Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 from Coursera

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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.

What's inside

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.

Career center

Learners who complete Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Linux System Administrator

A Linux System Administrator manages, maintains, and troubleshoots Linux-based servers and infrastructure. This course is exceptionally well-suited for an aspiring Linux System Administrator, providing a deep dive into Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, a cornerstone operating system in enterprise environments. It covers essential system administration tasks like installation, configuration management, software updates, and advanced networking setup, including NFS. Learners will gain expertise in managing storage with Logical Volume Manager and XFS, implementing robust security features through SELinux and firewalld, and mastering troubleshooting techniques. The virtualization module, teaching QEMU, KVM, and libvirt, further enhances the capabilities needed to manage modern server environments. This comprehensive training equips you to confidently administer secure, scalable RHEL systems.

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Systems Engineer

A Systems Engineer designs, implements, and maintains complex IT infrastructure, integrating various hardware and software components. This role benefits tremendously from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course, as RHEL is often a foundational operating system within sophisticated enterprise systems. The course provides robust skills in system installation, configuration, and advanced networking, crucial for building interconnected solutions. Expertise in storage management, including Logical Volume Manager and XFS, and comprehensive security hardening with SELinux and firewalld directly supports the design of resilient and secure systems. Furthermore, the virtualization module prepares you to integrate and manage virtualized environments, a key aspect of modern systems engineering. This training helps you ensure peak performance, reliability, and scalability for diverse IT operations.

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Site Reliability Engineer

A Site Reliability Engineer applies software engineering principles to infrastructure and operations problems, ensuring systems are scalable, reliable, and efficient. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course is highly beneficial for a Site Reliability Engineer, providing deep mastery of the operating system that forms the bedrock of many production environments. The course's focus on automation techniques like Kickstart, comprehensive troubleshooting strategies, and system performance monitoring directly supports SRE objectives. You will learn to diagnose and resolve issues, generate in-depth system diagnostics using SOS reports, and analyze performance metrics and system logs to proactively maintain reliability. The skills in managing scalable deployments and securing enterprise-grade RHEL systems are crucial for minimizing downtime and maximizing operational efficiency.

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Virtualization Engineer

A Virtualization Engineer specializes in designing, deploying, and managing virtualized computing environments that optimize resource utilization and flexibility. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course is specifically tailored to provide the core competencies needed by a Virtualization Engineer. The dedicated virtualization module teaches you how to transform a RHEL 8 system into a powerful virtualization host by installing and integrating QEMU, KVM, and libvirt. You will learn to create and manage virtual machines efficiently, laying a robust foundation for deploying scalable and efficient virtualized environments. Additionally, skills in RHEL system administration, storage management with Logical Volume Manager, and network configuration further enhance your ability to build and maintain high-performance, resilient virtualization platforms.

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Storage Administrator

A Storage Administrator is responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of an organization's data storage infrastructure. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course is exceptionally relevant for a Storage Administrator, dedicating an entire module to storage architecture and tools. You will delve into the Linux file system hierarchy, explore supported file systems, and gain extensive hands-on experience with Logical Volume Manager. The course covers using XFS utilities and the System Storage Manager to perform critical tasks like managing partitions, creating backups, and taking snapshots for effective data protection and recovery. This specialized knowledge directly prepares you to manage secure, scalable storage solutions within an enterprise Red Hat Enterprise Linux environment.

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DevOps Engineer

A DevOps Engineer focuses on optimizing and automating the software development and delivery lifecycle, bridging the gap between development and operations. For a DevOps Engineer, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course provides foundational skills necessary for managing the underlying infrastructure upon which applications run. You will gain practical expertise in system installation, configuration, and crucially, automation techniques using Kickstart, which is vital for building repeatable, scalable deployments. Understanding network configuration, storage management with Logical Volume Manager, and robust security practices like SELinux and firewalld, as taught, helps in designing secure and efficient deployment pipelines. The ability to manage virtualized environments further aids in setting up consistent development and testing platforms.

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Network Administrator

A Network Administrator is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer networks. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course provides highly relevant skills for a Network Administrator, particularly in managing the server-side components that underpin network services. You will learn to work with network configuration files and the Network Manager Command Line Interface to manage network interfaces and settings. The course specifically covers configuring Network Time Protocol for time synchronization across network devices and installing and using Network File System for efficient file sharing, both critical networking responsibilities. Understanding how to harden Secure Shell access and configure firewalld, as taught, is also vital for securing network-connected systems. This coursework helps ensure robust and secure network operations.

