This course is for IS managers and system and network administrators responsible for the administration and management of a system running UNIX.

This course teaches the skills associated with the set-up, administration and management of systems running UNIX. Students will learn to set up a UNIX system to support users and applications and to maintain essential elements such as disk space and system configuration.

Prerequisites: UNIX Fundamentals course or equivalent experience.
Administering MS Windows recommended

Length of class: 4.5 days

Price: $2,300 (23 Credit) or Introductory Price of $1,200 (12 Credits) for Virtual Classroom

Major course topics: Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Define the duties of a system administrator
• View online documentation with the Document Browser
• Describe the organization of the UNIX file tree
• Describe the major hardware components and their functions
• Set up and use the Console Software
• Power on/off a system with Console Software
• Use Console Software to manage the system boot process
• Interpret and monitor the system configuration and console parameters
• Interpret and modify system configuration parameters
• Boot the system to single or multi-user mode
• Add and remove users
• Monitor and partition disks
• Create, check, mount and unmount file systems
• Set up TCP/IP
• Describe the device naming database
• Configure the kernel
• Manage processes running on the system
• Perform a software installation
• Perform a memory dump
• Archive and restore files and filesystems

Introduction to system administration

• Given a discussion on system administrator responsibilities, list and describe eight typical responsibilities of a System Administrator
• Identify and describe the superuser account
• List why it is important to maintain a logbook, what sections a logbook should contain, and at least five important items to include in a logbook
• Describe how UNIX documentation is distributed and accessed
• Identify four places where one can obtain system information

System overview

• Identify three standards that UNIX complies with
• List three software categories available with UNIX
• Describe the function of these elements of UNIX:
  • Shell
  • User programs
  • System call interface
  • Kernel
• Identify the major directories of UNIX and their function
• List the steps and precautions to take in order to follow correct Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) procedures
• Identify two cabinet styles used by the system
• Describe the function of internal system components
• Describe how quads are connected together
• List the buses and interconnects employed in a system
• Identify three key components of the environment
• Identify key features of supported storage subsystems
• List the proper order for powering up hardware
• Identify three hardware components of the systems

System startup and shutdown

• Access the various components of Console Software
• Describe the function of each button on the Console Front Panel
• Describe the system boot process
• Use CLI commands
• Use sysdef to define a system
• Explain the benefits of remote access
• Configure remote access on the console
• Interpret front panel lights
• Describe the function of the Power-up monitor
• Shut down the system

Administrative tools

• List two advantages of the ADMIN menu system
• Invoke the ADMIN menu system
• Describe how to select ADMIN menu options
• Use the function keys and CTRL-n key sequences to navigate within ADMIN
• Set the time zone, current time, and root password
• Select one or more items from a select window
• List three features of the CommandPoint (CP) line of products

System startup configuration

• View the MDC configuration register and flash filesystem
• List the steps in the Console Software startup process
• Describe the function of the programs used to boot a system
• Describe the system boot process
• Configure the console
• Describe the function of the Power-up monitor
• Identify the root and boot disk requirements
• List the information needed for a system boot
• Describe the format of the boot-time configuration file
• Set the bootpath bootflag
• List the order of precedence for data used during the boot process
• Add and remove swap space

System run levels

• List the two major system states and processes involved during the initial startup sequence
• Describe the various run levels
• Describe entries in the /etc/inittab and /etc/inittabsau files
• Define each action available in the /etc/inittab file
• Describe what happens when /etc/rc2 is executed
• Describe what happens when the startup files in /etc/rc2.d are executed
• Describe how to move from one run level to another

User setup

• Describe the login process
• List some considerations for grouping user accounts
• Describe the function and format of the following files:
  • /etc/group
  • /etc/passwd
  • /etc/shadow
• Use the groups command to display group membership
• Add a new group account
• Add, delete, and modify user accounts with the:
  • ADMIN Menu system
  • passmgmt command
• Validate the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files
• Describe how a script can be used to automate user account creation
• Use CommandPoint Admin tools to manipulate groups and users

