Lab Activity
Module 9: Networking Fundamentals
Learn how to monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain Linux systems using performance tools, log analysis, cron jobs, and file archiving techniques.
Overview
In this lab, you'll explore essential system maintenance and troubleshooting concepts that every Linux administrator should know. You'll learn how to monitor system performance, analyze logs, track processes, and manage disk space efficiently. The lab also introduces scheduled tasks through cron, along with archiving and compression tools like tar and gzip. By practicing these tasks, you'll gain the ability to diagnose, maintain, and recover systems under real-world conditions.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lab, you'll be able to:
- Check system uptime, memory, and disk usage using commands like
uptime,free, anddf. - Identify large files and monitor space usage with
duandfind. - Analyze system and kernel logs using
journalctlanddmesg. - Inspect service status and failed units with
systemctl. - Monitor CPU, memory, and I/O performance with tools like
ps,iostat,vmstat, andsar. - Understand how scheduled jobs work using
crontaband related directories. - Create, view, extract, and compress archives using
tar,gzip, andgunzip. - Perform basic troubleshooting to detect performance bottlenecks or system issues.
Key Concepts
- System Monitoring: Commands that reveal uptime, load, and memory utilization.
- Disk and Inode Management: Tools to check storage space, inodes, and large files.
- Log Analysis: Using
journalctlanddmesgto read system and kernel events. - Service Management: Checking service health and identifying failed systemd units.
- Performance Metrics: Monitoring CPU, memory, and I/O with
ps,iostat, andvmstat. - Scheduled Tasks: Understanding cron jobs, system crontab, and daily task directories.
- Archiving and Compression: Using
tarandgzipto store and transfer data efficiently.
Why It Matters
- Routine monitoring and maintenance prevent downtime and unexpected failures.
- Log analysis and performance tracking are core parts of real-world troubleshooting.
- Understanding cron ensures automated backups, updates, and cleanup tasks run reliably.
- Archiving and compression help optimize storage and streamline file management.
- These skills build a strong foundation for system administration, performance optimization, and disaster recovery.