Web Server Administration
Chapter 3
Installing the Server
1
Overview





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
2
Prepare the Server for Installation

A typical installation is from CD



For Windows 2000, you can boot from a floppy for
network installation
For Linux, you can install from the network or
even using FTP
Production systems use a single-boot system
meaning only one OS is on a computer

You can put all described OSs on a single
computer which is a multi-boot
3
Checking Hardware
Compatibility




Typically you have fewer problems if
you are using hardware designed for a
server from major manufacturers
IDE drives are always compatible
Make sure that you have the latest
drivers for SCSI and RAID controllers
With video adapters and NICs, it is best
to use ones from major vendors
4
Checking Hardware
Compatibility

You can have problems if you



For Windows OSs


Put a system together yourself with the latest or
off-brand NICs, video adapters, and RAID
controllers
Try to upgrade an OS on old servers because they
sometimes have specialized hardware that is not
supported anymore
www.microsoft.com/hwdg
For Red Hat Linux

www.redhat.com/support/hardware
5
System Documentation


Should be detailed enough for
inexperienced network administrator
System documentation is an ongoing
process


Changes occur over the life of the server
These changes need to be documented
6
System Documentation


Need compatibility information
Hardware information






Server manufacturer, including model information
Processor type and speed
Amount of RAM
Drive interface – RAID, SCSI, IDE
Hard disk – size, manufacturer, and model
NIC manufacturer and model
7
System Documentation

System information




Partition information – number and sizes
OS version installed
Latest software patches
Extra drivers needed

URLs for latest drivers
8
System Documentation



Steps for installation including options chosen
Keep documentation, CDs, drivers in a binder
Know support details




Who to call
Contract phone number
Type of support contract
Expiration of contract
9
The Installation Process



The Setup program will ask you about
your system
You need to know the answers to these
questions before you start
Many of the questions are common to
all operating systems
10
The Installation ProcessPartitioning the Hard Disk



A partition is a logical division of the hard disk
A system boots from the primary partition
You can create an extended partition



Gives you more logical drives in Windows
Gives you more Linux partitions
It is best to isolate the operating system from
applications

If the application partition fills and the operating system
is on the same partition, the OS stops
11
The Installation Process

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)
Just / and swap are required
12
Managing Multiple Operating
Systems on a Single Computer


Useful for development purposes
Best to start with unpartitioned hard
disk




Create one partition for each Windows OS
Allow Linux to create default partitions
Install Windows first, then Linux
Linux installation then produces a menu
to select Windows
13
The Installation ProcessNaming Computers




Identify a computer on the network
Windows communicates the computer name
to other computers on the subnet so it should
be unique
Name of computer is not related to how the
computer is recognized on the Internet
In Linux, the hostname can exist on more
than computer, it only uses IP addresses for
communication
14
The Installation ProcessLicensing




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
Linux is basically free but there may be a cost
for packaging, support, and extras


Based on the GNU general public license
Red Hat has personal, professional, and Advanced
Server options
15
The Installation ProcessSelecting a File System


A file system determines how files are stored
on a hard disk
Windows has two file systems



FAT is based on the 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
16
Windows 2000 Server Installation





Requires a 25-character product key
In a production environment where you are
connected to the Internet, you will get an IP
address from your ISP
Although a 2 to 3 GB partition is enough, you
may want more
Use NTFS
As setup installs the networking components,
do not wander away otherwise it will accept
the default IP settings which you do not want
17
Windows Server 2003 Installation


The procedures for installing Web,
Standard, and Enterprise editions are
the same
Installation is simpler than previous
versions of Windows

Only essential information such as
computer name, licensing, password, IP
address, and domain membership are
requested
18
Linux 8 Installation


As is true with Windows, you can generally
accept the defaults
Remember to select Server as the Installation
Type


This gives you a list of packages that are
appropriate for a server environment
Remember to select "No firewall"

This makes it easier to configure and test your
own firewall (Chapter 10)
19
Basic Linux Concepts



No drive letters
The root is /
To use a floppy or CD-ROM, 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 CD-ROM 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
20
Shell Prompt


Most work is done at the shell prompt which
is the command-line interface
ls – list files


cd – change directory


ls /mnt/floppy to see contents of floppy
cd /mnt/floppy
mkdir – create a directory

mkdir /mnt/floppy/test
21
Shell Prompt

rmdir – remove a directory


mv – move or rename a file


cp var/ftp/ftpaccess /mnt/floppy
locate – find a file


mv /etc/ftpaccess /var/ftp/ftpaccess
cp – copy a file


rmdir /mnt/floppy/test
locate ftpaccess
kedit <filename> - start editing a file

kedit /var/ftp/ftpaccess
22
Kedit Text Editor


The Kedit text
editor is similar
to Windows
Notepad
Note that the
positioning of
the icons is
basically the
same as
Notepad
23
Configuring TCP/IP in Windows

To determine TCP/IP configuration, type
ipconfig at a command prompt
24
To Change the IP Address in
Windows



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
25
Configuring TCP/IP in Linux


To determine TCP/IP configuration, type
ifconfig at a shell prompt
The IP address is on the third line
26
To Change the IP Address in
Linux




In System Settings, click Network
Click the Edit button
Now you can change the IP address
Click OK, then Apply, and Close to
save the changes
27
Summary




Windows and Linux installations share the
task of creating partitions
The same computer can have multiple
operating systems
Windows server operating systems are
licensed based on the edition and the number
of users
Linux licensing is based on the GNU general
public license
28
Summary


Microsoft and Linux have improved their
ability to recognize devices
There are many useful commands when
using the Linux shell prompt
29