Unit 1 Introduction To Network Administration: Structure Page Nos
Unit 1 Introduction To Network Administration: Structure Page Nos
      1.0     Introduction                                                               5
      1.1     Objectives                                                                 5
      1.2     Roles and Responsibilities of Network Administrator                        6
      1.3     Linux and TCP/IP Internetworking Concepts                                  6
      1.4     Using Network Clients                                                     10
      1.5     Understanding System Initialization                                       11
      1.6     User Remote Administration Services and Tools                             16
      1.7     Summary                                                                   17
      1.8     Answers to Check Your Progress                                            18
      1.9     Further Readings                                                          19
      1.0 INTRODUCTION
      Computer network is a telecommunications network that connects a collection of
      computers to allow communication and data exchange between systems, software
      applications, and users. The computers that are involved in the network that originate,
      route and terminate the data are called nodes. The interconnection of computers is
      accomplished with a combination of cable or wireless media and networking
      hardware. Two devices are said to be networked when a process in one device is able
      to exchange information with a process in another device. Networks may be classified
      by various characteristics, such as the media used to transmit signals, the
      communications protocols used to organize network traffic, network scale, network
      topology and organizational scope. The best-known computer network is the Internet.
      Communication protocols define the rules and data formats for exchanging
      information in a computer network. Well-known communications protocols include
      Ethernet, a hardware and link layer standard that is widely used for local area
      networks, and the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP), which defines a set of protocols
      for communication between multiple networks, for host-to-host data transfer, and for
      application-specific data transmission formats. Protocols provide the basis for
      network programming.
      1.1 OBJECTIVES
      After going through this unit, you will be able to:
      •     know the roles and responsibilities of a Network Administrator;
      •     know about network client and its purpose;
      •     understand LINUX system initialization; and
      •     understand remote system administration and available tools.
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Network Administration
With Linux               1.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF                                                          Introd
                             NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR
                         A Network Administrator is an individual, who is responsible for configuring,
                         commissioning and maintenance of network infrastructure and services. It also
                         includes the computer hardware and software systems that make up a data network. In
                         an organization, Network Administrator generally don’t typically get involved
                         directly with users, instead focus upon configuring, monitoring and maintenance of
                         network components within organization’s LAN/WAN infrastructure. Depending on
                         the organization and its size, the Network Administrator may also involve in design
                         and deployment of computer networks.
                          Linux is the most popular network operating system (NOS) runs on a server and
                         enables the server to manage data, users, groups, security, applications, and other
                         networking functions. It runs based on a client/server architecture in which a server
 6                       enables multiple clients to share resources. Linux allows shared file and printer access
ion   among multiple computers in a network, typically a local area network (LAN), a           Introduction to Network
      private network or to other networks. Linux well supports to configure and                       Administration
      commissioning of various network servers and services such as proxy servers,
      Domain name systems, Mail servers, Web servers, etc that are to be accessed through
      internet.
      TCP/IP ( Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP)) is a
      networking model and provides end-to-end connectivity specifying how data should
      be formatted, addressed, transmitted, routed and received at the destination. It has
      four abstraction layers which are used to sort all related protocols according to the
      scope of networking involved.
                                                                                                                    7
Network Administration   TCP/IP Protocol Architecture                                                           Introd
With Linux
                         TCP/IP protocols map to a four-layer conceptual model. The four layers are
                         Application, Transport, Internet, and Network Interface. Each layer corresponds to
                         one or more layers of the seven-layer Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.
                         Internet Layer
                         The Internet layer handles addressing, packaging, and routing functions. The core
                         protocols of the Internet layer are IP, ARP, ICMP, and IGMP.
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ion   Transport Layer                                                                            Introduction to Network
                                                                                                         Administration
      The Transport layer handles and provides session and datagram communication
      services to Application layer. The core protocols of the Transport layer are
      Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
      Application Layer
      The application layer provides services for an application program to ensure that
      effective communication with another application program in a network is possible.
      The application layer is not the application itself that is doing the communication, but
      with various application layer protocols.
      The most widely known Application layer protocols are those used for the exchange
      of user information:
      •   The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used to transfer files that make up the
          Web pages of the World Wide Web.
      •   The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used for interactive file transfer.
      •   The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for the transfer of mail
          messages and attachments.
      •   Telnet, a terminal emulation protocol, is used for logging on remotely to network
          hosts.
      Additionally, the following Application layer protocols help facilitate the use and
      management of TCP/IP networks:
      •   The Domain Name System (DNS) is used to resolve a host name to an IP address.
      •   The Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a routing protocol that routers use to
          exchange routing information on an IP internetwork.
