Module 7: Administrative Tasks
Learn to manage Linux system processes, background jobs, and services using systemd tools, process utilities, and cron-based scheduling.
Overview
In this lab, you'll explore Linux system services, processes, and job management using both traditional and systemd-based tools. You'll work with commands like ps, top, htop, and pstree to monitor active processes, analyze resource usage, and manage background jobs. The lab also introduces systemd utilities such as systemctl, journalctl, and related commands to manage services, review logs, and control timers and sockets. You'll practice enabling, starting, and inspecting services like SSH and cron, giving you a complete picture of how Linux manages long-running system tasks.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lab, you'll be able to:
- View and analyze system processes using
ps,top, andpstree. - Manage background and foreground jobs using job control commands.
- Search, terminate, and monitor processes with
pgrep,pkill, andkill. - Understand and control systemd services, including starting, enabling, and checking service status.
- Install and configure the OpenSSH server and verify its service state.
- Inspect system logs using
journalctland filter entries by time or priority. - Work with systemd timers and sockets to understand service activation triggers.
- Explore and edit user crontabs for scheduling recurring jobs.
- Analyze login history, uptime, and active user sessions using
wandlast.
Key Concepts
- Process Management: Use tools like
ps,pgrep, andkillto monitor and control active processes. - Job Control: Manage background jobs within a shell session using
&,jobs, and%notation. - systemd Services: Start, stop, enable, and inspect services using
systemctl. - Logs and Monitoring: Explore real-time and historical logs with
journalctlfor troubleshooting. - Service Dependencies: Understand how services rely on other units and how to view these relationships.
- Automation and Scheduling: Create recurring tasks using
cronand time-based triggers viasystemdtimers. - User Sessions: Use commands like
uptime,w, andlastto assess system activity and usage history.
Why It Matters
- Efficient process and service management is critical for maintaining stable and secure systems.
- Understanding systemd helps you handle startup processes, troubleshoot failures, and optimize system behavior.
- Skills learned here are directly relevant to real-world system administration and required for LPIC-1 and RHCSA-level roles.
- Managing logs, services, and scheduled jobs prepares you for automation, maintenance, and incident response in production environments.