test

Netra j 3.0 Administrator's Guide

Chapter 2 Network Computer Server

This chapter describes how to configure NCs in your network. The first step in NC configuration involves setting up certain global parameter values that apply to all the NCs in your network. The next step is to set up parameters that are specific to individual NCs; these values override the global values for that NC.

If your network already provides network information service (NIS) and domain name system (DNS), Netra j automatically obtains the information it needs from the system files. You can verify this information by clicking Name Service on the Netra j Main Administration page and following the relevant links. If your system does not have name services, you need to set them up now. See "Name Service Administration " for instructions.

This chapter also describes how to modify or delete the configured NC.

If you do not have global parameters and individual NCs configured, then you are guided through the configuration steps (follow the arrows).

This chapter is organized as follows:

Initial Configuration of the NC Server

This section describes the walk-through sequence to configure NCs. You have to follow the walk-through usually after a fresh installation of the Netra j software, or when the Netra j administration interface needs required information to configure NCs.

Note -

Before starting to configure your network complete the Network Computer Configuration Form in Appendix A, Network Computer Configuration Form.

To Configure the NC Server

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Click Set Web Server Document Root.

    The Modify Web Server Document Root page is displayed. See "Web Server Document Root Administration" for more information.

  3. Enter full path name of your web server document root, then click OK.

  4. Click the forward arrow on the Operation Successful page.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  5. Click Configure Global Parameters.

    The Modify Global Parameters page is displayed. See "To Configure or Modify Global Parameters" for more information.

  6. Enter Global Parameter information, then click OK.

  7. Click the forward arrow on the Operation Successful page.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  8. Choose one of the following:

    • Add Single Network Computer

  9. Click OK.

    This completes the guided initial configuration.

  10. Return to the Main Administration page. Under "Network Service Administration" click Name Service.

    The Name Service Administration page is displayed.

  11. Check the DNS server and client configurations. Configure them as appropriate.

    Netra j software checks for an already configured DNS server on the network and automatically uses it. You need to check if the server configuration is the one you want. You always need to configure the Netra j server as a DNS client. See "Configuring the DNS Server" and "Configuring the DNS Client" for more information.

  12. To save your configuration, on the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Save and Restore Configuration.

    The Save and Restore Configuration Administration page is displayed. See "Save and Restore Configuration" for detailed information.

Network Computer Configuration

Note -

Before starting to configure your network complete the Network Computer Configuration Form in Appendix A, Network Computer Configuration Form.

Web Server Document Root Administration

The web server document root is the root directory of the web server running on your system. The documents under this root are accessible to any system connected to the web server (provided the user has permissions). If a file is not under this root directory, then it cannot be accessed through the web server. Netra j requires the document root information to set up the default applications for the client.

By default, Netra j sets up HotJava Views and HotJava Browser as main application options available through the Network Computer Application Management module. NCs can access these applications by either mounting to the respective application directory or by specifying a URL. Through document root, Netra j creates a link to HotJava Views or HotJava Browser. Netra j also sets up the dhcptab entries in document root so that the file names can be used in dhcptab.

Note -

Netra j does not allow you to add a new main application or an NC without setting up document root.

You need to know the document root of the default web server. If you did not have a default web server configured on port 80 before the Netra j installation, then the Netra j installation process installs the Sun WebServer and configures it as your default web server at port 80. The default document root for Sun WebServer on port 80 is /var/http/demo/public.

If you copy the file spec.html under the root directory, then any user can access this file using the URL http://hostname.domain/specs.html.

To Modify Web Server Document Root

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Web Server Documentation Root.

    The Modify Web Server Document Root page is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information in the following table.

    Table 2-1 Web Server Parameters

    Parameter 

    Description 

    Full Path Name of the Document Root 

    Enter the absolute path of the document root for the default web server. For example, if Sun WebServer is running on port 80, then refer to the file /etc/http/httpd.conf and find the keyword doc-root. The default document root for Sun WebServer is /var/http/demo/public. If Netscape web server is running on port 80, then refer to the file /usr/local/netscape/nse-home/https-ServerName/config/obj.conf and find the keyword document root.