      •   The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used between a network
          management console and network devices (routers, bridges, intelligent hubs) to
          collect and exchange network management information.
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Network Administration
                                                                                                                  Introd
With Linux                                            Network Topology
Data Flow
                         For example, web browsers are clients that connect to web servers and retrieve web
                         pages for display. Email clients retrieve email from mail servers. Online chat uses a
                         variety of clients, which vary depending on the chat protocol being used. Multiplayer
                         video games or online video games may run as a client on each computer. The term
                         "client" may also be applied to computers or devices that run the client software or
                         users that use the client software. Similarly, the devices such as laptops, notebooks,
                         palmtops, tablet PCs, smart phones, and other such devices also called network
                         clients through which services requests can be sent or services can be retrieved
                         to/from servers that are providing services. Figure 4 shows network clients that are
                         being used in a cloud computing model.
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ion
                                                                                                Introduction to Network
                                                                                                        Administration
      In Linux, the flow of control during a boot is from BIOS (Basic Input/output System),
      to boot loader, to kernel. The kernel then starts the scheduler and runs the first
      program Init (which is mostly responsible to run startup scripts for each runlevel), at
      which point the kernel goes idle unless called externally.
      init (short for initialization) is a program for Unix-based computer operating systems
      that spawns all other processes. It runs as a daemon and typically has PID 1. The boot
      loader starts the kernel and the kernel starts init. If some one has to delete init
      without a replacement, the system would encounter a kernel panic on the next reboot.
                                                                                                                    11
Network Administration   iii) The boot loader often presents the user with a menu of possible boot options. It        Introd
With Linux
                              then loads the operating system, which decompresses into memory, and sets up
                              system functions such as essential hardware and memory paging, before calling
                              ‘start_kernel()’.
                               ‘start_kernel()’ then performs the majority of system setup (interrupts, the rest of
                               memory management, device initialization, drivers, etc.) before spawning
                               separately, the idle process and scheduler, and the Init process (which is executed
                               in user space).
                         iv) The Init process executes scripts as needed that set up all non-operating system
                             services and structures in order to allow a user environment to be created, and
                             then presents the user with a login screen.
                         The standard sequence for initializing a Linux system is as follows:
                         •   Power on the System
                         •   Initializing the BIOS
                         •   Bootloader
                         •   Kernel initialization
                         •   Starting from "init"
                         Kernel initialization
                         The kernel in Linux handles all operating system processes, such as memory
                         management, task scheduling, I/O, interprocess communication, and overall system
                         control. This is loaded in two stages - in the first stage the kernel is loaded into
                         memory and decompressed, and a few fundamental functions such as basic memory
                         management are set up. Control is then switched to the main kernel start process.
                         Once the kernel is fully operational, it looks for an init process to run, which sets up
                         a user space and the processes needed for a user environment and ultimate login. The
                         kernel itself is then allowed to go idle, subject to calls from other processes.
 12
ion
                                                                                                      Introduction to Network
                                                                                                              Administration
      The kernel initialization includes:
      •   The detection and initialization of devices. It means any device drivers compiled
          into the kernel are called and try to locate their corresponding devices.
      •   Mounting the root file system in read-only mode
      •   Loading the initial process "init"
      The kernel initialization is very rapid and therefore it is very difficult to follow
      visually. One can read system generated log file to check what happened during
      kernel initialization. Generally log file can be stored under /var/log/dmesg
      Initialize "init"
      Init (initialization) is the father of all processes. Its primary role is to create processes
      from a script stored in the file /etc/inittab. This file usually has entries which cause
      init to spawn gettys on each line that users can log in. It also controls autonomous
      processes required by any particular system.
      Run Levels
      A run level is a software configuration of the system which allows only a selected
      group of processes to exist. The processes spawned by init for each of these run levels
      are defined in the /etc/inittab file.
      Runlevel (System V)
      The ability to change runlevel offers easy interaction with administrators; this allows
      to switch between different levels of startup.
      System Shutdown
      On shutdown, Init is called to close down all user space functionality in a controlled
      manner, again via scripted directions, following which Init terminates and the Kernel
      executes its own shutdown.
                                                                                                                          13
Network Administration   To stop the system, use commands like:                                                   Introd
With Linux
                         #Shutdown -h now
                         #halt
                         #poweroff
                         #init 0
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ion   The following are some of the tasks/ services for which remote administration need         Introduction to Network
      to be done:                                                                                        Administration
      General
      Controlling one's own computer from a remote location (e.g. to access the software
      on a personal computer from an internet café).
