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Netra j 3.0 Product Notes

Netra j 3.0 Administration Interface

Read this section for notes about the Netra j 3.0 configuration modules.

Logging in at the Server Console

The Netra j 3.0 Installation Guide states that the Netra j 3.0 system administrator must exit out of the windowing environment to log in as the setup user. This is incorrect. The administrator may log in as the setup user from a login window or from a web browser.

Proxy Cache Server Feature

The Proxy Cache Services chapter of the Netra j 3.0 Administrator's Guide describes a feature of the Netra j 3.0 software that prevents certain URLs relying upon the FTP protocol from being fetched through the proxy cache server. This feature is not enabled in this release.

Web Proxy

On networks with both a Netra j 3.0 server and a separate Web proxy server, you must modify the JavaStation HotJava(TM) Views(TM) and HotJava(TM) Browser preferences to allow no proxy for the Netra j 3.0 server. Otherwise, the JavaStation client always contacts the Web proxy for all its services, which could lead to potential connectivity problems.

Using Java Web Server With a Netra j 3.0 Server

If you intend to use the Java(TM) Web Server(TM) 1.1 application as your default web server, it may not successfully establish itself as the default web server on port 80 when you boot the Netra j 3.0 server. Instead, the Sun WebServer (bundled with the Netra j 3.0 software) substitutes itself as the primary web server running on port 80. As a workaround, you must add a delay to the /etc/rc3.d/S95http script.

In the following example, the sleep instruction is added to the /etc/rc3.d/s95http script: 

case "$1" in
`start')
	sleep 5 
	if netstat -na | grep LISTEN | grep -w 80 >/dev/null
	then
			echo "$SCRIPT_NAME: httpd not started, port in use"
			exit 
			...
			...

This adjustment provides an adequate interval for the Java Web Server to initialize itself during the boot sequence and prevent the Sun WebServer from monopolizing port 80.

Router Address

The Netra j 3.0 Modify Global Parameters page lists "Router Address" as an optional field. However, in an environment where router discovery is not operational, this field is required. JavaStation computers do not use the routing daemon, routed, as a fallback, so the router entry is necessary if router discovery is not used.

File System Backup and Restore

Backing up user home directories with the Filesystem Backup and Restore module of the Netra j 3.0 administration interface works only for user home directories that reside under /export/home. To back up home directories residing elsewhere, you must specify their directory path in the blank field of the Directories section of the File System Backup Options or Immediate File System Backup pages.

Save and Restore Configuration

Restoring the Network Computer Server module also restores the Custom Client Application configurations of the Network Computer Application Management module. If there was no previous configuration, the present configuration is deleted. It is not possible to restore the custom client configurations separately. Before restoring the Network Computer Server module, record the configurations of the custom client applications. This is so that they can be properly re-configured after the restoration.

Software Management

The following notes are for installation and removal of software using the Software Management module of the Netra j 3.0 administration interface.

Software Installation

When the Software Management module of the Netra j 3.0 administration interface is used to install software patches, packages, or clusters, it notifies the web browser to reload the status page every 30 seconds during the process. If your browser does not appear to be reloading the page automatically, clicking on the reload button of the web browser achieves the same effect.

Software Removal

When the Netra j 3.0 Software Management module is used to remove software from the system, the Sun WebServer may time out. This results in one of the following error message from the browser.

For HotJava Browser: 

Exception: java.net.SocketException

For Netscape Navigator: 

500 server error

If this error occurs, make sure that the software component (package, patch, or cluster) was fully removed. The removal process may continue to run in the background after the browser returns with an error.

Make sure you remove software components one at a time, or use other utilities to remove these components.

Configuring Users' Home Directories

The home directories of user accounts set up for JavaStation users must be NFS(TM) shared. This requirement is handled automatically when users are added or modified using the Netra j 3.0 User Accounts module. Some user accounts may not be NFS shared if they existed prior to the Netra j 3.0 software installation or upgrade. To activate NFS sharing of such user accounts, follow these instructions:

To Activate NFS Sharing of Existing User Accounts

  1. As superuser, open the /etc/dfs/dfstab file in a text editor.

  2. For each user, add the following line to the /etc/dfs/dfstab file.

    share -F nfs -o rw -d "directory_description" /export/home/username

    Where directory_description is a description of the directory and /export/home/username is the user's home directory.

    If existing users all have a common home directory base, for example, /export/home, you can edit the /etc/dfs/dfstab file as follows:

    share -F nfs -o rw -d "directory_description" /export/home

Known Problems

Be aware of the following problems with the server software: