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Netra j 3.0 Administrator's Guide

Chapter 9 Using System Administration

This chapter describes the system administration modules:

External Disks

Note -

The Netra software does not display the External Disks module if you do not have external disks attached to the Netra server. If you add a new external disk to a Netra server that is already configured, restart the server with the "Check for new devices during restart" option so that it recognizes the new disk drive.

Use the External Disks module to create mount points for external disks or to erase any unmounted disks. You must provide the mount point for a disk drive.

The External Disk module presents a graphic overview of the external disks attached to the system. Each disk is presented as a colored icon, and the icon color represents its state. The legend correlates the icon color to states described in the following table.

Table 9-1 External Disk State Color Code

Color 

State 

Comment 

Green 

Unused 

Disk is available for formatting and mounting. 

Red 

System 

Disk contains the Solaris operating environment. 

Yellow 

Erased 

Disk has been formatted. 

Aqua 

Mounted 

Disk is accessible through the file system hierarchy. 

Orange 

Not a Netra disk 

Disk is not a Netra disk, but partially or totally mounted. 

Purple 

Meta 

Disk which all or part is in use by a metadevice. 

(blank) 

Empty 

No disk. 

Above each disk icon is the disk name. If this name is a link, then by clicking the link, a list of valid operations for that disk is displayed. Only unused disks or disks that have already been erased/mounted by the Netra system show up as links.

Caution - Caution -

When you erase a disk, you lose all the data on it.

To Mount an External Disk
Note -

If an external disk is attached to the Netra server but is not in the expected Netra format, you do not see the mount option. Erase the disk first. The mount option is then displayed.

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click External Disks.

    The External Disk Administration page is displayed.

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

    Table 9-2 External Disk Mountpoint Information

    Option 

    Description 

    Mount point 

    The directory on which to mount the disk. If the directory does not exist, it is created before the disk is mounted. 

     

    Note -

    A mounted disk cannot be erased through the External Disks Administration module.

To Unmount an External Disk

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click External Disks.

    The Unmount External Disk Administration page is displayed.

  2. Click OK to confirm the operation.

To Erase an External Disk

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click External Disks.

  2. Under "External Disk Administration," click disk link, then click Erase External Disk.

    The Erase External Disk Administration page is displayed.

    Caution - Caution -

    When a disk is erased, all the data on it is lost forever.

  3. Click OK only if you want to erase the disk, otherwise click on the Home icon.

File System Backup and Restore

Note -

The Netra software does not display the File System Backup and Restore module if a tape drive is not attached to the Netra server. If you add a new tape drive to a preconfigured Netra server, restart the server with the "Check for new devices during restart" option so that it recognizes the new drive.

Use the File System Backup and Restore module to make a copy of the user data file system and save it to tape. You can also use it to restore directories from the tape backup copy if a disk fails or if a file is accidentally deleted.

Backup Options

You can back up any or all of the following directories in the user data file system: Mail, HTML documents, Anonymous FTP, Users' homes, and Netra configuration files. When the backup is complete, the module reports all the directories and files that have been saved via an emailed report to the system administrator (root) user.

Note -

The users' home directory option does not back up the system administrator's home directory. For user-specified directories and files, there is an upper limit on the number of characters in the file descriptor: for the path name, the maximum length is 155 characters; for the file name, 100 characters.

The following backup options are available:

Restore Options

When a directory is restored, all files and directories in that directory are copied from the backup tape to the Netra file system. For example, if you restore the Users' homes directory, all files in all users' directories are copied to the file system.

The following restore options are available:

To Set Backup Options for a Scheduled Backup

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click File System Backup and Restore.

    The File System Backup and Restore page is displayed.

  2. Under "Backup," click Set backup options.

    The File System Backup Options page is displayed.

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

    Table 9-3 Backup Options

    Option 

    Description 

    Backup Device 

    The tape drive used for the backup procedure. If an attached tape drive is not displayed in the list, restart the server with the "Check for new devices during restart option" in the Restart and Shutdown module. 

    Eject Tape 

    Ejects the tape from the drive after the backup is completed. Choose Yes or No.  

    Directories 

    The directories to be backed up. You must choose at least one of the following directories: Mail (/export/mail), HTML documents (/export/htdocs), Anonymous FTP (/export/ftp), Users' homes (/export/home), Netra configuration, or other. If the Web server's document root is not /export/htdocs, specify the full path name of the document root in the empty text box.

    o The maximum length for a path name prefix is 155 characters. 

    o The maximum length for a file name is 100 characters. 

    o The maximum length for a full path name is 255 characters.  

