EX200
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RHCSA
The RHCSA EX200 course teaches candidates to master essential Linux tools, write simple shell scripts, manage running systems, configure local storage, and create file systems on RHEL 9, preparing them for the performance‑based certification exam.
150
Minutes
210/300
Passing Score
$450
Exam Cost
4
Languages
Who Should Take This
System administrators, DevOps engineers, and IT professionals with at least six months of hands‑on experience on RHEL 9 should enroll. They seek to validate their ability to perform daily Linux administration tasks and to earn the RHCSA credential, advancing their career and demonstrating practical expertise to employers.
What's Covered
1
Access shell, use input/output redirection, grep/regex, access remote systems via SSH, log in as root, archive/compress files, create and edit text files, file permissions.
2
Conditionals, loops, positional parameters, exit codes, regex for input processing.
3
Boot/reboot/shutdown, identify processes, adjust scheduling, manage tuning profiles, locate/interpret logs, start/stop virtual machines, start/stop/check services.
4
List/create/delete partitions, assign physical volumes to volume groups, create and delete logical volumes, configure systems to mount file systems at boot using UUID or label.
5
Create/mount/unmount ext4 and XFS, mount/unmount network file systems using NFS, configure autofs, extend existing logical volumes, create and configure set-GID directories, create and manage ACLs.
6
Schedule tasks using cron/at, start/stop/enable services, configure systems to boot into targets, install RHEL from network, configure machines for network services, manage subscription/entitlement, configure time services.
7
Configure IPv4 and IPv6, configure hostname resolution, configure network services to start at boot, restrict access using firewalld.
8
Create/delete/modify local users and groups, change passwords, configure superuser access.
9
Configure firewall rules, manage default file permissions, configure SELinux modes, set SELinux file contexts, manage SELinux booleans, diagnose SELinux policy violations.
Exam Structure
Question Types
- Performance-Based Tasks On A Live Rhel 9 System
Scoring Method
Points-based, 210 out of 300 to pass (70%). Tasks scored on correct end-state.
Delivery Method
Red Hat testing center or remote proctored, live RHEL 9 environment
Recertification
Valid for 3 years. Recertify by passing current EX200 or earning a higher Red Hat certification.
What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI
Adaptive Knowledge Graph
Practice Questions
Lesson Modules
Console Simulator Labs
Exam Tips & Strategy
20 Activity Formats
Course Outline
66 learning goals
1
Understand and Use Essential Tools
3 topics
Shell Access and I/O Redirection
- Describe the bash shell environment including login vs non-login shells, environment variables, and shell configuration files (.bashrc, .bash_profile)
- Implement input/output redirection using stdin, stdout, stderr operators and pipes to chain commands for data processing workflows
- Implement text search using grep with basic and extended regular expressions to filter log files and command output for specific patterns
File Management and Permissions
- Implement file and directory creation, copying, moving, and deletion using cp, mv, rm, mkdir and explain hard link versus symbolic link behavior
- Configure standard Linux file permissions using chmod with symbolic and octal notation for user, group, and other access categories
- Implement special permissions including setuid, setgid, and sticky bit and explain their security implications on files and directories
- Configure default file permissions using umask and explain how the umask value interacts with the base permission to determine effective permissions
Remote Access and Documentation
- Implement SSH key-based authentication including key generation, authorized_keys configuration, and ssh-agent for passwordless remote access
- Implement archive and compression operations using tar, gzip, bzip2, and xz to create, extract, and manage compressed file archives
- Describe how to locate system documentation using man pages, info pages, and files in /usr/share/doc to resolve unfamiliar command usage
2
Create Simple Shell Scripts
1 topic
Shell Script Fundamentals
- Implement bash shell scripts with proper shebang lines, executable permissions, and positional parameter handling for command-line argument processing
- Implement conditional logic using if/elif/else statements with test operators for string comparison, numeric comparison, and file attribute checks
- Implement for and while loops in shell scripts to iterate over file lists, command output, and numeric ranges for batch system administration tasks