Defining Boot Server Global Parameters

Table 2-2 describes the global parameters you can configure through the Netra j GUI. Some of the parameters listed in the table are considered basic whereas others can be configured using the advanced global parameters forms.

Optional parameters have the phrase (optional) mentioned after them. Other parameters are required.

If your server is already on the network and is properly configured, Netra j obtains most of the global parameters automatically. To verify this information or to make any changes, refer to the appropriate modules for instructions.

You can modify the global parameters that are used by the boot server for all NCs. The global parameters are described in Table 2-2.

To Configure or Modify Global Parameters

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Configure (or Modify) Global Parameters.

    The Configure (or Modify) Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Complete or modify the form using the information in following table.

    Table 2-2 Network Computer Global Parameters

    Parameter 

    Description 

    NIS Domain Name (optional) 

    The name of the NIS domain in which the NCs reside.  

    NIS Server Address(es) (optional) 

    The list of host address(es) of NIS or servers for the NCs. A list of NIS server addresses configured in the NC server database is displayed. 

    DNS Domain Name 

    The name of the DNS domain in which the NCs reside.  

    DNS Server Address(es) 

    The host address of the DNS server(s) for the NCs. 

    Boot Server Address 

    The host address of the NC boot server on the local network. 

    Time Server Address 

    The IP address of a server supporting the network time protocol (NTP). 

    Router Address(es) (optional) 

    A list of host address(es) of the routers to be used by the NCs. If not given, JavaOS broadcasts looking for a router.  

    A list of router addresses configured in the NC server database is displayed.  

    Lease Time (in days) 

    The duration (in days) of the IP address lease to the NC client. By default, this field is set to 3 days. After this period of time, if an IP address lease is not renewed, the NC shuts down its network interface. A value of -1 specifies an infinite (permanent) lease.  

    Lease Negotiation 

    A "Yes" or "No" flag indicating whether lease negotiation is to be performed. If the lease time is set to the value "infinite" (-1), "Yes" has no meaning. 

    Network Interfaces 

    An access point to a system on a network. Each interface is associated with one physical device (however, a physical device can have multiple network interfaces). 

    Time Zone 

    Specifies the time zone in which the NC clients are located. This 3-letter field defaults to the time zone specified in the NC server database. 

To Unconfigure Global Parameters

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Unconfigure Global Parameters.

    The Unconfigure Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click OK.

Advanced Global Parameters

To Modify Localization Properties

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click Modify Localization Properties.

  4. Complete the form using the information in the following table:

    Table 2-3 Localization Properties

    Option 

    Description 

    Input Method Server 

    A server with a language engine to interpret the keyboard input method (for example, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese languages). This server must be running a localized version of Solaris. 

    Input Method Port 

    The port number of the Input Method (IIIMP) server for the NC. The IIIMP port number configured in the NC server database is displayed. For example, this is for Asian locales. 

    Fonts Server 

    The host address or host name of the fonts server for the NCs. The default is the font server configured in the NC server database. This field is required if the fonts directory is specified. For example, this is required for Asian locales. 

    Fonts Directory 

    The directory location on the fonts server of the fonts for the NCs. If a fonts server is specified, a fonts directory is required. 

    Localized Resources Server 

    The host address or host name of the localized resources server for the NCs. This field is required if the localized resources directory is specified. 

    Localized Resources Directory 

    The directory location on the localized resource server of the localized resources for the NCs. If a localized resources server is specified, this directory is required. 

    Login Locales List 

    The list of locales to be presented as choices to the user logging on to an NC. By default, none is specified. 

    Note -

    See the JavaStation Client Software Guide for more information. See "Setting Up Network Computer Clients" for keyboard selection.

To Modify Network Services Properties

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click Modify Network Services Properties.

    The JavaOS Network Service Properties page is displayed.

  4. Complete the form using the information in the following table:

    Table 2-4 JavaOS Network Services Properties

    Options 

    Descriptions 

    Use DNS Protocol 

    When set to true, host name-to-address and address-to-host name resolution is performed using the DNS protocol. See also javaos.nis. If lookup using NIS is enabled also, NIS is attempted first, and DNS is attempted only if NIS lookup fails. See also javaos.hostaddrmap and javaos.hostnamemap.  

    Use NIS Protocol 

    When set to true, login authentication, host name-to-address resolution and address-to-host name resolution are performed using the NIS protocol. See also javaos.dns. If lookup using DNS is also enable, NIS is attempted first, and DNS is attempted only if NIS fails.  

    NIS hostname-to-address Map Name 

    The name of the NIS map used to perform host name-to-address resolution.  

    NIS address-to-hostname Map Name 

    The name of the NIS map used to perform address-to-host name resolution.  

    NIS Home Directory Map Name 

    If NIS is enabled, this property is used to set the name of the NIS map used by JavaOS to determine a user's home directory.  

To Modify Printing Properties

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click Modify Printing Properties.

  4. Complete the form using the information in the following table:

    Table 2-5 JavaOS Printing Properties

    options 

    Descriptions 

    NIS Map used to locate printers 

    The name of the NIS map used to locate printers. 

    LPD Printers 

    A semicolon-separated list of printers available for use by the lpd printing client. The format of each entry is printer@server.  

    Printers available from this host 

    A semicolon-separated list of the printers available from this host. This property enables administrators to add access to the printer nearest a given NC. The syntax of the printer name is the print service name, a colon, and the full name used by the print service to identify the printer. Example:djavaos.printdialog.always ShowPrinters=lpd:raw@konaprint;lpd:ps@konaprint;NIS:droid@fred 

    Printers to list in print dialogs 

    A semicolon-separated list of the printers the user has selected to appear in print dialogs. The format is the same as for alwaysShowPrinters. This is a system property. Example: -Djavaos.printers.selected  

To Modify Video Resolution Properties

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click Modify Video Resolution Properties.

  4. Complete the form using the information in the following table.

    This sets the Frame Buffer Resolution Dimensions, which Specifies a new frame buffer resolution to be set at boot time. The syntax of resolution parameters is widthxheightxdepth@vfreq, where depth is optional. Currently only 8 bit depth is supported. For example, -djavaos.fbDimensions=800x600x 8@60

    Table 2-6 JavaOS Video Resolution Properties

    Option 

    Description 

    Frame Buffer Resolution Prompt 

    If set to true, and if javaos.fbDimensions is specified, the user is prompted by a Video Mode Confirmation dialog. If the user selects OK, the video mode is set to the newly specified mode. The user must then accept the new video mode by selecting YES. If they fail to select YES within a ten second period or if they select NO, the video mode reverts to its original default.  

    Frame Buffer Width 

    Width component of frame buffer resolution (specified in pixels).  

    Frame Buffer Height 

    Height component of frame buffer resolution (specified in pixels).  

    Frame Buffer Depth (optional) 

    Depth component of frame buffer resolution (specified in bits).  

    Frame Buffer Frequency 

    Refresh Frequency component of frame buffer resolution (specified in hertz).  

To Modify General Properties

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click Modify General Properties.

  4. Complete the form using the information in the following table:

    Table 2-7 JavaOS General Properties

    Option 

    Description 

    JavaStation Console Hotkey  

    This property sets the keyboard hotkey that activates the JavaStation console, which displays debugging information. The value of the property is the JDK(TM) virtual keycode name for the hotkey. The following codes are valid:  

    • VK_F1

    • VK_F2

    • VK_F3

    • VK_F4

    • VK_F5

    • VK_F6

    • VK_F7

    • VK_F8

    • VK_F9

    • VK_F10

    • VK_F11

    • VK_F12

    • VK_PRINTSCREEN

    • VK_UNDEFINED (to disable the console)

    The value of this property is case-insensitive; VK_PRINTSCREEN and vk_PrInTSCreen are equivalent. The default value is VK_PRINTSCREEN. 

