CTS 2301C
UNIX / Linux Administration I

View Weekly Course Schedule 

View Course Resources.

View Project 1 requirements.
View Project 2 requirements.
View Project 3 requirements.
View Project 4 requirements.
View Project 5 requirements.
View Project 6 requirements.
View Project 7 requirements.
View Project 8 requirements.
View Project 9 requirements.
View next project requirements
    (project 1 for Admin II).
              Other interesting links:

Visit the Tampa-St. Pete Linux User's Group (SLUG).  This group holds monthly meetings.  See also the Pinellas Unix People (PUP) group. 
Most Unix and Linux software is actually GNU software (www.gnu.org), a project of the Free Software Foundation.  Search for RPMs and download updates from RPMFind.net.
A lot of Linux software can be found at www.FreshMeat.net.  You can get involved with open-source software at sourceforge.net.  You can download free distributions of Unix and Linux from distrowatch.com.
Download the PuTTY suite of Internet tools: SSH, scp, sFTP, and others, from www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty.  Download the WinSCP GUI wrapper for the PuTTY scp and sFTP tools from sourceforge.net/projects/winscp/.
Read the real History of Unix.
Visit www.unix.org for the Open Group's Unix site, including the Single Unix Specification.
View Solaris certification FAQ and Oracle's Solaris 11 Certification information, and Oracle Linux Certification information.
View Linux Professional Institute (LPI) certifications and View LPIC-1 exam objectives.
View Linux Foundation Certification LFCS and LFCE certification information.
View Red Hat certification and Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam objectives.
View Novell Linux certification and Novell Certified Linux Administrator (CLA) exam objectives.

CTS-2301C Syllabus

Spring 2021

Course policies
Time & Place: Ref No. 48340: Monday, Wednesday, 5:30 – 7:05 PM, via Zoom
Instructor: Name:  Wayne Pollock
E-mail:  Internet:
Office & Phone:  DTEC–404, 253–7213
View my Office Hours.
Skype ID:  wpollock@hccfl.edu    
Homepage URL:  https://wpollock.com/
Texts: Evi Nemeth et. al., Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook, Fifth Edition.  ©2018 Pearson Education, Inc.  ISBN: 978-0-13-427755-4.

HCC bookstore on-line

Description: (This course is 3 credit hours long.)  This course is a continuation of CTS 1106 (Introduction to Unix).  The focus is hands-on Linux system administration.  Topics include system administration concepts, system installation and configuration.  Additional topics include understanding the Unix filesystem, configuring basic system hardware and services, managing user accounts, basic system security, and backups.  Major Unix variants will also be covered.  This course continues with CTS 2322 (Unix/Linux Administration II).

Instructional Methodology:  The class format will be lecture and discussion; class participation is strongly encouraged.  Assignments will be mostly group programming projects.  While some time will be provided in class, most assignments will require several hours per week outside of class.

Objectives: The student will demonstrate a knowledge of the following topics through objective tests, hands-on activities, and/or projects:
  1. Understand the role and common tasks of a system administrator, including job titles, salary, certifications, professional societies, and required soft skills
  2. Understand partitioning, disk layout, and storage technology
  3. Understand booting, boot managers
  4. Understand OS installation issues, install Linux, and troubleshoot common installation problems
  5. Understand and manage basic system hardware, including disk drive, NIC, and RAM installation, hardware disposal procedures, and basic safety issues (such as shock) and risks (such as ESD)
  6. Understand and manage disks and filesystems using tools such as fdisk, mount and umount (and the role of the fstab file), tune2fs, mkfs, fsck, and others
  7. Understand and use removable media
  8. Understand, use, and configure the graphic user interface
  9. Understand change management (including time management, help desk setup, and using a trouble-ticketing system), configuration management, patch management, and DevOps
  10. Understand system startup and shutdown, run-levels
  11. Understand how to start and stop services manually and automatically at boot time
  12. Understand policies and procedures, such as a disaster recovery policy (DRP)
  13. Understand and use essential tools to perform system administrative tasks
  14. Install, manage, and update software packages using RPM and apt on Linux, and pkg on Solaris and BSD
  15. Understand and configure printing services, including local and remote printing using CUPS
  16. Understand basics of database servers (MySQL, PostgreSQL, and basic SQL), and how to configure them
  17. Understand how to add, remove, and manage user and group accounts
  18. Understand and manage passwords
  19. Understand and manage disk quotas
  20. Understand and perform basic network configuration, including TCP/IP and DNS, ISP connections using modems (PPP), cable modems (PPPoE), and DSL
  21. Understand backup and restore strategies and methods
Prerequisite: CTS 1106, or Permission of the Instructor.  Students enrolled in a degree or college credit certificate program must complete all prerequisites.  Note!  HCC registration computers may not check for prerequisites before allowing you to enroll.  Be certain you have all required prerequisites or you won't have much of a chance of success.  Also, you may be dropped from the class.
Canvas and Software: The course materials are available online; you will need to have a computer which meets the minimum requirements as stated in the Canvas Student Guide and Internet access in order to complete the course.

