Managing Servers with Netscape Console: Using Netscape Console

Complete Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Introducing Netscape Console
Chapter 2 The Netscape Server Family Setup Program
Chapter 3 Using Netscape Console
Chapter 4 User and Group Administration
Chapter 5 Using SSL
Chapter 6 Delegating Server Administration
Chapter 7 Using SNMP to Monitor Services
Chapter 8 Administration Server Basics
Chapter 9 Administration Server Configuration
Appendix A Distinguished Name Attributes and Syntax
Appendix B Administration Server Command Line Tools
Appendix C FORTEZZA
Appendix D Introduction to Public-Key Cryptography
Appendix E Introduction to SSL

Managing Servers with Netscape Console: Using Netscape Console

Chapter 3 Using Netscape Console

Netscape Console let's you view all servers under your control. It's where you go to open and manage individual servers.

This chapter contains the following sections:

Logging In to Netscape Console

The Navigation Tree

Customizing Your View of Netscape Console

Logging In to Netscape Console

Netscape Console is a stand-alone Java application. When you start Netscape Console, you connect to an Administration Server in your network. Typically, you log in using your own user name and password.

To start Netscape Console and log in:

Start Netscape Console:

Unix. In the server root, enter./startconsole.

Windows NT. From the Start Menu, choose Programs. Then, from the Netscape Server Family Program Group, choose Netscape Console 4.0.

In Netscape Console login window, enter the your user name, password, and the URL for the Administration Server you want to access.

Click OK.

The user name and password you use to log in determine which servers and server operations you can access in Netscape Console. See "Network Resources and Administrative Privileges" on page 88 for more information.

The Navigation Tree

The navigation tree represents all the resources, or objects, in a Netscape topology. A topology includes all resources registered in the same configuration directory. An administration domain is a collection of host systems and servers that share the same user directory. A server group consists of all servers managed by the same Administration Server. Individual servers are the products that provide specific services such as directory database, messaging, and publishing.

Figure 3.1 The navigation tree represents the Netscape topology which includes all resources registered in the same configuration directory. Click the plus (+) or minus (-) signs to expand or collapse a section of the tree.

Opening a Netscape Server
Each Netscape Server has its own set of tasks and configuration settings.

To open a Netscape server:

In the navigation tree of Netscape Console, click a server to select it.

In the server information section of Netscape Console, click Open.

Each Netscape server has specialized tabs for setting configurations or viewing server-specific information. For detailed information, see the server's Administrator's Guide.

Figure 3.2 The Directory Server graphical interface.

The Administration Domain
An administration domain is a group of Netscape servers that all use the same user directory for user data management and authentication. For example, you might want to create a separate domain for each division in your company with each domain including all host computers used only by that division.

Creating an Administration Domain
Before you can create a new Administration Domain, you must be member of the Configuration Administrators group.

To create a new administration domain:

In Netscape Console, from the Console menu, choose Create Administration Domain.

In the Create Administration Domain dialog box, enter domain information:

Domain Name. Enter the name of the domain as you want it to appear in the navigation tree.

User Directory Host. Enter the fully qualified name of the host system were your user directory is located.

User Directory Port. Enter the port number for the user directory.

Use SSL. Select this option if the user directory port is already enabled for SSL communication.

Directory Subtree. Enter the location of the user directory. Example: o=mcom.com

Bind DN. Enter the distinguished name for a user who has access permissions to the user directory. Example: uid=ginac, ou=people, o=Airius.com.

Bind Password. Enter the password of the user above.

Owner DN. Enter the distinguished name for the Domain Administrator. This person has administration privileges to the domain. Example: uid=pvo, ou=people, o=Airius.com.

Click OK.

If you've changed the User Directory Host, User Directory Port, or SSL option, you must restart the server before the change takes effect.

Modifying an Administration Domain
Note. Changing these settings will have serious and far-reaching impacts on the rest of the servers in the domain! If you make changes here, you must restart all the servers in the domain.

To modify an administration domain:

In Netscape Console, select the domain you want to modify, then click Edit.

Enter domain information, then click OK. See "Creating an Administration Domain" for information on each field.

Adding a Pre-4.0 Server to the Tree
If you already have pre-4.0 Netscape servers installed in your enterprise, you can access it and continue to manage it though Netscape Console. This is useful when you want to keep and use your older pre-4.0 server until you're ready to put your 4.0 server into production.

