Systems Administration Foundations

What you will be able to do

• You will be able to explain what a systems administrator does day to day (keeping systems up, patching, backups, access, and documentation) and how the role changes from a small team to a large enterprise.
• You will be able to describe how an operating system works, covering the kernel, processes, the file system, and users, and tell the Windows and Linux worlds apart, including servers versus desktops.
• You will be able to administer a Windows system with its core tools: Server Manager, the Microsoft Management Console and services.msc, Event Viewer, and PowerShell cmdlets.
• You will be able to administer a Linux system from the shell using bash, a package manager (apt, dnf, or yum), and systemd through systemctl.
• You will be able to create and manage users and groups on both platforms, including Windows local accounts, Active Directory domain accounts, and Linux accounts defined in /etc/passwd.
• You will be able to apply least privilege by setting NTFS access control lists on Windows and read, write, and execute permissions on Linux with chmod and chown.
• You will be able to work with file systems on both platforms (Windows drive letters and NTFS, the Linux single directory tree and mounting) and troubleshoot a disk that is filling up.
• You will be able to manage running processes and background services, read system logs, and schedule recurring jobs with Task Scheduler and cron.

What is inside

4 modules, 8 lessons. Each module ends in a graded quiz and most carry an assignment.

1. 01

   The Sysadmin Role and Operating System Fundamentals

   Before you touch a server, you learn what the job is and how the machine underneath works. This module lays out what a systems administrator is responsible for, from uptime and patching to backups and helping users, then builds the mental model every admin shares: the kernel, processes, the file system, users, permissions, and the command line. It closes by mapping the Windows and Linux landscape so the rest of the course has a home.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions

2. 02

   Administering Windows and Linux

   Get hands-on with the two operating systems that run most of the world's servers. On Windows you learn the graphical tools that ship with the platform, from Server Manager and the Microsoft Management Console to Event Viewer and the Services console, then step up to PowerShell for automation. On Linux you learn to work in the Bash shell, install software safely with a package manager, and control services with systemd. By the end you can navigate either platform and carry out routine setup, configuration, and troubleshooting.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions · assignment

3. 03

   Managing Users and Permissions

   Controlling who can do what is the core of system administration. This module teaches you to create and manage user accounts and groups on Windows (local and Active Directory) and on Linux, then to grant access safely using NTFS access control lists and Linux read, write, and execute permissions. Every technique is tied to the principle of least privilege, so accounts get exactly the access they need and no more.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions

4. 04

   File Systems, Processes, and Services

   A running system is really files on disk and processes in memory, and keeping both healthy is daily admin work. You will learn how Windows and Linux lay out their directory trees, how disks are partitioned, formatted, and mounted, and how to find and fix a drive that is filling up. Then you will manage live processes, run the services and daemons that applications depend on, read logs, and schedule recurring jobs with Task Scheduler and cron.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions · assignment