You will need to use Zoom.  While Zoom can be used from a web browser, I recommend installing Zoom on your computer.  Download Zoom from Zoom.us.  You can then read Zoom user guidesBe sure to keep your Zoom software up to date!

Students are responsible for accessing Canvas and Zoom and familiarizing themselves with navigation of the web site.  The instructor is not responsible for the breakdown of technology including, but not limited to any of the following: inability to submit assignments, downtime of the Canvas server, operating system breakdowns, incompatible software, Internet connections; nor any personal challenges you may face while dealing with the 'online' delivery system.

Linux Systems:

In the past, HCC provided each student with a removable disk they could use for the whole semester.  Since the class no longer meets on-campus, adjustments will have to be made for the projects.  For our course, you can use an old computer to install Linux.  For most of us, it is more convenient setup a virtual machine and install Linux on that.  This is what your instructor uses.  (A dual-boot setup is also possible.  While not recommended, a dual-boot setup does have the advantage that you can examine real hardware, a useful skill.)

HCC Facilities and Resources:

A class “wiki” has been set up for your use, at YborStudent.hccfl.edu/UnixWiki/.  To add or modify any content, you must create a login for yourself.  Use an account name that clearly indicates your real name; avoid account names such as “The Linuxator”.  You can use this wiki to hold discussions, ask questions, and contribute information to the collaborative study guide.  You can create your personal page(s) to hold your system journal or class notes.  (All content on the wiki, including personal user pages, are publicly readable, and must adhere to HCC policies.)

You can use HawkNet (WebAdvisor) to obtain your final grade for the course.  You can use your assigned Hawkmail (Hawkmail365) email address or use Canvas, if you wish to discuss your grades via email.  (Note, it may be possible to setup your Hawkmail account to forward all received emails to some outside email account; but you still must send mail from your official HCC account to discuss grades.)

Most college systems now (or will in the future) use a single sign-on user ID, known as HCC “NetID”.  Visit netid.hccfl.edu to register and to update your credentials.  (Your initial password is your uppercase first name initial, lowercase last name initial, and your seven digit student ID number.)  Note, the quickest way to resolve login issues is the HCC Live Web Portal (hcclive.hccfl.edu).

The college provides wireless network connections for students and guests on Dale Mabry campus.  For students, select the network “HCC_Wireless” from the list of available networks.  Follow the on-screen steps by entering your HCC email address and network password.  For HCC guests: Select “HCC_Guest” from available networks.  Follow the on-screen steps to complete registration.  This network will be available between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM.  These are the only official HCC networks; don't use others that may appear.

Hawk Alert text messaging service allows you to receive important information regarding campus closures or emergencies.  You may also sign up for financial aid notifications and registration and payment deadlines.  This is a free service, although some fees may be applied by your cellular service provider or plan for text messages.  For more information, visit https://www.hccfl.edu/support-services/hawk-alert.

HCC DM Open Lab

Computers are located in the Dale Mabry campus computer science department open lab, in DTEC–462.  Lab hours are:

Dale Mabry campus open lab hours
Monday – Wednesday8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Thursday – Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM

For Remote Assistance Call 813-253-7330, or send email to dteclab@hccfl.edu.

Some tutoring services for some courses are offered: CGS-1000 Intro to Computers and Tech, CET-1172C PC Upgrade and Repair-Hardware, CET-1174C PC Upgrade and Repair-Software, CET-1600 Cisco Network Fundamentals, CET-1610 Cisco Router Technology, CTS-1303 Microsoft Beginning Server I, and CTS-1106 Intro to UNIX/Linux.

Rules for Using HCC Facilities

  1. No food or drinks in classrooms or labs, especially near computer equipment.
  2. Students bringing their own laptops need to use the wireless network only.  Students cannot disconnect network cables from classroom's computers to connect their personal devices.
  3. Students are not allowed to disconnect monitors or computers to power their personal equipment.

HCC's Student Assistance Program (SAP) offers resources tailored to student life, providing you with the right tools to help you through some of life's toughest challenges.  The college has contracted Baycare Health Management to provide free, professional, confidential counseling by telephone and in person.  A wide range of topics may be addressed through this program, including mental health counseling, budgeting, and financial concerns.  Please call 800-878-5470 or send email to baycaresap@baycare.org for further information.

Grading:
Grading Policy
Projects (about 9): 50%
3 equally weighted closed-book multiple choice exams     50%
Wiki (class study guide) assignment: +5
Classroom participation: +5%

Grading scale:  A=90-100,   B=80-89,   C=70-79,   D=65-69,   F=0-64
(Or you can elect to “audit” the class during the add/drop period.)

(Collaborating on the class wiki counts as up to 5 points extra credit, as does active class participation.  See below for details.)

