System Administration Masterclass

Course Overview

System Administration Masterclass is a comprehensive training program designed to develop expert-level system administrators capable of managing complex enterprise IT environments. This course covers Linux and Windows server administration, automation, security, monitoring, and best practices from real-world enterprise deployments.

Course Details

• Duration: 8 weeks (6 hours per week)
• Format: Hands-on Labs + Theory
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Prerequisites: Basic Linux/Windows knowledge, networking fundamentals
• Certification: System Administration Professional Certificate

Target Audience

• Junior System Administrators
• IT Support professionals advancing careers
• Network Engineers expanding skills
• DevOps Engineers needing sysadmin foundation
• IT Managers overseeing infrastructure

Learning Objectives

Participants will master:

1. Linux and Windows server administration
2. Automation with shell scripting and PowerShell
3. User and access management
4. System monitoring and performance tuning
5. Backup and disaster recovery
6. Security hardening and compliance
7. Troubleshooting complex system issues

Comprehensive Curriculum

Week 1: Linux System Administration Fundamentals

Topics:

• Linux distributions and selection criteria
• System installation and initial configuration
• File system hierarchy and management
• User and group management
• Permissions and ownership
• Package management (apt, yum, dnf)

Hands-on Labs:

• Install and configure Ubuntu Server and CentOS
• Create and manage users and groups
• Configure file permissions and ACLs
• Install and manage software packages
• File system operations and maintenance

Real-World Scenario: Set up a multi-user Linux server for a small organization

Week 2: Advanced Linux Administration

Topics:

• Process management and systemd
• Service management and configuration
• Log management and analysis
• Cron jobs and task scheduling
• Disk management and LVM
• RAID configuration

Hands-on Labs:

• Manage services with systemd
• Configure log rotation
• Set up automated tasks with cron
• Create and manage LVM volumes
• Configure software RAID

Practical Exercise:

# Example: Creating LVM volume
pvcreate /dev/sdb1
vgcreate vg_data /dev/sdb1
lvcreate -L 50G -n lv_data vg_data
mkfs.ext4 /dev/vg_data/lv_data
mount /dev/vg_data/lv_data /data

Week 3: Windows Server Administration

Topics:

• Windows Server installation and roles
• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Group Policy management
• DNS and DHCP services
• File and print services
• Windows Server backup

Hands-on Labs:

• Install Windows Server 2019/2022
• Set up Active Directory domain
• Create and manage Group Policies
• Configure DNS and DHCP
• Implement file sharing and permissions
• Configure Windows Server Backup

Project: Build a complete Windows domain environment for 100 users

Week 4: Automation and Scripting

Bash Scripting:

• Shell scripting fundamentals
• Variables and control structures
• Functions and error handling
• Text processing (sed, awk, grep)
• Automation best practices

PowerShell:

• PowerShell basics
• Cmdlets and pipelines
• Active Directory automation
• Remote management
• Script development

Hands-on Projects:

• Automated user provisioning script
• System health check automation
• Log analysis and reporting scripts
• Backup automation
• Bulk AD operations

Example Scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# Automated backup script
BACKUP_DIR="/backup"
SOURCE_DIR="/data"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)

tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/backup_$DATE.tar.gz $SOURCE_DIR
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "backup_*.tar.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

# PowerShell: Bulk user creation
Import-Csv "users.csv" | ForEach-Object {
    New-ADUser -Name $_.Name `
               -SamAccountName $_.Username `
               -UserPrincipalName "$($_.Username)@domain.com" `
               -Path "OU=Users,DC=domain,DC=com" `
               -AccountPassword (ConvertTo-SecureString $_.Password -AsPlainText -Force) `
               -Enabled $true
}

Week 5: System Monitoring and Performance Tuning

Monitoring Tools:

• Nagios/Zabbix for infrastructure monitoring
• Prometheus and Grafana
• ELK Stack for log management
• Windows Performance Monitor
• Linux performance tools (top, htop, iotop, vmstat)

Performance Tuning:

• CPU optimization
• Memory management
• Disk I/O optimization
• Network performance tuning
• Application performance monitoring

Hands-on Labs:

• Set up Nagios monitoring
• Configure Grafana dashboards
• Implement ELK Stack
• Performance troubleshooting scenarios
• Capacity planning exercises

Real-World Application: Monitor 300+ endpoints with automated alerting (based on Ministry of Foreign Affairs setup)

Week 6: Security and Hardening

Linux Security:

• SELinux/AppArmor
• Firewall configuration (iptables, firewalld)
• SSH hardening
• Security auditing
• Intrusion detection (fail2ban)

Windows Security:

• Windows Firewall configuration
• Security policies
• BitLocker encryption
• Windows Defender
• Security auditing and compliance

Best Practices:

• Principle of least privilege
• Regular security updates
• Security baselines (CIS benchmarks)
• Vulnerability scanning
• Incident response procedures

Hands-on Labs:

• Harden Linux servers
• Configure Windows security policies
• Set up firewall rules
• Implement fail2ban
• Conduct security audit

Week 7: Backup, Disaster Recovery, and High Availability

Backup Strategies:

• Backup types (Full, Incremental, Differential)
• 3-2-1 backup rule
• Backup tools (rsync, Bacula, Veeam)
• Cloud backup solutions
• Backup testing and verification

Disaster Recovery:

• DR planning and documentation
• RTO and RPO objectives
• Disaster recovery testing
• Business continuity planning

High Availability:

• Load balancing concepts
• Clustering (Linux HA, Windows Failover Clustering)
• Database replication
• Redundancy strategies

Hands-on Projects:

• Implement automated backup solution
• Create DR plan and test it
• Set up high-availability web service
• Configure database replication

