Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8

Administrative Level Courses

Red Hat System RHCSA 8 Rapid Track ***

Administration I *
Core Skills (5 days)
Core Skills (5 days)
Bootcamp Preparation for RHCSA 8
Part 1 Preparation for RHCSA 8

Red Hat System Red Hat System

Administration II ** Administration III ****

Core Skills (5 days) Linux Automation with the

Ansible Core and Ansible Tower
Part 2 Preparation for RHCSA 8
(3 - 5 days)

• equivalent to Red Hat courses : *(124) **(134) ***(199) ****(294)

• participants use virtualized RHEL 8 system(s) for hands-on commands and lab exercises
 Red Hat System Administration I
COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course presents the basic working environment of a Linux system.

It introduces commonly required operations that can be performed by
entering commands interactively in a command terminal, along with
functions available in the GNOME Desktop Environment . This course
will concentrate on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), version 8 (all
current update levels).

This course is the equivalent of Red Hat course 124.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Each participant will be able to use RHEL 8 Bash Shell techniques

and commands to maintain collections of files, create files using
interactive editor utilities, create and execute basic command
procedures, communicate with other users, and tailor the interactive
environment to meet their needs. Basic administrative features to
setup a functioning RHEL 8 system will also be shown.

COURSE TOPICS

Get Started with RHEL 8 / Access the Command Line

graphical login
non-graphical login
virtual consoles
Unix / Linux standards
BASH environment
BASH command line format
aliases (defining and using)
RHEL 8 system messages
editing shell command lines
keyboard control characters

Configure and Secure SSH - Part 1

command line operations - local host
command line operations - remote host
command line operations - remote host - ssh
Red Hat System Administration I
COURSE TOPICS

Get Help in RHEL 8

RHEL 8 help information
BASH command help information
RHEL 8 package help information
RHEL 8 on-line documentation
Linux graphical help information

Access Linux Filesystems

complete file specification
default parts of file specifications
directory specifications
file specification
file characteristics information
locating files and directories

Manage Files from the Command Line

basic file manipulation commands
more file manipulation commands
defining and using hard links
defining and using symbolic links
redirection of input, output, and error information
pipelines

Archive and Transfer Files

tar
gzip and gunzip
remote file operations - wget utility
remote file operations - ssh utilities
rsync
vsftpd package
managing vsftpd

Control Access to Files

protecting files (chmod, umask)
special file attributes (chattr, lsattr)
Red Hat System Administration I
COURSE TOPICS

Create, View, and Edit Text Files

file manipulation commands
redirecting standard output
vim editor (introduction)
gedit editor (introduction)
nano editor (introduction)

Monitor and Manage Linux Processes

user working environment
user process characteristics
displaying process information (static) - ps
displaying process information (dynamic) - top
controlling process execution
adjusting process priority
process monitoring tools
cache management
process affinity

Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

installing RHEL 8 system software
RHEL 8 directed installation
RHEL 8 directed installation - firstboot

Analyze Servers and Get Support

RHEL 8 administrative software
cockpit
RHEL 8 web-based portal

Install and Update Software

managing RHEL 8 software packages
rpm command usage
dnf / yum command usage
legacy (non-streamed) package repository setup
streamed (AppStream)package repository setup
Apache web server configuration
Red Hat System Administration I
COURSE TOPICS

Manage Local Linux Users and Groups

user account management
/etc/passwd file
/etc/group file
user account creation
environment files
password aging
PAM
account deletion
RHEL 8 administrator responsibilities
using the root account

Configure and Secure Open SSH Service - Part 2

command line operations - remote host - ssh

Manage Networking
network configuration
host configuration
gateway configuration
maintaining system time via an ntp server
maintaining system time via chrony
time zone manipulation

Control Services and Daemons

RHEL 8 startup configuration
systemd target files
systemd services
systemd actions
systemd startup services
boot logging
systemd journal logging
 Red Hat System Administration I
COURSE TOPICS

Analyze and Store Logs

system logging mechanism
kernel message logging
system logging configuration
remote system logging
logrotate

COURSE DURATION

This course normally requires five (5) days, approximately 50% lecture
and 50% lab time.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

This course is considered to be the basic Red Hat course. Experience

with any interactive system is helpful.