Policies:
  • Course format is interactive lecture, with most projects done outside of class.  Some class time will be reserved for working on projects but you will need to spend several hours per week outside of classtoo.
  • The textbook covers many versions of Unix and Linux.  All tests and projects are based on Linux, especially the Red Hat distributions (in particular, Fedora).  You are responsible for reading the sections in the text listed in the weekly schedule; however you can skip any non-Linux sections.
  • No makeup exams will be offered without the prior approval of the instructor.  If a make-up exam is offered, you can take the exam in my office during my regular office hours, or from the Dale Mabry Testing Center.  (Check for their hours of operation, and make sure to give yourself sufficient time to complete an exam.  You will need to make an appointment to schedule a make-up exam.)
  • Exams will be open book and open note, (mostly) multiple choice exams.  While the exams are non-cumulative, each does build upon knowledge acquired earlier.  Exams are based mostly upon material presented in class however some questions may be from assigned readings (the textbook and online resources).
  • Exams will only cover material discussed in class or assigned as reading, before the exam.  Should the class fall behind the course schedule, some topics shown on the syllabus due for an earlier exam will be tested on the following exam instead.
  • The schedule for the final week of the term may cause a conflict between our class schedule and another class's final exam.  It is up to you to determine if you will have a conflict, and to bring it to the attention of your instructor, so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
  • Regular attendance is imperative for the successful completion of this class.  The textbook and on-line resources should be considered as required course supplements; in other words, the course is not based on the text.  Furthermore, not all the material present in the class lecture notes will be covered on exams.
  • If you must miss a class, let your instructor know in advance and the class will be recorded, so you can watch it later.
  • All phones, pagers, and beepers must be turned off during class time, except with prior permission of the instructor.  No food or drink is permitted in HCC classrooms.
  • Attendance will be taken within 5 minutes of the start of class; after 4 unexcused absences and/or lateness, the student will lose 2 points off the final grade for each additional occurrence.
  • If you miss a class, you are still responsible for the material covered in that class.  All students should exchange contact information (name, email address, phone number) with at least one other student in the class.  If you must miss a class, you should then contact another student and request they take class notes for you.  (Note, Hawknet has Hawkmail365 email for HCC students.)
  • Credit for class participation includes attendance, preparedness, and adding to class discussions by asking questions and participating in discussions.  Playing computer games, surfing the Internet, or working on assignments for this or other classes during class time will lose you credit.
  • Additional time outside of class will be required.  For typical students an average of between 6 and 10 hours each week outside of class are required for preparation, practice, projects, and homework assignments.  Note some projects will require you to complete them from our classroom (or the open lab).
  • Students are expected to prepare for each class by completing all reading assignments, reviewing examples and model solutions provided, and practicing outside of class.  This is important — you can't learn a skill such as system administration only by attending class and reading books.  You must practice, several hours a few days each week!  If you won't have enough time available, consider auditing the course.
  • Students are expected to check the class website regularly.  Any syllabus changes, class cancellations, or changes to project assignments and homework assignments are announced in class in Canvas.
  • A student shall not, without my express authorization, make or receive any recording, including but not limited to audio and video recordings, of any class, cocurricular meeting, organizational meeting, or meeting with me.  Further, you do not have my permission to post on the web or otherwise distribute my class lectures and other course materials.  (You can distribute freely any materials I make publicly available from the HCC (or the wpollock.com) website, without asking permission, provided you give me credit for the work and don't alter it.  Any other use will require expressly given permission.)
  • Working together on individual assignments is considered as cheating!  Turning in someone else's work without giving them credit is also considered cheating (plagiarism).  Cheating will result in an automatic F (zero) for the project for all parties.  Also, you can only earn credit for your own work and not someone else's, even if you do cite your sources.  Note that projects may be group projects, where each member of a small group works together on a project.  It is also okay to ask a fellow student for class notes (in the event you miss a class) or for help in understanding the text or material given to the class (e.g., examples on the class website).  You are encouraged to study together as well.
  • Because you can learn a lot from your peers, both in the class and in the broader community, I encourage collaboration with both.  However, do not mistake this as a license to cheat.  It is one thing to learn from and with your peers; it is another to pass their work off as your own.  With respect to the assignments for this class:
    • You are expected to document any collaboration that takes place.
    • Absolutely no electronic transfer or other copying between students is permitted.
    • Any help that you “find” on the Internet must be cited, with an active link to that site.
    • While you are encouraged to engage in conversations in online forums, under no circumstances are you permitted to solicit other individuals to complete your work for you.  (So, no posting assignments and asking for answers.)
    • Ultimately, YOU are responsible for all aspects of your submissions.  Failure to be able to explain and defend your submission will be treated as a violation of academic integrity.
  • You must abide by the HCC Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for computers and services.  (Also found in the student handbook.)  In particular, you must not run network scanners, or attempt to obtain administrator (“root”) privileges or otherwise disrupt HCC computers and services.  In some explicitly stated circumstances, some parts of the AUP may not apply.  If in any doubt, ask!
  • You must follow the academic honesty policy and the student code of conduct for HCC.  A second cheating offense will result in an “F” for the course, and your name will be turned over to the dean for further handling.  I take these matters very seriously.  You have been warned!
  • Every effort will be made to stick to the weekly schedule for our course.  However it may happen that we will fall behind the schedule at some point.  If so, no topics will be skipped.  Instead we will attempt to catch up over the following weeks.
  • Please be aware that if we fall behind on the weekly schedule, the topics discussed may not match what shows on the syllabus.  The weekly schedule may (but probably won't be) updated in this case.
  • In case we do fall behind, projects and exams will not be automatically postponed.  Should your instructor deem it necessary, projects and exams may be rescheduled; this will be announced in class.
  • Communications Policy:  Communication between the instructor and student is a critical success factor in any course.  You are to use the Canvas message ("Inbox") function to send messages to the instructor.  A response to your email will be received within two working days.  Make sure all your communications in this course are polite; be as clear as you can since online communication makes it difficult to tell your tone or facial expression.

