Linux Systems Administration

Course Description

This comprehensive course is designed to equip learners with a profound understanding of Linux system administration. The course kicks off with foundational concepts such as the Linux Kernel, device management, and the intricacies of systemd, setting the stage for deeper exploration into system boot processes, including GRUB2 and systemd boot. Each section progresses through detailed topics, including hardware discovery, kernel module configuration, and systemd service management, ensuring participants build a robust foundation in managing and configuring the core aspects of a Linux system.

As the course unfolds, it delves into advanced areas such as software maintenance, local and remote storage administration, user and group management, and the critical aspects of security through Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) and comprehensive security administration modules. These sections are crafted to cover the essentials of software management using RPM and DNF, the intricacies of LVM & RAID for storage, and the importance of security in system administration, including SELinux and firewall management. The practical application of these concepts is reinforced through targeted lab tasks, where learners apply knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhancing their problem-solving and system management skills.

The course also addresses the dynamic nature of networking and system maintenance, with chapters dedicated to basic and advanced networking concepts, log file administration, and the pivotal aspects of monitoring and troubleshooting. These sections are crucial for understanding how Linux systems interact within networked environments and how administrators can effectively monitor, diagnose, and resolve system issues. This course is designed not just to impart theoretical knowledge but to foster practical skills and critical thinking, preparing learners for the challenges of Linux system administration in real-world environments.

Training Objectives

At the end of the training participants:

• Understand the Linux kernel and device management as well as the GRUB2 and systemd based system boot process.
• Discover hardware, configure kernel modules and manage systemd services.
• Maintain software on enterprise Linux systems with RPM and DNF.
• Administer local storage as well as LVM and RAID based storage and configure remote storage.
• Manage users and groups and configure authentication with Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM).
• Administer system security, including SELinux and firewall management.
• Configure basic and advanced networking on Linux systems.
• Administer log files and monitor and troubleshoot Linux systems in real-world scenarios.

Target Audience

IT professionals

Prerequisites

Participants 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. These skills are taught in the GL-120: Linux Fundamentals course.

Distributions

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 / SUSE Linux 15