IT341 Introduction to System Administration

Project 3 - Administering and Leveraging a Distributed File System

Lab Report Due: May 10, 2025, 11:59pm

(Stay tuned for updates!)

Be sure that you are understanding the steps, rather than carrying them out unthinkingly! Otherwise, you are doing yourself a considerable disservice...

Part 1: Setting up a Distributed File System

The purpose of this project is to familiarize you with implementing a distrubted file system in a Linux environment, using the NFS (Network File System) protocol, as well as seeing how this ties directly into other user concerns -- such as authentication and distributing updates. As always, steps that normally involve a partner will be done alone, if you are not sharing a VM!

1. Read through the Project 3 PDF file. As in the last project, there is installation on the server side, which I or previous admins have already done. There is also installation and configuration that you must do on the client side as well as a little more configuration on the server side.
2. You may find it helpful to install nmap on your VM, which you can do with the following command:
   
   

   sudo apt-get install nmap

3. Note that you will need a file called auto.home in your /etc directory on your VM. You will not create or edit this file on your own VM. Instead, you will download it from it20, using the following command, which you should execute on your VM as sysadmin:

   sudo scp it341@10.0.0.1:/etc/auto.home /etc/auto.home

   If you like, you may replace it341 with your own username, since you may find the password easier to remember.
4. Log on to various hosts on the network, and experiment with the behavior of the automounter. This will relate to Question #1 at the end of your lab report.
5. Look up the client-server model of computing on Google and be prepared to write about it as Question 2 at the end of your lab report.
   • Think about how your host is acting as both a client and a server.
   • Remember that you need to cite any and all sources that you consult for this and any other question.

Part 2: Secure User Authentication -- Beyond the Password!

Once you have NFS working properly, you will set up a key-based authentication scheme to simplify our work over the network. Time permitting, we will also read about two related products/services, ldap and kerberos.

1. Read the section on SSH in Chapter 5 of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server: Administration and Reference. This will address many of the concepts you encounter in this part of Project 3.
2. Read

   https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SSH/OpenSSH/Keys

   which is Ubuntu documentation about SSH keys.
3. MAIN TASKS: Read through the instructions for this part of Project 3

   Key Based Authentication

   and follow the instructions carefully. A mistake in this could result in the loss of your VM, so make sure you have an up-to-date snapshot prior to beginning this part.
4. Recommended: Read

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightweight_Directory_Access_Protocol and https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/openldap-server.html

   which describe an alternative to NIS.
5. Recommended: Read

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerberos_(protocol) and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Kerberos

   which describe another key based authentication system.
6. Recommended: Search out these products services on the internet and do some further research about them. Knowledge of them is very important to a sys-admin. kerberos and ldap are commonly used in present day networks.

Part 3: Remote File Distribution and Updates

Once we have combined the previous two components...

• A distributed file system -- where any Linux machine on the IT Lab LAN can mount your home directory
• Authentication using SSH keys within your home

...we are now able to experiment with various update and backup strategies that require authenticating to other machines on the LAN.

1. Here, we will start to get into some of the more involved and complex -- and therefore dangerous -- aspects of system administration.
2. Be sure you have successfully completed Part 2 before attempting these tasks, as they depend upon your authentication configuration.
3. Follow the instructions in the Project 3 PDF document for experimenting with rdist on your virtual machine.
4. Make sure that you read the instructions carefully so that you do not accidentally delete/override any crucial system files. You are advised to take a snapshot of your VM before proceeding!
5. Any questions asked of you within should be addressed in your lab report.