TCP/IP setup

• List three network topologies and their architectures
• Define the following network terms and concepts:
  • TCP/IP
  • Ethernet
  • Ethernet address and IP address
• Describe the elements of an Ethernet network
• Describe Wide Area Network components
• Set up a system as a network host
• Describe the files and utilities used in the TCP/IP startup procedure
• Describe the network files in /var/tcp
• Use the following network utilities:
  • ping, rlogin, resh, rcp, telnet, ftp
• Establish network security for a host
• Manage printer operations
• Configure a remote printer

Autoconfiguration and device naming

• List the features of autoconfiguration
• Define the two SCSI device types
• Describe multipath devices
• Define a device naming database
• Describe the fields of the device naming database
• Display the contents of the naming database
• Use dumpconf to display configuration information
• Display the hardware configuration with the Configuration Viewer
• Describe how to select a device naming database at boot time
• Describe the autoconfiguration process
• Configure a new device
• Rename a device
• Deconfigure a device
• Remove entries from the device naming database

Disk setup

• Define the various types of disk I/O
• Define the components of a disk
• Describe the function of a VTOC (volume table of contents)
• Describe the structure of a filesystem
• Describe the use of disk partitions
• Interpret a VTOC file
• Determine the type of a disk
• Distribute data and swap on disks to improve performance
• Define a device special filename
• Describe the function of virtual device drivers
• Describe the process of setting up a new disk with a VTOC
• Create and install a custom VTOC using the ptx/ADMIN menu system
• Install a standard VTOC using the ADMIN menu system
• Create and install a custom VTOC manually
• List three features of SVM

UFS filesystems

• Describe the structure of the UNIX filesystem (UFS) used
• Maintain the filesystem table
• Make a new filesystem
• Label a filesystem
• Mount and unmount filesystems
• Display filesystem information
• Check filesystems
• Monitor disk usage with the following commands:
  • find
  • du
  • df
• Use CommandPoint Admin filesystem management tools
• Identify the features of EFS

Kernel configuration

• Configure a UNIX kernel with the appropriate parameters
• Compile and install a new UNIX kernel

Process management

• Describe the life cycle of a process
• Display and interpret the status of a process
• Define Symmetry multiprocessing
• Define process migration on a systems
• Display and interpret the status of a process
• Terminate processes
• Manage processes with nice and fuser

Job scheduling

• Explain the function of the following commands:
  • cron
  • crontab
  • at
• List four guidelines for creating crontab entries
• Modify crontab files
• Control access to cron with:
  • /usr/lib/cron/cron.allow
  • /usr/lib/cron/cron.deny
• Perform tasks with the at command
• Control access to at with:
  • /usr/lib/cron/at.allow
  • /usr/lib/cron/at.deny

Software installation

• Describe basic installation concepts
• List the features of INSTALL
• Define the types of installations available with INSTALL
• List the requirements in selecting an alternate disk
• Install a software license
• Describe the installation directory structure
• Perform an installation of a layered product
• Describe the phases of installing layered software
• Preview a software package on the system
• Identify, interpret, and modify file conflicts
• Compare the current root and the alternate disk

Preparing for memory dumps

• List common system administration problems
• Identify at least four ways to help avoid system emergencies
• Describe potential cabling problems
• Define memory dump
• Set up a system for a memory dump
• Define memory dump parameters
• Perform a system panic
• Obtain a memory dump after a system crash
• Identify the critical piece of information you need before calling Service

System backup and restore (self-paced)

• List two common causes of lost data
• Describe a backup schedule
• Identify at least three backup utilities available with UNIX
• Explain the differences between full and incremental backups
• List at least three issues that should be considered in developing a restore plan
• Given the type of a tape drive and whether the tape will rewind or not, give the appropriate device name
• Describe the /etc/dump command's use of dump levels and /etc/dumpdates
• Use the dump and restore utilities to:
  • Backup filesystems
  • Restore filesystems, files, and directories
• Use tar, cpio, and pax commands to backup and restore files
• Describe backup/restore features of ADMIN
• Use mt to create and access multiple archives on a single tape
• Use mc to manipulate a media-changer

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