Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook: Over 60 recipes to help you build, configure, and orchestrate RHEL 7 Server to make your everyday administration experience seamless

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Jakub Gaj Profile Icon Leemans
Arrow right icon
€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (6 Ratings)
Paperback Dec 2015 250 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€22.99 €32.99
Paperback
€41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Jakub Gaj Profile Icon Leemans
Arrow right icon
€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (6 Ratings)
Paperback Dec 2015 250 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€22.99 €32.99
Paperback
€41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€22.99 €32.99
Paperback
€41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook

Chapter 2. Deploying RHEL "En Masse"

In this chapter, the following recipes are provided:

  • Creating a kickstart file
  • Publishing your kickstart file using httpd
  • Deploying a system using pxe
  • Deploying a system using a custom boot ISO file

Introduction

In this chapter, you will find the answer to deploying multiple systems with the same basic setup. We will first look at creating an answer file, the kickstart file that will drive the unattended installation. Then, we'll take a look at a possible way to make this kickstart file accessible through the Apache web server. Finally, we'll discuss two common ways to install physical and virtual machines.

This chapter assumes that you have a working knowledge of system network configuration components, such as DNS, DNS search, IP addresses, and so on, and yum repositories.

Creating a kickstart file

A kickstart file is essentially a file containing all the necessary answers to questions that are asked during a typical install. It was created by Red Hat in response to the need for automated installs. Using kickstart, an admin can create one file or template containing all the instructions.

There are three ways to create a kickstart file:

  • By hand
  • Using the GUI's system-config-kickstart tool
  • Using the standard Red Hat installation program Anaconda

In this recipe, I will cover a combination of the first two.

Getting ready

Before we can get down to the nitty-gritty of generating our base kickstart file or template, we need to install system-config-kickstart. Run the following command:

~# yum install -y system-config-kickstart

How to do it…

First, let's create a base template for our kickstart file(s) through the following steps:

  1. First, launch Kickstart Configurator from the menu.
  2. Select your system's basic configuration from the Kickstart Configurator...

Publishing your kickstart file using httpd

You can save your kickstart file to a USB stick (or any other medium), but this becomes a bit cumbersome if you need to install multiple systems in different locations.

Loading kickstart files over the network from the kernel line during an install only supports NFS, HTTP, and FTP.

In this recipe, I choose HTTP as it is a common technology within companies and easy to secure.

How to do it…

Let's start by installing Apache httpd, as follows:

  1. Install Apache httpd through the following command:
    ~]# yum install -y httpd
    
  2. Enable and start the httpd daemon, as follows:
    ~]# systemctl enable httpd
    ln -s '/usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service' '/etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/httpd.service'
    ~]# systemctl start httpd
    
  3. Create a directory to contain the kickstart file(s) by running the following command:
    ~]# mkdir -p /var/www/html/kickstart
    ~]# chown apache:apache /var/www/html/kickstart
    ~]# chmod 750 /var/www/html/kickstart...

Deploying a system using PXE

PXE, or Preboot eXecution Environment, allows you to instruct computers to boot using network resources. This allows you to control a single source to install servers without the need to physically insert cumbersome DVDs or USB sticks.

Getting ready

For this recipe, you will need a fully working RHEL 7 repository.

How to do it…

With this recipe, we'll install and configure PXE boots from the RHEL 7 installation media, as follows:

  1. Install the necessary packages using the following command:
    ~]# yum install -y dnsmasq syslinux tftp-server
    
  2. Configure the DNSMASQ server by editing /etc/dnsmasq.conf, as follows:
    # interfaces to bind to
    interface=eno1,lo
    # the domain for this DNS server
    domain=rhel7.lan
    # DHCP lease range
    dhcp-range= eno1,192.168.0.3,192.168.0.103,255.255.255.0,1h
    # PXE – the address of the PXE server
    dhcp-boot=pxelinux.0,pxeserver,192.168.0.1
    # Gateway
    dhcp-option=3,192.168.0.254
    # DNS servers for DHCP clients(your internal DNS servers...

