rhcsa rhel7

Exam objectives

RHCSA

This exam and the exam objectives provided here are based on the Red Hat Enterpr
ise Linux 7 version of the exam. We are offering Red Hat Certified System Admini
strator (RHCSA) Exam (EX200) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 via onsite and Indivi
dual Exam Sessions. View the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 exam objectives.
This guide provides information candidates may use in preparing to take the Red
Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. Red H
at is not responsible for the content or accuracy of other guides, books, online
resources, or any other information provided by organizations or individuals ot
her than Red Hat Training and Certification. Red Hat reserves the right to chang
e this guide when appropriate. Candidates who have enrolled in forthcoming class
es or exams are advised to check this guide periodically for changes.
Prospective employers of a candidate holding RHCSA certification should verify a
ny and all claims by people claiming to hold this credential by requesting the c
ertificate number and verifying it using the Red Hat certification verification
tool.
Employers or candidates interested in understanding exam objectives for the Red
Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) exam on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 should consul
t the past RHCT/RHCE exam objectives.
Performance-based exams
The RHCSA exam is a performance-based evaluation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux sys
tem administration skills and knowledge. Candidates perform a number of routine
system administration tasks and are evaluated on whether they have met specific
objective criteria. Performance-based testing means that candidates must perform
tasks similar to what they must perform on the job.
Authorized Training Partners
Only Red Hat and Red Hat Certified Training Partners administer the RHCSA exam.
Prospective candidates should exercise due diligence when purchasing a seat in a
n RHCSA exam from a provider other than Red Hat itself. They should verify that
the provider is, in fact, an authorized training partner or reseller in good sta
nding. Please notify training@redhat.com about organizations that purport to off
er the RHCSA exam but are not Red Hat Certified Training Partners.
Scores and Reporting
Official scores for the RHCSA exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification
Central. Red Hat does not authorize examiners, training partners, or other depar
tments or individuals within Red Hat to report results to candidates. Scores on
the exam are reported within 3 US business days. Red Hat does not report perform
ance on individual items, nor will it provide additional information upon reques
t. This policy helps ensure impartiality and fairness for all candidates worldwi
de. Scores are used to establish whether certification should be issued and are
reported for the benefit of candidates. Red Hat makes no representations regardi
ng the use of scores for any other purpose, such as ranking or comparing candida
tes.
Format of the RHCSA exam
The RHCSA exam is a hands-on, practical exam that lasts 2.5 hours. Internet acce
ss is not provided during the exam. Outside materials are not permitted. Documen
tation that ships with Red Hat Enterprise Linux is available during the exam. Re
d Hat reserves the right to make changes to format, including timing and the pol
icies above. Such changes will be made public in advance through revisions to th
is document.
Preparation for the RHCSA exam

Red Hat encourages all candidates for RHCSA to consider taking one or more of it
s official training courses to help prepare. Attendance in these classes is not
required, and one can choose to take just an exam. Many successful candidates wh
o have come to class already possessing substantial skills and knowledge report
that the class made a positive difference for them. To help you determine the be
st courses to take, Red Hat provides online skills assessment.
While attending Red Hat's classes can be an important part of one's preparation,
attending class does not guarantee success on the exam. Previous experience, pr
actice, and native aptitude are also important determinants of success. Many boo
ks and other resources on system administration for Red Hat's products are avail
able. Red Hat does not endorse any as preparation guides for any exams. Neverthe
less, candidates may find additional reading deepens understanding and can prove
helpful.
Exam objectives
Red Hat reserves the right to add, modify, and remove objectives. Such changes w
ill be made public in advance through revisions to this document. RHCSA exam can
didates should be able to accomplish the tasks below without assistance. These h
ave been grouped into several categories.
Understand and use essential tools
Access a shell prompt and issue commands with correct syntax.
Use input-output redirection (>, >>, |, 2>, etc.).
Use grep and regular expressions to analyze text.
Access remote systems using ssh and VNC.
Log in and switch users in multiuser targets.
Archive, compress, unpack, and uncompress files using tar, star, gzip, and b
zip2.
Create and edit text files.
Create, delete, copy, and move files and directories.
Create hard and soft links.
List, set, and change standard ugo/rwx permissions.
Locate, read, and use system documentation including man, info, and files in
/usr/share/doc.
NOTE: Red Hat may use applications during the exam that are not included in Red
Hat Enterprise Linux for the purpose of evaluating candidate's abilities to meet
this objective.
Operate running systems
Boot, reboot, and shut down a system normally.
Boot systems into different targets manually.
Interrupt the boot process in order to gain access to a system.
Identify CPU/memory intensive processes, adjust process priority with renice
, and kill processes.
Locate and interpret system log files and journals.
Access a virtual machine's console.
Start and stop virtual machines.
Start, stop, and check the status of network services.
Securely transfer files between systems.
Configure local storage
List, create, delete partitions on MBR and GPT disks.
Create and remove physical volumes, assign physical volumes to volume groups
, and create and delete logical Volumes.