    HCC policy is that grades can only be discussed in person during office hours, or via email only if you use your assigned HCC HawkNet (Hawkmail365) email account.

    No appointment is necessary to see me during my scheduled, on-campus office hours.  You can just “walk-in”.  You can make appointments for other times as long as I'm available.  (Occasionally my office hours will be canceled on short (or no) notice, for example if the dean calls me for a meeting.  Before driving out to campus just for my office hours, you should contact me the day before to make sure I still plan to be there.)

    Students wanting help from their instructor during on-line office hours should first send an email.  A follow up can be arranged during office hours for a Microsoft Teams meeting, a Zoom meeting, or by other means.  During on-line office hours, expect quick email responses.

  • Late Policies:  Late assignments (homework assignments, projects, or exams) generally will not be accepted.  An assignment is late if not turned in by the date and time shown in Canvas.

    Late assignments will be accepted late only if you obtain the instructor's permission prior to the due date of the assignment, or for a documented serious medical reason.  All late assignments are subject to a late penalty of at least one letter grade (10%) regardless of the reason for the delay.

    Projects and homework assignments later than one week will receive a more severe late penalty; very late assignments without adequate excuses will receive a grade of “F” (0).  However if you have a very good reason your instructor may waive any or all of the late penalty.  (Examples of good reasons include extended illness that prevents working, being out of town for work, or military service.  Remember, documentation will be required.)

  • The dangers of the Covid-19 and flu (or another contagious disease) require some changes to normal policies.  HCC is implementing the recommendations for institutions of higher learning of the CDC.  (See www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/ for guidance from the CDC.)  You won't need documentation if you miss class due to the flu.  (But if you think you have the flu, you should see a doctor as soon as you can.)  In the unlikely event of a school closure due to the flu, some plan to make up the missed work will be made.

    If you think you are sick, stay home.  Do not come to HCC until 48 hours after your fever has broken as you are still infectious; if you have Covid-19, you must stay home for at least 10 days after your fever has broken.  Also, people are infectious to others for a day or so before they have any symptoms.  Flu is spread by touching doorknobs, computer keyboards, railings on stairs, etc., that were touched by someone with the flu.  Avoid shaking hands; use the “fist shake” (touching of fists) if you must use a physical greeting.  The most effective way to avoid catching the flu is to wash your hands frequently, especially after touching something that was touched by others.  Avoid unnecessary touching of eyes, nose and mouth.  While not as good as properly washing hands, hand sanitizers have been installed throughout the campus; use them often.

Projects: Projects will be assigned from the class web page at various times.  You will have sufficient time to complete the projects, at least a week but usually two or more weeks.  Currently, all projects in this course are designated as group projects.  You should work together in small (two to four people) groups on projects, and the names of all who worked together must be listed

Projects in system administration require you to have root (administrator) access to you own computer.  This means a computer or a virtual computer that you can mess up and reformat as needed.  Typically you will do most of the work on projects outside of regular class hours, however some class time will be devoted to group work on projects.

Projects are graded on the following scale:

A = 95% (Excellent: Good design with good comments, style, and extras)
B = 85% (Good: Good design, some comments, readable style, and it works)
C = 75% (Acceptable: Project objectives are met or are close to being met)
D = 65% (Unacceptable)
E = 10-64% (Variable credit: At least you tried)
F =  0% (Didn't hand in the project)

Minor extras worth +5 points, minor omissions or poor design worth -5.

Projects are not graded when turned in.  They are graded all at once, sometime after the project deadline has passed (usually the following weekend).  Every effort will be make to grade projects within a week of the due date, or as soon thereafter as possible.  (See also submitting assignments below.)

Wiki
Assignment:
Extra credit can be earned by updating the study guide on the class wiki with a substantial contribution based on the material covered in class, from assigned readings, or from other resources you have studied.  A substantial contribution means adding new material, adding references (links), or elaborating (or correcting) some previous submission.  You should use wiki formatting and not HTML formatting when possible, and be sure to spell-check your work.  The wiki will automatically send to your instructor an email for each update, so there is no need to add your name to your contribution.  However, you must ensure you use a wiki account name that reflects your real name, or the instructor won't know who did what.

Your instructor is the editor and moderator of this study guide (and for all material posted on this wiki site).  While some time will be given for students to correct postings, in order to ensure an accurate study guide the instructor may edit, add to, or remove material posted by students.

