HP-UX System Administration

This Hewlett Packard HP-UX System Administration training course is designed to give delegates practical experience in the administration of an HP-UX UNIX System. Reference will be made to the HP-UX command line, including using the System Management Homepage (SMH) to achieve the course exercises and objectives.

The delegate will learn and acquire skills as follows:

• HP-UX Server Range
• Managing Users and Groups
• Navigating the HP-UX File System
• System Management Homepage
• Booting PA-RISC and INTEGRITY Systems and Shutdown
• Logical Volume Manager
• File System Management
• Managing Swap Space
• Maintaining Logical Volumes and File Systems
• Preparing for Disasters
• Accessing the System Console and the iLO-MP
• HP-UX Kernel Configuration
• Configuring Device Special Files (DSF)
• Managing Software with SD-UX
• Managing Patches with SD-UX
• Ignite-UX

The HP-UX System Administration course is designed for System Administrators and Programmers and other Technical IT staff who require a working knowledge of the key tasks required to administer an HP-UX system.

The course assumes knowledge of the HP-UX Operating System to the level covered in the HP-UX Introduction Course. Some shell programming experience may also prove advantageous; this can be gained on the HP-UX Shell Programming Course.

On completion of the HP-UX System Administration course the delegate will have a greater awareness, both technical and practical, of the key tasks required to administer an HP-UX system, and completing these tasks by interacting via the command line or the System Management Homepage (SMH).

This course, together with the HP-UX Fundamentals course, covers some of the topics required for the HP-UX 11i v3 System Administration (HP0-P20) exam.

Before taking any exam, ensure you have the recommended experience. The HP-UX website lists all exam requirements and these are updated regularly.

Exams are not included as part of the course.

This HP-UX System Administration course assumes good knowledge of a Unix operating system in an Enterprise environment to the level covered in the HP-UX Introduction course. Alternatively, relevant experience of UNIX or Linux servers is required, preferably within an Enterprise environment.

Knowledge of HP-UX Shell Programming to the level covered on the HP-UX Shell Programming course would also be beneficial.

• HP-UX Introduction

• HP-UX Advanced Shell Programming Tools
• Oracle SQL
• TCP/IP Networking
• Apache Web Server

• Course technical content is subject to change without notice.
• Course content is structured as sessions, this does not strictly map to course timings. Concepts, content and practicals often span sessions.

Course Contents - DAY 1

Course Introduction

• Administration and Course Materials
• Course Structure and Agenda
• Delegate and Trainer Introductions

Session 1: THE HP SERVER RANGE

• HP Integrity Series Servers
• HP Integrity Entry-Class Servers
• HP Integrity Mid Range Servers
• HP Integrity Superdome Servers
• HP 9000 Series Servers
• HP 9000 Superdome
• HP Servers RP8420-32
• HP 9000 RP4440 Server
• Node Partitioning Support

Session 2: MANAGING USERS AND GROUPS

• Managing Users
• The /etc/passwd File
• Adding an Entry to the /etc/passwd File
• The /etc/shadow File
• The pwconv and pwunconv Commands
• The /etc/group File
• Adding an Entry to the /etc/group File
• Managing User Accounts
• The useradd Command
• The usermod Command
• The userdel command
• Deactivating and Reactivating a User Account
• User Group Maintenance
• Managing Groups
• Password Ageing and Password Security Policies
• The passwd command

Session 3: NAVIGATING THE HP-UX FILE SYSTEM

• Unix File System Hierarchy
• Static and Dynamic Files
• HP-UX System Directories
• Searching for Files and Executables

Session 4: SYSTEM MANAGEMENT HOMEPAGE (SMH)

• SMH Introduction
• Starting SMH
• SMH Login Screen
• Navigating the SMH Software
• SMH Command Line Interface Configuration
• Text Based SMH

Course Contents - DAY 2

Session 5: BOOTING PA-RISC AND INTEGRITY SYSTEMS AND SHUTDOWN

• System Startup Process for an HP PA-RISC Server
• ISL (Initial System Loader) & Autoboot
• Enabling and Disabling Autoboot
• Manually Booting HP-UX in Single User-Mode
• Recovering from a Lost root Password
• Booting to LVM Maintenance State
• Booting from an Alternate Kernel
• Understanding Hardware Addresses
• Booting from Another Disk
• HP Integrity Server Booting Differences
• The init Procedure
• System Run States
• Using Unique Keywords
• System Startup Procedures
• The rc Process
• Sequencer Directories
• Kill Scripts
• Execution Scripts
• Contents of the Template File
• Configuration Files
• Changing the /etc/inittab File
• Shutdown and rc
• Shutdown Permissions
• The reboot Command

Session 6: LOGICAL VOLUME MANAGER (LVM)

• Disk/File System Configuration
• Logical Volume Manager
• LVM Version 1 Limits
• LVM Version 1, 2.0 And 2.1 Comparison Table
• LVM DSF Directories
• Benefits of Persistent DFS Naming
• Creating Physical Volumes
• Displaying Physical Volumes
• Creation of Volume Groups
• Creating a 1.0 Volume Group
• Creating a 2.x Volume Group
• Displaying Volume Groups
• Creating Logical Volumes
• Displaying Logical Volumes
• An Introduction to Mirroring and Disk Striping
• Quorum
• Glossary of Common HP LVM Commands