    Login Screen 

    If true, JavaOS displays a login screen after booting and before starting the initial application. If false, JavaOS runs the main application as soon as it boots, without displaying a login screen. This means there is no user home directory, and no system properties are read from a properties file. If you want, you can use the javaos.homedir property to specify an NFS directory to mount (see below). 

    Always Update Flash Memory 

    This property specifies that JavaOS is always or never updated in the JavaStation's flash memory, regardless of the value of the JavaOS checksum. It is useful for public kiosks or other systems where user input is not expected. 

    • If not set, the default behavior occurs: if the DHCP-supplied checksum is present and is not zero and does not match the checksum stored in flash, then an Update Flash dialog is displayed.

    • If set to true, then if the above conditions hold, no dialog is displayed and flash is updated.

    • If set to any value other than true, then regardless of checksum presence/value, flash is not updated. Note that if the DHCP checksum is not present or is zero, the flash is not updated.

    Allow Guest Login 

    If true, the login screen (if displayed at all) contains a guest login button.  

    Home Server 

    Name of the server where the Home Directory is stored.  

    Home Directory 

    This property specifies the NFS path JavaOS should mount if NFS is not used to find the path based on the user name. The NFS path is specified as hostname:/ path. This property is most often used to determine the directory to use for the properties file that is read by HotJava Browser at start-up. If the javaos.login property is set to false, javaos.homedir is not used.  

To Enter JavaOS Command Line
Note -

JavaOS commands can be entered here for all NCs (global); for a group of NCs, under Vendor Specific Options in "Adding Multiple NCs"; or for a single NC, under Vendor Specific Options in "Adding Single NC", or "To Modify a Network Computer". If the same parameter is entered globally and as a vendor specific option for an NC, the vendor specific option value of the parameter is used.

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click Enter JavaOS Command Line.

    The JavaOS Command Line page is displayed.

  4. Enter the JavaOS command(s) you want delivered to the JavaOS during the boot sequence.

The JavaOS command line is a formatted text string containing definitions of either JavaOS or system properties. Property definitions are separated by a white space. Each property definition contains a flag, such as -d or -D, followed by the property_name=property_value. There is no white space between the flag and the property name. The JavaOS command line(s) are stored in a file that is included in the dhcptab. Thus there is no size limitation on the entry.

To Modify network parameters for all network computers on one network interface

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Modify Advanced Global Parameters.

    The Advanced Global Parameters page is displayed.

  3. Click the network interface you want to modify.

  4. Complete the form using the information in the following table:

    Table 2-8 Network Parameters

    Option 

    Description 

    MTU Size (bytes) 

    The maximum transmission unit to be used by the NCs on this network.  

    Netmask 

    The netmask of the NCs. 

    Router Address(es) (optional) 

    The host address(es) of the routers to be used by the NCs. Host addresses are separated by one white space. If none are specified, JavaOS broadcasts looking for a router. By default this is set to the host address of the default system router (if configured in the system).  

    Enable Source Routing 

    This property enables or disables the source routing support in the Token-Ring driver on the NC. If this property is set to Yes, source routing support is enabled. If this property is set to No, source routing support is disabled.  

    Note -

    Modifying the global parameters on this form changes the default network parameters for all NCs connected to the Netra j server through the selected specific network interface.

Setting Up Network Computer Clients

You can add one NC at a time or you can very quickly add a group of NCs at one time.

The two methods handle IP addressing differently. When you add multiple NCs, you are asked to specify a starting IP address and the number of NC clients you want to be configured. Netra j then assigns IP addresses to NC clients from this range of addresses. Also, addresses can be leased for a few days or can be assigned permanently.

On the other hand, if you add one NC, you have the option of assigning a unique IP address lease to the NC, and deciding whether that IP address belongs to the NC permanently or only for a few days.

Besides IP address, you can set some other NC specific parameters that override the corresponding global parameter values.

Once you have set up an NC, either individually or as part of a group, you can go back and modify its original parameters with the Modify function.

Adding Multiple NCs

You can use this method to set up many NCs with the same parameters. This module enables you to specify the starting IP address, the number of NCs, the lease time, the NC locale, keyboard, vendor-specific options and the default application for these clients.