The wiki assignment will be graded on or after the following week (so you have through the weekend to post something for the previous week).  Your contributions will be graded based on correctness, completeness, and clarity.  Note regular posting is required to earn extra credit; one large post the last week of the term will not earn much (or any) extra credit.

Submitting Assignments: Submit your projects to the correct dropbox on Canvas.  Remember to include the names of fellow students you worked with.

In the event a student submits more than once for the same assignment, I will ignore all but the last one received up to the deadline.  Assignments submitted after the deadline will not count toward your grade except as allowed by the course late policy.  Also, you cannot resubmit an assignment once it has been graded.

Always keep a copy of your submitted projects, until you are certain they have been received and the grade recorded correctly.

Academic Calendar
HCC Academic Calendar:
Classes Begin: Monday  1/11/2021  
Add-Drop Ends: Friday   1/15/2021
Orientation Period Ends:  Wednesday   1/20/2021
Last Day to Withdraw:  Sunday  3/28/2021
Classes End: Monday  5/10/2021   (Last scheduled day: 5/6/2021)
Grades Available:  Wednesday  5/12/2021  (from HawkNet)

HCC is closed on: Monday  1/18/2021 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day),
Monday  2/15/2021 (Presidents' Day),
Monday–Sunday  3/15/2021–3/21/2021 (Mid-Term Break),
Friday–Sunday  4/2/2021–4/4/2021 (Spring Day),
Friday  4/16/2021 (All College Day)

Monday  2/8/2021 (Superbowl 2021 at Raymond James stadium).
(Dale Mabry Campus Closed - Classes will be delivered virtually and recorded)

Consequences of Dropping or Withdrawing

Dropping or withdrawing may have an impact on financial aid, veteran’s benefits, or international student visa status.  Students are encouraged to consult with a financial aid, the VA certifying official, or the international student advisor, as appropriate, prior to dropping or withdrawing from class.

Requests For Accommodations

If, to participate in this course, you require an accommodation due to a physical disability or learning impairment, you must contact the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities, Dale Mabry campus: Student Services Building (DSTU) Room 102, voice phone: (813) 259–6035,  FAX: (813) 253–7336.

HCC has a religious observance policy that accommodates the religious observance, practices, and beliefs of students.  Should students need to miss class or postpone examinations and assignments due to religious observances, they must notify their instructor at least one week prior to a religious observance.

 

Quotes on learning
Quotes:         Tell me and I'll listen.
Show me and I'll understand.
Involve me and I'll learn.
    — Lakota Indian saying
        Learning is not a spectator sport!     — Chickering & Gamson
Day by day course schedule
Dates
Tue       Thu
Topics and Assigned Readings
  1/12   Course introduction, syllabus review.  Wiki overview.  Common SA tasks.  Assign User IDs, discuss passwords.  Professional societies and certification.  System Journal.  Using a wiki.  SysAdmin job titles and descriptions, salaries, ethics and politics; job interviewing tips, and soft skillsIT service management (and IT governance) overview.  ITSM standards, especially the ITILSI units.
Readings Due:  Chapter 1 certification links, System Administration Common Tasks, IT management resources, System Administrator's Code of Ethics, and soft skills
  1/14   Review computer system (buses and word size, power supply, CPU, memory, controllers, peripherals, firmware (BIOS), and POST).  Virtual memory (swapping and paging, COW, deduplication, page faults, page tables and MMU), physical memory (use, zones, caches, over-commit and the out of memory (OOM killer, NUMA, PAE, performance).  Swap space (uses, how much to allocate).  Keyboard input, networking hardware (NIC) configuration (static, dynamic).  System clock, tickless kernels.  Power-on boot cycle (including POST, optionally LOM, ) and OS loading.
Readings Due:  Chapter 20.3, virtual memory, notes from Lecture 2 (hardware)
  1/19     1/21   Review computer system (continued).  Disk partitioning and storage volume planning.  System startup: initial RAM disk, starting daemons.  System shutdown: shutdown, /etc/nologin, halt, reboot, and poweroff.  Booting in rescue (and similar) modes. 
Readings:  Chapters 2, 20.6, 20.7 (partitioning, LVM), Pages 770-771 (swapping recommendations), Partitioning and LVM resources
  1/26   Installing Linux:  Pre-install questions to answer, capacity planning, install versus upgrade, basic DHCP IP network setup, common installation issues.  PXE and KickStart for automated installs.  Post-install task list.  Maintaining site documentation.  Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Readings:  Installing Fedora Linux, LVM, pre-/post-install resources, pages 1116–1118 (IaC and documentation)
Project #1 (Partitioning) Due 1/26
  1/28  

