Chapter 3 Installing the Server

At a Glance

Instructors notes
Chapter Objectives Instructor Notes Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes Key Terms

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
Prepare the server for system installation Understand the installation process Install Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Red Hat Linux 8 Examine basic Linux commands Configure TCP/IP

INSTRUCTOR NOTES
Prepare server for installation
Typically you install the server product from CD. For Windows you can boot from a floppy for network installation but this method can be difficult because you need a DOS disk and DOS network drivers. For Linux you can install from the network using NFS or even use FTP. Because you can use FTP, you can even install it over the Internet. Production systems only have a single operating system on a hard drive but in development environments and in student labs, often a single hard drive has multiple operating systems that you can select when you start the computer. Although there are few problems with hardware compatibility if you pick a server from a major manufacturer, you check for compatibility at www.microsoft.com/hwdg for Windows or www.redhat.com/support/hardware for Red Hat Linux. You should make sure that you have the latest drivers for SCSI and RAID controllers. You can have problems upgrading old servers because sometimes they had components such as RAID controllers that are not supported anymore. System documentation should be detailed enough for inexperienced network administrators. Because systems change over time, the system documentation should change also. Often, the documentation is started with a new system is installed but then nobody updates it. You need a variety of hardware information such as: Server manufacturer Processor type and speed Amount of RAM Drive interface Hard disk size NIC manufacturer and model For the system information track: Partition information OS version installed Latest software patches in Windows they are called service packs Where to get latest drivers You should also include the steps for installation including options chosen. This is so if someone needs to rebuild the server, they can do it more easily. You should know all the support details including who to call, type of support contract, and expiration of contract. Remember that if your support guarantees a response in 24 hours, it may just mean that they will show up within 24 hours to take a look at it. They could have to order a motherboard that could take a few days.

QUICK QUIZ

1.

True/False. Multi-boot systems can contain operating systems from different manufacturers Answer: True
2. What do you call the operating system improvements and corrections issued by Microsoft? Answer: Service Packs

The Installation Process

As you go through the setup process the program will ask you questions about your configuration. Many of the questions are common to all operating systems. First, you have to partition the hard disk. A partition is a logical division of the hard disk. The system boots from primary partition. However, you can create an extended partition. An extended partition gives you more: logical drives in Windows Linux partitions It is best to isolate the operating system from applications. This is because if the application fills the hard disk, and the operating system is on the same partition, the OS stops. There are six partitions are used for Linux by default / (root partition) swap (used for virtual memory) /boot (boot files small) /usr (shared files and programs) /home (user files and programs) /var (Web site, ftp, log files) However, just / and swap are required. The logic for having so many partitions is related to the reason for keeping the applications and OS separate. Filling up one of the partitions wont affect the other partitions. Managing Multiple Operating Systems On Single Computer Having multiple OSs on a single computer can be useful for development purposes Usually, it is best to start with unpartitioned hard disk. You need to install Windows operating systems first because Linux recognizes the Windows operating systems and creates a menu so when you start the computer, you can pick Linux or the Windows OSs. For simplicity, just create one partition for each Windows OS, and then let Linux create the default partitions. Naming computers Computer names (called host names in Linux networks) identify computers on a network. Windows communicates the computer name to other computers on subnet so the computer names should be unique. The name of the computer is not related to how

the computer is recognized on the Internet. In Linux, the host name can exist on more than computer, because Linux only uses IP for communication. Licensing A license describes how the software can be used. For Windows 2000, Microsoft assumes that you have the correct number of client access licenses. For Windows Server 2003, each installation must be activated by Microsoft. Only one server can be activated for each license so this should eliminate piracy by organizations. Linux is basically free but there may be a cost for packaging, support, and extras. It is based on GNU General Public License which allows for not only free access to the OS, but to the source code too. Red Hat has personal, professional, and Advanced Server versions. Selecting a File System A file system determines how files are stored on a hard disk. Windows has two file systems. The FAT file system is based on original DOS file system and has no security. NTFS has security which is critical for a server. The default user file system in Red Hat Linux 8 is ext3, which offers some performance improvements over ext2. Windows 2000 Installation You need the 25-character product key in order for installation to proceed. In a production environment where you are connected to the Internet, you will get one or more IP addresses from your ISP. Although 2 to 3 GB partition is enough, you may want more. In a development environment you will probably put other applications on the same partition. You should select NTFS. As setup installs the networking components, do not wander away otherwise it will accept the default IP settings which you do not want. The default IP settings include DHCP which will search for a DHCP server to get an IP address. You want to enter your own IP address. Windows Server 2003 Installation The procedures for installing Web, Standard, and Enterprise editions are the same. The installation is the simpler than previous versions of Windows because very few options are allowed during installation. Only essential information such as computer name, licensing, password, IP address, and domain membership are requested Linux 8 Installation As is true with Windows, you can generally accept the defaults. However, because Linux is basically the same OS in all environments, you have to remember to select Server as the Installation type. This gives you a list of packages that are appropriate for a server environment. For the lab environment, you need to remember to select

"No firewall." This makes it easier to configure and test your own firewall in Chapter 10. In a production environment you should probably pick No firewall also and then configure one yourself. That way you will know what you are getting.