    Any file names exceeding these limits are not backed up. 

    Note -

    The other directories text field can be used to specify another top-level directory to be saved in the backup. It also must be used to specify an alternate web server document root (other than /export/htdocs) if HTML documents are saved in the backup.

To Back Up the File System Immediately

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click File System Backup and Restore.

    The File System Backup and Restore page is displayed.

  2. Under "Back up," click Immediate backup.

    The Immediate File System Backup page is displayed.

  3. Complete the form using the information described in the Backup Device, Eject Tape, and Directories fields in Table 9-3.

    The directories you specified are backed up immediately.

To Change the Restore Device

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click File System Backup and Restore.

    The File System Backup and Restore page is displayed.

  2. Under "Restore," click Change restore device.

    The Change Restore Device page is displayed.

  3. Choose the tape drive you want to use to restore the file system.

    Table 9-4 Restore Device Administration

    Option 

    Description 

    Restore Device 

    The tape drive that contains the backup tape used to restore the file system. If an attached tape drive is not displayed in the list, restart the server with the Check for new devices during restart option in the Restart and Shutdown module. 

To Restore Groups of Directories
Note -

Before you begin, make sure the tape is in the drive.

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click File System Backup and Restore.

    The File System Backup and Restore page is displayed.

  2. Under "Restore," click Easy restore.

    The Easy File System Restore page is displayed.

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

    Table 9-5 Easy Restore Administration

    Option 

    Description 

    Directories 

    The directories to be restored from the backup tape to the Netra server. You must select at least one directory. Choose Mail (/export/mail), HTML documents (/export/htdocs), Anonymous FTP (/export/ftp), or Users' homes (/export/home). If the Web server's document root is not /export/htdocs, then replace the string "Other Directories" in the text box with the full path name of the document root.

    Restore location 

    The directory that receives the restored directories. If not chosen, the directories are restored into their default directories. 

    Eject Tape 

    Ejects the tape from the drive after the restore operation is completed. Choices: Yes, No.  

To Restore Selected Directories
Note -

Before you begin, make sure the tape is in the drive.

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click File System Backup and Restore.

    The File System Backup and Restore page is displayed.

  2. Under "Restore," click Selective Restore.

    The Selective File System Restore page is displayed. (Note that it takes several minutes for the form to be displayed because the table of contents on the tape must be read first.)

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

    Table 9-6 Selective Restore Administration

    Option 

    Description 

    Directories 

    The directories to be restored from the backup tape to the Netra server. You must select at least one directory. Directories are restored recursively. (For example, if you select /export/ftp, all the files in all the directories in /export/ftp are restored.)

    Restore location 

    The directory that receives the restored directories. If not chosen, the directories are restored into their default directories. 

    Eject Tape 

    Ejects the tape from the drive after the restore operation is completed. Choose Yes or No.  

Host Name

Use the Host Name module to change the name of your Netra server.

To Change the Host Name

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Host Name.

    The Host Name Administration page is displayed.

  2. Enter the Netra server name.

  3. Restart the Netra server so that the new name is used.

Log Files

Log files should be viewed and cleared periodically. Use the Log Files module to administer the following types of log files:

To View or Clear Log Files

  1. On the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Log Files.

    The Log Administration page is displayed.

  2. Choose one of the following options:

    • To look at a log file, click View.

    • To remove a log file, click Clear; then confirm the operation.

Netra Ready Applications

Netra(TM) Ready(TM) Applications are provided by Independent Software Venders (ISVs) for use with Netra j software.

Restart and Shutdown

Use the Restart and Shutdown module to restart or shut down the Netra server. You may need to restart the Netra server when you add new devices.

All users who are logged in to the Netra server receive a message before these operations are performed.

To Restart or Shut Down the System

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Restart and Shutdown.

    The Restart and Shutdown Administration page is displayed.

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

    Table 9-7 System Restart/Shutdown Administration

    Option 

    Description 

    Shut Down 

    Shuts down and powers off the Netra server. 

    Restart 

    Restarts the Netra server. 

    Check for new devices during restart? 