  2/2     2/4  
Boot managers:  [e]lilo, grub2 (and GRUB legacy).  unameLOM (IPMI) and tboot.  Using grub to set or change boot/kernel parameters such as run-level/target.  Unix and Linux device (especially disks and partitions) naming schemes.
Readings:  Chapter 2
Project #2 (Install) Due 2/2
2/9    2/11   Managing storage (partitions & legacy slices).  DOS/MBR disks (primary/extended/logical partitions), modern UEFI/GPT disks.  Disk names, labels, UUIDs (blkid).  Different ways to refer to storage volumes.  Protective MBRs and BIOS boot partitions.  Logical volume management (LVM) concepts and features.  Managing LVM on Linux. 
Readings:  Chapter 20 (storage, the topics listed above only), Disk and hardware resources
  2/17   Presidents' Day  —  HCC Closed
  2/16   Exam #1 via Canvas — Covers from common system administrator tasks through filesystem types
  2/16    2/18

  2/23     2/25  
Common filesystem types (FAT32, ext4, NTFS, iso9660, BtrFS, ...).  Disk technology (SCSI, ATA, MBR, RAID, RAM disks, SSDs, SANS/NAS, ...).  Bind and private mounts.  Hard disk administration (f/gdisk, parted, mkfs, mkswap, df, du, fsck, mount, umount, tune2fs), lsbk, blkid, /etc/fstab.  SMART.  Working with removable media.  Hardware documentation.
Readings:  Chapter 20 (storage, the topics listed above only)
  3/2   Data centers (rack-mounted servers).
Readings:  Chapter 30 (data centers)
Project #3 (Hard Disk Admin) Due 3/2
  3/4  

  3/9    3/11  
Configuration management and CM tools (Puppet, Ansible, ...), asset management, and patch management.  Package management:  RPM (and yum/dnf), DEB (and apt), FlatPak and other technologies.  /opt versus /usr/local.  Using source code:  tar archives (tar-balls), make.  Using alternatives.
Readings:  Chapters 23.0-23.6 (configuration incl. Ansible), 6.2-6.4 (package management), configuration, patch, and package management resources
Mon – Sun
3/16 – 3/21
Mid-Term Break  —  HCC Closed
  3/23   Change management.  DevOps overview and tasks.  Containers and Kubernetes.  CI/CD (continuous integration/delivery/deployment).
Readings:  Chapters 31.1 (DevOps), 25 (containers), 26.1-26.3 (CI/CD) Change management resources.
  3/25  

  3/30  
Help desk setup, time management, trouble-ticketing.
Administrative policies and procedures.  Review disaster recovery plans (will not be covered during class, but you are responsible for the readings assigned).  Centralization versus decentralization.
Readings:  Chapter 31.2 (ticketing), 31.7 (SLAs), 31.5 (disaster recovery), 31.6 (policies and procedures), 31.8 (compliance), Help Desk resources, Disaster Recovery Outline, optional DRP resources).
Project #4 (Filesystem Admin) Due 3/30
  4/1   Exam #2 via Canvas — Covers from SSDs (NAND flash) through Centralization versus decentralization
  4/1   Adding RAM, NIC, and disk to IA servers and PCs.  Danger of shock, ESD.  Maintenance, supplies.  Virtualization (virtual hardware) overview.  Adding and configuring hardware and drivers: /dev/*, major and minor device numbers.  mknod.  Understanding udev and D-BUS.  Managing and monitoring other hardware (such as video and sound cards).
Readings:  Chapters 11.3 (devices and drivers), 24 (virtualization), Working with Hardware.
  Tue 3/31   (Tuesday)   All College Day  —  HCC Closed
  4/6   Configuration overview (using webmin, command line tools, vi, and /proc).  Defining port numbers, service names, and /etc/services.  Brief overview of other security features/subsystems: concepts for files and directories, Unix/Linux permissions, ACLs, extended attributes, PAM, TCP Wrappers, firewalls).
Readings:  Chapters 3 (security), 13.3 (IP & ports), 4.6 (/proc), 5.4-5.6 (file permissions and ACLs), pages 590-593 (PAM), 27.8 (firewalls), on-line configuration, network, and init resources
Project #5 (Disaster Recovery Plan) Due 4/6
  4/8   Systemd concepts and commands.  Manually starting and stopping services.  Managing network on-demand services (systemd sockets, legacy inetd and xinetd).  Periodic processes (cron, at, anacron, systemd timer units).  (Other init systems (not on exam): The Sys V init system.  Upstart, Solaris SMF.)
Readings:  Chapters 2.6-2.7, (init esp. systemd), 4.9 (cron & systemd timers), on-line configuration, networking, cron/at/anacron, and init resources
  Fri – Sun
4/10 – 4/12
Spring Day  —  HCC Closed
4/13     4/15 Database and SQL basics, configuring MySQL and PostgreSQL.  (Will not be fully covered during class, but you are responsible for the readings assigned).
Readings:  Database Basics, Database, MySQL, and PostgreSQL additional resources
Project #6 (Service Administration) Due 4/13
  4/20    4/22   Printing (local and network via samba): concepts, tools (for CUPS).
Readings:  Chapter 12 (CUPS), On-line Printing resources
Project #7 (Database Administration) Due 4/22
  4/27    4/29  

  5/4
Adding, managing, removing users and groups ({user,group}{add,mod,del}, managing passwords (shadow, MD5), enabling accounts, /etc/skel, /etc/login.defs, vipw, pwck, ...).  Disk quotas.  Disabling accounts.
Readings:  Chapter 8 (user management), On-line User Management resources
Project #8 (Printer configuration) Due 4/29
5/6   Time Permitting: Review.
Readings:  none
  5/6   Exam #3 via Canvas — Covers from working with hardware (4/1) through managing users (5/4)
Project #9 (User Administration) Due 5/6
Project (Backups) is due next term  (This is a project for the Admin II course, but you might want to start it early.)