This course is the first of two courses used in preparation for the
examination to achieve the Red Hat Certified System Administrator
(RHCSA 8) certification.
 Red Hat System Administration II

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will present the commands and methods needed to setup
and manage a RHEL 8 system. The course will also use a problem
solving approach in the lab exercises to teach system administrators
advanced topics, for long-term management of the system.

This course is the equivalent to Red Hat course 134, and is a

continuation and companion to Red Hat course 124, and is the
second preparation course for the RHCSA 8 certification examination.

Systems: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Version 78(all update levels)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course, a systems administrator should be able to

install, update, and boot the RHEL 8 operating system; set up
user accounts and directories; prepare queues for use; perform
backups for integrity and performance reasons; monitor the system
for performance and do basic setup of network software and capabilities.

COURSE TOPICS

Improve Command Line Productivity

vim editor
invoking vim
.vimrc file
key vim features
advanced vim features
gvim
using command aliases and shell scripts

Using Regular Expressions with grep

regular expressions
Red Hat System Administration II

COURSE TOPICS

Schedule Future Tasks

submitting a batch job with at
batch job logging with at
submitting a batch job with crontab
crontab file entry layout
uses of crontab entries
system level periodic processing via crond
periodic processing via a systemd timer

Control Access to Files with ACLs

special file attributes (SUID, SGID, STICKY)
special directory attributes (SGID, STICKY)
Access Control Lists (ACLs)
default directory access control lists (dACLs)

Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (with kickstart)

building a kickstart File
initiating Installation via a kickstart File
upgrading Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
KVM virtual machine requirements
KVM virtual machine creation

Control the Boot Process

RHEL 8 system initialization sequence
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2)
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2) - components
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2) - variables
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2) - menuentries
RHEL 8 server single user mode
RHEL 8 reset forgotten root password
kernel boot parameters
shutdown
install rescue mode
Red Hat System Administration II

COURSE TOPICS

Maintain Basic Storage

disk device and partition operations
disk device information
MBR partition table concepts
GPT partition table concepts
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 system (boot) disk
MBR partition operations
GPT partition operations
file system operations
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 ext* file system layout
ext4 filesystem
superblock backup areas
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 xfs file system layout
xfs filesystem
unmounting filesystems
swapping and paging spaces
encrypted filesystems
changes to /tmp

Manage Logical Volumes

logical volume management concepts
logical volume management utilities
using the logical volume manager
physical volumes
volume groups
logical volumes
logical volume mirroring
logical volume backup
using logical volumes as swap space
Red Hat System Administration II

COURSE TOPICS

Implement Advanced Storage Features

Stratis volume management concepts
using Stratis as a volume managing filesystem
Stratis volume management commands
using Stratis
VDO volume management concepts
using VDO as for volume compression
VDO volume management commands
using VDO

Manage Network Security

service specific access control
firewalld components
firewall interface - firewall-cmd
firewall interface - cockpit
nftables firewall

Access Network-Attached Storage

Network File System concepts
Network File System configuration
setting up the Network File System
starting up the Network File System
using the Network File System
Automounter - direct / indirect maps

Manage SELinux Security

SELinux concepts
SELinux files and utilities
Red Hat System Administration II

COURSE TOPICS

Tune System Performance

overview of performance management
utilities for performance monitoring
changing system and kernel parameters
using tuned to define performance profiles

COURSE DURATION

This course normally requires five (5) days, approximately

50% lecture, and 50% hands-on commands and lab exercises.
If this class is being used as a preparation for the RHCSA 8
examination, a practice exam will be part of the afternoon session
on the fifth day.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

It is assumed that the participant has successfully completed the

Red Hat System Administration I (RH 124) course, or has
equivalent system administration experience on a RHEL 7 or 8 server.
 RHCSA 8 Rapid Track
COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course presents the working environment of a RHEL 8 system.