    If this option is selected, the operating system regenerates the list of devices attached to the Netra server. Use this option if you add a tape drive, CD-ROM drive, external hard disk, or network interface hardware to your server. 

    Delay 

    The number of minutes before the Netra shuts down or restarts. 

Save and Restore Configuration

The Save and Restore Configuration module enables you to:

You should save the system configuration whenever it is changed so you can return to this configuration state if necessary.

Some of the administration information that is entered using the Network Computer Administration Form is not automatically saved as part of the Netra j Save and Restore feature. The relevant system files must be saved manually if you intend to restore these settings after a system crash. The entire directory /var/dhcp should be saved to an off-line storage medium such as magnetic tape or diskette. You should back up the contents of this directory at regular intervals, particularly when new NCs have been added, deleted or modified using the Netra j user interface. These files must be restored separately in addition to the default restore procedures required during a crash recovery of a Netra j server.

Save and Restore Options

The following options are available to save and restore your system configuration:

The following table describes when file system options are displayed on the Netra j 3.0 Main Administration page.

Table 9-8 Options Displayed

Option 

When the Option Is Displayed on the Main Administration Page 

Eject Diskette 

The diskette is in the disk drive. 

Save Configuration to Diskette 

The diskette is in the disk drive. 

Restore Configuration from Diskette 

The diskette in the disk drive contains valid Netra configuration information. 

Restore Configuration from File System 

The Netra configuration state has previously been saved to a file on the hard disk. 

To Save the System Configuration

  1. If you are saving to diskette, insert the diskette into the drive; otherwise, proceed to Step 2.

    Make sure the diskette is not write-protected.

  2. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Save and Restore Configuration.

    The Save And Restore Configuration Administration page is displayed.

  3. Click either Save configuration to diskette or Save configuration to file system; then confirm the operation.

To Restore the System Configuration

  1. If you are restoring the configuration from a diskette, insert a diskette into the drive; otherwise, proceed to Step 2.

  2. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Save and Restore Configuration

    The Save And Restore Configuration Administration page is displayed.

  3. Click either Restore configuration from diskette or Restore configuration from file system.

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

    Table 9-9 Save/Restore Configuration

    Option 

    Description 

    Restore entire configuration  

    Restores all configurations from the diskette/disk.  

    Restore selected configurations  

    Restores only the selected configurations from the diskette/disk. If you select this option, you must also select at least one configuration; if you select any configurations, you must also select this option. 

    Note -

    When restoring selected configurations, if you checked Network Computer Server, the network computer server and the network computer application management configurations are restored. Network computer application management does not have a separate check box.

To Eject a Diskette

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Save and Restore Configuration

  2. Click Eject diskette.

    The Verify page is displayed.

  3. Click OK.

Software Management

The Software Management module is used to install and remove software on the Netra server. This module recognizes software that is supplied in the Solaris package, patch, or cluster formats. All Sun software and most third-party software can be managed using this module.

The list of packages, patches, and clusters are displayed in a selection box on the browser page. The performance is significantly improved when administered from HotJava.

A package is a collection of files and directories required to form a software application.

A cluster is a logical grouping of software packages associated with a specific software product.

A patch is a collection of files and directories that replace or update existing files and directories that are preventing proper execution of the software. The existing software is derived from a specified package format and can be installed only if the package it fixes is already present.

Note -

When installing or removing software associated with specific hardware, ensure that the hardware is already installed and is part of the system device list. For example, before you install the Token Ring Interface software, make sure that the Token Ring Interface card is installed in the Netra server and that the server has regenerated its list of attached devices (see "Restart and Shutdown").

Install and Remove Options

The Software Management module offers the following options:

To Specify the Installation Medium

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Software Management.

    The Software Management Administration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Select Installation Medium," Select new installation medium.

    The Select Installation Medium page is displayed.

  3. Choose the medium from which to install packages or patches.

    If you select CD-ROM or Diskette, the medium is automatically mounted onto the system as part of the installation. If you select Directory, enter the path to the directory from which to install the software.

To Install Clusters, Packages, or Patches

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Software Management.

    The Software Management Administration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Install," click Clusters, Packages, or Patches.

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

    Table 9-10 Installing Packages or Patches

    Option 

    Description 

    Install All Clusters/Packages/Patches 

    Installs all clusters, packages, or patches from the selected installation medium. 

