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Course Length:
5 Days
Course Description:
This is an in-depth course that explores installation, configuration and maintenance of CentOS systems. The course focuses on issues universal to every workstation and server. 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; software management; log files; troubleshooting; and more.
Who Should Attend:
This course is for those students wishing to learn CentOS System Administration.
Benefits of Attendance:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
  • Install, configure, and maintain CentOS systems
Prerequisites:
Students should already be comfortable working in a Linux or Unix environment. Fundamentals such as the Linux filesystem, process management, and how to edit files will not be covered in class. An understanding of network concepts, and the TCP/IP protocol suite is helpful.
Course Outline:
  • CentOS Hardware Discovery, Interaction, and Control
    1. Hardware Discovery Tools
    2. Configuring New Hardware with hwinfo
    3. Hardware and System Clock
    4. Console
    5. Virtual Terminals
    6. Serial Ports
    7. SCSI Devices
    8. USB Devices
    9. USB Configuration
    10. Common UNIX Printing System
    11. Defining a Printer
    12. Managing Optical Media
    13. Tape Drives
    14. Tape Libraries
    15. Managing CentOS Device Files
    16. Kernel Hardware Info - /sys/
    17. /sys/ Structure
    18. udev
    19. Kernel Modules
    20. Configuring Kernel Components and Modules
    21. Handling Module Dependencies
    22. Configuring the Kernel via /proc/
    23. Lab: Adjusting Kernel Options
    24. Lab: Configuring Print Queues
    25. Lab: Introduction to Troubleshooting Labs
    26. Lab: Troubleshooting Practice: Kernel Modules
  • Boot Process and SysV Init
    1. Booting CentOS on PCs
    2. GRUB Configuration
    3. Boot Parameters
    4. Initial ramdisk
    5. /sbin/init
    6. System Init Styles
    7. CentOS Runlevels
    8. /etc/inittab
    9. /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
    10. /etc/init.d/boot
    11. Runlevel Implementation
    12. System Configuration Files
    13. Configuration Utilities
    14. Novell's Configuration Utilities
    15. Typical SysV Init Script
    16. The /etc/rc.local File
    17. The /etc/init.d/*.local Files
    18. Managing Daemons
    19. Controlling Service Startup
    20. Shutdown and Reboot
    21. Lab: Boot Process
    22. Lab: GRUB Command Line
    23. Lab: Basic GRUB Security
    24. Lab: Managing Services With chkconfig
    25. Lab: Troubleshooting Practice: Boot Process
  • 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. Managing Software Dependencies
    9. Using the YUM command
    10. Using the Zypper command
    11. YUM package groups
    12. Zypper Services and Catalogs
    13. Dealing With RPM & YUM Digest Changes
    14. Configuring YUM
    15. Yum Plugins
    16. YUM Repositories
    17. Compiling/Installing from Source
    18. Manually Installed Shared Libraries
    19. Installing Source RPM Packages
    20. Lab: Managing Software with RPM
    21. Lab: Creating a Custom RPM Repository
    22. Lab: Querying the RPM Database
    23. Lab: Installing Software via RPM & Source and Rebuilding SRPMs
    24. Lab: Managing YUM Repositories
    25. Lab: Managing Zypper Repositories
    26. Lab: Using YUM
    27. Lab: Using Zypper
  • Filesystem Administration
    1. Partitioning Disks with fdisk
    2. Partitioning Disks with parted
    3. Filesystem Creation
    4. Mounting Filesystems
    5. Filesystem Maintenance
    6. Persistent Block Devices
    7. Resizing Filesystems
    8. Swap
    9. Two Types of Disk Space
    10. Determining Disk Usage With df and du
    11. Configuring Disk Quotas
    12. Setting Quotas
    13. Viewing and Monitoring Quotas
    14. Filesystem Attributes
    15. Backup Software
    16. Backup Examples
    17. Lab: Creating and Managing Filesystems
