ST: Unix Systems Administration Final Exam
Spring 1995
This final exam is a take home final. It is due Monday, May 8, 11:59 PM.
Exams submitted after this date will be subject to a 1/168% penalty per
hour late. No midterms will be accepted after 11:59 AM Wednesday, May 10
unless special arrangements are made in advance, with the instructor.
The answers to this final are expected to conform to my
Assignment Submission Guidelines.
- 5 pts.
- What security problems are created when users are granted slip
or ppp access to a system? What can be done to eliminate or decrease
this problems?
- 5 pts.
- There are various directories on a unix system, such as /tmp and /usr/tmp,
where users have permission to create files. Discuss potential problems that
these directories present and strategies for dealing with these problems.
You should also discuss the "costs" of your solutions.
- 6 pts.
- Discuss at least three benefits of automating systems management tasks.
- 5 pts.
- Using the CRYPT BREAKERS WORKBENCH, installed in
/users/sys/bennett/public/cbw, decode the file
/users/sys/bennett/public/question4. Discuss the implications of this utility.
- 4 pts.
- What are the effects of the following lines in a sendmail.cf file?
- Ox30
- OX99
- OT5d/1d
- Do.:%@!^=/[]|
- 6 pts.
- Create a utility which will monitor disk space. This utility should
notify a list of users when the free space on a monitored disk partition
drops below a given level.
- 6 pts.
- Assume that you use the Towers of Hanoi Dump Sequence, as outlined
on page 188 of your book, to do backups. In addition assume you start at the
level 0 dump on the first of each month. What are the minimum and maximum
number of dump sets that you must use to restore all files on a disk? On
which days do these occur? What differences would there be between
the restored file system and the original file system?
- 4 pts.
- What is the relationship between the major and minor numbers for a device
file (/dev) and the physical device (a scsi drive)?
- 6 pts.
- What are the steps in an ascii terminal based login process?
How is this different from an Xterminal login process? What makes it possible
for a user to obtain multiple logins, including logins on remote machines, in
an Xterminal base login even though they only give their password once?
- 3 pts.
- What are the benefits of standardizing the setup of all machines in
a network?
Extra Credit Section
Each of the following is worth one point on this test. Total test
scores may exceed 100%. You should provide both an answer and
the source for the answer for each question. Incorrect answers
will not be charged penalty points.
What, other than a mail notification program, is/was biff?
What can you do to a file system that you can't do to a fish?
What life form is official permitted to carry packets?
Where did AWK get it's name?