Chapter 1   Sun ONE Server Console and Administration Server

Sun ONE Server Console Version 5.2 and Administration Server Version 5.2 are two parts of a system that lets you manage Sun ONE server software in your enterprise. This chapter presents a high-level overview of what this system is and how you can use it to work with resources across your network.

Many Sun ONE servers depend on Sun ONE Directory Server. By default, when you do install Sun ONE Directory Server, Sun ONE Server Console and Administration Server are automatically installed for you. Although Sun ONE Directory Server, Sun ONE Server Console, and Sun ONE Administration Server work tightly with one another, each plays a specific role in the management of servers, applications, and users.

Sun ONE Directory Server stores server and application configuration settings as well as user information. This data is used by other servers in the enterprise. Typically, application and server configuration information is stored in one suffix of Sun ONE Directory Server while user and group entries are stored in another suffix. If you have a large enterprise, however, you can store your configuration and user information in separate instances of Directory Server (which can be on the same host machine or on two different host machines). When the terms configuration directory and user directory are used in this guide, they refer to where the configuration information and the user information is stored—either in the subtrees of a single instance of Directory Server or in two separate instances of Directory Server.

Sun ONE Server Console is the front-end management application for Sun ONE software in your enterprise. It finds all servers and applications registered in your configuration directory, displays them in a graphical interface, and lets you manage and configure them. In addition, Sun ONE Server Console provides graphical tools for locating and managing entries in the user directory. Figure 1-1 shows Sun ONE Server Console's interface.

Figure 1-1    The Sun ONE Server Console Interface

When you log in to Sun ONE Server Console, it connects to an instance of Sun ONE Administration Server using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Sun ONE Administration Server manages requests for all Sun ONE products installed in a single root folder.

When you install a Sun ONE product in a new folder, Sun ONE Administration Server is installed for you. If you install additional products in the same folder, they use the instance of Sun ONE Administration Server that is already there. If a product includes a newer version of Sun ONE Administration Server and Sun ONE Server Console than the versions in the root folder, the installer updates the folder with the latest versions.

The system for managing Sun ONE products works as follows:

Sun ONE Server Console lets you manage resources (servers or applications) as well as add or edit user information. When you use Sun ONE Server Console to manage resources, Console sends HTTP requests to the instance of Sun ONE Administration Server that controls the resource. Upon receiving these requests, the instance of Sun ONE Administration Server executes programs that perform the requested tasks. For example, Sun ONE Administration Server can execute programs to modify the server and application settings that are stored in the configuration directory or to change the port number that a server listens to.

When you use Sun ONE Server Console to add or edit user entries, it sends Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) messages directly to Directory Server. The information in these messages is then stored in the user directory. Figure 1-2 illustrates the system.

Figure 1-2    Simple System With Sun ONE Server Console

Figure 1-2 shows an example of a relatively simple system. As your enterprise grows and your needs change, you have the flexibility to add additional hosts and servers. Even when you install new hardware and software, you can continue to use a single instance of Sun ONE Server Console to manage your network. Figure 1-3 shows how a complex system might be organized.

Figure 1-3    More Complex System With Sun ONE Server Console

The rest of this guide shows you how to install and use Sun ONE Server Console and Administration Server to manage servers, applications, and users.

If you would like to learn more about how Sun ONE Server Console works before installing the product, see "A Tour of Sun ONE Server Console," on page 33