RH354 – Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 New Features for Experienced Linux Administrators — Lesson 2: Storage, Filesystems, Stratis, VDO, Networking, nftables, and Systemd

Learning Objectives

• Configure the main services, objects, and controls involved in storage changes, Stratis, and VDO.
• Apply networking and nftables and systemd while preserving reviewable technical evidence.
• Recognize and correct the risk where a valid command creates the wrong outcome because variables, identity, or sequencing are incorrect.

Detailed Topics

• storage changes: apply the concept to an experienced Linux administrator updating operational practices for an RHEL 8 estate, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• Stratis: apply the concept to an experienced Linux administrator updating operational practices for an RHEL 8 estate, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• VDO: apply the concept to an experienced Linux administrator updating operational practices for an RHEL 8 estate, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• networking: apply the concept to an experienced Linux administrator updating operational practices for an RHEL 8 estate, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.
• nftables and systemd: apply the concept to an experienced Linux administrator updating operational practices for an RHEL 8 estate, record the relevant settings or decisions, and explain the operational consequence.

Instructor Demonstration

The instructor demonstrates storage, filesystems, stratis, vdo, networking, nftables, and systemd by tracing the relevant architecture, commands, configuration, messages, and evidence. The walkthrough highlights how a valid command creates the wrong outcome because variables, identity, or sequencing are incorrect and shows how to isolate the cause without masking dependent issues.

Hands-On Exercise

Implement the core workflow and compare expected versus observed behavior for Storage, Filesystems, Stratis, VDO, Networking, nftables, and Systemd. Add verified outcomes to the RHEL 8 feature comparison, updated administration procedures, compatibility checklist, and adoption plan.

1. Confirm the scope, versions, access, dependencies, and success criteria.
2. Perform the workflow while recording commands, settings, output, and platform events.
3. Test one expected case and one controlled exception specific to this lesson.
4. Retest the correction and document ownership, rollback, and follow-up actions.

Scenario Analysis

• Identify which dependency most strongly influences storage changes in the stated scenario.
• Compare two approaches for networking and explain the security, reliability, and support trade-offs.
• Decide what evidence must be retained in the RHEL 8 feature comparison, updated administration procedures, compatibility checklist, and adoption plan before operational acceptance.

Troubleshooting Guidance

Begin with the first observable difference from the expected result. Check configuration, permissions, sequencing, and functional behavior separately, then correlate logs, events, commands, and configuration history. Do not accept the initial assumption that a valid command creates the wrong outcome because variables, identity, or sequencing are incorrect; confirm the cause with a reproducible retest.

Validation Checklist

• The required configuration, permissions, sequencing, and functional behavior were checked and recorded.
• The normal path and a course-specific exception were tested.
• The RHEL 8 feature comparison, updated administration procedures, compatibility checklist, and adoption plan links conclusions to commands, configuration, logs, or other objective evidence.
• Corrective actions, rollback steps, ownership, and handover notes are complete.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can apply Storage, Filesystems, Stratis, VDO, Networking, nftables, and Systemd, explain the observed Red Hat platform behavior, and support the result with a reviewable RHEL 8 feature comparison, updated administration procedures, compatibility checklist, and adoption plan.