- Implement exit codes and error handling in shell scripts using $? status checks and conditional execution operators (&&, ||) for reliable automation
- Implement regular expression processing in shell scripts using grep, sed, and awk to parse and transform structured text data from system logs and configuration files
3
Operate Running Systems
3 topics
Boot Process and Systemd
- Describe the RHEL 9 boot process including GRUB2, initramfs, and systemd initialization sequence and explain how to interrupt the boot process for recovery
- Implement systemd target management to boot into graphical, multi-user, rescue, and emergency targets for different operational scenarios
- Implement the root password recovery procedure by interrupting the boot process, editing GRUB2 parameters, and using rd.break to access the system
Process Management and Logging
- Implement process identification and management using ps, top, kill, and nice/renice to control running processes and adjust scheduling priorities
- Implement systemd service management using systemctl to start, stop, enable, disable, mask, and check status of system services and explain dependency ordering
- Implement log inspection using journalctl with time-based filtering, unit filtering, and priority filtering to locate relevant system and service log entries
- Configure persistent journald storage and explain the relationship between journald, rsyslog, and log files in /var/log
- Analyze system log patterns to diagnose service startup failures, authentication issues, and hardware errors using journalctl and /var/log messages
Tuning and Virtual Machines
- Implement tuned profile selection and activation to optimize system performance for specific workload types including throughput-performance and virtual-guest
- Implement basic virtual machine lifecycle operations including start, stop, and console access using virsh commands for KVM/libvirt virtual machines
4
Configure Local Storage
2 topics
Partitions and Physical Storage
- Describe the difference between MBR and GPT partition table formats and explain when each is appropriate based on disk size and partition count requirements
- Implement disk partitioning using fdisk and gdisk to create, resize, and delete partitions on MBR and GPT disks
- Configure systems to mount file systems persistently at boot by adding entries to /etc/fstab using UUID or label identifiers
Logical Volume Management
- Describe the LVM architecture including physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes and explain the benefits of LVM over raw partitions
- Implement LVM configuration using pvcreate, vgcreate, and lvcreate to create flexible storage volumes from physical disk partitions
- Implement logical volume resizing using lvextend and the appropriate file system resize command to expand storage without unmounting
- Implement swap space creation and activation using both dedicated partitions and LVM logical volumes with persistent mount configuration
- Analyze storage utilization and LVM layout using pvs, vgs, lvs, and df to plan capacity expansion and identify storage bottlenecks
5
Create and Configure File Systems
2 topics
Local File Systems
- Implement ext4 and XFS file system creation using mkfs and configure mount options appropriate to each file system type
- Implement Stratis storage management to create pools, file systems, and snapshots for simplified layered storage administration
- Implement VDO (Virtual Data Optimizer) volumes for deduplication and compression on storage volumes to reduce physical disk consumption
- Analyze the trade-offs between ext4 and XFS file systems considering maximum size limits, online resize capabilities, and performance characteristics
Network File Systems and ACLs
- Implement NFS client configuration to mount remote network file systems using manual mount commands and persistent /etc/fstab entries
- Implement autofs to automatically mount NFS shares on demand and configure direct and indirect maps for user home directories
- Implement POSIX access control lists using setfacl and getfacl to grant fine-grained file permissions beyond standard user/group/other model
- Configure set-GID directories to enforce group ownership inheritance on new files and explain how this supports collaborative directory structures
6
Deploy, Configure, and Maintain Systems
3 topics
Package Management and Subscriptions
- Implement package installation, update, and removal using dnf including repository management, module streams, and package group operations
- Configure Red Hat Subscription Manager to register systems, attach subscriptions, and enable specific software repositories for patch management
- Analyze package dependencies and conflicts using dnf commands to resolve installation failures and identify available package versions across repositories
Task Scheduling and Time Services
- Implement task scheduling using crontab and systemd timers with appropriate time specifications for recurring system administration tasks
