Overview

This course features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Master the foundational and advanced capabilities of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (RHEL 8) to confidently manage Linux environments. Through this comprehensive course, you'll gain practical skills in system installation, configuration, networking, storage, and security tailored to enterprise-grade deployments. The course starts with core system administration tasks, including installation, working with systemd, and software management. It then progresses to automation techniques using Kickstart, enabling scalable deployments. Next, you’ll explore network configuration, time synchronization, and NFS setup, preparing you to operate RHEL servers in real-world environments. You’ll delve into advanced storage management using LVM and XFS, perform backups and snapshots, and utilize the System Storage Manager. Security modules focus on SELinux, firewalld, SSH hardening, and disk encryption, capped off with real-time troubleshooting strategies and system performance monitoring. Designed for IT professionals, system administrators, and network engineers, this intermediate-level course assumes a basic familiarity with Linux. It’s ideal for anyone looking to manage secure, scalable RHEL systems in a professional setting.

Syllabus

Introduction to RHEL

In this module, we will introduce Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and explore its foundational components. You’ll learn how to install RHEL 8, navigate its console interfaces, and manage software updates and repositories. The module concludes with automation techniques using Kickstart, enabling streamlined and repeatable system deployments.

Networking

In this module, we will explore the essential networking capabilities within Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. You’ll work with configuration files and the Network Manager CLI to manage network interfaces and settings. The lessons also cover configuring NTP for time synchronization, as well as installing and using NFS for file sharing between systems.

Storage

In this module, we will delve into the storage architecture and tools available in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. You'll explore the Linux file system hierarchy, choose between supported file systems, and work extensively with Logical Volume Manager (LVM). Additionally, you'll use tools like XFS utilities and System Storage Manager to perform backups, manage partitions, and create snapshots for effective storage administration.

Security

In this module, we will focus on securing your Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 environment against common threats and vulnerabilities. You’ll learn to manage timely security updates, configure SELinux and firewalld, and harden SSH access. The module also covers disk encryption using LUKS to ensure data confidentiality, even in the event of physical compromise.

Troubleshooting

In this module, we will equip you with the tools and techniques needed to diagnose and resolve issues in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. You’ll learn to automate bug reporting, generate SOS reports for in-depth system diagnostics, and monitor both performance metrics and system logs. These skills are essential for maintaining system reliability and minimizing downtime.

Virtualization

In this module, we will explore how to transform a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 system into a powerful virtualization host. You’ll learn to install and integrate QEMU, KVM, and libvirt, enabling you to create and manage virtual machines. This module lays the foundation for deploying scalable and efficient virtualized environments within RHEL.