It introduces commonly required operations that can be performed by
entering commands interactively in a command terminal, along with
functions available in the GNOME Desktop Environment . This course
will concentrate on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), version 8
(all update levels).

This course is the equivalent of Red Hat course 199, to prepare

for the RHCSA 8 examination.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 : System Administration - Rapid

Track with Exam Preparation course is designed for clients who
operate and manage Linux server systems. This course prepares
participants for the Red Hat Certified System Administrator
( RHCSA 8 ) certification exam.
.

COURSE TOPICS

Accessing Systems and Get Help

graphical login
non-graphical login
Unix / Linux standards
BASH command line format
alias (defining and using)
RHEL 8 help information
RHEL 8 package information
using the root account
RHCSA 8 Rapid Track
COURSE TOPICS

Navigate File Systems

system directories hierarchy
file manipulation commands
file characteristics information
defining and using hard links
defining and using symbolic links
standard input, output, error, and pipelines
vim editor
tar, gzip, gunzip utilities
remote file operations - ssh
regular expressions

Control Access to Files

protecting files (chmod, umask)
special file attributes (SUID, SGID, STICKY)
special directory attributes (SGID, STICKY)
Access Control Lists (ACLs)

Schedule Future Tasks

submitting a batch job with at
submitting a batch job with crontab
crontab file entry layout
uses of crontab entries
system level periodic processing via crond
periodic processing via a systemd timer
RHCSA 8 Rapid Track
COURSE TOPICS

Install and Update Software Packages

managing RHEL 8 software packages
rpm command usage
dnf / yum command usage
legacy (non-streamed) package repository setup
streamed (AppStream)package repository setup
Apache web server configuration

Controlling Services and the Boot Process

RHEL 8 system initialization sequence
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2)
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2) - components
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2) - variables
Grand Unified Boot Loader (GRUB 2) - menuentries
RHEL 8 single user mode
RHEL 8 reset forgotten root password
kernel boot parameters
shutdown
systemd target files
systemd services
systemd actions
system logging
startup boot logging
systemd journal logging

Manage Local Users and Groups

user account management
/etc/passwd file
/etc/group file
user account creation
password aging
account deletion
RHEL 8 user process characteristics
viewing kernel information (about processes)
controlling process execution
adjusting process priority
process monitoring tools
RHCSA 8 Rapid Track
COURSE TOPICS

Manage Basic Storage

disk device and partition operations
disk device information
MBR partition table concepts
GPT partition table concepts
MBR partition operations
GPT partition operations
file system operations
ext4 filesystem
xfs filesystem
unmounting filesystems
swapping and paging spaces

Implement Advanced Storage Features

logical volume management concepts
logical volume management utilities
using the logical volume manager
physical volumes
volume groups
logical volumes
using logical volumes as swap space
Stratis volume management concepts
using Stratis as a volume managing filesystem
Stratis volume management commands
using Stratis
VDO (volume disk optimizer concepts)
using VDO as a volume-manager
VDO volume management commands
using VDO with filesystems
using VDO with LVM
RHCSA 8 Rapid Track
COURSE TOPICS

Manage Networking
network configuration
host configuration
gateway configuration
maintaining system time via an ntp server
maintaining system time via chrony

Manage Network Security

remote host access via ssh
firewalld components
firewall interface - firewall-cmd
firewall interface - cockpit

Access Network-Attached Storage

Network File System concepts
setting up the Network File System
starting up the Network File System
using the Network File System

Manage SELinux Security

SELinux concepts
SELinux files and utilities
SELinux files and utilities - labels
SELinux event diagnostics
SELinux files and utilities - booleans

Tune System Performance

overview of performance management
tuned components
tuned operations
tuned operations - cockpit
 RHCSA 8 Rapid Track
COURSE TOPICS

RHCSA 8 published exam objectives

Comprehensive review - practice test

COURSE DURATION

This course normally requires five (5) days, approximately 50%

lecture and 50% lab time.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

This course is a concentrated preparation for the RHCSA 8 examination.

