Managing Servers with Netscape Console: Introducing 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

Contents

Index

Chapter 1 Introducing Netscape Console

Netscape Console is a powerful server management tool that uses a graphical interface. Working together with Netscape Directory Server and Administration Server, these three core elements let you view and access all the servers under your control from one central location. You can log in from any system connected to your network to manage a remote server or to make changes in a centralized directory.

This chapter contains the following sections:

The Directory Server

The Administration Server

Netscape Console

The Directory Server

The Directory Server stores user data and server configuration data used by other servers in the enterprise. User and group entries are contained in one subtree, called the user directory, of the Directory Server. Application and server configuration information is stored in another subtree, called the configuration directory.

Note. When you install Netscape Directory Server 4.0, the Administration Server and Netscape Console are automatically installed for you. You cannot install any other Netscape 4.0 server until you've installed a Directory Server.

Figure 1.1 Directory Server stores configuration and user data in separate subtrees.

The architecture is flexible and provides a wide range of deployment options. A configuration directory and a user directory can be located in the same Directory Server, or they can be located in physically separate Directory Servers. For example, in small deployments managed by a small number of administrators, it may be suitable to store both configuration and user data in the same Directory Server. In a larger deployment that requires highly delegated user management, it may be more practical to store configuration data and user data in physically separate Directory Servers.

Whenever you install a Netscape 4.0 server, you must specify the location of the configuration directory, and the location of the user directory.

Figure 1.2 In this example, all servers in the enterprise share the same user directory stored on Host A. All servers share the same configuration data stored on Host D.

For more information about the configuration and user directories, see "Directory Settings" on page 141.

The Administration Server

The Administration Server is a lightweight HTTP server that acts as the back end to Netscape Console. The Administration Server manages operation requests from all servers installed in a server root or server group, and invokes CGI programs to actually perform the requested operations. For example, you can use Netscape Console to change the port number of a Messaging Server. The Console sends the request to the appropriate Administration Server. The Administration Server then invokes the programs that actually change the Messaging Server's port number.

Whenever you install a Netscape 4.0 server, if an Administration Server is not already installed for the server group, one will be automatically installed for you. On Unix, there can be more than one server group installed on a host.

Figure 1.3 Each server group requires an Administration Server. In this example, multiple servers share a single Directory Server.

Netscape Console

Netscape Console is a stand-alone Java application. It finds all resources, and applications registered in the Directory Server, and displays them in a graphical interface. Netscape Console functions independently of any server, and you can use it from any computer or workstation connected to your enterprise.

Figure 1.4 Netscape Console graphical interface provides access to all resources under your control.