CIS 454/528 Advanced UNIX/LINUX Server Administration

Teacher: Adam Reed, EE, PhD, CTT (areed2@calstatela.edu)

Course Description:

This course explores the adminstration of Unix and Linux server environments and operations in depth, and prepares the student for both parts of the Sun Certified Solaris System Administrator examination.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:

CompTIA Linux+ certification or or equivalent coursework and experience.

Time demands:

This course requires, in addition to 4 hours of lab/lecture per week, between 8 and 16 hours per week in independent study and practice of programming. Students with prior UNIX/LINUX system administration experience, including setting up and using their own Unix or Linux systems, will need about 8 hours per week in addition to class; students without prior root experience may need up to 16 hours per week in addition to class time.

Web Resources:

This Syllabus: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/areed2/W08.454admin.html
Courseware Registration Instructions: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/areed2/other/SAI.txt
Courseware: https://learningconnection.sun.com/

Courseware:

For Unix topics this course uses, instead of a textbook, courseware from Sun Microsystems, the vendor of Solaris, the dominant System V Unix in the large-scale corporate server market. Using web-based courseware saves you the cost of textbooks, which cost in the hundreds of dollars, and assures you of high quality materials: the developers of Solaris particpated, as subject matter experts, in the development of the courseware you will use.

Register per the "Courseware Registration Instructions" link above. After registration, log in using the "Courseware" link and click "courses", then select "course catalog" from the menu below the search box. The review units are near the top; for the rest click on the arrow to the right of "course groups" until you get to the last course group, and then select the next course unit or practice exam that you need into your shopping cart, and check out. You may see the commercial price of the courses they select, but at checkout a 100% discount will be applied and the cost will be zero dollars.

Some course materials appear in windows that cannot be printed or resized. The work-around is to use the right-hand mouse button menu to open the frame in a new window. The new window can be resized and printed, but navigation buttons target the original window.

Tentative Schedule of Weekly Lessons:

  1. Introduction, Review WS-1000-S10, WS-1001-S10
  2. Review WS-1002-S10, WS-1003-S10, WS-1004-S10
  3. WS-2000-S10, WS-2001-S10-B, WS-2002-S10-B
  4. WS-2003-S10-B, WS-2004-S10-B, WS-2005-S10-B
  5. WS-2020-S10, WS-2021-S10, WS-2022-S10
  6. WS-2023-S10, WS-2024-S10, WS-2025-S10
  7. WS-240-S10, WS-242-S10, WS-245-S10
  8. WS-2260-S10, WS-2270-S10, WS-2280-S10
  9. Part I Practice Exam Walk-Through
  10. Part II Practice Exam Walk-Through

Grading:

The primary grading input is both parts of the Sun Certified System Administrator examination. Grades will be A (if you pass both parts and obtain certification,) A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, and F. I will raise to an A or A- the grade of any student from whom I learn, by way of class participation, a new concept, insight, or technique. Concrete information about programs or bugs may also raise your grade somewhat, if it is useful and perceptive.

Participation:

Questions from which students may benefit will be answered in class. I will not answer individual questions during breaks or after class, but you are encouraged to write down, and bring up at the start of the next class, any questions that may occur to you. If you wish to discuss something during office hours, please send me e-mail at least a day in advance; if the answer to your question may be of general interest I will discuss it in class. Questions and insights during class are encouraged; if I learn something new to me from your question I may raise your grade accordingly.

Behaviors that may distract me, or your colleagues, away from appropriate work will NOT be tolerated in class. This includes receiving audible cell phone or pager alarms; you are responsible for testing your gear to make sure that it will stay silent during class time. You may not use computers in the classroom except as you would on a real job, while in conference with the executive or manager you report to: if you would not do it while working on technical problems with your boss, do not do it in class.

Study Partners:

You are expected to select a study partner among your colleagues in the class (or two study partners, so that you will meet in a group of three). You will exchange telephone numbers and e-mail addresses among partners, and meet with your parner or partners each week to review your understanding of current course content. Please make sure to bring to class any issues that come up in reviewing matters with your study partner. If you miss any class work you are responsible for obtaining your study partner's notes and recollections, and for asking whatever questions you find necessary to fill out your understanding.