    Install Selected Clusters/Packages/Patches 

    Installs only the clusters, packages, or patches you select from the list. If you select this option, you must also select at least one cluster/package/patch; if you select any clusters/packages/patches, you must also select this option. 

  4. Click OK.

    When clicking OK to install software, you see a message stating that the module is currently installing software. If left as it is, the browser periodically reloads the page until the process has completed, after which it displays the result.

    Alternatively, you can perform other administration tasks and then return to the software module. The next time you visit the module, if the installation is incomplete, you see a message stating that the module is currently installing software; if the installation is complete, you see the result of the installation. The result lists all the successfully installed software and any problems.

  5. Restart the Netra server using System Administration: Restart and Shutdown.

To Remove Packages or Patches
Note -

The Software Management module cannot remove a package if there is another package on the system that requires its presence. The module attempts to remove packages in the order in which they are displayed, and since this may not reflect the dependency order, the removal of a core package may fail even if the packages that depend upon it are also removed. If this happens, reselect the packages that failed and remove them again.

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Software Management.

    The Software Management Administration page is displayed.

  2. Under "Remove," click Packages or Patches.

  3. Select one or more Packages or Patches (or All patches); click OK.

  4. Restart the Netra server using System Administration -> Restart and Shutdown.

To View Installed Packages or Patches

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click Software Management.

    The Software Management Administration page is displayed.

  2. Under "View," click Installed Packages or Installed patches.

    The Viewed Installed Packages or Viewed Installed Patches page is displayed.

System Defaults

Use the System Defaults module to change the time zone and locale for your Netra server.

Note -

If you change the time zone or locale, restart the Netra server so that the new value takes effect.

To Set System Defaults

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click System Defaults.

    The System Default Administration page, showing the time zone, and locale, is displayed.

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

  3. If you change the time zone or locale, restart the Netra server so that the new value takes effect.

    Table 9-11 System Defaults

    Option 

    Description 

    Default System Time Zone 

    The default time zone used by the Netra server. You can override the default time zone by setting the TZ environment variable. 

    Default System Locale 

    The default locale used by the Netra server. You can override this default by setting the LANG or LC* environment variables. Some of the available locales are partial locales. Choosing a partial locale sets up the system to display localized numeric, monetary, and calendar formats, but not localized user interfaces or messaging. 

User Accounts

The User Accounts module is used to add new user accounts and to modify or delete existing ones. Creating an account allocates the new user a home directory on the Netra server and enables the user to access the services that are available on it, which can include mail for example. The account can be accessed through standard protocols such as telnet, rlogin, ftp and rsh, provided the server is configured to accept them.

For users to be able to login to NCs administered by the Netra server, the server must be configured as the NIS master of the NIS domain that is used by the NCs.

Note -

All users added by the User Module are local users on the Netra j host. This is so regardless of the NIS status of the server. If the Netra j server is configured as a NIS master server at any stage, then these users are ALSO pushed to the NIS name space and are referred to as NIS users in the User Administration forms.

The form asks you to specify a default shell for the user, including an option No shell (NC and email only). If this option is chosen, the user is not allowed to log in to the Netra j server, but can use a NC that is administered by the server. They can also receive mail on the server if it is configured as a mail server.

A password must be specified on creating a user account. This password can be used for login to a NC regardless of the shell chosen. However, if a server login shell is enabled, the password acts as an initial password for such server logins. Before a server login is completed, the user must provide and verify a new password.

If no users are defined, only the Add A User option is available. When user accounts have been added, there are also options to Modify or Delete specific users. When a user account is removed, the corresponding home directory is deleted recursively and the users mailbox is removed. The user is no longer able to log into the server.

The user account module can only be used for ordinary users. System users such as root and ftp or the Netra setup user cannot be administered from the module.

Configuring Users' Home Directories

Each user's home directory is automatically shared thought NFS by the system and the automounter home database is updated to include the directory. This allows the home directory to be automounted by any NC the user logs on to, provided the Netra server is the NIS master for the NIS domain used by that NC.

To Add a User Account

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click User Accounts.

    The User Accounts Administration page is displayed.

  2. Under "New Users," click Add A User.

    The Add A Local User page is displayed.

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

    Table 9-12 User Accounts

    Option 

    Description 

    User Name 

    The login name of the user to add or modify. For example, jsmith. The user name must be unique and must not be among the list reserved for systems users. If such a name is chosen, the User Accounts module asks for another. The reserved user name list is displayed on the help page.