Week 8: Troubleshooting and Real-World Scenarios

Troubleshooting Methodology:

• Systematic approach to problem-solving
• Root cause analysis
• Documentation and knowledge base
• Escalation procedures

Common Scenarios:

• Boot failures and recovery
• Network connectivity issues
• Performance degradation
• Service failures
• Storage problems
• Security incidents

Hands-on Troubleshooting:

• Simulated system failures
• Performance issues
• Security breach scenarios
• Data recovery situations
• Complex multi-system problems

Final Project: Design and implement a complete enterprise infrastructure including:

• Multi-server environment (Linux + Windows)
• Automated deployment and configuration
• Monitoring and alerting
• Backup and DR
• Security hardening
• Documentation

Real-World Case Study: Ministry IT Infrastructure

Environment Overview

• 300+ endpoints across multiple locations
• Mixed Linux and Windows servers
• Government e-file systems
• 81 unified websites
• 24/7 operation requirements

Implementation Highlights

Infrastructure:

• Redundant server architecture
• Load-balanced web services
• Centralized authentication (AD)
• Automated backup systems
• Comprehensive monitoring

Automation:

• Automated user provisioning
• System health checks
• Patch management
• Log aggregation and analysis
• Incident response automation

Results Achieved:

• 99.9% uptime
• 95% first-resolution rate
• 40% reduction in manual tasks
• Improved security posture
• Better disaster recovery capabilities

Tools and Technologies

Linux Tools

• Ubuntu Server, CentOS, RHEL
• systemd, cron
• LVM, RAID
• iptables, firewalld
• rsync, Bacula

Windows Tools

• Windows Server 2019/2022
• Active Directory
• PowerShell
• Group Policy
• Windows Admin Center

Monitoring

• Nagios, Zabbix
• Prometheus, Grafana
• ELK Stack
• PRTG Network Monitor

Automation

• Bash scripting
• PowerShell
• Ansible
• Git for version control

Assessment and Certification

Passing Criteria: 75% overall score

Certification: System Administration Professional Certificate recognized by industry

Course Outcomes

2024 Statistics

• Participants: 50
• Completion Rate: 90%
• Average Score: 84%
• Satisfaction: 4.8/5

Career Impact

• 65% received promotions or raises
• 40% transitioned to senior sysadmin roles
• 50% implemented learned techniques at work
• 30% pursued advanced certifications (RHCSA, MCSA)

Student Testimonials

“This course took me from junior admin to senior level. The real-world scenarios were invaluable.” - Kamal S., System Administrator

“The automation module alone was worth the entire course fee. I’ve saved countless hours at work.” - Nusrat J., IT Manager

“Best sysadmin training I’ve attended. Practical, comprehensive, and taught by someone with real experience.” - Fahim R., DevOps Engineer

Course Materials

Included Resources

• 500+ page comprehensive manual
• Lab guides with step-by-step instructions
• Script libraries and templates
• Configuration file examples
• Video recordings of all sessions
• Access to lab environment (6 months)
• Troubleshooting decision trees

Recommended Reading

• “UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook”
• “Windows Server 2019 Inside Out”
• “The Practice of System and Network Administration”
• “Site Reliability Engineering” by Google

Lab Environment

Infrastructure Provided

• Virtual lab environment with:
  • Multiple Linux VMs (Ubuntu, CentOS)
  • Windows Server VMs
  • Network simulation
  • Monitoring tools pre-installed
  • 24/7 access for 6 months

Personal Setup

• Laptop with 16GB RAM recommended
• Virtualization software (VirtualBox/VMware)
• Internet connection

Prerequisites

Knowledge Requirements

• Basic Linux command line
• Basic Windows administration
• Networking fundamentals
• Understanding of IP addressing

Pre-Course Preparation

• Install VirtualBox
• Review Linux basics
• Familiarize with command line
• Complete pre-course assessment

Schedule and Investment

Upcoming Sessions

• Next Batch: October 2025
• Schedule: Weekends (Saturday & Sunday)
• Time: 9 AM - 3 PM
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Class Size: Maximum 20 participants

Pricing

• Standard Rate: Contact for pricing
• Early Bird (60 days): 20% discount
• Corporate Training: Custom packages
• Government/Non-profit: Special rates

What’s Included

• All course materials
• Lab environment access (6 months)
• Certificate of completion
• 6 months post-course support
• Alumni network membership

Certification Preparation

This course prepares for:

• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
• Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator
• CompTIA Linux+
• CompTIA Server+

Post-Course Support

• Email Support: 6 months
• Monthly Office Hours: Live Q&A sessions
• Alumni Network: LinkedIn group for networking
• Job Opportunities: Shared in alumni network
• Advanced Training: Discounts on specialized courses

Instructor Credentials

• 6+ years managing enterprise IT infrastructure
• 99.9% uptime achievement in production environment
• Experience with government and enterprise systems
• Certified in Google IT Support
• Hands-on experience with 300+ endpoint management

Contact and Enrollment

• Email: shuvokumarshill@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: shuvo-kumar-shill
• Medium: Technical Articles
• Website: shuvokumarshill.github.io

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this course suitable for Windows-only admins? A: Yes, we cover both Linux and Windows extensively. Cross-platform skills are valuable.

Q: How much time should I dedicate outside of class? A: Expect 8-10 hours per week for labs and assignments.

Q: Will I get hands-on experience? A: Absolutely. 70% of the course is hands-on labs and projects.

Q: Can I get corporate training for my team? A: Yes, we offer customized on-site or online corporate training.

Q: Do you provide job placement assistance? A: We offer resume review, interview prep, and share job opportunities.

Master system administration and advance your IT career. Enroll in the Masterclass today!

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