The following is an outline of prerequisite skills required for the RHCE? course. We strongly suggest participants in RHCE arrive with all prerequisites.
The RHCE course is challenging! Participants arriving without the prerequisites below will make less than optimal progress in the training (first 4 days) and will be unlikely to pass the RHCE Certification Lab Exam (last day).
The prerequisites outline, together with the RHCE outline, serve as a study guide for those planning to attend the RHCE course and take the Certification Lab Exam. It is highly recommended that all prospective RHCE participants review these outlines in preparation for the course and exam. Prerequisites
1. Basic hardware knowledge * Intel and Intel clone architectures * IRQs and IRQ settings for standard serial ports * Disk subsystems (IDE, EIDE, SCSI) * Disk partitioning 2. Basic UNIX/Linux knowledge * Basic text editor usage 1. Opening, closing, writing, and abandoning files 2. Basic text editing 3. UNIX Filesystem Hierarchy and Structure * UNIX/Linux filesystems * SCSI, floppy, CD-ROM, and IDE devices * Referencing /dev devices * ISA and PCI hardware issues * Filesystem formatting and checking, fdisk, mkfs, fsck * Span multiple partitions with root filesystem * Mount misc partitions with mount 4. Basic file operations and manipulation * Basics: cp, mv, ls, more, less, cd, pwd, tar, find, etc. * Filters: cat, grep, egrep, wc, cat, tail, head, sort, etc. * File Name wildcards: *, ?, [ ], etc. 5. Printing * lpq, lprm, lpr * adding local and remote printers 6. UNIX/Linux Shell * Basic Shell Programming * Piping, I/O and error redirection * Script execution and permissions * Variables and parameters * The inherited environment 7. Basic security * Shadow passwords * File permissions * Understanding users, groups and umask * Suid 8. UNIX System Administration * /etc/skel/... and home directories * Daemons * Cron * Superuser * Syslogd and logging * Backup and Restore Tasks * Control of Network Services and Daemons * System crontab * Using and managing the system log files * Basic system backup and restore operations 9. Basic TCP/IP Networking * IP numbers and classes * The network address, broadcast address and subnet mask * Tools and commands 1. ping 2. ifconfig 3. netstat * Name resolution configuration 1. /etc/hosts 2. /etc/resolv.conf 3. /etc/host.conf 4. /etc/nsswitch.conf 10. Familiarity with Standard Networking Services * NFS and remote filesystems * Sendmail * POP, IMAP * FTP * DNS * DHCP * SMB * httpd * YP, Nis * Inetd 11. Basic Network Security
RHCE and RHCT Exam Preparation Guide Overview Download the training catalog
This guide provides information candidates may use in preparing to take the RHCT or RHCE exam. Red Hat is not responsible for the content or accuracy of other guides, books, online resources, or any other information provided by organizations or individuals other than Red Hat Global Learning Services. Red Hat reserves the right to change this Guide when appropriate, and candidates who have enrolled in forthcoming classes or exams are advised to check this guide periodically for changes.
The Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) exams are performance-based evaluations of Red Hat Enterprise Linux system administration skills and knowledge. Candidates perform a number of routine system administration tasks and are evaluated on whether they have met specific objective criteria. Performance-based testing means that candidates must perform tasks similar to what they must perform on the job.
Prospective employers of RHCEs and RHCTs should verify any and all claims by people claiming to hold one of these certificates by requesting their certificate number and verifying it here.
Only Red Hat and Red Hat Certified Training Partners administer the RHCE and RHCT exams. Prospective candidates should exercise due diligence when purchasing a seat in an RHCE or RHCT exam from a provider other than Red Hat itself. They should verify that the provider is, in fact, an authorized training partner in good standing. Please notify greymarket@redhat.com about organizations that purport to offer the RHCE or RHCT exams, but who are not Red Hat Certified Training Partners.
Official scores for the RHCE and RHCT exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification Central. Red Hat does not authorize examiners or training partners to report results to candidates directly. Scores on the exam are usually reported within three (3) US business days.