The pre-4.0 server will not be completely integrated into the 4.0 environment: it will run in a browser as did before. For example, if you already have Netscape Messaging Server 3.0 installed, you can add it to the Navigation tree. But when you open the server, the 3.0 server appears in the browser. You manage it using the 3.0 Server Manager as you usually do.

If you want to fully integrate a pre-4.0 server into Netscape Console, you must migrate its configurations to a 4.0 installation.

Figure 3.3 When you open a pre-4.0 server, it opens in a browser.

To add a pre-4.0 server to the navigation tree:

In Netscape Console, from the Console menu, choose Add Pre-4.0 Server.

In the Add Pre-4.0 Server window, enter information for the server you want to add to the navigation tree, then click OK.

In the Server List window, all servers in the server root are, by default, checked. Deselect the servers you do not want to add to the navigation tree.

Click OK.

Migrating a Pre-4.0 Server to a 4.0 Server
When you migrate a pre-4.0 server, its configuration settings are copied to a newer 4.0 server installation. For example, if you're already using Netscape Messaging 3.0 Server, you can install the new Messaging 4.0 Server in a different server root. You could then migrate the 3.0 server settings to the 4.0 server for testing purposes.

Note. The old and new servers can coexist on the same host system because they are installed in different server roots. If you use the same port number for both servers, you cannot run both servers at the same time. Before you start the 4.0 server, be sure the 3.0 server is turned off. Before you start the 3.0 server, be sure the 4.0 server is turned off.

Migrating the configuration settings takes less time than manually configuring the server. It also ensures that you maintain identical settings that worked for you in the older version. Once you're certain that the configuration settings work in the 4.0 server environment, you can safely remove your 3.0 server.

To migrate a pre-4.0 server to a 4.0 server:

Turn off the pre-4.0 server.

Run the Setup Program and install the 4.0 server. When prompted, specify a server root that's different from the 3.0 server root.

Start Netscape Console, and select the server group that contains the new 4.0 server. This group becomes the target group.

The Administration Server for the target group must be turned on, and you must have appropriate access privileges in order to proceed.

From the Object menu, choose Migrate Server Config.

In the Migrate Server Configuration window, enter the absolute path to the pre-4.0 server, then click OK.

In the Select Server for Migration window, select the pre-4.0 servers you want to migrate to 4.0 servers, then click Migrate.

In the Migrate Key and Certificate window:

If the pre-4.0 server uses SSL, provide the key password you used when you installed its SSL certificate, then click Migrate.

If the pre-4.0 server does not use SSL, click Cancel.

Restart the Administration Server for the target server group.

Cloning a Server
Cloning is useful when you want to replicate configuration settings on a number of servers of the same type. For example, an administrator has installed Netscape servers on each of ten hosts. The administrator configures the Administration Server on the first host. Then, instead of configuring each of the remaining nine Administration Servers individually, the administrator copies the configuration settings from the first one to each of the others.

When you clone a server, a predetermined number of attributes are copied from the reference server to the target server. The number and the actual attributes copied vary depending upon the server.

To clone server settings to another server:

In the navigation tree of Netscape Console, select the server that has the settings you want to replicate to other servers of the same type. This is the reference server.

From the Object menu, choose Clone Server.

In the Select Server window, choose the servers you cant to copy settings to (the target servers), then click OK.

Creating a New Server Instance
Once you have a server installed in a server root, you can create a new instance, or additional server of the same type, in the same server root. This is useful for testing purposes, and for when you need to share one server for two purposes.

For example, a company's Human Resources and Finance departments each need a Web server. Since each department has limited publishing requirements, one host can serve both departments' needs. The administrator installs one Web server, and the instance is for the Human Resources Department. The administrator then creates a new instance of the Web server for the Finance Department.

Note. You cannot create a new instance of the Administration Server because each server root can have only one Administration Server.

To create a new instance:

In Netscape Console, select the server group that will contain the new server instance.

From the Object menu, select Create Instance Of.

In the Select Server window, choose the server from which you want to create the new instance, then click OK.

Removing a Server Instance
You can remove an instance of any server, other than the Directory and Administration Servers, from the navigation tree. This is not the same as uninstalling the server. When you uninstall the server, its program files are deleted from the host computer.

To remove a server instance:

In the Navigation Tree, select the server instance you want to remove.

From the Object menu, select Remove Server.

Uninstalling a Netscape Server
To remove a server from the navigation tree, you must uninstall the server.

To uninstall a server:

Unix. At the server root, enter./uninstall.

Windows NT. Use the Add/Remove Programs utility:

In the Start Menu, from the Settings menu, choose Control Panel.

