MODULE 4: Storage, Filesystems & Basic Networking

How do administrators manage storage and network connectivity on Linux servers in real environments?

What You Will Learn in This Module

By the end of Module 4, learners will be able to:

• Understand Linux disks and partitions
• Identify storage devices
• Understand filesystems (ext4, xfs)
• Mount and manage storage
• Monitor disk usage
• Perform basic cleanup
• Configure basic network settings
• Test connectivity professionally

Lesson 1: Linux Storage Overview (Big Picture)

Linux servers store data on:

• physical disks
• virtual disks (VMs)
• cloud volumes

Admins must manage:

• partitions
• filesystems
• mount points

Enterprise Reality

If storage fails:
services crash
databases stop
backups fail

Storage management is mission critical.

Lesson 2: Disks & Partitions Explained

Admin’s view disks using:

• lsblk
• fdisk -l

These show:

• disk size
• partitions
• mount points

Example:

/dev/sda

• sda1 → boot
• sda2 → root filesystem

Lesson 3: Filesystems (Where Data Lives)

Filesystems organize data.

Common enterprise filesystems:

• ext4
• xfs

They control:

• performance
• reliability
• recovery

Admins format disks using:

• mkfs

Lesson 4: Mounting Storage

Mounting means attaching storage to folders.

Example:

Mount disk to:
/data

Now files written to /data go to that disk.

Admins use:

• mount
• /etc/fstab for permanent mounts

Enterprise Tip

Always test mounts before reboot.

Wrong fstab = server won’t boot.

Lesson 5: Monitoring Disk Usage

Admins monitor disk with:

• df -h
• du

They detect:

• growing logs
• runaway applications
• backup overflow

Full disks cause:
crashes
login failures
database corruption

Lesson 6: Cleanup & Space Management

Admins clean:

• old logs
• temporary files
• unused packages

Using:

• rm
• log rotation
• archive old data

Enterprise rule:
Never delete blindly.

Always verify.

Lesson 7: Basic Linux Networking Concepts

Linux servers must communicate.

Admins configure:

• IP address
• subnet
• gateway
• DNS

Tools:

• ip a
• ip route
• nmcli

Lesson 8: Testing Network Connectivity

Admins verify networking with:

• ping
• traceroute
• ss

These confirm:

• reachability
• routing
• open ports

Lesson 9: Enterprise Network Awareness

Servers often sit behind:

• firewalls
• VLANs
• load balancers

Admins must understand:

• server IP range
• gateway location
• DNS servers
• firewall policies

Linux admins must cooperate with network teams.

Lesson 10: Practical Self Practice

Learners practice:

• viewing disks
• mounting volumes
• checking disk usage
• cleaning space
• configuring IP
• testing connectivity

Scenario:
Disk is full → find files → clean safely
Server unreachable → check IP → fix gateway → verify.

MODULE 4 SUMMARIES

By completing Module 4, learners now understand:

• disks and partitions
• filesystems
• mounting storage
• disk monitoring
• cleanup practices
• IP configuration
• connectivity testing
• enterprise storage/network mindset

This module answers:

“How do I manage storage and networking on Linux servers professionally?”