 


 

Class Resources
Resources
System Administrator Tasks Common tasks required of system administrators     IT Management Overview Describes IT management and ITIL
Human Resource Management for IT Describes issues for IT management     MIS Links MIS web resources
PMO Overview Describes Project Management Office (PMO) governance     ITIL The official ITIL website; see also the companion Best Management Practice website
Code of Ethics System administrator's code of ethics     Soft Skills A discussion of certifications, job interviewing tips, and required “soft skills”
Salary Surveys Annual IT salary survey results from www.dice.com  (A fuller PDF report for 2013 is also available)     YborStudent System Journal A snap-shot of the official YborStudent System Journal
Fedora 29 System Administrator's Guide One of several system administration guides available from docs.FedoraProject.org  (See also older Fedora documentation and guides)     tldp.org The Linux Documentation Project: how-tos, guides, and more  (See also Fedora Quick-Docs (how-to documents))
FreeBSD man pages Searchable man pages in HTML format for many versions of Unix and Linux     HP-UX system administration manuals Includes man pages and guides  (See also IBM's AIX documentation)
Oracle Solaris 11 library A collection of Solaris man pages, administrator guides, and more (formerly called “docs.sun.com”).  See also the migrated content from the old Sun BigAdmin library     Standard International (SI) Units Defines standard units and prefixes, such as “kilo” and “mega”  (See also the ISO/IEC binary standard prefixes for information technology such as “kibi”)
RFC number search plugin Download this XML file and put it in the Firefox “searchplugins” directory  (also this RFC keyword search plugin)     Unix Standard search plugin Download this XML file and put it in the Firefox “searchplugins” directory
Graphic of Computer Hardware Classic Von Neumann computer hardware architecture diagram from www.infoq.com/presentations/click-crash-course-modern-hardware     www.PurpleMath.com Good site for basic math and algebra tutorials (something all technology workers need to know)
Computer Bus Info (PDF) Some information about computer buses     How to destroy old hard disks A 2-minute YouTube video  (Once destroyed, you should dispose or recycle old electronics; for non-commercial users, see your local county solid waste department)
Magic SysRq Key A PDF of the Wikipedia article    
Disk Partitioning Guide Describes when and when not to create disk partitions     Dual Booting Shows how to set up a dual boot system
Fedora Sys Admin Guide: GRUB Fedora documentation for GRUB, but a bit old     GRUB Official documentation Up-to-date and complete GRUB documentation
Grub Legacy Sample Config Shows the simple Grub 1 configuration file format, with a few entries     Grub 2 Sample config Shows the generated grub.cfg file
File Systems Comparison and Description of many Filesystem types (Wikipedia.org)     Intel Architecture Shows IA32 (traditional) architecture.  See also Intel's P55 architecture
Filesystem Hierarchy Standard A description of the standard directories on Linux (See latest version)  See also hier(7) for Linux, and filesystem(5) for Solaris     Pre Install Questions Questions you need to answer before installing anything, such as capacity planning
Storage Technology Hard disk and related technology     PCTechGuide.com An overview of PC hardware (including disks)
LVM Guide Linux Logical Volume Management Guide  (See also the Red Hat LVM Administration Guide)     Fedora 31 install guide Shows screen-shots and descriptions of each step
Dell Support Lookup System inventories of Dell computers by service tag     Post Install Task List Lists and briefly describes many post install tasks
X Window System Overview How to use and configure the GUI system     Solaris LOM Documentation for Solaris 11 LOM (lights out management)
Configuration, Patch, and Package Management An overview of configuration management, patch management, and package management (lecture notes)     Infrastructures.org An collection of automated systems configuration best practices
Centralization and Decentralization A brief overview of Centralized policy and control issues     yum.conf A sample yum.conf file for Fedora Linux
CheckInstall Link to checkInstall homepage, a program that builds RPM packages by watching builds via make install     Patching the Enterprise Detailed discussion of patch management issues and solutions from ACM Queue Magazine, March 2005 issue
alien home Link to homepage of alien, the package converter        
RPM options A summary of frequently used rpm command-line tool options        
Change Management An overview of change management for system administrators     Help Desk Organization An overview of help desk setup
Wikipedia/DevOps A brief explanation of DevOps  (See also IBM's DevOps for Dummies, and especially the Rackspace DevOps YouTube video (7 minutes))     Help Desk Chat Log An actual on-line help session, showing best practices in action
        HCC Obtaining Services from OIT Explains when and how tickets are created, and how issue priorities are determined (2017)
Hardware Components Some graphics of various computer hardware components     Hardware Management Lecture notes on physically managing ESD while adding or removing hardware such as RAM, NICs, and disks, and software concepts of managing hardware (major and minor numbers, udev and devfs, HAL, D-BUS, ...).
