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• Effective management of a SLES environment requires a working knowledge of the SLES startup process, including an understanding of the GRUB bootloader configuration and all boot-related files.

• Processes can be administered through the use of signals and process-related commands.

• Kernel and kernel module management involves understanding the contents of the /boot directory and configuration files found in the /etc directory.

• SLES administration is centrally located in the YaST command-line or graphical utility. All major SLES components can be managed via this interface.

• Although command-line editing of configuration files can often be used to accomplish administrative tasks, SuSEconfig may overwrite changes unless those changes are performed via YaST.

• System updates must be installed via the Red-Carpet software management system after installing OES. Using the YaST Online Update module can result in an inoperable server!

• Effective troubleshooting of SLES should involve the use of log files found within the /var/log directory. If additional investigation is required, Rescue Mode and a large number of additional investigative tools are available.

SLES administration is a broad and complex topic. This chapter will discuss core server administration tasks and important OES component administration concepts. Specifically, this chapter will cover the system startup process, process management, system logging facilities, and kernel management concepts. SLES and OES component administration through the YaST utility, and software installation options will also be discussed.

In addition to the administration concepts mentioned here, there are many other Linux topics you may be interested in exploring. Novell Education has several Linux-specific programs that will provide a more comprehensive insight into Linux administration. For more information on Novell's SUSE Linux certification options, please see the Novell Education website at http://www.novell.com/education.