CUNP study plan

Identify and explain the purpose of core Unix/Linux system components (kernel, shell, filesystem hierarchy, process management) with 90% accuracy on a self-made quiz.

Demonstrate proficiency with at least 20 essential command-line utilities (e.g., ls, ps, top, grep, awk, sed, find, netstat, ss, ip, tcpdump) by completing a hands-on lab checklist.

Diagram the TCP/IP model and OSI model, mapping at least 10 common protocols to their layers, and explain encapsulation/decapsulation in a written summary.

Configure basic network settings on a Linux VM (hostname, static IP, default gateway, DNS resolver) using both CLI and configuration files, and verify connectivity.

Analyze packet captures (using tcpdump or Wireshark) of TCP handshake, termination, and retransmission scenarios, and document the observed flags and sequence/acknowledgment numbers.

Compare and contrast IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, and header fields, and solve at least 10 subnetting problems without error.

Explain the operation of at least five application-layer protocols (HTTP, DNS, DHCP, SMTP, SSH) and their underlying transport-layer behavior.

Describe the role of ICMP, ARP, and NAT in network communication and demonstrate their use with command-line tools.

Configure and verify network interfaces using iproute2 (ip addr, ip link, ip route) and legacy ifconfig/route commands on at least two Linux distributions.

Set up and troubleshoot network bonding/teaming or bridging on a Linux host, and validate failover behavior.

Manage DNS resolution by editing /etc/resolv.conf, /etc/nsswitch.conf, and /etc/hosts, and test with dig, host, and nslookup.

Configure VLAN tagging on a Linux interface and verify connectivity across VLANs using a virtual lab.

Install, configure, and secure at least three common network services (e.g., SSH, HTTP/Apache/Nginx, DNS/BIND, DHCP/ISC, FTP/vsftpd) on a Linux server.

Manage service lifecycle using systemd (systemctl) and sysvinit scripts, and configure services to start on boot.

Implement logging and monitoring for daemons using rsyslog and logrotate, and analyze service logs to diagnose a simulated failure.

Harden service configurations by disabling unnecessary features, setting resource limits, and applying least-privilege access.

Configure static and dynamic routing (using ip route and a routing daemon like FRR or Quagga) in a multi-node lab, and verify routing tables and connectivity.

Implement firewall rules with iptables/nftables to allow, deny, and log traffic based on source/destination IP, port, and protocol, and test rule effectiveness.

Apply traffic control (tc) to limit bandwidth and prioritize traffic on a Linux interface, and measure the results.

Explain the interaction between routing, firewalling, and NAT in a typical network edge scenario, and document a packet flow.

Configure SSH key-based authentication, disable password authentication, and implement two-factor authentication (e.g., TOTP) for SSH access.

Set up and enforce access control using PAM, sudoers, and file permissions, and test with different user roles.

Deploy and configure a certificate authority (using OpenSSL) to issue and manage certificates for secure services (e.g., HTTPS).

Audit system security using tools like Lynis or OpenSCAP, interpret the findings, and remediate at least three high-severity issues.

Use monitoring tools (top, vmstat, iostat, sar, netstat, ss, tcpdump, nmon) to collect and interpret performance metrics under load.

Diagnose and resolve at least three simulated network issues (e.g., high latency, packet loss, DNS resolution failure) using a structured troubleshooting methodology.

Set up a centralized logging and monitoring solution (e.g., rsyslog + ELK or Prometheus + Grafana) to collect and visualize network and system metrics.

Create a runbook for common network troubleshooting scenarios with step-by-step commands and expected outcomes.

Write shell scripts (Bash) to automate at least three network administration tasks (e.g., backup configurations, parse logs, check service health) with error handling and logging.

Use scripting to interact with network APIs (e.g., REST) or configure network devices via SSH automation (e.g., using expect or Ansible).

Implement version control (Git) for scripts and configuration files, and document usage with comments and a README.

Review and refactor scripts for portability, security (e.g., avoiding hardcoded credentials), and efficiency.