Using this method works for NCs that only use DHCP for initial configuration. If your NC uses reverse address resolution protocol (RARP) for initial configuration, you need to assign the Ethernet address of the NC using either the Add single NC, or the Modify Network Computer menu. The Modify menu is only available after you have already added some NCs.

NCs added through this form use dynamic IP address leasing. This means that IP addresses are assigned on a first come first serve basis. The address is assigned for a few days (temporary lease) or forever (permanent lease) depending on the lease time value specified.

You can change NCs with dynamic leases to static leases by modifying them individually once they are added (use the Modify Network Computers option and insert an MAC (ethernet) address). Vendor specific options can also be changed on an individual basis.

To Add Multiple NCs

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Network Computer Management," click Add Multiple Network Computers.

    The Add Multiple Network Computers page is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information in the following table.

    Table 2-9 Individual NC Specific Parameters

    Parameter 

    Description 

    Host Name Prefix 

    The host name of any NC is generated using the name_prefix. If the IP address of the NC is aa.bb.cc.dd, then the generated host name for this computer is name_prefix-dd.

    Starting IP Address 

    The initial host address you assign to the NCs being set up. If a host address is already used by some other system in the network, that address is skipped. 

    Number of NCs 

    The number of NCs to be set up. If an IP address is already used in the network, that address is not used. So the number of clients actually setup can be less than the number of NCs requested. Maximum number of NCs is 254. 

    Host Name 

     

    The name of a computer within the local domain. It is a text string of up to 24 characters composed of letters (a-z and A-Z), digits (0-9) and hyphens (-). The last character cannot be a hyphen. The first character must be alphabetic. 

    Host Address 

     

    An assigned number that uniquely identifies each computer connected to a TCP/IP network. The address consists of two parts: a network number and a host number. The network number identifies the network to which the computer is connected and the host number identifies the computer on that network. The host address is composed of four integers separated by periods. The first integer must be in the range 0-223, the second and third integers in the range 0-255 and the fourth integer in the range 1-254 (for example, 127.144.0.1). 

    Ethernet Address 

     

    This address is a number that uniquely identifies each computer. It is built into the hardware of each computer and is displayed at boot time. The Ethernet address is composed of six hexadecimal numbers separated by colons; each number is in the range 0-ff. Upper- or lower-case letters can be used to specify non-decimal digits.  

    Enter Lease Time (days) 

    The duration (in days) of the IP address lease to the NC client. By default, this field is set to 3 days. After this period of time, if an IP address lease is not renewed, the NC shuts down its network interface. A value of -1 specifies an infinite (permanent) lease.  

    Default Application 

    The default application that runs on this computer. views specifies HotJava Views, browser specifies HotJava Browser, you can have none, or you can add other applications. To add other applications as options to the Default Application list use "Network Computer Application Management". If you are using the JavaOS image with a statically linked HotJava Browser, you must set the Default Application to browser. Otherwise, the HotJava Browser fails to open on the NC.

    Select NC Locale 

    The language the user plans to use with this NC. For Asian languages, input method and fonts need to be configured in global parameters. See "To Modify Localization Properties" for more information. See the JavaStation Client Software Guide for a detailed description on this topic.

    Select Keyboard 

    Select the keyboard for use with this NC. Currently, PS2 keyboards are supported  

    Vendor Specific Options (optional) 

     

    A formatted text string containing definitions of either JavaOS or system properties.The JavaOS command line is delivered to JavaOS during the boot sequence. It can be delivered by DHCP or other methods. There are no spaces between the option and the value. Different command line options are separated by a space. Exact syntax must be used to specify the command line options. 

     

    By default, all JavaOS and system properties configured in the NC server database (using JOScmd1) are displayed.

     

    For example: If you do not want the login prompt for an application to be run on the NC, type -djavaos.login=false.

     

    See JavaStation Client Software Guide for additional information.

Adding Single NC

You can add one NC using this form. NCs added through this form use static leasing that means this NC always is assigned the same IP address either for a few days (temporary lease) or forever (permanent lease) depending on the lease time value specified.

