System Requirements & Prerequisites
Hardware Specifications
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Processor: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 (minimum), i7/Ryzen 7 recommended for virtualization labs
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Memory: 16GB RAM minimum, 32GB strongly recommended for running multiple virtual machines
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Storage: 500GB SSD available space for lab environments and project files
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Network: Stable broadband connection with minimum 25 Mbps download for remote server access
Operating System Support
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Windows: Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro with Hyper-V capability enabled
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macOS: macOS Big Sur or newer with sufficient resources for VMware Fusion
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Linux: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or CentOS 8 with KVM virtualization support
Required Software & Tools
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Virtualization: VMware Workstation Pro or VirtualBox for creating lab environments
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Terminal Access: PuTTY, Windows Terminal, or native SSH client for server connections
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Text Editor: VS Code, Sublime Text, or vim for configuration file editing
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File Transfer: FileZilla or WinSCP for secure file transfers to remote servers
Network & Security Setup
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Firewall: Ability to configure Windows Firewall or equivalent with administrative privileges
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VPN Client: OpenVPN or similar for secure lab environment access when needed
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Port Access: Ensure ports 22 (SSH), 80/443 (HTTP/HTTPS), and 3389 (RDP) are accessible
Pre-Course Setup Checklist
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Download and install your preferred virtualization software at least one week before start date
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Test virtual machine creation with a basic Linux distribution to verify system capability
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Create accounts on GitHub and AWS (free tier) for version control and cloud lab exercises
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Verify internet stability with speed tests during expected study hours