QUICK QUIZ
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
The FTP method of installation is available with what operating system? Answer: Linux What do you call a logical division of the hard drive? Answer: partition In Red Hat Linux, what partition typically contains your user directories? Answer: /home True/False: Linux can recognize a Windows installation. Answer: True True/False. Both Windows and Linux allow you to install them from a network. Answer: True

Basic Linux concepts

Linux has no drive letters like Windows does, the root begins with / . Other partitions begin with a / followed by a name. You can even associate partitions with names that are within devices such as /mnt/floppy. To use a floppy or cdrom, the device must be mounted: mount /mnt/floppy mount /mnt/cdrom Now you can copy files between your hard drive and /mnt/floppy When you double-click the CDROM or Floppy icon on the desktop, the device is automatically mounted Before you remove the floppy, you have to unmount it to flush the file buffer, if you copied files to it: umount /mnt/floppy Shell Prompt Much server work is done at the shell prompt which is the command-line interface. ls list files ls /mnt/floppy to see contents of floppy cd change directory cd /mnt/floppy mkdir create a directory mkdir /mnt/floppy/test rmdir remove a directory rmdir /mnt/floppy/test mv move or rename a file mv /etc/ftpaccess /var/ftp/ftpaccess cp copy a file cp var/ftp/ftpaccess /mnt/floppy locate find a file locate ftpaccess

kedit <filename> - start editing a file kedit /var/ftp/ftpaccess

Configuring TCP/IP in Windows

To determine TCP/IP configuration, type ipconfig at a command prompt To Change The IP Address in Windows, do the following: From the Local Area Status dialog box, click Properties Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), then click Properties Now you can change the IP address The Advanced button allows you to add multiple IP addresses for a single NIC.

Configuring TCP/IP in Linux

To determine TCP/IP configuration, type ifconfig at a shell prompt. The IP address is on the third line. To Change the IP Address in Linux, do the following: In System Settings, click Network, then click the Edit button Now you can change the IP address. Click OK, then Apply, and Close to save the changes

QUICK QUIZ
1. True/False. In Linux, you use the md command to move to a new directory. Answer:
False

2. True/False. You must give your Linux computer a name that is unique throughout your
network. Answer: False

3. True/False. In Linux, the mv command is used to rename a file. Answer: True 4. In Linux, what command is used to create a directory? Answer: mkdir 5. In Linux, what command is used to copy a file? Answer: cp

Discussion Topics
1. Describe items that should be in system documentation. What is the most important? 2. What are the various implementation types and under what circumstances would each one be best? 3. Linux only needs two partitions but many more are the default. What are the tradeoffs in installing the minimum or the default number of partitions?

Key Terms
boot loader The program that starts the operating system. client access license (CAL) A Microsoft license that allows a client computer to connect to a server. ext3 The most recent Red Had Linux file system. File Allocation Table (FAT) A file system for Windows that is compatible with all Microsoft operating systems, but offers no security. file system A data structure that provides the input and output mechanisms for an operating system. GNOME A GUI available for Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD. GNU General Public License A license intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software, thereby making sure the software is free for all its users. K Desktop Environment (KDE) A GUI available for Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD. Master boot record (MBR) A sector on the hard disk that contains the boot loader program. multi-boot system A computer with multiple operating systems. Typically, a menu allows you to choose the desired operating system. NTFS A high-performance file system for Windows that supports access control and auditing of files and folders. partition A logical division of the hard disk. partition, extended The part of the drive where more system partitions can be created. partition, primary The part of the drive that starts the boot process. per seat license An agreement for using software in a network environments with multiple servers. Each client computer has its own license and can connect to as many servers as you have. per server license An agreement for using software in a client/server configuration where all client computers do not need to connect to the server at the same time.

Service Pack A file issued by Microsoft with improvements and corrections to an operating system after it has been installed. single-boot system A computer with only one operating system. System V A UNIX standard distributed by AT&T and Sun. Solaris is the most popular example of a System V system.