Exam results are reported as section scores. Red Hat does not report performance on individual items, nor will it provide additional information upon request. Preparation for the RHCT and RHCE Exams
Red Hat encourages all candidates for RHCT and RHCE to consider taking one or more of its official training courses to help prepare for the RHCE or RHCT exam. Attendance in these classes is not required, and one can choose to take just an exam. Many successful candidates who have come to class already possessing substantial skills and knowledge have reported that the class made a positive difference for them.
To help you determine the best courses to take, Red Hat provides online skills assessment.
While attending Red Hat's classes can be an important part of one's preparation to take the RHCE or RHCT exam, attending class does not guarantee success on the exam. Previous experience, practice, and native aptitude are also important determinants of success.
Many books and other resources on system administration for Red Hat's OS products are available. Red Hat does not officially endorse any as preparation guides for the RHCT or RHCE exams. Nevertheless, you may find additional reading deepens understanding and can prove helpful. Components of the RHCE and RHCT Exams
The RHCT exam is a subset of the RHCE exam, and is organized as follows:
* Troubleshooting and System Maintenance — 1 hour * Installation and Configuration — 2 hours
In order to earn RHCT, one must successfully complete all the requirements in Troubleshooting and System Maintenance, and must achieve a score of 70 or higher on Installation and Configuration.
For RHCE exams given on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and higher, the exam is organized as follows:
* Troubleshooting and System Maintenance — 2.5 hours * Installation and Configuration — 3.0 hours
In order to earn RHCE, one must successfully complete all the RHCT-level Troubleshooting and System Maintenance requirements, and successfully complete enough additional RHCE items to earn a score of 80 or higher overall on the section.
In addition, one must score 70 or higher on the RHCT items of Installation and Configuration, and 70 or higher on the RHCE components of that section. We describe the skills associated with RHCT and RHCE below. Study Points for the RHCE Exam Prerequisite skills for RHCT and RHCE
Candidates should possess the following skills, as they may be necessary in order to fulfill requirements of the RHCT and RHCE exams:
* use standard command line tools (e.g., ls, cp, mv, rm, tail, cat, etc.) to create, remove, view, and investigate files and directories * use grep, sed, and awk to process text streams and files * use a terminal-based text editor, such as vi/vim, to modify text files * use input/output redirection * understand basic principles of TCP/IP networking, including IP addresses, netmasks, and gateways * use su to switch user accounts * use passwd to set passwords * use tar, gzip, and bzip2v * configure an email client on Red Hat Enterprise Linux * use mozilla and/or lynx to access HTTP/HTTPS URLs * use lftp to access FTP URLs
RHCT skills Troubleshooting and System Maintenance
RHCTs should be able to:
* boot systems into different run levels for troubleshooting and system maintenance * diagnose and correct misconfigured networking * diagnose and correct hostname resolution problems * configure the X Window System and a desktop environment * add new partitions, filesystems, and swap to existing systems * use standard command-line tools to analyze problems and configure system
Installation and Configuration
RHCTs must be able to:
* perform network OS installation * implement a custom partitioning scheme * configure printing * configure the scheduling of tasks using cron and at * attach system to a network directory service, such as NIS or LDAP * configure autofs * add and manage users, groups, and quotas * configure filesystem permissions for collaboration * install and update RPMs * properly update the kernel RPM * modify the system bootloader * implement software RAID at install-time and run-time * use /proc/sys and sysctl to modify and set kernel run-time parameters
RHCE skills Troubleshooting and System Maintenance
RHCEs must demonstrate the RHCT skills listed above, and should be able to:
* use the rescue environment provided by first installation CD * diagnose and correct boot failures arising from bootloader, module, and filesystem errors * diagnose and correct problems with network services (see Installation and Configuration below for a list of these services) * add, remove, and resize logical volumes
Installation and Configuration
RHCEs must demonstrate the RHCT-level skills listed above, and they must be capable of configuring the following network services:
* HTTP/HTTPS * SMB * NFS * FTP * Web proxy * SMTP * IMAP, IMAPS, and POP3 * SSH * DNS (caching name server, slave name server)
For each of these services, RHCEs must be able to:
* install the packages needed to provide the service * configure the service to start when the system is booted * configure the service for basic operation * Configure host-based and user-based security for the service
RHCEs must also be able to:
* configure hands-free installation using Kickstart * implement logical volumes at install-time * use PAM to implement user-level restrictions
1. Are the RHCE and RHCT Certification Exams open-book?
No. They are closed-book, with no notes or reference materials permitted other than those distributed with the Red Hat OS on which the exam is taken. Most standardized tests, including most IT certification exams, are closed-book.