- Implement one-time task scheduling using the at command and systemd-run for deferred execution of administrative commands
- Configure time synchronization using chronyd and timedatectl to maintain accurate system time against NTP time sources
System Installation and Boot Targets
- Describe the kickstart automated installation process and explain how kickstart files specify partitioning, packages, and post-installation scripts
- Configure the default systemd boot target and manage target unit dependencies to control which services start at boot time
7
Manage Basic Networking
2 topics
Network Configuration
- Implement IPv4 and IPv6 network configuration using nmcli to create, modify, and activate network connections with static and DHCP addressing
- Configure hostname resolution using /etc/hosts and DNS client settings in NetworkManager connection profiles for name resolution
- Implement network connectivity verification using ip, ss, ping, and traceroute to diagnose routing and connectivity issues
- Analyze network configuration discrepancies between active runtime settings and persistent connection profiles to resolve networking inconsistencies
Firewall Configuration
- Describe the firewalld architecture including zones, services, ports, and rich rules and explain how zones map to network interfaces
- Implement firewalld rules using firewall-cmd to allow or deny services and ports with both runtime and permanent configurations
- Analyze firewall zone assignments and active rules to troubleshoot service connectivity issues caused by blocked ports or incorrect zone configuration
8
Manage Users and Groups
1 topic
User and Group Administration
- Implement local user account creation and modification using useradd, usermod, and userdel with options for UID, home directory, shell, and group membership
- Implement group management using groupadd, groupmod, and groupdel and configure primary and supplementary group memberships for user accounts
- Configure password aging policies using chage to enforce password expiration, minimum age, warning days, and account inactivity lockout
- Configure sudo access by editing /etc/sudoers with visudo to grant specific users or groups elevated privileges with or without password requirements
- Analyze user and group configuration files including /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, and /etc/group to diagnose authentication and authorization issues
9
Manage Security
1 topic
SELinux
- Describe SELinux modes including enforcing, permissive, and disabled and explain how mandatory access control supplements standard DAC permissions
- Implement SELinux mode changes using setenforce for runtime and /etc/selinux/config for persistent configuration across reboots
- Implement SELinux file context management using semanage fcontext and restorecon to set and restore correct security contexts on files and directories
- Implement SELinux boolean management using setsebool to toggle policy features and getsebool to verify current boolean states for service access control
- Analyze SELinux AVC denial messages using ausearch and sealert to diagnose access violations and determine appropriate context or boolean corrections
Certification Benefits
Salary Impact
$100,000
Average Salary
Related Job Roles
Linux System Administrator
DevOps Engineer
Systems Engineer
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
Site Reliability Engineer
Industry Recognition
The RHCSA is the foundational Red Hat certification and one of the most respected performance-based Linux certifications. Its hands-on format makes it highly valued by employers seeking proven Linux administration competency.
Scope
Included Topics
- Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) EX200 exam objectives on RHEL 9: essential tools (grep, sed, tar, ssh, file permissions, documentation), shell scripting (conditionals, loops, regex), operating running systems (boot process, systemd, logging, process management), local storage (partitions, LVM, VDO), file systems (ext4, XFS, mount, NFS, autofs), system deployment and maintenance (yum/dnf, subscription-manager, kickstart, tuned), networking (nmcli, firewalld, hostname, time sync), user and group management (passwd, useradd, sudoers), and security (SELinux, file contexts, SSH keys).
Not Covered
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) content including Ansible automation
- Container management with Podman beyond basic operations
- Kernel compilation and custom kernel module development
- Advanced network services (DNS, DHCP, NFS server, Samba server)
- High availability clustering with Pacemaker/Corosync
- Performance tuning beyond basic tuned profiles
- RHEL 8 or earlier specific features not carried forward to RHEL 9
Official Exam Page
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