Course Description

Course Overview

Red Hat System Administration II (RH134) is an intermediate-level course designed to build on the foundational knowledge gained in RH124. This course focuses on advanced system administration tasks in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, including managing file systems and storage, configuring networking, implementing security measures, and deploying various services. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on lab exercises, and real-world scenarios, students will gain the skills required to perform complex administrative tasks on Red Hat Linux systems.

Prerequisites

• Successful completion of Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Familiarity with basic Red Hat Linux commands, file systems, user management, and networking concepts.

Methodology

The course will use a blended learning approach, combining theoretical lectures, practical demonstrations, and hands-on lab exercises. Instructors will provide in-depth explanations of advanced concepts, accompanied by demonstrations to illustrate implementation techniques. The majority of the course will be devoted to hands-on lab exercises, enabling students to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios and solidify their skills.

Course Outline

• Automating Installation with Kickstart
• Introduction to Kickstart installations
• Creating and customizing Kickstart files
• Using Kickstart to automate installation tasks
• Using Regular Expressions with grep
• Understanding regular expressions (regex)
• Using grep and regex to search for text patterns
• Managing File Systems and Logical Volumes
• Managing ext4 file systems and swap space
• Creating and managing logical volumes and snapshots
• Implementing advanced storage features, such as RAID and LVM cache
• Accessing Network Storage with NFS and CIFS
• Configuring NFS (Network File System) and CIFS (Common Internet File System) clients
• Mounting and unmounting network file systems
• Managing User Authentication with Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
• Configuring PAM to enforce user authentication policies
• Using PAM to manage user access control
• Controlling Access to Network Services
• Configuring firewall rules with firewalld
• Implementing SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) policies
• Controlling and Troubleshooting the Boot Process
• Managing GRUB2 (GRand Unified Bootloader) settings
• Analyzing and troubleshooting boot issues

Outcome

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Automate Red Hat Linux installations using Kickstart files.
• Use regular expressions and grep to search for text patterns.
• Manage file systems, logical volumes, and storage features such as RAID and LVM cache.
• Access and mount network storage using NFS and CIFS protocols.
• Configure Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) for user authentication policies.
• Implement firewall rules with firewalld and manage SELinux policies.
• Control and troubleshoot the Linux boot process.

Labs

• Kickstart Installation: Students will automate the installation of Red Hat Linux using Kickstart files.
• grep and Regular Expressions: Students will use grep and regular expressions to search for specific text patterns in log files.
• Logical Volume Management: Students will create and manage logical volumes, implement RAID, and configure LVM cache.
• NFS and CIFS Configuration: Students will configure and mount network file systems using NFS and CIFS protocols.
• Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) Configuration: Students will configure PAM for user authentication and access control.
• Firewall and SELinux Configuration: Students will configure firewalld rules and manage SELinux policies for network security.
• Boot Process Troubleshooting: Students will troubleshoot boot issues and manage GRUB2 settings for the Linux boot process.