RH320 - Red Hat Web and Application Server Administration

Course Summary
For Linux - and/or UNIX - systems administrators who want to configure and maintain a secure Apache Web Server.

Goal:
A web server administrator who can configure and maintain an Apache web server running under Red Hat Linux, incorporating CGI handlers, SSL security, dynamic content, and customization via modules.

Audience:
Linux or UNIX system administrators who desire to obtain intensive hands-on training on configuration and management of an Apache Web Server.

Prerequisites:
Certain prerequisite skills are required to enter the Red Hat Interchange Developer Training Program:

• RH253 Red Hat Linux Network Services and Security, or RH300 RHCE Rapid Track Course, or equivalent experience with UNIX or Linux
• Creating web pages using HTML
• Some experience with Perl or Python or shell scripting/programming is recommended but not required.

What you will learn:

1. Introduction and Basic Apache Configuration:
   • httpd overview: client/server topology, transactional overview
   • History of web servers: NCSA, Apache evolution, The Apache Organization
   • Apache today: usage, extensibility, process model, Red Hat´s Apache packages
   • Basic configuration: configuration files and options, basic daemon control
2. Apache Virtual Hosts:
   • Understanding Virtual hosts: IP-based, name-based
   • Configuration directives and syntax checking
   • Using Apache to serve virtually hosted web servers
   • Web server log files: formats, configuration, use and analysis
   • Server MIME types
3. CGI and Server Side Includes:
   • Understanding CGI: Definition, mechanics, limitations, common CGI languages
   • Basic CGI requirements
   • Useful CGI tasks: form processing, database manipulation, custom-built tasks
   • SSI: similarities to CGI, .shtml implementation, Xbithack directive, examples
   • CGI security: proper programming; suEXEC: file placement issues, configuration
4. Database backends:
   • Available Databases
   • Postgres: installation, administration, creating and loading a table; pgaccess
   • Query and insert with SQL
   • Implementations of query and insert in CGI
   • Perl CGI.pm; DBD/DBI.pm
5. Apache customization through modules:
   • Concepts
   • mod_perl
   • mod_php
   • mod_status
   • mod_usertrack
   • mod_rewrite
   • other modules
6. Security and authentication:
   • Basic access control by host/domain/network
   • Apache security strategies
   • Implementing Web-based password authentication
   • Authentication scenarios
7. Advanced Security with SSL:
   • Basic Cryptography and SSL concepts
   • SSL Certificates
   • Obtaining a website certificate
   • Implementing SSL with Red Hat´s Stronghold webserver

This training course will include software developed by the Apache Software Foundation for use in the Apache HTTP server project. The Apache HTTP server product is copyright (c) 1995-2000 The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.