To Add an NC

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Network Computer Management," click Add Single Network Computer.

    The Add A Network Computer page is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information in Table 2-9.

To List Network Computers

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Network Computer Management," click List.

    A list of the NCs on your network is displayed.

To Modify a Network Computer

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Network Computer Management," click Modify.

    Select one NC, and make the changes in the form using Table 2-9 as a reference.

To Delete a Network Computer

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Network Computer Management," click Delete.

    Select one or more NCs, and click OK, then confirm the operation.

Network Computers - Local Printer Setup

You can use this form to configure a printer attached to the serial port of a specific NC. You need to set up the NC before setting up the local printer.

To Set Up a Local Printer

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Network Computer Management," click Configure Local Printer for a Network Computer.

    The Network Computer - Local Printer Setup window is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information in the following table.

    Table 2-10 Local Printer Setup Options

    Option 

    Description 

    Select Network Computer 

    Choose the NC for this local printer setup. 

    Port 

    This property sets the communications parameters for the serial port. The port portion of this property is the name of a serial port which can be:  

    • SerialA or SerialB for an onboard JavaStation serial port

    • One of SerialP1 - SerialP8 for a virtual serial port enabled by the multi-port serial card (MPSC).

    Select Bit Rate 

    The bit rate of the serial port. The bit rate is the rate at which data is sent over a communication line. The default bit rate is 4800. 

    Number of Data Bits 

    The number of data bits. The default is 7. 

    Number of Stop Bits 

    The number of stop bits. Stop bits are extra "1" bits which follow the data and any parity bit. They mark the end of a unit of transmission (normally a byte or character). The default is 1. 

    Select Parity 

    The parity. An extra bit added to a byte or word to reveal errors in transmission. Even (odd) parity means that the parity bit is set so that there are an even (odd) number of one bits in the word, including the parity bit. The default is "no parity." 

    Enter Handshake 

    The handshake identifier. A handshake is the exchange of predetermined signals between the NC and local printer to assure each that it is connected to the other (and not to an impostor). The default is hh.

    Note -

    Peripherals other than printers can be added to NC ports. See the JavaStation Client Software Guide for more detail.

Example for Adding Groups of NCs

A small company just purchased fifteen NCs with a server. The company plans to have 10 English speaking accountants, 2 French speaking people responsible for operations, and 3 English speaking engineers. The accountants need to connect to a mainframe (OCS) and use HJV; the operations people need HJB; and the engineers need X-windows (GO-Joe). This is how the company set up its network.

First they set up the hardware and installed the Netra j software. Then they filled out the Network Computer Configuration Form in Appendix A, Network Computer Configuration Form.

The system administrator started a web browser on the server with URL servername:81 and logged in (setup, setup). For the initial configuration system defaults, the system administrator, chose CST and English (most users were English speaking). Next the system administrator selected the Sun WebServer as the default web server and set the web server document root.

Because this NC network was not added to an already existing network, there were no NIS or DNS servers. So the system administrator went to Name Service Administration and set up the Netra server as a caching (basic) DNS server, then as a client to itself.

After setting the document root and configuring global parameters, the system administrator selected adding multiple computers. This form was filled out for the ten NCs used by the accountants since that was the largest group. Prefix: acc, starting IP address: 125.144.35.101, Number of NCs: 10, Lease Time: 3, Default Application: views, NC locale: English, Keyboard: Canadian. The system administrator made the leasing dynamic.

The system administrator clicked on OCS; the number of licenses was correct, so the administrator finished the install, chose English as the language for the server, then filled in the configuration page: TN3270 gateway host: xxxxx, TN3270 gateway port:xx.

The system administrator added the remaining five NCs individually. The administrator assigned host addresses, so the leasing is static.

For the operations people:

Host name: ops1, ops2; MAC address: xxx,xxx; Host address: 125.144.35.111, 125.144.35.112; Lease time: -1 (indefinite or permanent lease); Default Application: browser; NC locale: French; Keyboard: Canadian French.

