limits.so
  LAB TASKS
  1. User and Group Administration
  2. Using LDAP for Centralized User Accounts
  3. Troubleshooting Practice: Account Management
  4. Restricting superuser access to wheel group membership
  5. Setting Limits with the pam_limits Modules
  6. Using pam_limits to Restrict Simultaneous Logins
• SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
  1. Security Concepts
  2. Tightening Default Security
  3. Security Advisories
  4. Fine Grained Authorizations with Polkit
  5. File Access Control Lists
  6. Manipulating FACLs
  7. Viewing FACLs
  8. Backing Up FACLs
  9. File Creation Permissions with umask
  10. User Private Group Scheme
  11. Alternatives to UPG
  12. Xinetd
  13. Netfilter Concepts
  14. Using the iptables Command
  15. Common match_specs
  16. Extended Packet Matching Modules
  17. Connection Tracking
  18. AppArmor
  19. SELinux Security Framework
  20. SELinux Modes
  21. SELinux Commands
  22. Choosing an SELinux Policy
  23. SELinux Booleans
  24. SELinux Policy Tools
  LAB TASKS
  1. User Private Groups
  2. Using Filesystem ACLs
  3. Securing xinetd Services
  4. Enforcing Security Policy with xinetd
  5. Securing Services with Netfilter
  6. Exploring SELinux Modes
  7. SELinux File Contexts
• PROCESS ADMINISTRATION
  1. at & cron Usage
  2. Anacron
  3. Viewing Processes
  4. Managing Processes
  5. Tuning Process Scheduling
  6. Setting Resource Limits via ulimit
  LAB TASKS
  1. Creating and Managing User Cron Jobs
  2. Adding System cron Jobs
• NETWORKING
  1. Linux Network Interfaces
  2. Ethernet Hardware Tools
  3. Network Configuration with ip Command
  4. Configuring Routing Tables
  5. IP to MAC Address Mapping with ARP
  6. Starting and Stopping Interfaces
  7. NetworkManager
  8. DNS Clients
  9. DHCP Clients
  10. Network Diagnostics
  11. Information from ss and netstat
  12. Continual Time Sync with NTP
  13. Multiple IP Addresses
  14. IPv6
  15. Interface Aggregation
  16. Interface Bonding
  17. Network Teaming
  18. Interface Bridging
  19. 802.1q VLANS
  LAB TASKS
  1. Network Discovery
  2. Basic Client Networking
  3. Multiple IP Addresses Per Network Interface
  4. Configuring IPv6
  5. Troubleshooting Practice: Networking
• MONITORING & TROUBLESHOOTING
  1. System Status “ Memory
  2. System Status “ I/O
  3. System Status “ CPU
  4. Performance Trending with sar
  5. Troubleshooting Basics: The Process
  6. Troubleshooting Basics: The Tools
  7. System Logging
  8. systemd Journal
  9. systemd Journal's journalctl
  10. Secure Logging with Journal's Log Sealing
  11. Rsyslog
  12. /etc/rsyslog.conf
  13. Log Management
  14. Log Anomaly Detector
  15. strace and ltrace
  16. Troubleshooting Incorrect File Permissions
  17. Inability to Boot
  18. Typos in Configuration Files
  19. Corrupt Filesystems
  20. RHEL8 Rescue Environment
  21. SUSE Rescue Environment
  LAB TASKS
  1. Using the systemd Journal
  2. Setting up a Full Debug Logfile
  3. Remote Syslog Configuration
  4. Remote Rsyslog TLS Configuration
  5. Recovering Damaged MBR
• BIND DNS
  1. The Domain Name Space
  2. Delegation and Zones
  3. Server Roles
  4. Resolving Names
  5. Resolving IP Addresses
  6. Basic BIND Administration
  7. Configuring the Resolver
  8. Testing Resolution
  9. rndc Key Configuration
  10. named.conf Options Block
  11. Creating a Site-Wide Cache
  12. Zones In named.conf
  13. Zone Database File Syntax
  14. SOA “ Start of Authority
  15. A, AAAA, & PTR “ Address & Pointer Records
  16. NS “ Name Server
  17. TXT, CNAME, & MX “ Text, Alias, & Mail Host
  18. Abbreviations and Gotchas
  19. $GENERATE, $ORIGIN, and $INCLUDE
  LAB TASKS
  1. Configuring a Slave Name Server
  2. Use rndc to Control named
  3. Configuring BIND Zone Files
• SQL FUNDAMENTALS AND MARIADB
  1. Popular SQL Databases
  2. SELECT Statements
  3. INSERT Statements
  4. UPDATE Statements
  5. DELETE Statements
