GL615 Linux for Unix Administrators

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 GL120 "Linux Fundamentals", GL250 "Enterprise Linux Systems Administration" or GL275 "Enterprise Linux Networking Services".

Supported Distributions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 SUSE Linux Enterprise 12

1. 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
2. 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. Tape 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
   21. System Tools
   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
3. 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
4. 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
5. Software Maintenance
   1. RPM Architecture
   2. Working With RPMs
   3. Querying and Verifying with RPM
   4. Updating the Kernel RPM
   5. Using the Yum command
   6. Using the Zypper command
   7. YUM package groups
   8. Zypper Services and Catalogs
   9. Configuring Yum
   10. YUM Repositories
   11. Rebuilding Source RPM Packages
   12. Software Tools Comparison Matrix
   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
6. 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
   12. Filesystem Creation and Management
   Lab Tasks
   1. Creating and Managing Filesystems
   2. Hot Adding Swap
7. 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
   19. LVM and RAID: Unix Tool Comparison
   Lab Tasks
   1. Creating and Managing LVM Volumes
   2. Creating LVM Thin Volumes
   3. Creating and Managing a RAID-5 Array
8. 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
9. 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. PAM Overview
   12. PAM Module Types
   13. PAM Order of Processing
   14. PAM Control Statements
   15. pam_wheel.so
   16. pam_limits.so
   17. User/Group Administration Comparison Matrix
   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
10. 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. TCP Wrappers Concepts
    13. TCP Wrappers Concepts
    14. Xinetd
    15. SUSE Basic Firewall Configuration
    16. Netfilter Concepts
    17. Using the iptables Command
    18. Common match_specs
    19. Extended Packet Matching Modules
    20. Connection Tracking
    21. AppArmor
    22. SELinux Security Framework
    23. SELinux Modes
    24. SELinux Commands
    25. Choosing an SELinux Policy
    26. SELinux Booleans
    27. SELinux Policy Tools
    28. (X)INETD and Firewalls
    Lab Tasks
    1. User Private Groups
    2. Using Filesystem ACLs
    3. Securing xinetd Services
    4. Enforcing Security Policy with xinetd
    5. Securing Services with TCP Wrappers
    6. Securing Services with SuSEfirewall2
    7. Securing Services with Netfilter
    8. Exploring SELinux Modes
    9. SELinux File Contexts
11. Process Administration
    1. at & cron Usage
    2. Anacron
    3. Viewing Processes
    4. Managing Processes
    5. Tuning Process Scheduling
    6. Process Accounting
    7. Setting Resource Limits via ulimit
    Lab Tasks
    1. Creating and Managing User Cron Jobs
    2. Adding System cron Jobs
12. 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. Managing Network-Wide Time
    13. Continual Time Sync with NTP
    14. Configuring NTP Clients
    15. Multiple IP Addresses
    16. IPv6
    17. Interface Aggregation
    18. Interface Bonding
    19. Network Teaming
    20. Interface Bridging
    21. 802.1q VLANS
    22. Network Configuration Tools
    Lab Tasks
    1. Network Discovery
    2. Basic Client Networking
    3. NTP Client Configuration
    4. Multiple IP Addresses Per Network Interface
    5. Configuring IPv6
    6. Troubleshooting Practice: Networking
13. 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. Syslog-ng
    9. systemd Journal
    10. systemd Journal's journalctl
    11. Secure Logging with Journal's Log Sealing
    12. Rsyslog
    13. /etc/rsyslog.conf
    14. Log Management
    15. Log Anomaly Detector
    16. strace and ltrace
    17. Troubleshooting Incorrect File Permissions
    18. Inability to Boot
    19. Typos in Configuration Files
    20. Corrupt Filesystems
    21. RHEL7 Rescue Environment
    22. SUSE Rescue Environment
    23. Process Tools
    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
14. 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
15. OpenLDAP
    1. OpenLDAP: Server Architecture
    2. OpenLDAP: Backends
    3. OpenLDAP: Replication
    4. OpenLDAP: Configuration Options
    5. OpenLDAP Server Tools
    6. OpenLDAP Client Tools
    7. LDIF: LDAP Data Interchange Format
    8. Enabling LDAP-based Login
    9. System Security Services Daemon (SSSD)
    Lab Tasks
    1. Building An OpenLDAP Server
    2. Enabling TLS For An OpenLDAP Server
    3. Enabling LDAP-based Logins
16. vsFTPd & Apache
    1. vsftpd
    2. Anonymous FTP with vsftpd
    3. Configuring vsftpd
    4. HTTP Operation
    5. Apache Architecture
    6. Apache Configuration Files
    7. httpd.conf – Server Settings
    8. httpd.conf – Main Configuration
    9. httpd.conf – VirtualHost Configuration
    10. Virtual Hosting DNS Implications
    11. Adding Modules to Apache
    12. Apache Logging
    13. Delegating Administration
    14. Directory Protection
    15. Directory Protection with AllowOverride
    16. Common Uses for .htaccess
    17. 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
17. 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
18. 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
19. 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
20. 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

1. 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
2. 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