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2. I have heard the RHCE and RHCT Certification Exams described as "performance-based". What is meant by "performance-based" certification or "performance-based" testing?
The RHCE and RHCT exams are performance-based in two very specific and important senses. First, the actual performance of candidates is tested by requiring them to successfully complete installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and maintenance tasks similar to those they must complete on the job as system administrators. Second, we determine their performance on these tasks by whether their systems perform as specified in an objective and verifiable manner.
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3. Why did Red Hat decide to make the RHCE and RHCT Certification Exams performance-based?
We designed the RHCE Certificate to be performance-based for one good reason: quality. We want the RHCE certificate to be a meaningful, serious certificate, proof of actual competency, unimpeachably better as a measure of actual skill than other OS certifications. When we introduced RHCT in January, 2003, we had the same goals of quality, and felt that RHCE had demonstrated the value of this approach.
Linux professionals want a certificate they can respect and which they know is challenging to earn. Employers need to feel confident when they hire an RHCE or RHCT that the person has demonstrated the skills and competencies required to administer Red Hat systems for critical roles. Consulting companies, VARs, and resellers with RHCEs and RHCTs on staff are able to make a better business case to their customers, and RHCEs themselves report greater confidence, greater success with their Linux implementations for customers or their employers.
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4. What's the difference between RHCT and RHCE certifications?
An RHCT has proven technician-level competencies required to install, attach, configure, and manage new Red Hat systems on an existing production network. RHCTs are capable of performing the the core system administration common to all systems, regardless of whether they are workstations, servers, network devices, or some other kind of system. An RHCE has also proven these RHCT competencies, and has demonstrated that he or she can configure networking services and security on servers running a Red Hat OS. Please see our RHCE program page and the Exam Prep Guide for more specific information on RHCE and RHCT skills.
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5. If the RHCT competencies are included within the RHCE Certification Exam, can I earn RHCT if I don't pass RHCE?
Yes, this is possible. When you take the RHCE Exam you are measured on the competencies for RHCT as part of RHCE. You cannot pass RHCE without passing the competencies for RHCT, since an RHCE must be able do everything an RHCT can do plus a lot more. Certain competencies are compulsory for RHCT, without which a pass is not possible for either RHCT or RHCE. Additional competencies are compulsory for RHCE, without which a pass is not possible for RHCE. Candidates taking the RHCE certification exam who do not demonstrate the competencies for RHCE may earn the RHCT if they demonstrate the RHCT-specific competencies in the RHCE exam.
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6. What is the structure of the RHCE Certification Exam and what is required to pass it?
The RHCE Certification Exam consists of two sections:
* Section I: Troubleshooting and System Maintenance (2.5 hours) * Section II: Installation and Configuration (3.0 hours)
In order to earn RHCE, candidates must complete all compulsory Troubleshooting and System Maintenance problems, earn a section score of 80 or higher on Section I, and earn a score of 70 or higher on both the RHCT and RHCE items in the Installation and Configuration section.
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7. What is the structure of the RHCT Certification Exam and what is required to pass it?
The RHCT Certification Exam consists of two sections:
* Section I: Troubleshooting and System Maintenance (1.0 hours) * Section II: Installation and Configuration (2.0 hours)
In order to earn RHCE, candidates must complete all compulsory Troubleshooting and System Maintenance problems in Section I and earn a score of 70 or higher in the Installation and Configuration section. Candidates in RHCE Certification Exams who fulfill these requirements, but do not fulfill the additional RHCE requirements earn RHCT.
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8. Why did Red Hat drop multiple choice from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and higher exams?