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Cloud Engineer

A Cloud Engineer designs, implements, and manages cloud-based infrastructure and services, leveraging platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course offers valuable expertise for a Cloud Engineer, as RHEL is a widely adopted operating system for virtual machines and container hosts in public and private cloud environments. The course provides practical skills in system installation, configuration, networking, and security, all directly transferable to cloud instances. The virtualization module, teaching QEMU, KVM, and libvirt, is particularly relevant for understanding how cloud providers manage their underlying hypervisors and for deploying RHEL in virtualized settings. This training helps you effectively deploy, manage, and secure RHEL-based workloads within diverse cloud architectures.

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Automation Engineer

An Automation Engineer designs, builds, and implements automated solutions to streamline IT operations and workflows, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course provides foundational skills crucial for an Automation Engineer working with Linux environments. You will learn automation techniques using Kickstart, which enables streamlined and repeatable system deployments. This knowledge is essential for automating the installation and initial configuration of multiple RHEL servers, a common task in enterprise IT. Beyond deployment, understanding RHEL's core system administration, network configuration, and storage management capabilities helps you to script and automate ongoing management, maintenance, troubleshooting, and security tasks, ensuring consistent and compliant infrastructure at scale.

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Information Security Analyst

An Information Security Analyst protects an organization's computer systems and networks from cyber threats. For an aspiring Information Security Analyst, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course offers targeted and practical knowledge in system hardening and vulnerability management. The security module is particularly pertinent, covering timely security updates, configuring SELinux for mandatory access control, and setting up firewalld to control network traffic. You will gain expertise in hardening Secure Shell access to prevent unauthorized remote entry and implementing LUKS disk encryption to protect data at rest. These skills are fundamental for establishing and maintaining a strong security posture on enterprise Linux servers, enabling you to identify, mitigate, and respond to security incidents effectively across your infrastructure.

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Technical Support Engineer

A Technical Support Engineer provides specialized assistance to customers, diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues related to software and hardware. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 course is highly beneficial for a Technical Support Engineer, as it equips you with comprehensive skills to troubleshoot and maintain Linux systems effectively. The troubleshooting module directly addresses the needs of this role, teaching you to automate bug reporting, generate SOS reports for in-depth diagnostics, and monitor system performance metrics and logs. Combined with a deep understanding of RHEL installation, configuration, networking, storage, and security features, this course can help you quickly identify root causes and implement solutions for a wide range of enterprise-level problems, ensuring system reliability and minimizing downtime for clients.

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Solutions Architect

A Solutions Architect designs and plans complex IT solutions, translating business requirements into scalable and robust technical architectures. This course may be useful for a Solutions Architect, as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 is a ubiquitous operating system forming the backbone of many enterprise solutions. A deep understanding of RHEL's foundational and advanced capabilities, including system installation, configuration, networking, storage, and security, can inform architectural decisions. The course's modules on automation, virtualization with QEMU KVM libvirt, and troubleshooting strategies provide a comprehensive perspective on building resilient and efficient infrastructure. This knowledge enables you to design well-optimized, secure, and manageable RHEL-based systems that align with organizational objectives and industry best practices.

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Release Engineer

A Release Engineer oversees the planning, execution, and deployment of software releases, ensuring smooth and consistent delivery to production environments. This course may be useful for a Release Engineer, as it provides a solid understanding of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 operating system—a common deployment target. The course's emphasis on automation techniques like Kickstart is particularly relevant for automating server provisioning as part of a release pipeline. Knowledge of system installation, configuration, software management, and network setup, combined with security hardening, helps in creating stable and secure environments for new software deployments. Understanding RHEL troubleshooting and performance monitoring also aids in quickly diagnosing and resolving issues that may arise during or after a release.

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Data Center Technician

A Data Center Technician maintains the physical infrastructure of data centers, including servers, networking equipment, and power systems. This course may be useful for a Data Center Technician, providing a foundational understanding of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 operating system that often runs on the servers they manage. You will learn how to install RHEL 8 and navigate its console interfaces, which is helpful for initial server setup and basic troubleshooting directly on the hardware. Familiarity with software updates and repository management, as well as understanding physical storage concepts, can assist with routine maintenance tasks and diagnostics. While a Data Center Technician primarily deals with hardware, this course offers valuable insight into the software layer they support.

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Database Administrator

A Database Administrator manages and maintains an organization's database systems, ensuring their performance, integrity, and security. This course may be useful for a Database Administrator, as many enterprise database systems are deployed on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 servers. While not focused on database-specific skills, the course provides a strong foundation in managing the underlying operating system environment. You will gain expertise in RHEL system administration, including installation, configuration, software management, storage with Logical Volume Manager and XFS, and network configuration, all of which are critical for optimizing database server performance and stability. The security module, covering SELinux and firewalld, also helps in securing the host system to protect sensitive database information.

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