Deploying a system using a custom boot ISO file

PXE is a widely used way to deploy systems, and so are ISO's. PXE may not always be at hand because of security, hardware availability, and so on.

Many hardware manufacturers provide remote access to their systems without an OS installed. HP has iLO, while Dell has RIB. The advantage of these "remote" control solutions is that they also allow you to mount "virtual" media in the form of an ISO.

How to do it…

Red Hat provides boot media as ISO images, which you can use to boot your systems from. We will create a custom ISO image, which will allow us to boot a system in a similar way.

Let's create an ISO that you can mount as virtual media, write a CD-ROM, or even use dd to write the contents on a USB stick/disk through the following steps:

  1. Install the required packages to create ISO9660 images, as follows:
    ~]# yum install -y genisoimage
    
  2. Mount the RHEL 7 DVD's ISO image by executing the following command:
    ~...
Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Create fully unattended installations and deploy configurations without breaking a sweat
  • Discover and kick-start the newest RHEL 7 configuration and management tools through an easy-to-follow, practical approach for a lazy system management
  • Be guided by an experienced RHEL expert who is a certified Linux engineer with a passion for open source and open standards

Description

Dominating the server market, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system gives you the support you need to modernize your infrastructure and boost your organization’s efficiency. Combining both stability and flexibility, RHEL helps you meet the challenges of today and adapt to the demands of tomorrow. This practical Cookbook guide will help you get to grips with RHEL 7 Server and automating its installation. Designed to provide targeted assistance through hands-on recipe guidance, it will introduce you to everything you need to know about KVM guests and deploying multiple standardized RHEL systems effortlessly. Get practical reference advice that will make complex networks setups look like child’s play, and dive into in-depth coverage of configuring a RHEL system. Also including full recipe coverage of how to set up, configuring, and troubleshoot SELinux, you’ll also discover how secure your operating system, as well as how to monitor it.

Who is this book for?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook is for RHEL 7 system administrators and DevOps in need of a practical reference guide to troubleshoot common issues and quickly perform tasks.

What you will learn

  • • Set up and configure RHEL 7 Server
  • • Use NetworkManager to configure all aspects of your network
  • • Manage virtual environments using libvirt
  • • Set up software repositories
  • • Secure and monitor your RHEL environment
  • • Configure SELinux, and create and apply its policies
  • • Create kickstart scripts to automatically deploy RHEL 7 systems
  • • Use Orchestration and configuration management tools to manage your environment

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Dec 23, 2015
Length: 250 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784392017
Vendor :
Red Hat
Concepts :
Tools :

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing

Product Details

Publication date : Dec 23, 2015
Length: 250 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784392017
Vendor :
Red Hat
Concepts :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 117.97
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Troubleshooting Guide
€45.99
Mastering Linux Shell Scripting
€29.99
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Cookbook
€41.99
Total 117.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

11 Chapters
1. Working with KVM Guests Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Deploying RHEL "En Masse" Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Configuring Your Network Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Configuring Your New System Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Using SELinux Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Orchestrating with Ansible Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Puppet Configuration Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Yum and Repositories Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Securing RHEL 7 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Monitoring and Performance Tuning Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
(6 Ratings)
5 star 100%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




Thomas Jul 28, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Nice ISO section
Subscriber review Packt
Farrukh Mar 23, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This product is awesome. If you want to be a system administrator or engineer this is must have book. It has clear instructions.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Perry Nally Mar 02, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
If you run RHEL then you need to read this book. I know you may be thinking, I'm already an expert at this stuff, but you're going to learn a few tricks that you didn't know. It puts the ease back in just having a set of utilities to grab when you're in a pinch. Good coverage of all topics. I was impressed with the monitoring sections at the end as well.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
SuJo Feb 27, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
A few of our clients are jumping over to RHEL 7 due to the updated packages, in order to get up to speed on the changes made from 6.7 to 7 I read this title. Helped clear up a few of the issues I had and overall the changes seemed to be better, but I'm a stickler for what works and 6.7 worked well for me. This book made a great companion for RHEL 7 and I highly recommend it for any System Engineer out there.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
ruben Mar 09, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Packed with a range of useful 'recipes', this cookbook provides you with quick solutions to common Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Server challenges, from installation to configuration and even automation. Designed to provide targeted assistance through hands-on recipe guidance, it will introduce you to everything you need to know about KVM guests and deploying multiple standardized RHEL systems effortlessly. Get practical reference advice that will make complex networks setups look like child’s play, and dive into in-depth coverage of configuring a RHEL system. Also including full recipe coverage of how to set up, configuring, and troubleshoot SELinux, you’ll also discover how secure your operating system, as well as how to monitor it.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is included in a Packt subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