After nearly five years of delivering RHCE exams, we concluded that the time spent during the exam asking multiple choice questions would be better spent on performance-based tasks. Analysis of the data we have collected demonstrates that the performance-based sections of the exam were far more effective than the multiple choice section.
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9. When do I receive my official results after taking an exam?
Exam results are emailed to candidates within 3 US business days, assuming they have provided accurate contact information. Unfortunately, some mail servers mistakenly treat results notifications as spam and filter them. Candidates who do not receive their results within 3 US business days should contact Red Hat at www.redhat.com/training/certification/comments.html.
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10. What does Red Hat report when it sends exam results?
Candidates receive section scores for the RHCT Certification Exam. For the RHCE exam, they receive Section I compulsory and non-compulsory scores, their Section I aggregate score, their Section II RHCT score, and their Section II RHCE score. Red Hat does not report item-level information, that is, a candidate's performance on particular tasks or problems. 11. When do I get my certificate?
For your convenince you will be issued an electronic certificate that will be attached to your results email.
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12. Why doesn't Red Hat send a hard copy certificate?
Electronic certificates provide several benefits. First, they can be sent at the same time that results are processed for immediate use by the person receiving the certificate. Second, they allow certificate holders to print multiple copies for use at home and at the office. Third, they make replacement faster and easier. And yes, they are also more cost-effective, which allows Red Hat to offer the RHCE Certification Exam at the same price today that it did when it launched the program in 1999. In addition, we believe that verification at www.redhat.com/training/certification/verify/ is far more valuable than a physical certificate. A hard copy certificate can be forged by anyone with a computer and a decent graphics program. Having a unique certificate number that is verifiable by its issuer (in this case, Red Hat), is far more authoritative, reliable, and valuable.
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13. How often can I re-take the RHCE or RHCT Certification Exams?
You can re-take these exams as often as you wish. When taken again, exams must be taken in their entirety, and credit for successfully completed sections in previous exams is not carried forward.
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14. Can I cram for the RHCE or RHCT Certification Exams?
No. Red Hat does not recommend cramming. The RHCE Exam is very different from most IT certification tests. It is possible to cram for a multiple-choice test. It is not possible to cram for a live system performance-based test, unless the "cramming" means getting real-world experience. Cramming will not turn an unqualified person into one who is qualified.
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15. How can I do self-paced study for the RHCE Exam? Are there books or self-paced book and CD kits that Red Hat recommends?
Red Hat recommends its eLearning series as the best mechanism for self-paced study. Red Hat does not endorse and has not authorized any particular RHCE prep books or self-paced study programs. We do not recommend for or against any of these, as we do not have time to review these or measure their performance, and we will not endorse something without being able to vouch for its performance. Red Hat provides an RHCE and RHCT Exam Prep Guide for use by all persons who wish to pursue certification, including those who must prepare on their own.
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16. What does Red Hat recommend to prepare for the RHCE and RHCT Certification Exams?
Red Hat recommends that persons interesting in preparing for the RHCE and RHCT exams 1) obtain high quality hands-on training such as is available in the Red Hat courses that are designed to cover the skill areas tested by the exams; 2) get hands-on, real-world experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems administration; 3) make sure that the prerequisite networking skills specified in the Prep Guide are obtained before attempting the exams.
Both the RHCE and RHCT test professional-level system administration skills and such skills cannot be obtained through training alone. High quality hands-on training must be accompanied by real-world experience, preferably on the job. Good training can be a vital part of success, but the rest is up to the individual.
Whatever your method of preparation, use the RHCE and RHCT Exam Prep Guide, to guide your studies and practice, not third-party materials or other second-hand information, as the Prep Guide is the authoritative guide to what Red Hat tests in its exams.
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17. For how long will my RHCE certification be considered current?
RHCE and RHCT certifications are considered current until after one (1) major release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux following the release on which the certification was earned. Certificates earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 will be current until the release of Red Hat Enterprise 5, and those earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 will remain current until the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Certifications earned on Red Hat Linux 8.0 and Red Hat Linux 9 are pegged to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, and hence will be current until the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.