For the engineers:

Host Name: eng1,eng2,eng3;Mac address:ss,xxx,ddd; Host Address: 125.144.35.113, 125.144.35.114, 125.144.35.115; Lease time: -1;Default Application: views; NC locale: English, Keyboard: Canadian.

The system administrator went to Network Computer Application Management to add Go-Joe, an applet that runs in HotJava Views.

Updating Network Computer Operating System

Use this form to update the operating system if you have a new version of the javaos binary. If your NC has flash memory, the new binary is stored in flash memory, and is available for use when the NC is rebooted or powered on.

Flash memory enables the JavaStation to store the latest version of JavaOS locally in non-volatile memory. Flash memory enables the JavaStation to boot faster. Use the Update Network Computer Operating System module to reconfigure the existing network environment to the new javaos binary.

To Update New javaos Binary
Note -

You can only update flash memory in JavaStation client tower models.

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Server.

    The Network Computer Configuration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Global Network Computer Management," click Update Network Computer Operating System.

    The Update Network Computer Operating System window is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information in the following table.

    Table 2-11 Update NC Operating System Administration

    Option 

    Description 

    Full path name of the new binary 

    The absolute path of the new JavaOS binary file. 

    Select client architecture 

    The selected architecture for this binary.  

    Note -

    If you are using the JavaOS image with a statically linked HotJava Browser, you must set the Default Application for the NCs to browser (see Table 2-9). Otherwise, HotJava Browser fails to open on the NCs.

Network Computer Application Management

This section describes how to add custom applications for the NC clients and how to administer HotJava Views(HJV). The applets that provide remote windowing tools (Citrix, GO-Joe, and OC://WebConnect) are added to HJV's selector through HJV's administration. If you intend to use the application version of Citrix, use the Client Application Administration.

In the JavaStation Client Software Guide, there are instructions for using an application loader, and using static linking (delivering an application with the JavaOS).

Client Application Administration

The client application is the user's desktop environment on the NC. In the Netra j administration interface, the current list of client applications includes HotJava Views and HotJava Browser. You can add additional applications to the list by using the Network Computer Application Management module.

The application must be a Java application. You cannot use applets as a main application on an NC.

To add a client application, you must know the main class for the application, the home property file, and the.zip file that contains all the classes.

Note -

See the JavaStation Client Software Guide for instructions on creating your application archives.

To Add a Client Application

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Application Management.

    The Network Computer Application Management page is displayed.

  2. Under "Custom Client Application Administration," click Add a custom application.

    The Add A Client Application page is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information in the following table

    Table 2-12 Client Application Administration

    Option 

    Description 

    Application Name 

    The name of the application. This name is used in other places within the Netra administrative interface to refer to this application. 

    Main Class of the Application 

    The name of the main class where the Java application is defined. The client loads the main class to start the application. 

    Application Archive (Zip) Path 

    The archive (zip) file that contains all the classes. The client downloads the application before starting it. If you need to create a archive, see the JavaStation Client Software Guide.

    Home Property of the Application 

    The value of this field depends on the application. Applications use different property names for the path to use for their home directory. This needs careful attention. The application needs this attribute to find its configuration files. For example, HotJava Browser uses hotjava.home and Marimba Tuner uses tuner.home.

    Application Startup Options 

    The value of this field depends on the application. If the application has an option that can be provided while starting up, that option can be specified here. If the URL of the default web page is provided, HotJava Browser can come up with that URL.  

  4. Click OK.

To Modify or Delete a Client Application

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration" click Network Computer Application Management.

    The Network Computer Application Management page is displayed.

  2. Under "Custom Client Application Administration," under "Existing Custom Applications," choose one of the following:

    • To modify a client application designation, click Modify, and make the changes in the form using Table 2-12 as a reference.

    • To delete a client application, click Delete then confirm the operation.

HotJava Views Administration

Note -

Netra j automatically installs HotJava Views. If you are upgrading, you can lose groups you have configured, and application icons you have added to Selector, so copy the information elsewhere and replace it after the upgrade.