In the Control Panel, choose Add/Remove Programs.

In the Add/Remove Program Properties window, choose Netscape Server Family 4.0, then click Remove.

In the Netscape Server Uninstall window, select the Netscape servers and components you want to uninstall, then click Uninstall.

Customizing Your View of Netscape Console

To customize the appearance of Netscape Console, select or desect items in the View menu. Select a menu item to display it, and deselect the item to hide it.

You can also customize the display of the navigation tree. This is useful when you want to show only those elements of your enterprise you access routinely, and hide elements you access infrequently.

To customize your view of the navigation tree:

From the View menu, choose New.

In the Edit View window, select an obejct from the tree on the left, then drag and drop it in the column on the right. In this example, the administrator has created a view named Messaging Servers, and built a view that includes only Messaging servers and their hosts. .

Continue adding objects to the new view in this manner, and then click OK.

You can use multiple views to suit your needs. For example, an administrator frequently manages the company's two Messaging Servers. He has a view named Messaging Servers that displays only on Messaging Servers and their respective hosts. When the administrator needs to see all the servers in the navigaction tree, he can go back tothe Default view.

Display Preferences
By default, when you exit Netscape Console, it saves any display changes you've made in the session, such as

window size or position

showing or hiding the banner bar, status bar, or navigation tree

fonts for menus, tables and other objects

You can store the display settings on the network or on your local disk to suit your individual needs.

Storing Display Preferences
To specify how and where you want settings stored:

In Netscape Console, from the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

Indicate how and where you want the display settings saved, then click OK.

Where should preference settings be stored?

If you want to be able to use your settings no matter where you are when you log in to Netscape Console, choose In Directory. This option is useful if you frequently "roam" between a number of similar workstations at your business site. No matter what workstation you're using, when you log in to Netscape Console you can use your preset display preferences.

If you want to be able to use different display settings depending upon the individual workstation you're using, choose. On Local Disk (stored in user's home area). This is useful when you use one workstation at work and a dissimilar system, such as a laptop, at home. The settings that work for the workstation are stored and used on the workstation. The settings that work for the laptop are stored and used on the laptop.

When should preference settings be saved?

If you want your most recent changes to be saved automatically, choose On window close or console exit. This is the default.

If you don't want to save your changes automatically, choose I will save them manually.

Save Now. Saves your most recent changes immediately.

Reset. Reverts to all default display settings.

Setting Display Fonts
You can set preferences for fonts displayed in Netscape Console. You can save different sets of font preferences, or profiles, for multiple users of the same computer system.

To set display font preferences:

In Netscape Console, from the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

Enter font preferences, click OK.

Profile. Enter a name for this set of preferences. If don't enter a name, a default name is provided for you.

Save As. Saves the profile under the name you specify.

Remove. Deletes a selected profile from the list.

Change Font. displays a dialog box for setting your font preferences. In the Select Font dialog box, make font selections, then click OK.

Console Login

Enter your system user ID or DN and your system Password. If you're logging in as superuser or member of the Configuration Administrators group, use the same user ID and password you entered during installation.

"Logging In to Netscape Console"

Create New Administration Domain

Use this dialog box when you want to manage one or more hosts in a group. For example, you might want to create a separate domain for each division in your company. Each domain might include all host computers used by that division.

Domain Name. Enter the name of the administration domain as you want it to appear in the navigation tree.

User Directory Host. Enter the fully qualified name of the host system where your user directory is located.

User Directory Port. Enter the port number for the user directory.

Use SSL. Select this option if the user directory port is already enabled for SSL communication.

Directory Subtree. enter the location of the user directory. Example: o=mcom.com

Bind DN. Enter the distinguished name for a user who has access permissions to the user directory. Example: uid=ginac, ou=people, o=Airius.com.

Bind Password. Enter the password of the user above.

Owner DN. Enter the distinguished name for the domain administrator. This person has administration privileges to the domain. Example: uid=pvo, ou=people, o=Airius.com.

Add Pre-4.0 Server

Use this dialog box when you want to manage a 2.x or 3.x version of a Netscape server from Netscape Console.

Administration Server URL. Enter the URL for the Administration Server installed in the same server root as the pre-4.0 server. Use the form: http[s]://host:port

Server Administrator ID. Enter the Administrator ID you use to access the Administration Server for the pre-4.0 server you're adding.

Password . Enter the Administrator's password associated with the Administration Server installed in the same server root as the pre-4.0 server.