While evidence suggests that RHCEs who stay professionally active can evolve their skills in pace with new releases of Red Hat Enterprise Linux technology, it is important for Red Hat to maintain a policy for determining whether an RHCE or RHCT certificate can be considered current. Thus, verification at Certification Central has always included the version a certificate was earned on, and whether the certificate is considered current or no longer current.
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18. What are the benefits of getting certified by Red Hat?
Interviews and independent surveys have been conducted on RHCEs and the results substantiate what we have known all along: Performance-based certifications prove competency more meaningfully, and are accorded higher status than other types of certification. The benefits of RHCE for both individuals and their employers and managers are multiple:
* Confidence and competence: RHCEs report greater confidence in their skills and better success at building and managing Linux servers. The actual quality of their work and their professionalism improve. They are better at performing their jobs for their employers, can take on more challenging assignments, and they receive recognition for this. * Career results: RHCEs interviewed also report one or more of the following within 90 days of earning the RHCE certificate: a new job, a raise, a promotion, increased responsibility, assignment to lead or supervisory role, increased recognition and/or prestige among colleagues. * Hard dollars: RHCE earn more because of their RHCE, as shown by two recent independent surveys: Computer Reseller News, and Certification Magazine. These surveys are linked at: Salary Surveys
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19. What benefits of RHCE and RHCT are provided directly by Red Hat, and for how long?
Verification services for all certificate holders are provided at Certification Central. Certificate holders and their employers or customers can type in the 15-digit RHCE number and verify that the person is really certified.
RHCEs have exclusive access to RHCE Connection, a special site for RHCEs to receive special offers, discounts and benefits, as well as technical updates and access to resources. Access to RHCE Connection and its services is a value-added benefit provided at Red Hat's sole discretion. At the present time the policy for access to RHCE Connection is that access is granted so long as a person's RHCE certificate is current. RHCTs similarly have access to RHCT Connection.
Certain other discretionary benefits of certification, such as partner programs between Red Hat and the company at which you may be employed, may require you to maintain certification on the most recent major release or otherwise on a more frequent basis than Red Hat GLS stated policy for individuals. This policy ensures a high standard of practice by the Red Hat partner company. It is up to you and/or your employer to stay up to date on the eligibility requirements of such programs.
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20. How do I get re-certified for a new release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux?
Take and pass the certification exam on that new release.
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21. When should I consider getting re-certified?
Re-certification is largely a matter of your own choice and that of any employer or customer who may have an interest in how current your certificate is. Know your market: if the installed base you service is in a hurry to upgrade to the newest release, or requires features and services in the latest release, then it may be time to re-certify. Regardless of whether you decide to re-certify you can keep your skills current by using and learning each new version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
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22. Where can I take the RHCE and RHCT Exams?
Red Hat has training facilities at its Raleigh, North Carolina headquarters and worldwide through its own offices and through its Red Hat Certified Training Partners. Contact your nearest Red Hat office for additional information.
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23. Will training provided by other training vendors who are not Red Hat Certified Training Partners be useful preparation for RHCE?
Unless the training is being provided by Red Hat, Inc., or a Red Hat Certified Training Partner, authorized by Red Hat, Inc., Red Hat, Inc., cannot endorse it or vouch for it. Only by taking the courses in the RHCE Program offered by Red Hat, Inc. and Red Hat Certified Training Partners do you have a guarantee that the content, instruction, and design of the courses and curriculum will be up-to-date, professional, and geared for the RHCE program.
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24. How does the standard track of skills courses (RH033, RH133, RH253) relate to the RH300 and RH301 Rapid Track RHCE courses?
RH300 and RH301 are accelerated training courses for experienced Linux and UNIX systems administrators. RH300 includes the RHCE Certification Exam on the last of five days; RH301 does not. Only course participants with either Linux system administration experience or considerable UNIX system administration including networking services should take RH300 because of the highly accelerated pace.
In contrast the suite of RH033, RH133, and RH253 provides a more gradual path for building skills. More time is spent on each topic, and participants are assumed to be doing most of the tasks for the first time. Make no mistake, however: these courses are not "fluff". People who attend them often find the pace and quantity of information challenging compared to other IT training they have attended.