Course Contents - DAY 3

Session 7: FILE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

• File System Structure
• File Systems Types
• Creating File Systems
• Special newfs Arguments
• Blocks and Fragments
• Mounting File systems
• Checking the File System Table
• Using the /etc/fstab File
• Unmounting File Systems
• Mounting and Unmounting CDFS File Systems
• Mounting and Unmounting LOFS File Systems
• Mounting a ISO Image
• How To Mount a MemFS File System

Session 8: MANAGING SWAP SPACE

• HP-UX Memory Concepts
• HP-UX Swap Concepts
• HP-UX Swap Types
• HP-UX Pseudo Swap
• Creating Swap via the CLI
• Enabling Swap via /etc/fstab

Session 9: MAINTAINING LOGICAL VOLUMES AND FILE SYSTEMS

• Defragmenting File Systems
• Repairing Corrupted File Systems
• The lost+found Directory
• Repairing a Damaged HFS File System
• Repairing a Damaged VXFS File System
• Repairing a Damaged Root File System
• Common Errors Found by fsck
• Monitoring Free Space
• Extending a Volume Group
• Reducing a Volume Group
• Removing a Volume Group
• Extending a Logical Volume
• Reducing a Logical Volume
• Removing a Logical Volume
• Extending a File System
• Reducing a File System

Course Contents - DAY 4

Session 10: PREPARING FOR DISASTERS

• Dynamic Root Disk
• DRD Commands Overview
• Downloading And Installing Dynamic Root Disk
• Cloning the Active System Image
• Verifying a DRD Clone's Status
• Synchronizing a DRD Clone
• DRD Sync Preview Command
• Copying the Files To the Inactive Clone Image
• DRD Sync System Shutdown Script
• DRD-Safe Commands And Packages
• Mounting/Unmounting the Inactive System Image
• Performing Tasks on the Inactive System Image
• Activating/Deactivating the Inactive System Image
• Cloning (Golden image) / Backing up the Root Disk

Session 11: ACCESSING THE SYSTEM CONSOLE AND THE ILO/MP

• Introduction to iLO 2
• Ports and LEDs
• HP Integrity Server Blade Components
• HP Integrity rx2660 Server Components
• HP Integrity rx3600 and rx6600 Server Components
• iLO 2 MP Status LEDs
• iLO 2 MP Reset Button
• Resetting Local User Accounts To Default Values
• Getting Connected to iLO 2
• Logging In to iLO 2
• Accessing the Host (Operating System) Console
• Accessing a Text Host Console Using the TUI
• Using iLO 2
• iLO 2 TUI Command Menu
• iLO 2 Web GUI

Session 12: HP-UX KERNEL CONFIGURATION

• Kernel Configuration Interfaces
• Kernel Management Commands
• Tuneable Manual Pages
• Managing Kernel Configurations Using Kcweb
• The Web Based Interface Of Kcweb
• Managing Saved Configurations
• The Kernel System File
• Managing The System File
• Managing Modules Via The System File
• Managing Tunables Via The System File
• Applying System File Changes
• Booting Using A Non-Default Configuration

Session 13: CONFIGURING DEVICE SPECIAL FILES (DSF)

• Legacy and Agile Naming Models SD-UX Structure
• Agile View
• Persistent Device Special File (DSF) Naming Scheme
• Disk Device File Naming Convention
• Tape Device Special File Naming Convention
• Array Controller and Other Device File Naming
• Legacy DSF's
• Legacy View Major And Minor Numbers
• Agile and Views in ioscan
• Mapping Between Legacy DSF's and Persistent DSF's
• Creating Device Special Files Manually
• Removing DFS's

Course Contents - DAY 5

Session 14: MANAGING SOFTWARE WITH SD-UX

• Software Distribution Overview
• SD-UX Structure
• SD-UX Commands
• SD-UX Daemons
• Glossary of Terms
• The Installed Produce Database (IDP)
• Using SD Commands
• Listing Installed Software
• Managing Software Depots
• Installing Software
• Verifying Installed Software
• Removing Installed Software

Session 15: MANAGING PATCHES WITH SD-UX

• Managing Patches
• Patch Naming Conventions
• Listing Installed Patches
• Patch State
• Acquiring Individual Patches
• Installing Individual Patches
• Installing Patches from CD/DVD
• Installing Patches from Tape
• Verifying a Patch
• Rolling Back a Patch
• Committing a Patch
• The Patch Assessment Tool
• The Security Patch Tool
• The HP-UX Software Assistant (SWA)

Session 16: INSTALLING THE OS WITH IGNITE-UX

• System Recovery Using Ignite-UX
• Setting up an Ignite-UX Server
• Ignite-UX Software Requirements
• Installing Ignite-UX Software on the Server
• Creating the HP-UX Depot
• Creating the HP-UX OE Configuration Information
• Configure the System as an Ignite-UX Server
• Cold-installing a Client Across the Network
• Boot the Client System from the Ignite-UX Server
• Installing HP-UX Using the Client Console
• Creating a Golden Image

Session 17: WORKSHOP EXERCISES

• HP-UX 11 System Administration Course Workshops

Session 18: WORKSHOP SOLUTIONS

• HP-UX 11 System Administration Course Workshops Solutions

Addendum: Reference Materials (provided within the course handbook for additional reading)

• Appendix 1 - Node and Virtual Partitioning
• Appendix 2 - The Veritas Volume Manager
• Appendix 3 - File & File System Backup and Restore