      Shutdown
      •   Shutting down or rebooting a computer over a network
      Accessing Peripherals
      •   Using a network device, like printer
      •   Retrieving streaming data, much like a CCTV system
      Modifying
      •   Editing another computer's registry settings
      •   Modifying system services
      •   Installing software on another machine
      •   Modifying logical groups
      Viewing
      •   Remotely assisting others
      •   Supervising computer or internet usage
      •   Access to a remote system's "Computer Management" snap-in
      Hacking
      Computers infected with malware such as Trojans sometimes open back doors into
      computer systems which allow malicious users to hack into and control the computer.
      Such users may then add, delete, modify or execute files on the computer to their own
      ends.
                         SSH is generally used to log into a remote machine and execute commands. It also
                         supports tunneling, forwarding TCP ports and X11 connections, it can transfer files
                         using the associated SSH file transfer (SFTP) or secure copy (SCP) protocols. SSH
                         uses the client-server model.
                         Telnet
                         Telnet is used to connect a remote computer over network. It provides a bidirectional
                         interactive text-oriented communication facility using a virtual terminal connection
                         on internet or local area networks. Telnet provides a command-line interface on a
                         remote host. Most network equipment and operating systems with a TCP/IP stack
                         support a Telnet service for remote configuration (including systems based on
                         Windows NT). Telnet is used to establish a connection to Transmission Control
                         Protocol (TCP) on port number 23, where a Telnet server application (telnetd) is
                         listening.
                         Experts in computer security, recommend that the use of Telnet for remote logins
                         should be discontinued under all normal circumstances, for the following reasons:
                         •   Telnet, by default, does not encrypt any data sent over the connection (including
                             passwords), and so it is often practical to eavesdrop on the communications and
                             use the password later for malicious purposes; anybody who has access to a
                             router, switch, hub or gateway located on the network between the two hosts
                             where Telnet is being used can intercept the packets passing by and obtain login,
                             password and whatever else is typed with a packet analyzer.
                         •   Several vulnerabilities have been discovered over the years in commonly used
                             Telnet daemons.
                         rlogin
                         rlogin is an utility for Unix-like computer operating systems that allows users to log
                         in on another host remotely through network, communicating through TCP port 513.
                         rlogin has several serious security problem- all information, including passwords is
                         transmitted in unencrypted mode. rlogin is vulnerable to interception. Due to serious
                         security problems, rlogin was rarely used across distrusted networks (like the public
                         internet) and even in closed networks.
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ion   rsh                                                                                        Introduction to Network
                                                                                                         Administration
      The remote shell (rsh) can connect a remote host across a computer network. The
      remote system to which rsh connects runs the rsh daemon (rshd). The daemon
      typically uses the well-known Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port number 514.
      In security point of view, it is not recommended.
      PuTTY
      PuTTY is a free and open source terminal emulator application which can act as a
      client for the SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw TCP computing protocols and as a serial
      console client. The name "PuTTY" has no definitive meaning, though "tty" is the
      name for a terminal in the Unix tradition, usually held to be short for Teletype.
      PuTTY was originally written for Microsoft Windows, but it has been ported to
      various other operating systems as well
      Install VNC server on a computer (server) and install client on local PC. Setup is
      extremely easy and server is very stable. On client side, set the resolution and connect
      to IP of VNC server.
      FreeNX allows to access desktop from another computer over the internet. One can
      use this to login graphically to a desktop from a remote location. One example of its
      use would be to have a FreeNX server set up on home computer, and graphically
      logging in to the home computer from work computer, using a FreeNX client. One
      can download FreeNX software from the following URLs:
      https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FreeNX
      http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=97277&highlight=freenx
      http://freenx.berlios.de/ (FreeNX homepage)
      Generally these solutions do not provide the full remote access seen on software such
      as VNC or Terminal Services, but do allow administrators to perform a variety of
      tasks, such as rebooting computers, resetting passwords, and viewing system event
      logs, thus reducing or even eliminating the need for system administrators to carry a
      laptop or be within reach of the office.
      AetherPal and Netop are some of the tools used for full wireless remote access and
      administration on Smartphone devices.
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Network Administration   Disadvantages of Remote Administration                                                      Introd
With Linux
                         Remote administration has many disadvantages too apart from its advantages. The
                         first and foremost disadvantage is the security. Generally, certain ports to be open at
                         Server level to do remote administration. Due to open ports, the hackers/attackers
                         takes advantage to compromise the system. It is advised that remote administration to
                         be used only in emergency or essential situations only to do administration remotely.
                         In normal situations, it is ideal to block the ports to avoid remote administration.
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                         1.7 SUMMARY
                         In this unit, different roles and responsibilities of a network administrator are clearly
                         explained The TCP/IP and its role in data transmission from source to destination is
                         made clear. System initialization process and importance of remote administration
                         also covered.