Exam 304: Detailed Objectives

The successful completion of this exam entitles candidates to the specialty designation: LPI 304: Virtualization and High Availability

Virtualization

Virtualization Concepts and Theory

  • Weight: 10
  • Description: Candidates should know and understand the general concepts, theory and terminology of Virtualization. This includes Xen and KVM terminology.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • Terminology
  • Pros and Cons of Virtualization
  • Variations of Virtual Machine Monitors

Terms and Utilities

  • Hypervisor
  • HVM(HardwareVirtualMachine)
  • PV(Paravirtualization)
  • domains
  • emulation and simulation
  • CPU flags

Xen

  • Weight: 10
  • Description: Candidates should be able to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot Xen installations.

Key Knowledge Areas

Terms and Utilities

  • Xen w/Intel VT
  • Xen w/AMD-V
  • Dom0 DomU GuestOS HostOS
  • xm
  • /etc/xen
  • xmdomain.cfg
  • xentop

KVM

  • Weight: 7
  • Description: Candidates should be able to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot KVM installations.

Key Knowledge Areas

Terms and Utilities

  • /proc/cpuinfo
  • kernel modules: kvm kvm-intel kvm-amd
  • /etc/kvm/
  • kvm-qemu
  • kvm_stat
  • kvm netwoking
  • kvm monitor
  • kvm storage
  • qemu

Other Virtualization Solutions

  • Weight: 3
  • Description: Candidates should have some basic knowledge and experience with alternatives to Xen and KVM.

Key Knowledge Areas

Terms and Utilities

  • OpenVZ
  • VirtualBox

Load Balancing

Linux Virtual Server

  • Weight: 5
  • Description: Candidates should know how to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot LVS. This includes the configuration and use of keepalived.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • IPVS
  • VRRP
  • keepalived configuration

Terms and Utilities

  • ipvsadm
  • syncd
  • LVS-NAT/Tun/DR/LocalNode
  • connection scheduling algorithms
  • genhash

HAProxy

  • Weight: 3
  • Description: Exam candidates should be able to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot HAProxy.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • HAProxy

Terms and Utilities

  • ACLs
  • load balancing algorithms

LinuxPMI

  • Weight: 1
  • Description: Candidates should understand the concepts of LinuxPMI. Basic experience in the installation of LinuxPMI is also expected.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • kernel patching
  • SSI vs MSI

Terms and Utilities

  • linuxPMI

Cluster Management

Pacemaker

  • Weight: 5
  • Description: Candidates should have experience in the installation, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting of the Pacemaker cluster management set of technologies. This includes the use of heartbeat version 2.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • Essential cluster configuration
  • resource agents

Terms and Utilities

  • crmd
  • PEngine
  • CIB ptest
  • cibadmin
  • crmadmin
  • crm_* resource agents
  • authkeys
  • /usr/lib/heartbeat/ResourceManager
  • /etc/ha.d/

Advanced Pacemaker

  • Weight: 3
  • Description: Candidates should have experience in advanced features of the Pacemaker cluster management set of technologies. This includes the use of OpenAIS and corosync.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • fencing
  • quorum
  • data integrity
  • integration with file systems

Terms and Utilities

  • STONITHd
  • OCFS2
  • ldirectord
  • softdog
  • OpenAIS and corosync

Red Hat Cluster Suite

  • Weight: 3
  • Description: Candidates should have experience in the installation, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting of the Red Hat Cluster Suite cluster management set of technologies.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • Essential cluster configuration
  • resource agents

Terms and Utilities

  • ccs
  • OpenAIS
  • rgmanager
  • /etc/ais/
  • /etc/corosync/

Advanced Red Hat Cluster Suite

  • Weight: 1
  • Description: Candidates should have experience in advanced features of the Red Hat Cluster Suite cluster management set of technologies. This includes the use and integration with LVS and GFS.

Key Knowledge Areas

  • fencing
  • quorum
  • data integrity
  • integration with file systems
  • integration with LVS

Terms and Utilities

  • qdiskd
  • /etc/lvs.cf
  • Piranha
  • GFS
  • Conga

Cluster Storage

DRBD

  • Weight: 3
  • Description: Candidates are expected to have the experience and knowledge to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot DRBD devices. This includes integration with Pacemaker and heartbeat.

Key Knowledge Areas

Terms and Utilities

  • w/Pacemaker
  • w/heartbeat

Global File System and OCFS2

  • Weight: 3
  • Description: Candidates should know how to install, maintain and troubleshoot installations using GFS and OCFS2.

Key Knowledge Areas

Terms and Utilities

  • GFS2
  • Distributed Lock Manager

Other Clustered File Systems

  • Weight: 1
  • Description: Candidates should have an awareness of other clustered filesystems available in a Linux environment.

Key Knowledge Areas

Terms and Utilities

  • Coda
  • AFS
  • GlusterFS