Target Administration Domain. Enter the base DN of the configuration directory to which the pre-4.0 server will be added.

The pre-4.0 server will be added to the network topology. You can launch the server by double-clicking its server instance in Netscape Console. You'll manage the pre-4.0 server as usual, using its 2.x or 3.x Server Manager forms.

The Administration Domain

Server List

This list displays all servers in the server group that you can add to the navigation tree. By default, all servers are selected. Deselect the servers you do not want to add to the navigation tree.

License Tracking

Use this dialog box to count the number of users licensed for the servers in your enterprise. When you click the Refresh button, the number of licensed users per server displays.

Custom View Configuration

Use this dialog box to create or edit customized views of the navigation tree.

New. Displays a dialog box for naming the customized view you want to create.

Edit. Displays a dialog box for selecting objects in the navigation tree and building a customized view.

Rename. Displays a dialog for editing the name of a customized view.

Delete. Deletes the selected customized view.

Access. Displays dialog boxes for allowing or denying access to the custom view you're creating.

"Customizing Your View of Netscape Console"

View Name. Enter an alphanumeric string to identify the customized view you want to create.

Use this dialog box to build a customized view of the navigation tree.

In the Default View column, select an object you want to display in your customized view, and then click Copy. The object displays in custom view column bearing the name you created.

To remove an item from the customized view, in the right column, select the object you want to delete, and then click Remove.

Rename View

Enter an alphanumeric string that identifies this customized view.

Preferences - Settings

By default, when you exit Netscape Console, it saves any display changes you've made, such as:

window size or position

showing or hiding the banner bar, status bar, or navigation tree

fonts for menus, tables, and other objects.

Use this dialog box to specify when and how you want such display preferences stored.

Where should preference settings be stored?.

If you want to be able to use your settings no matter where you are when you log in to Netscape Console, choose In Directory. This option is useful if you frequently "roam" between a number of similar workstations at your business site. No matter what workstation you're using, when you log in to Netscape Console, you can use your preset display preferences.

If you want to be able to use different display settings depending upon the individual workstation you're using, choose On Local Disk (stored in user's home area). This is useful when you use one workstation at work, and a dissimilar sytem, such as a laptop, at home. The settings that work for the workstation are stored and used on the workstation. The settings that work for the laptop are stored and used on the laptop.

When should preference settings be saved?

If you want your most recent changes to be saved automatically, choose On window close or console exit. This is the default.

If you don't want to save your changes automatically, choose I will save them manually.

Save Now. Saves your most recent changes immediately.

Reset. Reverts to all default display settings.

Preferences - Fonts

Use this dialog box to store your preferences for fonts displayed in Netscape Console. You can save font preferences or profiles for multiple users of the same computer system.

Profile. Enter a name for this set of preferences. If you don't enter a name, a default name is provided for you.

Save As. Saves the profile under the name you specify.

Remove. Deletes a selected profile from the list.

Change Font. Displays a dialog box for setting your font preferences.

Select Font

Use this dialog box to change the font for the selected display item. Make selections, and then click OK.

Select Server for Migration

This list displays the pre-4.0 servers you can migrate to 4.0.

Note. Before you begin, a 4.0 version server must be installed on the same system as the pre-4.0 server.

From the list, select the servers you want to migrate, and then click Migrate.

"Migrating a Pre-4.0 Server to a 4.0 Server"

Migrate Key and Certificate

Use this dialog box when you want to migrate a pre-4.0 server that runs with SSL. Enter the key database password that was used to install the encryption certificate.

If the pre-4.0 server does not run with SSL, then click Cancel. No other action is required.

If the pre-4.0 server does run with SSL, enter its key password. This is the same password you used to request and install its encryption certificate.

"Obtaining and Installing a Certificate"

Select Target Servers for Cloning

This list displays all server instances in the topology that match the server you've selected to clone. From the list, select the server instance where you want to clone this server, and then click Clone.

"Cloning a Server"

Migrate Server Configuration

Enter the absolute path for the server root containing the pre-4.0 server.

"Migrating a Pre-4.0 Server to a 4.0 Server"

Migrate Key and Certificate

Use this dialog box when you want to migrate a pre-4.0 server that runs with SSL.

If the pre-4.0 server does not run with SSL, then click Cancel. No other action is required.

If the pre-4.0 server does with SSL, enter its key password. This is the same password you used to request and install its encryption certificate.

"Obtaining and Installing a Certificate"

©Copyright 1999 Netscape Communications Corporation