    18. Lab: Hot Adding Swap
    19. Lab: Setting User Quotas
    20. Lab: Using tar and cpio for Backups
    21. Lab: Using rsync and ssh for Backups
    22. Lab: Using dump and restore for Backups
    23. Lab: Creating ISO Images for Backups
  • LVM & RAID
    1. Logical Volume Management
    2. Implementing LVM
    3. Creating Logical Volumes
    4. Manipulating VGs & LVs
    5. Advanced LVM Concepts
    6. system-config-lvm
    7. SLES Graphical Disk Tool
    8. RAID Concepts
    9. Array Creation with mdadm
    10. Software RAID Monitoring
    11. Software RAID Control and Display
    12. Lab: Creating and Managing LVM Volumes
    13. Lab: Creating and Managing a RAID-5 Array
  • 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. Implementing NFSv4
    9. AutoFS
    10. AutoFS Configuration
    11. Accessing Windows/Samba Shares from CentOS
    12. SAN Multipathing
    13. Multipath Configuration
    14. Multipathing Best Practices
    15. iSCSI Architecture
    16. Open-iSCSI Initiator Implementation
    17. iSCSI Initiator Discovery
    18. iSCSI Initiator Node Administration
    19. Mounting iSCSI Targets at Boot
    20. iSCSI Multipathing Considerations
    21. Lab: Using autofs
    22. Lab: NFS Server Configuration
    23. Lab: iSCSI Initiator Configuration
  • User/Group Administration
    1. User and Group Concepts
    2. User Administration
    3. Modifying Accounts
    4. Group Administration
    5. Password Aging
    6. Default User Files
    7. Controlling Logins
    8. Manual DS Client Configuration
    9. system-config-authentication
    10. SLES Graphical DS Client Configuration
    11. System Security Services Daemon (SSSD)
    12. Lab: User and Group Administration
    13. Lab: Using LDAP for Centralized User Accounts
    14. Lab: Troubleshooting Practice: Account Management
    15. Lab: Using NIS for Centralized User Accounts
  • 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.so
    7. pam_unix2.so
    8. pam_nologin.so
    9. pam_limits.so
    10. pam_wheel.so
    11. pam_xauth.so
    12. Lab: Restricting superuser access to wheel group membership
    13. Lab: Using pam_nologin to Restrict Logins
    14. Lab: Setting Limits with the pam_limits Modules
    15. Lab: Using pam_limits to Restrict Simultaneous Logins
  • Security Administration
    1. Security Concepts
    2. Tightening Default Security
    3. Security Checker
    4. Security Advisories
    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. AppArmor
    13. CentOS Security Framework
    14. CentOS Modes
    15. CentOS Commands
    16. Choosing an CentOS Policy
    17. CentOS Booleans
    18. Permissive Domains
    19. Graphical CentOS Policy Tools
    20. Lab: User Private Groups
    21. Lab: Using Filesystem ACLs
    22. Lab: Exploring CentOS Modes
    23. Lab: CentOS File Contexts
  • Process Administration
    1. Automating Tasks
    2. at/batch
    3. cron
    4. The crontab Command
    5. crontab Format
    6. /etc/cron.*/ Directories
    7. anacron
    8. Viewing Processes
    9. Managing Processes
    10. Tuning Process Scheduling
    11. Process Accounting
    12. Enabling Process Accounting
    13. Setting Resource Limits via ulimit
    14. Lab: Creating and Managing User Cron Jobs
    15. Lab: Adding System cron Jobs
    16. Lab: Using BSD Process Accounting
  • Basic Networking
    1. IPv4 Fundamentals
    2. TCP/UDP Fundamentals
    3. CentOS 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. system-config-network{tui,cmd}
    13. YaST Network Configuration Tool
    14. Network Diagnostics
    15. Information from netstat
    16. Managing Network-Wide Time
    17. Continual Time Sync with NTP
    18. Configuring NTP Clients
    19. Useful NTP Commands
    20. Lab: Network Discovery
    21. Lab: NTP Client Configuration
  • Advanced Networking
    1. Multiple IP Addresses
    2. Configuring a DHCP server
    3. Enabling IPv6
    4. Interface Bonding
    5. Interface Bridging
