What You Can Do With Host Manager

Host Manager is a graphical user interface that enables you to add and maintain server and client support on a network. With a name service like NIS+, you can manage system information in a centralized manner so that important system information, such as host names, does not have to be duplicated on every system in the network.

Host Manager enables you to:

• Add and modify support

• Update system types

• Convert system types

• Add and remove OS services

• Set up remote installation services

• Queue tasks

Add and Maintain Support

Host Manager enables you to add and modify support for the following Solaris system types:

• Solaris AutoClient systems

• Solaris diskless clients

• Solaris standalone systems

• Solaris OS servers

• JavaStations (modify support only)

Table 3-3 describes the server-client configurations that are supported by the Solstice AdminSuite 2.3 release of Host Manager.

The SunOS 4.1 release and compatible versions are only supported on SPARC systems with the Sun4, Sun4c, and Sun4m platform groups.

Update System Types

Host Manager initially marks the system types of previously added systems as generic. However, you can choose Update System Types from the File menu to probe previously added systems and attempt to automatically determine their system types. If Host Manager cannot determine the system type (for example, the system is not running the Solaris software) the systems will stay marked as generic.

Previously added systems running Solaris 2.5 release or compatible versions must also have the Solstice AdminSuite software installed for Host Manager to automatically update their system type.

The system type information is stored in the bootparams file in the local /etc files or a name service database. Host Manager will either modify an existing bootparams entry or add a new one such as the following for a Solaris standalone system named mars:

mars boottype=:st

Convert System Types

Host Manager enables you to convert one system type to another. Table 3-4 shows what conversions you can make.

You can add Solaris 7 or compatible OS services during the standalone system to OS server conversion.

Add OS Services

A Solaris OS server is a server that provides operating system (OS) services to support client systems. By using Host Manager, you can add support for an OS server or convert a standalone system to an OS server.

For each platform group and Solaris release that you want to support, you must add the particular OS service to the OS server. For example, if you want to support SPARC Sun4m systems running the Solaris 7 release, you must add Sun4m/Solaris 7 OS services to the OS server. You would also still need to add OS services to support SPARC Sun4c systems or x86 systems running the Solaris 7 release, because they are different platform groups.

You must have access to the appropriate Solaris CD image to add OS services.

Although Host Manager enables you to add support for diskless clients running the SunOS 4.0 and compatible releases, you cannot add SunOS 4.0 and compatible OS services using Host Manager. You must use the install4x commands to add OS services to an OS server, and then use Host Manager to add support for the SunOS 4.0 and compatible client.

Adding OS Services to a Server When the OS Services Have Been Patched

When adding OS services to an OS server, you may see error messages saying that you have inconsistent versions of the OS running on the server and the OS that you are trying to add. This message occurs when the installed version of the OS has packages that were previously patched and the OS services being added do not have those packages patched (because the patches have been integrated into the packages).

For example, you may have a server that is running the Solaris 7 release or compatible versions; you may also have additional OS services loaded on this server, including the Solaris 2.6 SPARC Sun4m OS services that have been patched. If you try to add the Solaris 2.6 SPARC Sun4c OS services from a CD-ROM to this server, you could get the following error message

Error: inconsistent
revision, installed package appears to have been patched resulting 
in it being different than the package on your media. You will need 
to backout all patches that patch this package before retrying the 
add OS service option.
 

Remove OS Services

OS services can be removed from an OS server using Host Manager. For instance, if you no longer want to support SPARC Sun4m systems running the Solaris 7 or compatible versions, you can remove these OS services from the server using Host Manager.

Set Up Remote Installation Services

Host Manager enables you to set up systems to provide Solaris installation services for other systems on the network. You can set up the following types of installation services on a system:

• An install server - A system on the network that provides a Solaris CD image (either from a CD-ROM drive or the copy on the hard disk) for other systems to install from.

• A boot server - A system that provides boot information to other systems on the network. The boot server and the install server are usually the same system.

• A profile server - A system that contains Jumpstart files for systems to perform a custom JumpStart installation.

A boot server and install server are typically the same system. However, if the system to be installed is on a different subnet than the install server, a boot server is required on that subnet.

Queue Tasks

Host Manager enables you to queue tasks such as converting system types and adding OS services. Since these tasks may require several minutes to process, Host Manager enables you to set up tasks to be performed without requiring you to wait for each task to be completed. After setting up the tasks, choose Save Changes from the File menu. Host Manager's progress is displayed in the message bar located at the bottom of the window as each task is processed.

Set Root Passwords

When adding a Solstice AutoClient or Solaris diskless client using Host Manager, you can now set the root password using the GUI just as you do when setting the group or user password.

Enable Scripts

When you add a Solstice AutoClient using Host Manager, you have the option to enable scripts to run on the server before or after you add the AutoClient to the server, or run on the client before or after the cache is configured on the AutoClient.

These scripts are those that you have created to customize the addition or deletion of AutoClient systems; these scripts need to be located in the /opt/SUNWadmd/Scripts directory in order for the AdminSuite software to read them.

Add a Multihomed Host

Host Manager enables you to add a multihomed host alias for servers with multiple network interfaces. For instance, if a server has more than one IP address because it is on multiple networks, it is considered a multihomed host. With Host Manager, you can specify more than one IP address for a host to make it a multihomed host.