Administrative Console

You can use a dedicated SPARCstation^TM system, known as the administrative console, to administer the active cluster. Usually, you install and run administrative tool software, such as the Cluster Control Panel (CCP) and the Sun Cluster module for the Sun Management Center^TM product, on the administrative console. Using cconsole under the CCP enables you to connect to more than one node console at a time. For more information on using the CCP, see the Sun Cluster 3.1 System Administration Guide.

The administrative console is not a cluster node. You use the administrative console for remote access to the cluster nodes, either over the public network, or optionally through a network-based terminal concentrator. If your cluster consists of the Sun Enterprise E10000 platform, you must have the ability to log in from the administrative console to the System Service Processor (SSP) and connect by using the netcon(1M) command.

Typically, you configure nodes without monitors. Then, you access the node's console through a telnet session from the administrative console, which is connected to a terminal concentrator, and from the terminal concentrator to the node's serial port. (In the case of a Sun Enterprise E10000 server, you connect from the System Service Processor.) See Console Access Devices for more information.

Sun Cluster does not require a dedicated administrative console, but using one provides these benefits:

• Enables centralized cluster management by grouping console and management tools on the same machine

• Provides potentially quicker problem resolution by your hardware service provider

See Chapter 4, Frequently Asked Questions for questions and answers about the administrative console.