GL615 - Linux for Unix Administrators

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The GL615 is an accelerated course combining the topics in the GL250 "Enterprise Linux Systems Administration", and the GL275 "Enterprise Linux Networking Services".

Current Version: A00

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 8
SUSE Linux Enterprise 15
Recommended Class Length:
5 days
Detailed Course Outline:
  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. 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
  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. 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
  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 & 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
  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
    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
    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. 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
  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. 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
  11. 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
  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. 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
  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. 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
  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. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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 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
  2. 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