This chapter discusses managing the server by typing commands and using utilities on the server itself. The objectives important to this chapter are on page 2-1:
Concepts:IntroductionChapter 2 begins by reviewing a definition of a server: A server must not only have the minimum hardware characteristics from Chapter 1, it must be running the NetWare operating system, or it is not a NetWare server. (Workstations run NetWare client software.)
A server is a computer running the NetWare operating system, which provides services to clients. The key to starting a server, once it is installed, is running the SERVER.EXE program from DOS, which then loads and runs the NetWare operating system. Some functions of a server are reviewed: managing network communications between devices, storing and retrieving data, managing network printing, and providing a network file system. Identify NetWare Operating System ComponentsThe NetWare operating system is composed of many pieces that fall into three categories:
Be aware that the SERVER.EXE file is a DOS program, and it is stored in the DOS partition. What is a partition? The word has several meanings. In this case, a partition is a logical division of a hard drive. In the example used, we have two logical divisions, one for each operating system we are running on the server (DOS and NetWare). The server boots into DOS (loads and runs it when the server is turned on), then loads NetWare. Page 2-5 lists four types of NLMs that are important to running the server:
Execute Commands at the Server ConsolePerhaps owing to its DOS heritage, the NetWare server features a command line on which you may enter commands to the system. Some possible commands are listed in your text:
The SET command may be used to change many of the operational settings for the server. The format of the command is: set parameter=value This type of command may be used in the STARTUP.NCF file. (What the hell is that? It's a file that the server reads when it starts. NCF stands for NetWare Configuration File. More in a few pages...) Settings may be changed from the command line for the current work session, or they may be changed and saved in configuration files with the MONITOR and NWCONFIG utilities. The server runs many processes simultaneously, and it is possible to toggle between screens that provide access to information and management tools for these processes. You should be familiar with the three hot key sequences for moving between screens and commands:
In addition, be aware that if the GUI interface stops functioning, you can often use the ALT-ESC command to toggle to the Server Console command line. There, you can enter the command "UNLOAD JAVA", which will unload the GUI interface. You can reload the GUI as described below. Most commands that can be entered from the Server Console can be explained
by the built-in Help system by typing the word "Help", followed
by the command you would like help with. Identify How to Load and Unload NLMsA command that starts an NLM is said to "load" it into memory. Previous versions of NetWare required the operator to load NLMs using the command "LOAD" like this:
LOAD MONITOR
However, NetWare 5 removed the need for the keyword "LOAD", so the
previous command can be executed simply by entering the name of the NLM:
MONITOR
To unload an NLM from memory (they are modular, remember?), you enter the command "UNLOAD" followed by the name of the NLM. Identify Server Configuration FilesThe procedure for starting a server is listed below. Most of the steps can, and should, be automated:
Assume you have to start a dozen servers each morning. Do you want to enter all that information on each console? Novell doesn't want you to do that either. Server Configuration files are files used to make the process above more automatic. The text compares the server configuration files to batch files used in DOS: the autoexec.bat file and the config.sys file. Note the server oriented use of each of these:
Server batch files must have .NCF extensions. The ones named above are boot files, because they run on boot. They are configuration files, because they affect how the server runs. They are also text files that can be edited with any ordinary text editor. They can easily be edited with the NetWare utilities NWCONFIG.NLM ( a server configuration utility) and EDIT.NLM. Take care when using NWCONFIG. It is menu based, and offers menu choices for creating or editing .NCF files. Creating an .NCF file will destroy the existing version of it. This is very counterproductive if all you wanted to do was read the file. You can start a server without using the usual STARTUP.NCF by entering the command: SERVER -S path_to_file\name_of_file This assumes you are going to supply a path to an alternate STARTUP.NCF file. If you want to start the server without this file at all, the command is: SERVER -NS and you will be prompted for the name of your disk driver file. To start the server without loading the AUTOEXEC.NCF file, the command is similar: SERVER -NA Note the lists of likely contents provided in the text for two NetWare
configuration files:
Possible contents of AUTOEXEC.NCF
A list of commands from the previous version of this text is
useful and worth studying. Each command provides a special function to
the server that may be loaded automatically in the AUTOEXEC.NCF file.
Use Server Script Files to Automate Console CommandsServer batch files are like DOS batch files. In essence, the server configuration files discussed above are batch files, except that they are run only when the server starts. Most batch files can be run at will, if they are useful. If you enter a series of commands on your server frequently, and wish to run them the same way each time they are run, a batch file is a good device. The commands can be saved in an NCF file, which can be called from the console or from another NCF file. Determine Requirements for Java Application Support on the NetWare ServerThe next section of the text discusses Java, which is a programming language. Several of the utilities in NetWare 5 and 5.1 are written in Java. Normally, you would not care what language a program was written in, but Java is special in that you must have support for it in your operating system, or programs written in it will not run. Some requirements for a server to support Java programs:
If you should lose control in the GUI interface, toggle to the System Console screen, and enter the command VESA_RSP. This will run an NCF file that will reset mouse and video drivers. This can come in handy if you have to change mice, or if you have chosen a video resolution that is not supported by your card and driver. Java programs for the server can come in two types:
In addition, both types of programs require that the computer running the application (the server) be running support for the Java language. The program that supports Java on any computer is its version of the Java Virtual Machine. This will be a different program for each different operating system, because it acts as an interface between the Java program and the actual operating system. To load the Java Virtual Machine on the NetWare server, enter "JAVA" at the console prompt. To run a Java class, enter "JAVA class" ("class" would include the path to the actual Java class you want to run). To run a Java Applet, you should be running the Java Virtual Machine already, which supports the command "APPLET". The command may be used two ways:
NetWare 5.1 includes a Graphic User Interface (GUI) for the server. Support for it must be loaded, and this can be done two ways:
Define and Configure the NetWare GUIThe NetWare GUI is meant to be the future of the server interface. From it, you can presently install more NetWare products, configure screen and keyboard settings, change backgrounds (wallpaper), and add Java programs and applets to the GUI. An addition to the GUI is the ConsoleOne utility, which can be started two ways:
Identify Administrative Tasks Performed with ConsoleOneConsoleOne is a graphic interface that looks like XWindows on a UNIX server. It makes some of the features of NetWare Administrator available to you on the server itself. More features are available in each version. Presently, you can edit server configuration files, access local and remote server consoles and manage the local server and file system. You can manage NDS for large networks more effectively than with NetWare Administrator. You can create all NDS container types, aliases, and most leaf types. ConsoleOne has a different look, compared to NetWare Administrator, but the basic idea of browsing on the left screen and selecting objects on the right screen is maintained. Detail screens for objects appear when you right-click an object and select Properties.. Identify How to Remotely Manage the ConsoleRemote access to the console means accessing it from a workstation. This can be done two ways:
The following list of key commands is a good reference for the controls available in Remote Console:
Define Methods for Protecting your ServerFour suggestions about server security:
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