Novell Certified Linux Professional (Novell CLP) training is for people interested in being Linux administrators. Skills demonstrated by someone holding a Novell CLP certification include: installing Linux servers into a network environment, managing users and groups, troubleshooting the SUSE LINUX file system, managing and compiling the Linux kernel, and troubleshooting network processes and services-just to name a few. The Novell Practicum is a scenario based exam where students apply the knowledge they have learned to solve real-life problems - showing they not only know what to do, but that they can actually do it as well.
 

Novell Linux Professional

Course Duration: 5 days instructor led training
Times: 8:30am to 4pm daily
 

Novell CLP

The following objectives and tasks might be required to complete the exam scenario you are presented:

Perform an installation of SLES 9 (from CD) that includes the following steps:

• Pre-installation considerations

• Selecting Installation options

• Selecting software components

• Configuring hardware components and devices (including partitioning)

• Adding passwords and users

• Simple installation troubleshooting

Navigate in the KDE and GNOME desktop environments by doing the following:

• Log in and log out

• Shutdown and reboot SLES 9 from the Desktop+

• Shutdown and reboot SLES 9 from the command line (using halt, poweroff, reboot, shutdown, and init)

• Use the Konqueror or Nautilus file manager

• Access file menus (especially the KDE menu), desktop icon, and panel icons

• Start and use YaST from the command line and desktop

Locate and use Help resources in the Linux system such as the following:

• man pages

• info pages

• GUI-based help

Perform the following file management tasks in the SLES 9 system:

• Select an appropriate Linux file system

• Configure Linux file system partitions (from the command line and from YaST)

• Configure a Linux file system with Logical Volume Management (LVM) from YaST

• Mount and unmount a file system

• Change directories and list directory contents

• Create and view files

• Find files and search file content

• Manage file permissions and ownership

• Set up and configure disk quotas

• Monitor and check a file system (using df, du, lsof, fuser, fsck, e2fsck, and reiserfsck)

• Create a boot, rescue, or module disk

Do the following from the Linux shell and command line:

• Log in as root and switch user accounts.

• Access the command line interface from the Desktop and from virtual servers (such as Ctrl+Alt+F1)

• Use command syntax and special characters

• Use piping and redirection

• Manage user accounts

• Use the basic Linux mail command

Use Linux text editors:

• Use the vi command Line editor to edit files

• Use a desktop editor (such as Kate) to edit files

Locate, view, and use the following types and sources of SUSE LINUX system information:

• Boot log information (/var/log/boot.msg)

• Hardware information (using /proc/, hwinfo, hdparm, fdisk, iostat, lspci, and siga)

• Hardware driver information (hwinfo)

• System and process information (using top, uptime, ps. netstat, uname, KDE System Guard, and Xosview)

• Configure the syslog daemon (syslog.conf) to schedule logged events

• View log files with YaST

• Archive log files with logrotate

Administer processes by doing the following:

• View processes from the GUI and the command line interface (using top, ps, and KDE System Guard)

• Manage foreground and background processes from the command line (using bg, &, fg, ps, pstree, nice, renice, and top)

• Stop processes from the command line (using kill and killall)

• Manage processes with KDE System Guard

Manage runlevels by doing the following:

• Manage runlevels from the command line interface (by using init 0, init 1, and so on)

• Configure runlevels from YaST

• Change the runlevel at boot

Schedule jobs by doing the following:

• Schedule a job with cron

• Run a job one time only with at

Manage the kernel by doing the following:

• Locate and understand the purpose of files and directories related to the kernel (such as /boot/initrd)

• Manage modules from the command line (using lsmod, insmod, rmmod, modprobe, depmod, modinfo, and kmod)

• Modify kernel parameters with Powertweak

Manage the GRUB boot loader by doing the following:

• Start the GRUB shell

• Modify the GRUB configuration file (using /boot/grub/menu.lst)

• Configure GRUB with YaST

Manage system and hardware settings by doing the following:

• View and change system settings (using /proc/sys/)

• Configure /etc/sysconfig/ files with YaST

• Use SuSEPlugger to view parameters and access YaST modules

• Modify hardware parameters with Powertweak

• Monitor hard drive space (using df, du, Info Center, and Kdiskfree)

Manage the network configuration by doing the following:

• Configure a network card with YaST (both static IP address and DHCP)

• Configure a network card from the command line (using ifconfig and ip)