    Password 

    The password the user must provide when logging in to the Netra server for the first time.  

    Retype Password 

    As the password is not echoed on the screen, it must be confirmed by re-entering it. 

    Full Name 

    The full name of the user you want to add/modify. Example: Jerry Lee Smith 

    Login Shell 

    The default shell for the user. Choose C shell (csh), Korn shell (ksh), Bourne shell (sh), or No shell (NC and email only). If you choose No shell (NC and email only), the user gets mail on the Netra server, but cannot log in.

    Home Directory Server  

    Specify the host name where the home directory of each user resides. This information is used to configure the automounter. If the Netra server is a NIS master server, the auto.home map is also updated. If the user's home directory is on this local system itself, then sharing of the user' home directory through the Network File System (NFS) is enabled. If the server is remote, the home directory(s) must be created and shared from the remote host that must be reachable on the network. 

    Base Directory 

    The full path to a base directory that holds the user's home directory on the server specified above; for example, if /export/home is entered as the base directory and the server specified is the local host, a successful addition of a user called sample creates a home directory: /export/home/sample

     

    If the server is the local system and the base directory does not exist, then if possible, the base directory is created.If a remote server is specified for the home directory, then the user must have this base directory on the remote server. In the local system files, the user is then configured with /home/<username> so that the mounted directory can be used. Note1: The root directory is rejected as a base directory. Note2: When the local server is specified above, a mount point cannot be used as the base directory.

To Add Users From a File

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click User Accounts.

    The User Accounts Administration page is displayed.

  2. Under "New Users," click Add users from a file.

    The Add users from a file page is displayed.

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

    Table 9-13 Adding Users From a File

    Option 

    Description 

    Input File 

    The full path to a UNIX file, which must be correctly formatted. No comments, blank lines, or space characters are allowed. For example, if the field separator specified below is a comma, each line entry must be formatted as follows: username,<UID>,password. The username and password must be composed of one to eight alphanumeric characters. Each username must be unique and must NOT be any of the following system account names; root, daemon, bin, sys, adm, lp, smtp, uucp, nuucp, listen, nobody, noaccess, nobody4, setup, ftp. The UID must be between 1000 and 59999. The administrator can optionally leave the uid field blank and one is assigned. For security reasons, the input file must be owned by root with all group/other permissions removed.

    Field Separator 

    The character used to delimit each field in the input file.  

    Home Directory Server 

    Specify the host name where the home directory of each user resides. This information is used to configure the automounter. If the Netra server is a NIS master server, the auto.home map is also updated. If the user's home directory is on this local system itself, then sharing of the user's home directory through the Network File System (NFS) is enabled. If the server is remote, the home directory(s) must be created and shared from the remote host that must be reachable on the network 

    Base Directory 

    The full path to a base directory that holds the user's home directory on the server specified above; for example, if /export/home is entered as the base directory and the server specified is the local host, a successful addition of a user called sample creates a home directory: /export/home/sample

     

    If the server is the local system and the base directory does not exist, then if possible, the base directory is created. If a remote server is specified for the home directory, then the user must have this base directory on the remote server. In the local system files, the user is then configured with /home/<username> so that the mounted directory can be used. Note1: The root directory is rejected as a base directory. Note2: When the local server is specified above, a mount point cannot be used as the base directory.

To Modify or Delete a User Account

  1. From the Main Administration page, under "System Administration," click User Accounts.

    The User Administration page is displayed, with a Modify or Delete option for each existing account.

  2. Under "Existing Users," click one of the following options:

    • To modify an existing account, click Modify and make the changes in the form using Table 9-12 and the following table.

    • To delete a user account, click Delete, and then confirm the operation.

    Table 9-14 Other User Account Options

    Option 

    Description 

    Change password? 

    This option is available only when an existing user account already has a password. Password changes must be confirmed. If checked yes, this option changes the user's password to the string in the "Password" field for the user's next login. 

    Home Directory Path 

    Specify the full path name of the user's home directory.  

    For example, /export/home/username.

     

    If a remote server is specified as the host for the home directory, the path name entered must be the path shared from the REMOTE server. The user is then configured with /home/username as a home directory in the local server files, as this is where the share is mounted for that username.

    Note -

    The root directory is rejected as a user directory.

    Note -

    When the local server is specified above, a mount point cannot be used to include the user directory.