udev-info Some notes on Linux udev subsystem for managing devices     Linux kernel documentation See (for example) the files devices.txt and devices.rst in the directory admin-guide
Sensor Statistics Some graphics of various hardware probe values, over time     ISA Plug-and-Play A short how-to on configuring legacy ISA-PnP devices
Disaster Recovery Outlines major issues for disaster recovery policies and procedures  (Learn how to prepare yourself for disaster - Red Cross)     Disaster Recovery Planning: Preparing For The Unthinkable by Jon Toigo.  Sample chapter posted by InformIT, courtesy of Prentice-Hall PTR (now Pearson Education)
www.webmin.com A GUI administration tool for all Unix and Linux systems     find command tip Shows how to use find to locate files modified by an administration tool
StartupScript.txt Sample startup shell scripts (/etc/init.d/foo) for a foo server     System V init files From /usr/share/doc/initscripts-7.42.2 on Fedora
/etc/inittab Sample System V /etc/inittab file     Anacron Overview Short tutorial on using anacron
Upstart documentation From the Ubuntu website     Systemd documentation systemd man pages and system admin tutorials  (See also the systemd home and the original systemd home)
Solaris SMF quick start guide An overview of Solaris 10's service management facility, the replacement for “Sys V init     Solaris Introduction to SMF A complete description of SMF from the Solaris Administrator's Guide
Description of /etc/sysconfig files Describes the files and options for Red Hat-like systems (e.g., Fedora)     Networking Basics Reviews the concepts of networking addresses, port numbers, and services
modules.conf Sample /etc/modules.conf file showing some complex features     Changing Kernel Parameters shows using /proc and sysctl
Unix file permissions More than you wanted to know about Unix permissions     Octal Number Chart Shows how to use octal numbers with chmod and umask
/etc/sudoers A sample /etc/sudoers file     RBAC Solaris Role Based Access Control Demo
PAM Tutorial Shows how to configure and use PAM.  (See also Solaris PAM Guide     Linux PAM Sys Admin's Guide Shows how to configure and use PAM
sFTP Reference Guide for using cmd line secure FTP program     Public key encryption A tutorial on encryption, digital signatures, Internet security, etc.
RCS Demo A sample session using RCS with a shell script        
Database Basics Lecture notes on Databases and SQL     PostgreSQL.org PostgreSQL database website
MySQL installation Directions to install MySQL on Solaris 10     MySQL MySQL database website  (See also MariaDB and Percona)
Interactive SQL Tutorial sqlzoo.net is one of the best SQL tutorials you can find on the Internet     SQL Tutorial Another SQL tutorial, from w3schools.com
About ping The real story of the ping utility     www.cisco.com/.../SNMP.htm A tutorial on SNMP
Printing System Overview Shows how printing works.  (See also LinuxPrinting.org.)     Set up Samba as a Print Server Shows how to setup an SMB local printer server  (See also PrintManager.com)
International Paper Sizes An overview of ISO-216 paper sizes     Solaris 8 Printing Setup Shows how to setup a local printer using cmd-line admin tools
User Account Policies A list of questions to ask before creating new user accounts     Group management Describes Unix group policies and management strategies
Deleting user accounts Procedures, policies, and issues for removing accounts     Manage disk quotas A through tutorial from IBM
crontab reference Shows crontab file syntax     at command syntax Some at samples of entering times and dates, and other info
Regular Expressions Shows Regular Expression (“regex”) syntax     AWK FAQ AWK Frequently Asked Questions
Anonymous FTP Site Setup Shows how to setup and configure WU-FTP     Backups and Archives A tutorial on backup and archive policy, procedures, and tools
Shell Scripts (and Other Demos)
LDP: Bash scripting guide and reference) Shows how to write Bash shell scripts.  Complete Bash man page     SSC's Bash shell reference card (PDF) (Posted here by permission of SSC, Inc.)
fancyio Shows how to write interactive shell scripts     fortune A fortune cookie script (plus some sample fortunes)
nusers Shows a simple shell script     nusers.1 Sample man page for nusers, using troff/man macros
backup-etc.sh A simple shell script to backup /etc directory     httpd.sh Apache script for use in rc.d/init.d
.bashrc Some useful bash shell aliases and functions     .bash_profile A simple Bash login script
.procmailrc A sample .procmailrc that auto-replies and filters spam     find-world-writable A security script that shows all dangerous world writable files
add-users A complex script used to add users in batches     rmusr remove user accounts in a batch
todo A simple "todo list" shell script     didit Simple shell script, used with “todo” script
didit2 Shell script, used with “todo” script     didit3 Fancy shell script, used with “todo” script
pick interactive selection script     watch Shows how to write shell and awk scripts
suidDemo.tgz Shows how suid can be used to control access to files     hellotk.pl A Perl/Tk GUI script (Hello, World)

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