• Perform network connection management tasks from the command line (using ping, netstat, netcat, traceroute, iroute, ifup, and ifdown)

• Configure host and domain names manually (with /etc/HOSTNAME and /etc/resolv.conf)

• Configure a network connection manually (using files in /etc/sysconfig/network)

• Manage the routing table from the command line (using route and ip)

• Save routing settings to a configuration file (/etc/sysconfig/network/routes)

• Configure routing from YaST

• Assign IP addresses from the command line (using add, del, and show)

• Analyze network traffic (using tcpdump and ethereal)

Manage user and group accounts by doing the following:

• Create, modify, and delete users and groups from YaST

• Create and delete users and groups from the command line

• Set defaults for new user accounts from YaST

• Configure user authentication with PAM

• Monitor login activity (using who, w, finger, last, lastlog, and faillog)

Manage and configure network printers by doing the following:

• Configure and modify a SLES 9 network printer with YaST and from the command line (using lpoptions and lpadmin)

• Modify printer settings using kprinter

• Manage CUPS printing from the command line using Berkely and System V commands (such as lp, lpr, lpq, lpstat, lprm, and cancel)

• Manage printing from the command line with SLES 9 printer commands (such as enable, disable, accept, and reject)

• Access the CUPS web administration tools

Manage and configure network file systems by doing the following:

• Configure an NFS (Network File System) server and client with YaST

• Configure an NFS server manually

• Configure and mount NFS directories

• Monitor the NFS system from the command line (using rpcinfo and showmount)

• Configure a Samba server and client with YaST

• Monitor and test Samba from the command line (using testparm, nmblookup, smbclient, smbstatus, and rcsmb)

Manage resources on the network by doing the following:

• Configure an NIS (Network Information Service) master server, slave server, client, and users with YaST

• Configure Maps manually (using ypdomainname and make)

• Manage NIS from the command line (using ypdomainname, ypwhich, ypcat, ypmatch, yppasswd, and yppoll)

Manage software packages by doing the following:

• Install and manage RPM software packages from the command line with the rpm command

• Install RPM software packages from YaST

• Compile software from source (using make and make install)

• Verify and update software library access (using ldd, /etc/ld.so.conf, and /etc/ld.so.cache)

• Update your SLES 9 installation from a YaST Online Update (YOU) server

Enable Internet services by doing the following:

• Synchronize time with netdate and hwclock

• Synchronize time with NTP (using ntpdate, ntp.conf, ntptrace, and YaST)

• Configure an HTTP Apache Web server with YaST

• Configure an Apache Web server from the configuration files (such as httpd.conf and default-server.conf)

• Manage the Apache Web server from the command line (using apache2 and apache2ctl)

• Configure a virtual Host for the Apache Web server

• Limit access to the Apache Web server (using allow, deny, and htpasswd2)

• Configure an SSL encryption with an Apache Web server (using RSA key pairs and configuration files)

• Configure the Extended Internet Daemon (xinetd) from YaST and the command line (using xinetd and xinetd.conf)

• Configure the TCP wrapper

• Install, configure, and run PureFTPd server

Configure and use a DNS server by doing the following:

• Install and configure the BIND server software (bind and bind-utils packages)

• Configure a caching-only DNS server

• Configure a master server and one or more slave servers for your domain

• Configure a client computer with YaST to use the DNS server

• Query the DNS server from the command line (using host and dig)

Deploy and use OpenLDAP on a SLES 9 server by doing the following:

• Install and set up an OpenLDAP server (using the slapd.conf and ldap.conf files)

• Add entries to the LDAP server by creating and using an LDIF file (and the commands recode and ldapadd)

• Query information from the LDAP server at the command line (using ldapsearch)

• Delete and modify entries of the LDAP server at the command line (using ldapmodify and ldapdelete)

• Use the GQ graphical applications to access data in the LDAP server

Manage backup and recovery on a SLES 9 server by doing the following:

• Archive, compress, and uncompress files (using tar, gzip, bzip2, and zcat)

• Work with magnetic tapes with the mt command

• Copy data with the dd command

• Mirror directories with the rsync command

• Automate data backups with the cron service

• Boot a corrupted system directly into a shell

• Boot a corrupted system with the Installation media

• Start and use the SLES 9 rescue system

Create basic shell scripts by doing the following:

• Use basic script elements (such as variables, command substitutions, and arithmetic operations)

• Use variable substitution operators (such as ${variable-value}, ${variable=value}, and ${variable+value})