Create and configure LUKS-encrypted partitions and logical volumes to prompt

for password and mount a decrypted file system at boot.
Configure systems to mount file systems at boot by Universally Unique ID (UU
ID) or label.
Add new partitions and logical volumes, and swap to a system non-destructive
ly.
Create and configure file systems
Create, mount, unmount, and use vfat, ext4 and xfs file systems.
Mount, unmount, and use LUKS-encrypted file systems.
Mount and unmount CIFS and NFS network file systems.
Configure systems to mount LUKS-encrypted, and network file systems automati
cally.
Extend existing unencrypted logical volumes.
Create and configure set-GID directories for collaboration.
Create and manage Access Control Lists (ACLs).
Diagnose and correct file permission problems.
Deploy, configure, and maintain systems
Configure networking and hostname resolution statically or dynamically.
Schedule tasks using at and cron.
Start and stop services and configure services to start automatically at boo
t.
Configure systems to boot into a specific target automatically.
Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux automatically using Kickstart.
Configure a physical machine to host virtual guests.
Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems as virtual guests.
Configure systems to launch virtual machines at boot.
Configure network services to start automatically at boot.
Configure a system to use time services.
Install and update software packages from Red Hat Network, a remote reposito
ry, or from the local file system.
Update the kernel package appropriately to ensure a bootable system.
Modify the system bootloader.
Manage users and groups
Create, delete, and modify local user accounts.
Change passwords and adjust password aging for local user accounts.
Create, delete, and modify local groups and group memberships.
Configure a system to use an existing LDAP directory service for user and gr
oup information.
Configure a system to use an existing authentication service for user and gr
oup information.
Manage security
Configure firewall settings using system-config-firewall or iptables.
Configure key-based authentication for SSH.
Set enforcing and permissive modes for SELinux.
List and identify SELinux file and process context.
Restore default file contexts.
Use boolean settings to modify system SELinux settings.
Diagnose and address routine SELinux policy violations

Exam objectives

RHCE

This exam and the exam objectives provided here are based on the Red Hat Enterpr
ise Linux 7 version of the exam. We are offering Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHC
E) Exam (EX300) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 via onsite and Individual Exam Ses
sions. View the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 exam objectives.

This guide provides information candidates may use in preparing to take the Red
Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. Red Hat is not resp
nsible for the content or accuracy of other guides, books, online resources, or
any other information provided by organizations or individuals other than Red Ha
t Training and Certification. Red Hat reserves the right to change this guide wh
en appropriate. Candidates who have enrolled in forthcoming classes or exams are
advised to check this guide periodically for changes.
Prospective employers should verify any and all claims by people claiming to hol
d this credential by requesting their certificate numbers and verifying it with
the Red Hat certification verification tool online.
To earn the RHCE credential, one must also pass the Red Hat Certified System Adm
inistrator (RHCSA) exam. Someone can enroll in and take the RHCE exam without fi
rst having passed the RHCSA exam, but RHCE certification will not be issued unti
l both credentials are earned by a candidate. In the event that a candidate has
not yet earned RHCSA, Red Hat will retain the candidate's RHCE exam record and w
ill attach that record to a candidates' RHCSA record once it is earned at a late
r date.
Performance-based exams
The RHCE exam is a performance-based evaluation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux syst
em administration skills and knowledge. Candidates perform a number of routine s
ystem administration tasks and are evaluated on whether they have met specific o
bjective criteria. Performance-based testing means that candidates must perform
tasks similar to what they must perform on the job.
Authorized Training Partners
Only Red Hat and Red Hat Certified Training Partners administer the RHCE exam. P
rospective candidates should exercise due diligence when purchasing a seat in an
RHCE exam from a provider other than Red Hat itself. They should verify that th
e provider is, in fact, an authorized training partner or reseller in good stand
ing. Please notify training@redhat.com about organizations that claim to offer t
he RHCE exam but are not Red Hat Certified Training Partners.
Scores and Reporting
Official scores for the RHCE exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification C
entral. Red Hat does not authorize examiners, training partners, or other depart

