Knowledge United

Course Outline

Unit 1 - System Initialization

• Objectives
• Boot Sequence Overview
• Boot Loader Components
• GRUB and grub.conf
• Starting the Boot Process: GRUB
• Kernel Initialization
• init Initialization
• Run Levels
• /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
• /etc/rc.d/rc
• System V run levels
• /etc/rc.d/rc.local
• Controlling Services
• Hands-on Lab 1: Managing Startup

Unit 2 - Package Management

• RPM Package Manager
• Installing and Removing Software
• Updating a Kernel RPM
• rpm Queries
• rpm Verification
• About yum
• Using yum
• Searching packages/files
• Configuring Additional Repositories
• Creating a private repository
• Red Hat Network
• Red Hat Network Server
• Entitlements
• Red Hat Network Client
• Hands-on Lab 2: Working with packages

Unit 3 - Kernel Services

• Objectives
• The Linux Kernel
• Kernel Images and Variants
• Kernel Modules
• Kernel Module Utilities
• Managing the initrd Image
• Accessing Drivers Through /dev
• Device Node Examples
• Managing /dev With udev
• Adding Files Under /dev
• Kernel Configuration With /proc
• /proc Examples
• sysctl : Persistent Kernel Configuration
• Exploring Hardware Devices
• Monitoring Processes and Resources
• Hands-on Lab 3: Configuring the kernel

Unit 4 - System Services

• Network Time Protocol
• System Logging
• syslog Configuration
• XOrg: The X11 Server
• XOrg Server Configuration
• XOrg in runlevel 3
• XOrg in runlevel 5
• Remote X Sessions
• SSH: Secure Shell
• VNC: Virtual Network Computing
• cron
• Controlling Access to cron
• System crontab Files
• Daily Cron Jobs
• The anacron System
• CUPS
• Hands-on Lab 4: System Services

Unit 5 - User Administration

• Adding a New User Account
• User Private Groups
• Modifying / Deleting User Accounts
• Group Administration
• Password Aging Policies
• Switching Accounts
• sudo
• Network Users
• Authentication Configuration
• Example: NIS Configuration
• Example: LDAP Configuration
• SUID and SGID Executables
• SGID Directories
• The Sticky Bit
• Default File Permissions
• Access Control Lists (ACLs)
• SELinux
• SELinux: Targeted Policy
• SELinux: Management

Unit 6 - Filesystem Management

• Objectives
• Overview: Adding New Filesystems to the Filesystem Tree
• Device Recognition
• Disk Partitioning
• Managing Partitions
• Making Filesystems
• Filesystem Labels
• tune2fs
• Mount Points and /etc/fstab
• Mounting Filesystems with mount
• Unmounting Filesystems
• mount By Example
• Handling Swap Files and Partitions
• Mounting NFS Filesystems
• Automounter
• Direct Maps
• gnome-mount
• Hands-on Lab 6: Adding New Filesystems to the Filesystem Tree

Unit 7 - Advanced Filesystem Management

• Configuring the Quota System
• Setting Quotas for Users
• Reporting Quota Status
• What is Software RAID?
• Software RAID Configuration
• Software RAID Testing and Recovery
• What is Logical Volume Manager (LVM)?
• Creating Logical Volumes
• Resizing Logical Volumes
• Logical Volume Manager Snapshots
• Using LVM Snapshots
• Archiving tools: tar
• Archiving Tools: dump/restore
• Archiving Tools: rsync:
• Hands-on Lab 7: Advanced Filesystem Mangement

Unit 8 - Network Configuration

• Objectives
• Network Inferfaces
• Driver Selection
• Speed and Duplex Settings
• IPv4 Addresses
• Dynamic IPv4 Configuration
• Static IPv4 Configuration
• Device Aliases
• Routing Table
• Default Gateway
• Configuring Routes
• Verify IP Connectivity
• Defining the Local Host Name
• Local Resolver
• Remote Resolvers
• Verify DNS Connectivity
• Network Configuration Utilities
• Transparent Dynamic Configuration
• Implementing IPv6
• IPv6: Dynamic Interface Configuration
• IPv6: StaticInterface Configuration
• IPv6: Routing Configuration
• New and Modified Utilities
• Hands-on Lab 8: Manage Network Settings

Unit 9 - Installation

• Anaconda, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installer
• First Stage: Starting the Installation
• First Stage: Boot Media
• Accessing the Installer
• First Stage: Installation Method
• Network Installation Server
• Second Stage: Installation Overview
• Configuring File Systems
• Advanced Partitioning
• Package Selection
• First Boot: Post-Install Configuration
• Kickstart
• Starting a Kickstart Installation
• Anatomy of a Kickstart File
• Kickstart: Commands Section
• Kickstart: Commands section
• Kickstart: Packages Section
• Kickstart: %pre, %post
• Hands-on Lab 9: Installation and System-Initialization

Unit 10 - Virtualization with Xen

• Virtualization with Xen
• Hardware Considerations
• Preparing Domain-0
• Virtual Resources
• Domain-U Configuration
• Installing a new Domain-U
• Domain Management with xm
• Activating Domains on boot
• Hands-on Lab 10: Exploring Virtualization

Unit 11 - Troubleshooting

• Method of Fault Analysis
• Fault Analysis: Gathering Data
• Things to Check: X
• Things to Check: Networking
• Order of the Boot Process
• Filesystem Corruption
• Filesystem Recovery
• Recovery Run-levels
• Rescue Environment
• Rescue Environment Utilities
• Rescue Environment Details
• Hands-on Lab 11: System Rescue and Troubleshooting