• Use control structures (such as if and until commands, case statements, and loop processing)

• Use advanced scripting techniques (such as shell functions and getopts)

Manage remote access by doing the following:

• Configure an OpenSSH server and client (by editing sshd_config and ssh_config files)

• Use SSH client commands (such as scp, ssh, ssh-add, ssh-agent, ssh-keygen, and ssh-keyscan)

• Enable Remote Administration with YaST

• Configure and access an Installation Server with YaST

Secure a SLES 9 server by doing the following:

• Secure the BIOS with a password

• Secure the GRUB boot loader with a password

• Configure directory ACLs from the command line (using getfacl and setfacl)

• Configure Security Settings with YaST

Find performance bottlenecks by doing the following:

• Analyze processes and processor utilization (using top, uptime, mpstat, and KDE System Guard)

• Analyze memory utilization and performance (using free, vmstat, and KDE System Guard)

• Analyze storage performance (using vmstat and iostat)

• Analyze network utilization and performance (using KDE System Guard, Traffic-vis, and ip)

In addition, the following topics are covered in SUSE LINUX Advanced Administration and might be referred to in the exam:

• How device drivers work

• The sysfs file system

• How the SLES 9 hotplug system works

• Adding new hardware to a SLES 9 system

Linux Training: 2KO offers specialised Linux training courses in Greenpoint Cape Town, South Africa. Students seeking career change or just Linux certification can travel from Durban and stay in comfortable accommodation and focus on gaining Linux certification. We specialize in certification training, and have been offering Linux training since 2003. All Linux trainers are Certified Trainers and have years of hands on experience, both in the classroom and in the field.

Certification Programs

Certifications, offered by vendors such as Sun and Hewlett-Packard, have long been available in the UNIX world. Since Solaris and HP-UX are not commodity based products, the more popular PC-based certifications are the ones that are steadily growing.

There are a number of programs – Linux Professional Institute, Sair Linux, GNU Certification, Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), and ComTIA’s Linux+. Each of these provides objective measurements of a Linux administrator’s skills, but approach the problem in different ways.

RHCE requires the candidate to pass a hands-on practical skills test, solving problems and performing configuration tasks. This is more involved from an exam delivery point of view, but this type of testing is very thorough and difficult, especially for candidates new to the world of Linux.

2KO Linux course offerings
By offering candidates both the Linux+ plus entry-level certification track, and the LPI notion of certification through a sort of open source process, 2KO aims to give a middle-of-the-road end result. This means that students can easily gauge their own level of comfort, after completing at least 1 week of Linux. They can then make a decision on which exam track to opt for.

LPI organises its Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) series into three levels: LPIC level 1, 2 and 3. Each level consists of two exams. LPIC level 1 exams are numbered 101 and 102.

Level 1 is aimed at junior to midlevel administrators, who should be comfortable with Linux at the command line, given Linux’s huge array of commands available and great flexibility for scripting, and remote management. They would also be comfortable with performing installation and troubleshooting. Exams 101 and 102 are NOT constructed to be difficult or misleading ! However, they encompass a wide body of material, making YOUR preparation important for a good understanding of the 14 major topics specified by the LPIC Level 1.

At the time of this publication, the LPI Level 1 exams are structured as such :

Exam 101: tests 5 topics in approx. 60 questions.
Exam 102: tests 9 topics in approx. 72 questions.
Each exam in limited to 90 minutes.

In the early stages of development, topics were assigned to exams based on a different scheme than we see today. Therefore, there is no requirement or advantage to taking the exams in sequence as they are designed so that subject matter does not overlap.

It is recommended that you always please check the LPI web-site :
http://www.lpi.org

What the course covers

Linux Exam LPI 101
• GNU and UNIX commands ( 7 objectives )
• Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard ( 8 objectives )
• Boot, Initialization, Shutdown, and Runlevels ( 2 objectives )
• Documentation ( 4 objectives )
• Administrative tasks ( 5 objectives )

Linux Exam LPI 102
• Hardware and Architecture ( 3 objectives )
• Linux Installation and Package Management ( 6 objectives )
• Kernel ( 2 objectives )
• Text Editing, Processing, and Printing ( 4 objectives )
• Shells, Scripting, Programming, and Compiling ( 2 objectives )
• X-Windows ( 4 objectives )
• Networking Fundamentals ( 4 objectives )
• Networking Services ( 5 objectives )
• Security ( 3 objectives )