    6. 802.1q VLANS
    7. Tuning Kernel Network Settings
    8. Lab: Multiple IP Addresses Per Network Interface
    9. Lab: Configuring IPv6
    10. Lab: Troubleshooting Practice: Networking
  • The X Window System
    1. The X Window System
    2. X Modularity
    3. X.Org Drivers
    4. Configuring X Manually
    5. Automatic X Configuration
    6. Automatic X Configuration - SLES
    7. Xorg and Fonts
    8. The X Font Server
    9. Installing Fonts for Modern Applications
    10. Installing Fonts for Legacy Applications
    11. The X11 Protocol and Display Names
    12. Display Managers and Graphical Login
    13. Starting X Apps Automatically
    14. X Access Control
    15. Remote X Access (historical/insecure approach)
    16. Remote X Access (modern/secure approach)
    17. XDMCP
    18. Remote Graphical Access With VNC and RDP
    19. Specialized X Servers
    20. Lab: Remote X with XDMCP
    21. Lab: Configure X Security
    22. Lab: Configure a VNC Server
    23. Lab: Configure a VNC Server
    24. Lab: Launching X Apps Automatically
    25. Lab: Secure X
    26. Lab: Troubleshooting Practice: X11
  • Log File Administration
    1. System Logging
    2. Syslog-ng
    3. Rsyslog
    4. /etc/rsyslog.conf
    5. Log Management
    6. Log Anomaly Detector
    7. Lab: Setting up a Full Debug Logfile
    8. Lab: Remote Syslog Configuration
  • 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. strace and ltrace
    8. Common Problems
    9. Incorrect File Permissions
    10. Inability to Boot
    11. Typos in Configuration Files
    12. Corrupt Filesystems
    13. Rescue Environment
    14. Lab: Recovering Damaged MBR
  • Pre-Installation Considerations
    1. Pre-Installation Considerations
    2. Hardware Compatibility
    3. Multi-OS Booting
    4. Partition Considerations
    5. Filesystem Planning
    6. Selecting a Filesystem
  • Installing CentOS
    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. A Typical Install
    10. Lab: CentOS Installation
    11. Lab: Automating Installation with Kickstart
  • Installing SLES11
    1. Installation Choices
    2. DVD-ROM Install Media
    3. Network Installation
    4. SLP for CentOS Installation
    5. Local Hard Drive Installation
    6. Install Program Interface
    7. Installation Diagnostics
    8. Language/Keyboard Selection and EULA
    9. Installation Mode
    10. Clock and Time Zone
    11. Desktop Selection
    12. Server Base Scenario
    13. The YaST Installer Design
    14. Disk Partitioning
    15. Boot Loader Configuration
    16. Software Package Selection
    17. Kernel Crash Dump Configuration
    18. Confirmation and File Installation
    19. Setting the Root Password
    20. Hostname and Domain Name
    21. Network Configuration
    22. SLES Services Configuration
    23. Adding a User Account
    24. Release Notes
    25. Final Installation Hub
    26. Installation Complete and AutoYaST2
    27. Using AutoYaST2 files
    28. Creating AutoYaST2 Files
    29. linuxrc Automation
    30. Lab: Installation
    31. Lab: Automating Installation with AutoYaST
  • Appendix A: Xen Virtualization
    1. Virtualization: What and Why?
    2. What is Xen?
    3. Xen Architecture
    4. Xen Deployment Options and Considerations
    5. Xen Networking
    6. Live Migration of Xen Virtual Servers
    7. xend Configuration
    8. Guest Config Files
    9. The xm Command
    10. Common xm Usage
    11. Xen Configuration Tools
    12. Lab: Installing a Xen VM
    13. Lab: Creating a Bootstrapped Xen Guest
  • Appendix B. CentOS Kernel Compilation
    1. Why Compile?
    2. Getting Kernel Source
    3. Preparing to Compile
    4. Configuring Kernel Compilation Options
    5. Available Kernel Compile Options
    6. Compiling the Kernel
    7. Install Compiled Kernel Modules
    8. Installing the Kernel
    9. Tips and Tricks
    10. Lab: CentOS Kernel 2.6 Driver Compilation
    11. CentOS Kernel 2.6 Compilation