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25. Will there be other certifications created by Red Hat?
Yes, Red Hat has expanded advanced training beyond the level of RHCE to create the Enterprise Architect curriculum and Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) certification. See Enterprise Architect/RHCA
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26. What is the Goal of RHCE and RHCT Certification?
The primary goal of RHCE and RHCT certification is to meet the demand of individuals and employers for useful metrics of individual skills and competencies with Red Hat Linux, the largest-selling distribution of Linux. The RHCE Program provides performance based certification at two critical job role levels: Technician (RHCT) and Engineer (RHCE).
RHCE and/or RHCT may be required for selected personnel employed at Red Hat channel partners, IHVs, ISVs, OEMs, and other partners, to provide meaningful assurance of standards.
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27. What is the Meaning of RHCE and RHCT Certification?
RHCE or RHCT certification serve as a metric (hopefully one of many) of use to both individuals and employers to assess individual preparation and competency for key job roles involving Red Hat Linux computing.
(a) RHCE certification indicates that the person has passed a realistic performance-based lab exam that tests his/her ability to: install and configure Red Hat Linux; understand limitations of hardware; configure basic networking and file systems for a network; configure the X Window System; perform essential Red Hat Linux system administration; configure basic security for a network server; set up and manage common enterprise networking (IP) services for the organization, carry out server diagnostics and troubleshooting.
The readiness objective of RHCE is to assure standard level of systems and network administration skills so that a person is "ready from a technical point of view for professional responsibilities in setting up, configuring, and managing a Red Hat Linux server running common enterprise networking services and security."
(b) RHCT certification indicates that the person has passed a realistic performance-based lab exam that tests his/her ability to: install and configure Red Hat Linux; understand limitations of hardware; configure basic networking and file systems for a single system attached to a network; configure the X Window System; perform essential Red Hat Linux system administration; configure basic host security, set up client-side networking services required to attach to a production network, and carry out basic diagnostics and troubleshooting.
The readiness objective of RHCT is to assure a minimum level of systems administration skills so that a person is "ready from a technical point of view for professional responsibilities in installing, configuring, attaching, and supporting Red Hat Linux systems on an existing production network."
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28. What is Certification in the context of professionalism?
Becoming a successful technician or engineer requires years of experience in heterogenous, networked computing environments, coping with day-to-day issues, and developing best practices. This kind of experience does not result from taking one course or exam, but it can be measured during training and in a certification exam, especially if these are administered using hands-on exercises in a lab. That's why the RHCE and RHCT exams are lab-based, performance-based practical exams.
Red Hat is benchmarking the RHCE and RHCT certificates to be useful metrics for measuring experience, skill, and competency with Red Hat Linux, and for demonstrating preparedness for professional responsibilities at two critical levels of Red Hat Linux systems administration.
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29. What is the Verification and Validity Period?
Red Hat provides complete verification of RHCE certification, including version numbers, at Certification Central, so that individuals, their employers and customers can make their own informed decisions based on what version they are actually running and how critical re-certification is for their own requirements.
The validity period for all RHCEs and RHCTs is now officially pegged to the release of the Enterprise product commercially available at the time certification was earned, and certification shall be current until after one (1) major release of the Enterprise product. All RHCEs earned on Red Hat Linux 7.3 or prior will be considered current until the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS/ES/WS 4. All RHCEs and RHCTs earned on Red Hat Linux 8.0 or 9 will remain current until the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. Validity and current status of an RHCE certificate will continue to be verified at Certification Central.