Participants are assumed to be (Red Hat Enterprise) Linux 8 system

administrators working on production level configurations, and have
used and demonstrated competencies in Linux fundamentals and
entry-level administrative functions.
 Red Hat System Administration III
Linux Automation with the
Ansible Core and the Ansible Tower
Course Description

This course presents the system management and configuration tool Ansible, from
methods, techniques, capabilities to implementation. Each participant will learn how to
configure an Ansible control machine along with the impact on the Linux system. A lot
of time and attention will be spent in learning, writing, and applying playbook definitions,
the key part of Ansible that allows the synchronization of environments easily and
uniformly, to apply to Linux, Unix and Windows systems.

Course Objectives
At the completion of the course, participants should be able to :

• configure Ansible control-node and managed-node(s)

• create and run playbooks
• use standard Ansible modules
• create and modify hosts (inventory) definitions
• roles: create, install and access with the Ansible Galaxy
• design a 'best practice' strategy for using Ansible capabilities
• learn the usage and capabilities of the Ansible Tower / AWX

Target Audience

This course is directed towards working systems administrators, software developers,

application testers, and quality assurance personnel.

Implementation
Each participant will have a dedicated RHEL 8 virtual server for Ansible installation,
playbook development, and DSL features, with an installed Ansible Tower / AWX instance.
A CentOS 7 minimal virtual system and a virtualized Windows host will be setup as Ansible
managed nodes. A local Git repo will be created to define a role structure, and will
be used for local and remote access with Ansible Galaxy.
 Red Hat System Administration III
Linux Automation with the
Ansible Core and the Ansible Tower
Course Topics
Introduction
• software development (cycle) considerations
• strengths and weaknesses of Ansible
• Ansible terminology
• Ansible required environment setup

Initial Setup and Configuration

• Ansible Core installation methods: rpm, pip, and Tower
• Ansible component locations
• Ansible documentation
• Ansible configuration file
• inventory (hosts) file contents (Linux and Windows nodes)
• (gathering) system facts (methods)
• using system facts

Ansible Playbooks
• layout of playbook sections :
-- directives, variable definitions, tasks, handlers, module modifiers
• variable creation and usage
• using modules in playbooks
• controls : loops, conditionals, tags, notifications, plugins, filters, and lookups
• running as root
 Red Hat System Administration III
Linux Automation with the
Ansible Core and the Ansible Tower
Course Topics
Ansible Modules
• layout of an Ansible module
• Linux modules : file, yum, systemd, cron, user, shell, filesystem
• using the Windows specific (win_) modules
• common Linux and Windows modules

roles in Ansible
• overview of a role
• creating a role (structure)
• using (a) role(s)
• packaging up a role
• Ansible Galaxy - capabilities and usage with roles
• Git repo (role) repository (creation)
• local access of a Git repo role repository
• remote access of a Git repo role repository

Managed Nodes
• requirements for a Linux managed node
• inventory and access control information on the control node
• setup of a Linux managed node
• requirements for a Windows managed node
• setup of a Windows managed node
 Red Hat System Administration III
Linux Automation with the
Ansible Core and the Ansible Tower
Course Topics
Ansible AWX / Tower
• comparison of Ansible Tower and Ansible AWX
• installation of Ansible AWX
• using the Ansible AWX (dashboard)
• define Ansible AWX user accounts
• create inventories of systems (with credentials)
• create projects and job templates
• job scheduling (launch forms), status, and tracking
• watching and chaining (multi-) playbooks (workflows)
• controlling and viewing logs and audit trails
• notifications
• updating the Ansible Tower
• (an introduction to) Ansible Tower clusters
• using the Ansible Tower API
browser based interface
tower-cli
tower_* Ansible modules

Prerequisites
It is assumed that participants are working systems administrators / developers / testers with
some very basic scripting knowledge (bash, ksh, Perl or Python) and an understanding of
fundamental system utilities / commands on Linux and Windows systems

Duration

This course requires three to five (3 - 5) days, 50% lecture, with 50% hands-on commands
and lab exercises.