Deploying Ubuntu Server Edition

Course overview

Develop essential skills and learn how to deploy Ubuntu Server Edition across your organisation quickly and easily. Learn how to install, configure and deploy Ubuntu Server Edition securely within an enterprise environment.

Take the self-assessment survey to find out if Deploying Ubuntu Server Edition is the right course for you.

Course benefits

• Deploy Ubuntu Server Edition across your organisation with confidence.

• Learn the latest tips, tricks and techniques from the Ubuntu experts.

• Help your company reduce costs and boost efficiency with a stable, easy-to-manage IT infrastructure.

• Deploy new services more quickly and introduce innovations faster.

• Avoid costly licensing agreements.

Course content

Based on Ubuntu Server Edition 8.04 LTS, the Deploying Ubuntu Server Edition course helps participants to:

• Install and partition Ubuntu Server Edition.

• Troubleshoot issues quickly and effectively.

• Learn essential package management and repository management skills.

• Virtualise your IT environment using KVM.

• Manage your virtual environment using Landscape.

• Monitor server status remotely.

• Define and implement a backup strategy.

• Enhance security by building a firewall and controlling user web access.

Course pre-requisites

Attendees should have at least two years of active systems administration experience. They should also have Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Level 1 and Level 2 certifications or a working knowledge of Solaris, HPUX, Red Hat or other UNIX system.

Existing skills should include:

• SSH

• Bash scripting

• Basic service configuration of Apache, MySQL, DNS, Samba and Postfix

• Working knowledge of TCP/IP networking and configuration

• Working knowledge of vi or Emacs

Course outline

Topic 0: Getting started in the virtual training environment

(applicable to virtual classroom training only)

• Introduction to the environment used for the course and the labs

• Architecture of the virtual training environment

• Introduction to Moodle

• Introduction to Spreed

  • Interacting with fellow students and the instructor

  • Giving feedback to the instructor

  • Using audio (computer-based, or dial-in)

  • Testing your connection speed

• SSH login to the virtual machine environment

  • SSH client recommendations for windows and macintosh users

  • Accessing your virtual machines

  • Using 'screen' to switch between machines (Ctrl-A commands)

Topic 1: Installation

• Installation

  • Checking hardware requirements

  • Choosing, download and burning an installation CD

  • Running the installer

  • “Expert mode” installation

  • Partitioning: (guided, manual, LVM)

  • Software selection

  • Why is there no root account?

• Troubleshooting installations

  • ACPI issues

  • CD problems

  • Saving installation logs

  • Diagnosing boot failures

• Logical Volumes

  • The benefits of logical volumes

  • Architecture

  • Creating physical volumes, volume groups and logical volumes

  • Extending logical volumes

• Time synchronisation

Topic 2: Debian package management

• What is a Debian package?

• Low-level package management

  • Installing, listing and removing packages with dpkg

  • Package configuration and re-configuration

• High-level package management

  • Repository structure: pockets and components

  • The advanced packaging toolkit (APT)

  • Specifying the location of repositories

  • Package dependencies

  • Meta-packages and virtual packages

• Repository management

  • Creating a local repository

  • Configuring a proxy server

  • Mirroring a repository

Topic 3: Virtualization and deployment

• Virtualization

  • Setting up a KVM host

  • Virtual machine management using libvirt

  • Creating a guest

  • Building machine images with ubuntu-vm-builder

  • Creating virtual appliances with JeOS

• Automated installation

  • Kickstart and pre-seeding

  • Creating a kickstart file

  • Making a kickstart file available to the target installation

  • Installing from a local server

  • Cloning and its limitations

• Automating Updates

• Server management using Landscape

  • Obtaining a Landscape account

  • Configuring and registering a Landscape client

  • Accessing a Landscape account

Topic 4: Security, integrity and performance

• User-level security

  • Living without a root login

  • sudo and the sudoers file

  • Ubuntu group memberships and privileges

  • Configuring PAM to enforce password strength

  • Encrypting partitions using the dm-crypt device mapper

• Constructing a firewall

  • netfilter and iptables

  • Simplifying firewall construction with ufw

  • Testing firewalls with nmap

• Mandatory access control with AppArmor

  • Discretionary vs Mandatory access control

  • Creating an AppArmor profile

  • Setting enforce mode and complain mode

• Intrusion detection

  • Verifying file system integrity with AIDE

  • Monitoring log files with logwatch

• Configuring ssh authentication

• Configuration management with etckeeper

• Backup tools and strategies

  • Multi-level backup strategies

  • Using rsync for backups

  • Centralised backup with backuppc and bacula

• System monitoring and performance tuning

  • Monitoring memory and disk usage

  • Centralised monitoring with nagios and munin

  • Kernel parameter tuning

  • Application-specific tuning

Topic 5: Directory service and authentication

• OpenLDAP

  • OpenLDAP components and architecture

  • Installation and initial configuration

  • Command-line tools (ldapadd and friends)

  • Secure LDAP

  • LDAP with user account management

  • Configuring a client to use LDAP for authentication

  • Replicating an LDAP directory

• Kerberos

  • Setting up a Key Distribution Centre

  • Primary and secondary servers

  • Adding principals: Hosts, services, users, admin

  • Using LDAP as the backend

• Active Directory integration

• Likewise Open

• Joining a domain

• Logging in as an A-D user