A subscription provides you with full access to view all Packt and licnesed content online, this includes exclusive access to Early Access titles. Depending on the tier chosen you can also earn credits and discounts to use for owning content

How can I cancel my subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

To cancel your subscription with us simply go to the account page - found in the top right of the page or at https://subscription.packtpub.com/my-account/subscription - From here you will see the ‘cancel subscription’ button in the grey box with your subscription information in.

What are credits? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Credits can be earned from reading 40 section of any title within the payment cycle - a month starting from the day of subscription payment. You also earn a Credit every month if you subscribe to our annual or 18 month plans. Credits can be used to buy books DRM free, the same way that you would pay for a book. Your credits can be found in the subscription homepage - subscription.packtpub.com - clicking on ‘the my’ library dropdown and selecting ‘credits’.

What happens if an Early Access Course is cancelled? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Projects are rarely cancelled, but sometimes it's unavoidable. If an Early Access course is cancelled or excessively delayed, you can exchange your purchase for another course. For further details, please contact us here.

Where can I send feedback about an Early Access title? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you have any feedback about the product you're reading, or Early Access in general, then please fill out a contact form here and we'll make sure the feedback gets to the right team. 

Can I download the code files for Early Access titles? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We try to ensure that all books in Early Access have code available to use, download, and fork on GitHub. This helps us be more agile in the development of the book, and helps keep the often changing code base of new versions and new technologies as up to date as possible. Unfortunately, however, there will be rare cases when it is not possible for us to have downloadable code samples available until publication.

When we publish the book, the code files will also be available to download from the Packt website.

How accurate is the publication date? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The publication date is as accurate as we can be at any point in the project. Unfortunately, delays can happen. Often those delays are out of our control, such as changes to the technology code base or delays in the tech release. We do our best to give you an accurate estimate of the publication date at any given time, and as more chapters are delivered, the more accurate the delivery date will become.

How will I know when new chapters are ready? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We'll let you know every time there has been an update to a course that you've bought in Early Access. You'll get an email to let you know there has been a new chapter, or a change to a previous chapter. The new chapters are automatically added to your account, so you can also check back there any time you're ready and download or read them online.

I am a Packt subscriber, do I get Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Yes, all Early Access content is fully available through your subscription. You will need to have a paid for or active trial subscription in order to access all titles.

How is Early Access delivered? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is currently only available as a PDF or through our online reader. As we make changes or add new chapters, the files in your Packt account will be updated so you can download them again or view them online immediately.

How do I buy Early Access content? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is a way of us getting our content to you quicker, but the method of buying the Early Access course is still the same. Just find the course you want to buy, go through the check-out steps, and you’ll get a confirmation email from us with information and a link to the relevant Early Access courses.

What is Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Keeping up to date with the latest technology is difficult; new versions, new frameworks, new techniques. This feature gives you a head-start to our content, as it's being created. With Early Access you'll receive each chapter as it's written, and get regular updates throughout the product's development, as well as the final course as soon as it's ready.We created Early Access as a means of giving you the information you need, as soon as it's available. As we go through the process of developing a course, 99% of it can be ready but we can't publish until that last 1% falls in to place. Early Access helps to unlock the potential of our content early, to help you start your learning when you need it most. You not only get access to every chapter as it's delivered, edited, and updated, but you'll also get the finalized, DRM-free product to download in any format you want when it's published. As a member of Packt, you'll also be eligible for our exclusive offers, including a free course every day, and discounts on new and popular titles.