ments or individuals within Red Hat to report results to candidates. Scores on t

he exam are reported within 3 US business days.
Red Hat does not report performance on individual items, nor will it provide add
itional information upon request. This policy helps ensure impartiality and fair
ness for all candidates worldwide. Scores are used to establish whether certific
ation should be issued and are reported for the benefit of candidates. Red Hat m
akes no representations regarding the use of scores for any other purpose, such
as ranking or comparing candidates.
Format of the RHCE exam
The RHCE exam is a hands-on, practical exam that lasts 4 hours. Internet access
is not provided during the exam. Outside materials are not permitted. Documentat
ion that ships with Red Hat Enterprise Linux is available during the exam. Red H
at reserves the right to make changes to the format, including timing and the po
licies above. Such changes will be made public in advance through revisions to t
his document.
Preparation for the RHCE exam
Red Hat encourages all candidates for RHCE to consider taking one or more of its
official training courses to help prepare. Attendance in these classes is not r
equired, and one can choose to take just an exam. Many successful candidates who
have come to class already possessing substantial skills and knowledge report t
hat the class made a positive difference for them. To help you determine the bes
t courses to take, Red Hat provides online skills assessment.
While attending Red Hat's classes can be an important part of one's preparation,
attending class does not guarantee success on the exam. Previous experience, pr
actice, and native aptitude are also important determinants of success.
Many books and other resources on system administration for Red Hat's products a
re available. Red Hat does not endorse any as preparation guides for any exams.
Nevertheless, candidates may find additional reading deepens understanding and c
an prove helpful.
Exam objectives
RHCE exam candidates should consult the RHCSA exam objectives and be capable of
RHCSA-level tasks, as some of these skills may be required in order to meet RHCE
exam objectives. Red Hat reserves the right to add, modify, and remove objectiv
es. Such changes will be made public in advance through revisions to this docume
nt. RHCE exam candidates should be able to accomplish the following without assi
stance. These have been grouped into several categories.
System configuration and management
Use network teaming or bonding to configure aggregated network links between
two Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems.
Configure IPv6 addresses and perform basic IPv6 troubleshooting.
Route IP traffic and create static routes.
Use FirewallD, including Rich Rules, Zones and custom rules, to implement pa
cket filtering and configure network address translation (NAT).
Use /proc/sys and sysctl to modify and set kernel runtime parameters.
Configure a system to authenticate using Kerberos.
Configure a systems as either an iSCSI target or initiator that persistently
mounts an iSCSI target.
Produce and deliver reports on system utilization (processor, memory, disk,
and network).
Use shell scripting to automate system maintenance tasks.
Configure a system to log to a remote system.
Configure a system to accept logging from a remote system.

Network Services
Network services are an important subset of the exam objectives. RHCE candidates
should be capable of meeting the following objectives for each of the network s
ervices listed below:
Install the packages needed to provide the service.
Configure SELinux to support the service.
Use SELinux port labelling to allow services to use non-standard ports.
Configure the service to start when the system is booted.
Configure the service for basic operation.
Configure host-based and user-based security for the service.
HTTP/HTTPS
Configure a virtual host.
Configure private directories.
Deploy a basic CGI application.
Configure group-managed content.
Configure TLS security
DNS
Configure a caching-only name server.
Troubleshoot DNS client issues.
NFS
Provide network shares to specific clients.
Provide network shares suitable for group collaboration.
Use Kerberos to control access to NFS network shares.
SMB
Provide network shares to specific clients.
Provide network shares suitable for group collaboration.
SMTP
Configure a system to forward all email to a central mail server.
SSH
Configure key-based authentication.
Configure additional options described in documentation.
NTP
Synchronize time using other NTP peers.
Database Services
Install and configure MariaDB.
Backup and restore a database.
Create a simple database schema.
Perform simple SQL queries against a database.