Our information suggests that the RHCE is such a strong certification that RHCEs in continuous practice as professionals are likely to be able to keep their skill levels up in pace with Red Hat Linux technology. Some Red Hat partner programs mandate RHCEs maintain certification on the most recent release.
rhca
RHS333 Red Hat Enterprise Security: Network Services Description
Duration:
4 days Training Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Training End Time: 4:30-5:00PM (depending on class progress) What you will learn:
RHS333 goes beyond the essential security coverage offered in the RHCE curriculum and delves deeper into the security features, capabilities, and risks associated with the most commonly deployed services. Among the topics covered in this four-day, hands-on course are the following:
1. Mastering basic service security * Review of host security * Advanced TCP wrappers configuration * Advanced xinetd configuration 2. Understanding cryptography * Overview of cryptographic techniques * Management of SSL certificates 3. Logging system activity * Clock synchronization with NTP * Configuring centralized syslog management 4. Securing BIND and DNS * Name server topology and "views" * Configuration of appropriate recursion and response policies * Using TSIG authentication keys * Running BIND in a chroot environment 5. Network user authentication security * Managing portmap and NIS risks * Using Kerberos authentication 6. Improving NFS security * NFS security limitations * Configurations to avoid 7. The secure shell: OpenSSH * Protocol and service security * Protecting public-key authentication * Port-forwarding and X11-forwarding issues 8. Securing E-mail with Sendmail and Postfix * User mail spool access issues * Overview of Postfix configuration * Access control and STARTTLS * Anti-spam features * Introduction to Procmail 9. Managing FTP access * Controlling local and anonymous users 10. Apache security * User authentication and access control * Common misconfigurations * Containing CGI risks 11. Basics of intrusion response * Monitoring for suspicious activity * Verifying suspected intrusions * Recovering from an intrusion
RH401 Red Hat Enterprise Deployment and Systems Management Description
Duration:
4 days Training Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Training End Time: 4:30-5:00PM (depending on class progress) What you will learn:
1. Essential System Management * System management tasks * Standardization, centralization, and scalability * Provisioning and automation * Red Hat tools for system managment 2. Installing a Red Hat Network Satellite Server * Features and advantages of the RHN Satellite Server * Types of RHN Satellite Servers * RHN Satellite Server hardware requirements * Understanding software channels * Installing an RHN Satellite Server * Populating an RHN Satellite Server * Troubleshooting an RHN Satellite Server installation 3. Building RPMs * Building open source software * Using RPM macros * Writing custom spec files * Using rpmbuild to create and sign RPMs * Guidelines for custom RPMs 4. Use of CVS to Manage Configuration Files * Basics of CVS for system administrators * Creating local and remote repository access * Structuring a CVS project * Using CVS to track, log, and reverse configuration changes 5. Managing the Red Hat Network Satellite Server * Preparing a client to use an RHN Satellite Server * Creating and managing custom channels 6. Red Hat Network Management and Provisioning * Types of RHN service * Elements of a deployment system * Use of custom channels in a deployment system * Using configuration channels to maintain system configuration * Automating installations through kickstart 7. Red Hat Network Proxy Server * Hosted RHN versus Proxy Server * Proxy Server software and hardware requirements * Installing RHN Proxy Server * Configuring clients to use a RHN Proxy Server 8. Monitoring Systems with RHN * RHN monitoring architecture * RHN monitoring components * Probes and notifications 9. Network Kernel Crash Dumps and netdump * Saving crash signatures over the network * Saving crash dumps over the network * Configuring netdump servers * Configuring netdump clients 10. DHCP and PXE boot * DHCP server design and configuration * Preboot Execution Environment * Setup PXE and PXELINUX * Kickstart and DHCP 11. Xen Technology Preview * Understanding virtualization * Xen terminology * Hardware requirements * Xen tools * Creating and bootstrapping a domain * Accessing and monitoring a domain * The art of Xen security
Note:The Xen Technology Preview will be taught using Fedora Core 5. As of this writing, the Xen virtualization system is not available in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
RH423 Red Hat Enterprise Directory Services and Authentication
Duration:
4 days Training Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Training End Time: 4:30-5:00PM (depending on class progress) What you will learn:
1. Introduction to Directory Services * What is a directory? * LDAP: models, schema, and attributes * Object classes * LDIF 2. The LDAP Naming Model * Directory information trees and Distingued Names * X.500 and "Internet" naming suffixes * Planning the directory hierarchy 3. Red Hat Directory Server: Basic Configuration * Installation and setup of Red Hat Directory Server * Using the Red Hat Console * Using logging to monitor Red Hat Directory Server activity * Backing up and restoring the directory * Basic performance tuning with indexes 4. Red Hat Directory Server: Authentication and Security * Configuring TLS security * Using access control instructions (ACI's) * ACI's and the Red Hat Console 5. Searching and Modifying the LDAP Directory * Using command line utilities to search the directory * Search filter syntax * Updating the directory * Using graphical LDAP client utilities 6. Linux User Authentication with NSS and PAM * Understanding authentication and authorization * Name service switch (NSS) * Advanced pluggable authentication modules (PAM) configuration 7. Centralized User Authentication with LDAP * Central account management with LDAP * Using migration scripts to migrate existing data into an LDAP server * LDAP user authentication 8. Kerberos and LDAP * Introduction to Kerberos * Configuring the Kerberos key distribution center (KDC) and clients * Configuring LDAP to support Kerberos * Access control with Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) 9. Directory Referrals and Replication * Referrals and replication * Single master configuration * Multiple master configuration * Planning for directory server availability 10. Authenticating Windows Clients * Windows networking overview * Configuring a Samba primary domain controller (PDC) using LDAP 11. Windows Domain Authentication and Linux Clients * Active Directory servers * Linux as a client * Active Directory and NSS * OpenLDAP * Winbind
RH436 Red Hat Enterprise Storage Management Description
Duration:
4 days Training Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Training End Time: 4:00-5:00PM (depending on class progress) Day 4 of class is open-ended lab time using provided SAN storage and multiple servers. What you will learn:
1. Review Red Hat Enterprise Linux Storage Management Technologies 2. Data Storage Design: Data Sharing * Analyze Storage Dynamics * SNIA Shared Storage Model(SSM) * Volume Management + File System Management = Data Management 3. Cluster Suite Overview * Define Cluster Suite Implementation in the SSM * Explain Cluster Suite Configuration * Implement Cluster Suite; HA NFS 4. Global File System(GFS) Overview * Define GFS Implementation in the SSM * Explain GFS Configuration * Explain Pools and Distributed Storage * Introduce Fencing * Explain Fencing Procedures * Implement Fencing Methods 5. Describe GFS Management * Describe GFS journals * Explain GFS Modification * Single/Redundant GFS Lockmanagers(SLM/RLM) * Increasing Data Storage Capacity 6. Modify the On-line GFS Environment: Managing Data Capacity 7. Monitor GFS 8. Implement GFS modifications 9. Migrating Cluster Suite NFS from DAS to GFS 10. Re-visit Cluster Suite using GFS
RH442 Red Hat Enterprise System Monitoring and Performance Tuning
Duration: 4 days
Training Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Training End Time: 4:30-5:00PM (depending on class progress) What you will learn:
1. Principles of Tuning * Developing a model for tuning * Understanding tuning metrics 2. Tuning Mechanisms for the Linux kernel * Using standard utilities to monitor system performance (vmstat,iostat,etc.) * Using of the sysfs and proc filesystems to obtain information about your system * Using the sysfs and proc filesystems to alter system behavior * Generating reports using standard utilties 3. Monitoring systems * Using SNMP to monitor systems * Using Red Hat Network to monitor systems * Using the netdump service to monitor system crashes 4. Performance characteristics of standard hardware devices * Factors affecting memory performance * Factors affecting disk performance 5. Process scheduling * How the Linux kernel schedules processes * Process priority * Real time processes 6. Memory * How the Linux kernel utilizes memory * System tunables that affect memory performance * How processes utilize memory * How page and buffer caches work 7. Disk I/O * How the disk I/O subsystem works * Tuning the disk I/O subsystem * How I/O scheduling works 8. Filesystem performance * Filesystem layout and performance * How journaling works 9. Network Performance * Kernel tunables affecting network performance 10. Application Tuning Issues * Problem areas when developing applications * Measuring algorithm performance * Viewing application behavior using standard utilities * Using OProfile to monitor application and system performanceTuning for SMB/CIFS servers 11. Service specific tuning recommendations * Tuning NFS * Tuning HTTPD * Tuning Samba
