Advanced Red Hat Linux Administration for Experienced Professionals

Course Duration: ⏱️

• 12 weeks (3 months)
• 3 sessions per week (2 hours per session)
• Hands-on labs and projects included 💻

Course Objectives: 🎯

• Deepen understanding of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) advanced administration. 🧠
• Master automation, performance tuning, and security hardening. 🛠️🔒
• Learn containerization, cloud integration, and DevOps practices. 📦☁️🔄
• Prepare for advanced Red Hat certifications (e.g., RHCE, RHCA). 🏆
• Gain expertise in troubleshooting complex systems. 🔍

Course Outline:

Module 1: Advanced System Administration (Weeks 1-2) ⚙️

• Topics Covered:
  • RHEL 8/9 new features and differences. 🆕
  • Advanced package management (RPM, YUM, DNF). 📦
  • Systemd deep dive: services, targets, and timers. ⏱️
  • Kernel management and tuning. ⚙️
  • Advanced filesystem management (XFS, ext4, Btrfs). 📂
  • Logical Volume Manager (LVM) advanced operations. 💾
  • Disk encryption with LUKS. 🔒
  • Automating tasks with cron and systemd timers. 🤖
• Hands-On Labs:
  • Configure and manage systemd services. ✅
  • Resize and migrate LVM volumes. ✅
  • Encrypt and decrypt disks using LUKS. ✅

Module 2: Networking and Security (Weeks 3-4) 🌐🔒

• Topics Covered:
  • Advanced network configuration (bonding, teaming, VLANs). 🔗
  • Firewall management with firewalld and nftables. 🛡️
  • SELinux deep dive: policies, contexts, and troubleshooting. 🔒
  • SSH hardening and key management. 🔑
  • Network security with TCP wrappers and VPNs. 🔐
  • Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS). 🚨
  • Auditing and monitoring with auditd and syslog. 📊
• Hands-On Labs:
  • Configure network bonding and VLANs. ✅
  • Implement SELinux policies for Apache and FTP. ✅
  • Set up and secure OpenVPN. ✅

Module 3: Automation with Ansible (Weeks 5-6) 🤖

• Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to Ansible and its architecture. 🏗️
  • Writing and managing playbooks. 📜
  • Using Ansible modules for system administration. 🧩
  • Roles, variables, and templates. 📋
  • Automating deployment and configuration management. 🚀
  • Integrating Ansible with cloud platforms. ☁️
• Hands-On Labs:
  • Automate user creation and package installation. ✅
  • Deploy a web server using Ansible. ✅
  • Create reusable roles for common tasks. ✅

Module 4: Performance Tuning and Troubleshooting (Weeks 7-8) 📈🔍

• Topics Covered:
  • System performance analysis tools (top, htop, vmstat, iostat). 📊
  • Kernel tuning and parameter optimization. ⚙️
  • Memory and CPU performance tuning. 🧠💻
  • Disk I/O optimization. 💾
  • Troubleshooting boot issues and rescue mode. 🚑
  • Analyzing system logs for troubleshooting. 📜
  • Disaster recovery and backup strategies. 🔄
• Hands-On Labs:
  • Tune kernel parameters for better performance. ✅
  • Analyze and resolve boot issues. ✅
  • Simulate and recover from disk failures. ✅

Module 5: Containerization and Orchestration (Weeks 9-10) 📦☸️

• Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to containers and Docker. 🐳
  • Managing containers with Podman and Buildah. 📦
  • Container orchestration with Kubernetes. ☸️
  • Deploying and managing containerized applications. 🚀
  • Integrating containers with RHEL systems. 🤝
  • Introduction to OpenShift (Red Hat’s Kubernetes platform). 🔴
• Hands-On Labs:
  • Create and manage containers with Podman. ✅
  • Deploy a multi-container application using Kubernetes. ✅
  • Explore OpenShift for container orchestration. ✅

Module 6: Cloud Integration and DevOps (Weeks 11-12) ☁️🔄

• Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to cloud computing and Red Hat Cloud Services. ☁️
  • Managing RHEL on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. 🌐
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform. 🏗️
  • CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins and GitLab. 🚀
  • Monitoring and logging in cloud environments. 📊
  • DevOps best practices for Linux administrators. 🔄
• Hands-On Labs:
  • Deploy RHEL instances on AWS/Azure. ✅
  • Automate infrastructure provisioning with Terraform. ✅
  • Set up a CI/CD pipeline for a sample application. ✅

Capstone Project: 🏆

• Objective: Apply all learned skills to design, deploy, and manage a complex RHEL-based infrastructure. 🚀
• Project Scope:
  • Automate the deployment of a multi-tier application (web, app, database). 🤖
  • Implement security hardening and performance tuning. 🔒📈
  • Monitor and troubleshoot the system. 📊🔍
  • Present the project with documentation and a live demo. 📝🎬

Certification Preparation: 🎓

• Recommended Certifications:
  • Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE). 🏆
  • Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation. 🏆
  • Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) – Optional for advanced learners. 🏆
• Preparation Tips:
  • Practice exams and mock labs. 📝
  • Review Red Hat’s official documentation and exam objectives. 📚

Additional Resources: 📚🌐🤝

• Books:
  • “Red Hat RHCE 8 (EX294) Cert Guide” by Sander van Vugt. 📖
  • “Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible” by Richard Blum. 📖
• Online Platforms:
  • Red Hat Training and Certification. 🌐
  • Linux Academy (now part of A Cloud Guru). 🌐
  • Pluralsight. 🌐
• Communities:
  • Red Hat Community. 🤝
  • Stack Overflow. 🤝
  • Linux subreddits. 🤝