  6. JOIN Clauses
  7. MariaDB
  8. MariaDB Installation and Security
  9. MariaDB User Account Management
  10. MariaDB Replication
  LAB TASKS
  1. SQL with Sqlite3
  2. Installing and Securing MariaDB
  3. Creating a Database in MariaDB
  4. Create a Database Backed Application
• 389 DIRECTORY SERVER
  1. Popular LDAP Server Implementations
  2. OpenLDAP Client Tools
  3. LDIF: LDAP Data Interchange Format
  4. 389 Directory Server
  5. 389 Directory Server Features
  6. 389DS Utilities
  LAB TASKS
  1. Installing and Configuring 389DS
• VSFTPD & APACHE
  1. vsftpd
  2. Anonymous FTP with vsftpd
  3. Configuring vsftpd
  4. HTTP Operation
  5. HTTP Operation
  6. Apache Architecture
  7. Apache Configuration Files
  8. httpd.conf “ Server Settings
  9. httpd.conf “ Main Configuration
  10. httpd.conf “ VirtualHost Configuration
  11. Virtual Hosting DNS Implications
  12. Adding Modules to Apache
  13. Apache Logging
  14. Delegating Administration
  15. Directory Protection
  16. Directory Protection with AllowOverride
  17. Common Uses for .htaccess
  18. TLS Using mod_ssl.so
  LAB TASKS
  1. Configuring vsftpd
  2. Apache Architecture
  3. Apache Content
  4. Configuring Virtual Hosts
  5. Using .htaccess Files
  6. Using TLS Certificates with Apache
• SQUID PROXY SERVER
  1. Squid Overview
  2. Squid File Layout
  3. Squid Access Control Lists
  4. Applying Squid ACLs
  5. Tuning Squid & Configuring Cache Hierarchies
  6. Bandwidth Metering
  7. Monitoring Squid
  8. Proxy Client Configuration
  LAB TASKS
  1. Installing and Configuring Squid
  2. Squid Cache Manager CGI
  3. Proxy Auto Configuration
  4. Configure a Squid Proxy Cluster
• SAMBA
  1. Samba Daemons
  2. Accessing Windows/Samba Shares from Linux
  3. Samba Utilities
  4. Samba Configuration Files
  5. The smb.conf File
  6. Mapping Permissions and ACLs
  7. Mapping Linux Concepts
  8. Sharing Home Directories
  9. Sharing Printers
  10. Share Authentication
  11. User-Level Access
  12. Mapping Users
  13. Samba Account Database
  14. User Share Restrictions
  LAB TASKS
  1. Samba Share-Level Access
  2. Samba User-Level Access
  3. Samba Group Shares
  4. Handling Symbolic Links with Samba
  5. Samba Home Directory Shares
• POSTFIX
  1. Postfix Features
  2. Postfix Components
  3. Postfix Configuration
  4. master.cf
  5. main.cf
  6. Postfix Map Types
  7. Postfix Pattern Matching
  8. Virtual Domains
  9. Postfix Mail Filtering
  10. Configuration Commands
  11. Management Commands
  12. SMTP AUTH Server and Relay Control
  13. SMTP AUTH Clients
  14. TLS Server Configuration
  15. Postfix Client Configuration for TLS
  LAB TASKS
  1. Configuring Postfix
  2. Postfix Network Configuration
  3. Postfix Virtual Host Configuration
  4. Postfix SMTP AUTH Configuration
  5. Postfix STARTTLS Configuration
  6. SUSE Postfix Configuration Cleanup
• EMAIL SERVICES
  1. Procmail
  2. SpamAssassin
  3. amavisd-new Mail Filtering
  4. Cyrus IMAP/POP3 Server
  5. Cyrus IMAP MTA Integration
  6. Cyrus Mailbox Administration
  7. Dovecot POP3/IMAP Server
  LAB TASKS
  1. Configuring Procmail & SpamAssassin
  2. Configuring Cyrus IMAP
  3. Dovecot TLS Configuration
• INSTALLING RHEL8
  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
• INSTALLING SLES15
  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

Prerequisites

Students should already be experienced Unix administrators. Fundamentals such as the Unix command line and how to edit files will not be covered in class. A good understanding of network concepts, the TCP/IP protocol suite, and basic Unix security is also assumed. The accelerated pace of this class makes it more difficult for unprepared students to keep up. Less experienced students are encouraged to instead take the KT-12000 "Linux-Unix Fundamentals", KT-5001 "Enterprise Linux System Administration" or KT-27500 "Enterprise Linux Networking Services".