702-100

The LPI 702-100 exam, part of the LPIC-2 certification, focuses on advanced Linux system administration. The main points revolve around several key areas:

• System Security: This is a major component. Expect questions on:

  • User and group management: Beyond basic user creation, this includes advanced permissions, ACLs (Access Control Lists), and understanding security contexts.
  • Authentication mechanisms: This goes beyond basic passwords, encompassing Kerberos, LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), and other authentication methods.
  • Network security: Firewalls (iptables, firewalld), SSH hardening, SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux), and AppArmor are core topics. Understanding security zones and policies is crucial.
  • Auditing and logging: Analyzing system logs for security breaches, configuring auditd, and understanding different log levels.
  • Cryptography basics: Understanding encryption, hashing algorithms, and digital signatures at a foundational level.

• System Administration Tasks: This covers the practical aspects of managing a complex Linux system:

  • Disk management: LVM (Logical Volume Management), RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), partitioning, and filesystem management (ext4, XFS, etc.).
  • Networking: Advanced networking configurations, including routing, bridging, bonding, VLANs (Virtual LANs), and network troubleshooting. Understanding different network protocols (TCP/IP, etc.) is essential.
  • Process and service management: Understanding systemd, init scripts, managing processes (starting, stopping, restarting), and working with system services.
  • Backup and recovery: Different backup strategies, restoring systems from backups, and understanding data recovery techniques.
  • Shell scripting: Writing bash scripts for automation, including working with variables, loops, conditionals, and I/O redirection.

• Virtualization: While not as deeply covered as other areas, understanding basic virtualization concepts is important. This may include:

  • Virtual machines (VMs): Conceptual understanding of VMs and hypervisors (though deep configuration might be covered in other LPIC exams).
  • Containers (Docker, LXC): A basic understanding of containerization technology.

• Troubleshooting: A significant portion of the exam will assess your ability to troubleshoot common Linux system issues. This involves analyzing log files, understanding error messages, and applying systematic problem-solving techniques.

It's crucial to remember that the exam focuses on practical, hands-on knowledge. Simply knowing definitions isn't enough; you need to understand how to apply this knowledge in real-world scenarios. A strong command-line interface (CLI) proficiency is absolutely essential for success.