IT Infrastructure Course

Lesson 1 • Software and Operating System Layer

Examines operating systems, middleware, and system software that enable hardware utilization. Links software configuration to infrastructure reliability.

Lesson 2 • Defining IT Infrastructure Scope

Establishes what IT infrastructure includes across hardware, software, and services. Provides the vocabulary used throughout the entire course.

Lesson 3 • Core Hardware Components

Covers servers, storage devices, and end-user hardware as physical building blocks. Connects hardware choices to performance and cost outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Networking Fundamentals

Introduces network topologies, protocols, and devices that connect infrastructure components. Establishes baseline knowledge for all subsequent networking topics.

Lesson 1 • Operating System Installation and Configuration

Covers bare-metal OS deployment, partitioning, and initial hardening steps. Establishes a secure, consistent baseline for all server roles.

Lesson 2 • Server Performance Monitoring

Teaches metric collection, threshold setting, and performance baseline creation. Monitoring data drives capacity planning and incident response decisions.

Lesson 3 • Virtualization Fundamentals

Introduces hypervisor types, virtual machine creation, and resource allocation. Virtualization is the foundation for cloud and modern data center operations.

Lesson 4 • Server Roles and Services

Configures common server roles including file, print, DNS, and DHCP services. Demonstrates how role assignment drives network service delivery.

Lesson 1 • Switching and VLANs

Configures managed switches, VLANs, and trunking to segment and optimize traffic. VLAN segmentation is essential for security and performance isolation.

Lesson 2 • Network Design Principles

Applies hierarchical design models and redundancy patterns to enterprise networks. Good design prevents single points of failure and supports future growth.

Lesson 3 • Network Troubleshooting Methodology

Applies structured diagnostic frameworks to isolate and resolve network faults. Systematic troubleshooting reduces mean time to resolution.

Lesson 4 • Routing Protocols and WAN Connectivity

Implements static and dynamic routing and connects sites over WAN links. Routing decisions directly affect application performance and resilience.

Lesson 1 • Backup and Recovery Strategies

Designs backup schedules, retention policies, and recovery procedures. Validated recovery processes are the true measure of backup effectiveness.

Lesson 2 • Storage Technology Overview

Compares DAS, NAS, and SAN architectures and their appropriate use cases. Technology selection determines cost, scalability, and access patterns.

Lesson 3 • Storage Capacity Planning

Forecasts storage growth using trend analysis and workload profiling. Proactive planning prevents capacity shortfalls and unplanned expenditures.

Lesson 4 • SAN and NAS Configuration

Configures Fibre Channel and iSCSI SANs and NFS/SMB NAS shares. Proper configuration ensures consistent throughput and data integrity.

Lesson 1 • Security Frameworks and Risk Assessment

Introduces security control frameworks and risk assessment methodologies. Risk-based thinking guides prioritization of all subsequent hardening activities.

Lesson 2 • Endpoint and Server Hardening

Applies configuration baselines, patch management, and application whitelisting. Hardened endpoints reduce the attack surface across the infrastructure.

Lesson 3 • Network Security Controls

Deploys firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network segmentation controls. Layered network defenses limit lateral movement by attackers.

Lesson 4 • Identity and Access Management

Configures directory services, role-based access, and multi-factor authentication. Strong identity controls are the primary defense against unauthorized access.

Lesson 1 • Cloud Compute and Storage Services

Provisions virtual machines, object storage, and managed databases in the cloud. Cloud-native services replace traditional infrastructure components at scale.

Lesson 2 • Cloud Networking and Security

Configures virtual private clouds, security groups, and cloud-native firewalls. Cloud network security requires adapting on-premises concepts to shared infrastructure.

Lesson 3 • Hybrid Identity and Access

Extends on-premises identity to cloud services using federation and directory sync. Unified identity management simplifies governance across hybrid environments.

Lesson 4 • Cloud Cost Management and Governance

Applies tagging, budgets, and rightsizing to control cloud spending. Governance policies enforce compliance and prevent uncontrolled resource sprawl.

Lesson 1 • Automation Principles and Tooling

Introduces idempotency, declarative vs. imperative approaches, and tool categories. Understanding automation principles prevents common configuration drift problems.

Lesson 2 • Infrastructure Provisioning with IaC

Provisions cloud and on-premises resources using declarative IaC templates. IaC enables consistent, auditable infrastructure deployments at any scale.

Lesson 3 • Configuration Management Tools

Uses configuration management platforms to enforce consistent system states. Automated configuration management eliminates manual drift across large fleets.

Lesson 4 • CI/CD Pipelines for Infrastructure

Integrates IaC into continuous integration and delivery pipelines. Automated pipelines enforce testing and approval gates before infrastructure changes.

Lesson 1 • Backup and Replication Technologies

Configures synchronous and asynchronous replication alongside backup solutions. Replication and backup serve complementary roles in a complete recovery strategy.

Lesson 2 • High Availability Architecture Patterns

Implements active-active and active-passive clusters and load balancing. HA patterns eliminate single points of failure at compute, network, and storage layers.

Lesson 3 • Disaster Recovery Planning and Testing

Develops DR plans, runbooks, and conducts tabletop and failover exercises. Untested DR plans provide false confidence and fail during real incidents.

Lesson 4 • Resilience Validation and Continuous Improvement

Applies chaos engineering principles and post-exercise reviews to improve resilience. Continuous validation ensures recovery capabilities keep pace with infrastructure changes.