You can specify HotJava Views as the main application for NC clients. Netra j provides a link to the HotJava Views Administration tool that enables you to configure the HotJava Views application that deploys to NC clients. This section briefly describes HotJava Views administration. See HotJava Views Administration online help for complete information.

HotJava Views offers the following integrated components:

HotJava Views Model

HotJava Views enables the zero client-administration NC and also attempts to minimize server-side administration. Users are organized into groups in HotJava Views, and each group has its own profile, or set of properties.

Through HotJava Views Administration, you can define groups of users that share client properties, specify applications to appear in the Selector, specify any sliding panels that appear from the edges of the screen, administer other properties that affect the user's experience, and specify properties for particular NCs.

Selector refers to the vertical bar on the left side of the HotJava Views window where the applications buttons are located. It is easiest to think of Selector as being synonymous with HotJava Views itself. MailView, CalendarView and NameView are all applets that run within Selector, and their icons appear on the Selector bar.

When the NC client boots, a URL is passed to Selector. The URL points to the initial configuration file. Once Selector locates the web server, it loads HotJava Views' set of properties files.

Properties

HotJava Views is controlled by a set of eight properties files. There are property files at the group, user, and client levels.

Administering Views

The HotJava Views administration is conducted from within a web browser. There is a link from the Netra j 3.0 software to this set of web pages. The link points to a web page that offers the choice of configuring the HotJava Views client applications or configuring the back-end services (for example, NameView database).

See "To Access HotJava Views Administration" for instructions on accessing the link to this administration tool.

Note -

To access the HotJava Views Administration module, use the HotJava Browser provided with the Netra j software. All other Netra j administrative modules are supported by any industry-standard browser. The path to the HJB is /opt/SUNWnhjb/bin/hotjava.

Client-Side Administration

Upon selecting the HotJava Views client-side administration, a web page with an embedded applet is displayed. The applet contains the major tasks needed to configure HotJava Views client applications:

Server-Side Administration

Configuring the server-side application services includes properties associated with the back-end server that the client applications connect to. These applications include Welcome, WebView, MailView, CalendarView and NameView.

To Access HotJava Views Administration

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Application Management.

    The Network Computer Application Management page is displayed.

  2. Under "Netra Client Application Administration," click HotJava Views.

    The HotJava Views Administration window is displayed.

  3. At the Main HotJava Views Administration page, on the HotJava Bowser menu click Edit --> Preferences --> Applet Security.

  4. Set preferences to LOW for signed applets and MEDIUM for unsigned applets.

    • Signed applets contain a signature (a sequence of data embedded in the applet's code) that protects the applet against tampering. It is placed in the code by the originator of the applet.

    • Unsigned applets do not have protection against tampering.

  5. Click Apply.

  6. Refer to the HotJava Views Administration online help for information on how to use HotJava Views Administration.

Adding an Application Icon to the HotJava Views Selector

At installation, the application properties are set in the selector.apps file located in /opt/SUNWjdt/lib/props. There are several selector.desktop files corresponding to their group located under /opt/SUNWjdt/lib/props/group/selector.desktop. You should add the application entry to the appropriate group's selector.desktop file.

Upon installation of the application, the icon and all associated properties are added to the HotJava Views application palette automatically.

See the HotJava Views Administration online help for additional information.

You should specify the server parameters before configuring the client. For Citrix' WinFrame and GraphOn's GO-Joe, you specify the server through the Network Computer Application Management module.

To Add an Application Icon to the HotJava Views Selector

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "Network Computer Administration," click Network Computer Application Management.

    The Network Computer Application Management page is displayed.

  2. Click HotJava Views.

    The HotJava Views Administration page is displayed.

  3. Select Client-side Configuration --> Groups and Configuration.

  4. Select the Group to which you want to add the application icon and click the Selector Applications button.

  5. Choose the application entry in the Application Palette and click Add.

    For example, GO-Joe and OC://WebConnect can be application entries.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Click Set Default Group to set this group as default.

    The default is Basic.HotJava Views Selector is now configured with the icon.