RHCSA Rapid Track

Instructions

An internet service provider uses a central server, serverb, to host shared directories with important documents that must be available on demand. When users log in to servera, they need access to the automounted shared directories.

The following list provides the environment characteristics for completing this exercise:

1. Log in to servera and install the required packages.

   1. Log in to servera as the student user and switch to the root user.

      [student@workstation ~]$ ssh student@servera
      ...output omitted...
      [student@servera ~]$ sudo -i
      [sudo] password for student: student
      [root@servera ~]#

   2. Install the autofs package.

      [root@servera ~]# dnf install autofs
      ...output omitted...
      Is this ok [y/N]: y
      ...output omitted...
      Complete!

2. Configure an automounter direct map on servera with exports from serverb. Create the direct map with files that are named /etc/auto.master.d/direct.autofs for the master map and /etc/auto.direct for the mapping file. Use the /external directory as the main mount point on servera.

   1. Test the NFS server and export before you configure the automounter.

      [root@servera ~]# mount -t nfs \
      serverb.lab.example.com:/shares/direct/external /mnt
      [root@servera ~]# ls -l /mnt
      total 4
      -rw-r--r--. 1 root contractors 22 Apr  7 23:15 README.txt
      [root@servera ~]# umount /mnt

   2. Create a master map file named /etc/auto.master.d/direct.autofs, insert the following content, and save the changes.

      /-	/etc/auto.direct

   3. Create a direct map file named /etc/auto.direct, insert the following content, and save the changes.

      /external	-rw,sync,fstype=nfs4	serverb.lab.example.com:/shares/direct/external

3. Configure an automounter indirect map on servera with exports from serverb. Create the indirect map with files that are named /etc/auto.master.d/indirect.autofs for the master map and /etc/auto.indirect for the mapping file. Use the /internal directory as the main mount point on servera.

   1. Test the NFS server and export before you configure the automounter.

      [root@servera ~]# mount -t nfs \
      serverb.lab.example.com:/shares/indirect /mnt
      [root@servera ~]# ls -l /mnt
      total 0
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 central
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 east
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 west
      [root@servera ~]# umount /mnt

   2. Create a master map file named /etc/auto.master.d/indirect.autofs, insert the following content, and save the changes.

      /internal	/etc/auto.indirect

   3. Create an indirect map file named /etc/auto.indirect, insert the following content, and save the changes.

      *	-rw,sync,fstype=nfs4	serverb.lab.example.com:/shares/indirect/&

4. Start the autofs service on servera, and enable it to start automatically at boot time.

   1. Start and enable the autofs service on servera.

      [root@servera ~]# systemctl enable --now autofs
      Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/autofs.service → /usr/lib/systemd/system/autofs.service.

5. Test the direct automounter map as the contractor1 user. When done, exit from the contractor1 user session on servera.

   1. Switch to the contractor1 user.

      [root@servera ~]# su - contractor1
      [contractor1@servera ~]$

   2. List the /external mount point.

      [contractor1@servera ~]$ ls -l /external
      total 4
      -rw-r--r--. 1 root contractors 22 Apr  7 23:34 README.txt

   3. Review the content and test the access to the /external mount point.

      [contractor1@servera ~]$ cat /external/README.txt
      ###External Folder###
      [contractor1@servera ~]$ echo testing-direct > /external/testing.txt
      [contractor1@servera ~]$ cat /external/testing.txt
      testing-direct

   4. Exit from the contractor1 user session.

      [contractor1@servera ~]$ exit
      logout
      [root@servera ~]#

6. Test the indirect automounter map as the operator1 user. When done, log out from servera.

   1. Switch to the operator1 user.

      [root@servera ~]# su - operator1
      [operator1@servera ~]$

   2. List the /internal mount point.

      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal
      total 0

      Note

      With an automounter indirect map, you must access each exported subdirectory for them to mount. With an automounter direct map, after you access the mapped mount point, you can immediately view and access the subdirectories and content in the exported directory.

   3. Test the /internal/west automounter exported directory access.

      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal/west/
      total 4
      -rw-r--r--. 1 root operators 18 Apr  7 23:34 README.txt
      [operator1@servera ~]$ cat /internal/west/README.txt
      ###West Folder###
      [operator1@servera ~]$ echo testing-1 > /internal/west/testing-1.txt
      [operator1@servera ~]$ cat /internal/west/testing-1.txt
      testing-1
      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal
      total 0
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 west

   4. Test the /internal/central automounter exported directory access.

      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal/central
      total 4
      -rw-r--r--. 1 root operators 21 Apr  7 23:34 README.txt
      [operator1@servera ~]$ cat /internal/central/README.txt
      ###Central Folder###
      [operator1@servera ~]$ echo testing-2 > /internal/central/testing-2.txt
      [operator1@servera ~]$ cat /internal/central/testing-2.txt
      testing-2
      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal
      total 0
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 central
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 west

   5. Test the /internal/east automounter exported directory access.

      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal/east
      total 4
      -rw-r--r--. 1 root operators 18 Apr  7 23:34 README.txt
      [operator1@servera ~]$ cat /internal/east/README.txt
      ###East Folder###
      [operator1@servera ~]$ echo testing-3 > /internal/east/testing-3.txt
      [operator1@servera ~]$ cat /internal/east/testing-3.txt
      testing-3
      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /internal
      total 0
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 central
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 east
      drwxrws---. 2 root operators 24 Apr  7 23:34 west

   6. Test the /external automounter exported directory access.

      [operator1@servera ~]$ ls -l /external
      ls: cannot open directory '/external': Permission denied

   7. Return to the workstation machine as the student user.

      [operator1@servera ~]$ exit
      logout
      [root@servera ~]# exit
      logout
      [student@servera ~]$ exit
      logout
      Connection to servera closed.