About This Guide

This manual describes the tasks you perform to administer the operating system running on a workstation or server.

Audience

This guide is intended for system administrators. Administrators should have knowledge of the UNIX operating system concepts and commands, and the supported hardware and software configurations. Administrators should be trained in the operational aspects of UNIX system administration and familiar with all the procedures necessary to maintain a UNIX system for high availability. This manual is not intended to train administrators or to plan the installation of a UNIX system.

New and Changed Features

This revision of the manual documents the following new features, changed features, and retiring interfaces.

SysMan Menu and SysMan Station

The SysMan Menu portable interface has been enhanced, and is the preferred method of performing administrative tasks where possible. The SysMan Station is the preferred method of monitoring systems and of launching administrative applications. The following legacy administrative tool environments still exist:

• The System Admin tools folder in the CDE Application Manager. This folder contains some X11-compliant graphical user interfaces (GUIs). However, some icons that formerly launched GUIs now default to SysMan Menu tasks. In future releases, the X11-compliant graphical applications will be moved to optional subsets.

• The System Setup configuration checklist (formerly the SysMan Checklist), which is displayed during the first login to a newly installed system. This interface enables you to quickly set up the system, including networking.

• Administrative commands, utilities and scripts that you run from a terminal command prompt. However, some scripts have been moved to obsolete software subsets and you may need to load the subsets.

The SysMan Menu provides a framework for organizing various system management tasks. The tasks are arranged hierarchically. Each task represents a utility that you launch directly from the menu. This interface allows you to run the tasks from any of the following user environments:

• Any X11-compliant windowing environment such as CDE.

• Personal computers running the Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 user environments.

• Any local or remote character cell terminal, including terminal windows on PCs.

• A Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

The SysMan Menu also provides a command-line interface to its applications, enabling you to use it within shell scripts or perform operations directly from the command line. The SysMan Station provides a graphical topological representation (map) of the system and all its components. It allows you to visually select system components and then launch administrative applications that apply to that component. See Chapter 1 for general information about these features and their associated commands and utilities.

If you are updating your system from an older version of the UNIX operating system, you may want to review all the changes that were implemented in the intervening releases. You can find this information in the HTML files provided on the Software Documentation CD-ROM, especially New and Changed Features from Previous Releases. In addition, the following online resources are available:

• You can review all documentation for all releases at the following web site: http://www.unix.digital.com/faqs/publications/pub_page/pubs_page.html

• You can view the Technical Updates for any additional information not included in the documentation provided with your media. Access the Technical Updates from the following web site: http://www.unix.digital.com/faqs/publications/pub_page/update_list.html

New Information

This manual includes the following new information:

• Chapter 7 has been updated to include information on Windows 2000 Single Sign On.

• Chapter 11 is a new chapter, created with existing information about monitoring tools and test tools which was relocated from other chapters. Information on the collect utility has been added, and information on the sys_check utility has been enhanced. New versions of several utilities will ship in this release.

• Chapter 13 has been updated to include information on using a new utility to translate binary events.

• Chapter 14 is a new chapter documenting crash dump administration. It contains unchanged information relocated from other chapters.

Changed or Removed Information

The following chapters have been revised to document new features and to correct documentation errors:

• Chapter 3 has been amended to relocate monitoring information to a new chapter. The information on the Performance Monitor has been removed.

• Chapter 12 has been amended to relocate crash dump and testing information to new chapters.

  Appendix D has been amended to relocate some obsolete device information to reference pages.

Unchanged Information

With the exception of minor corrections, the information in the remaining chapters and appendixes has not changed since the last revision.

Organization

This guide consists of the following chapters and appendixes:

Related Documents

The following documents provide important information that supplements the information in certain chapters of this volume:

• The Owner's Manual for your system and for any peripheral device connected to the system.

• The Installation Guide and Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics describes how to install your operating system. Several important administrative tasks are described in detail in theses guides, such as installing software and installation cloning.

• The Network Administration manual describes how to set up, configure, and troubleshoot your network.

• The Concepts and Planning Guide and Installation and Administration Guide provide information on administering Windows domain accounts and sharing printers with PC users.

• The Security guide provides information on security that affects account management and file system sharing.

• The AdvFS Administration and Logical Storage Manager guides provide information on advanced file systems and storage management.

• The System Configuration and Tuning guide provides information on system performance tuning and advanced kernel configuration.

Icons on Tru64 UNIX Printed Books

The printed version of the Tru64 UNIX documentation uses letter icons on the spines of the books to help specific audiences quickly find the books that meet their needs. (You can order the printed documentation from Compaq.) The following list describes this convention:

Some books in the documentation help meet the needs of several audiences. For example, the information in some system books is also used by programmers. Keep this in mind when searching for information on specific topics.

The Documentation Overview provides information on all of the books in the Tru64 UNIX documentation set.

Reader's Comments

Compaq welcomes any comments and suggestions you have on this and other Tru64 UNIX manuals.

You can send your comments in the following ways:

• Fax: 603-884-0120 Attn: UBPG Publications, ZKO3-3/Y32

• Internet electronic mail: readers_comment@zk3.dec.com

  A Reader's Comment form is located on your system in the following location:

  /usr/doc/readers_comment.txt
  

• Mail:

  Compaq Computer Corporation
  UBPG Publications Manager
  ZKO3-3/Y32
  110 Spit Brook Road
  Nashua, NH 03062-2698
  

  A Reader's Comment form is located in the back of each printed manual. The form is postage paid if you mail it in the United States.

Please include the following information along with your comments:

• The full title of the book and the order number. (The order number is printed on the title page of this book and on its back cover.)

• The section numbers and page numbers of the information on which you are commenting.

• The version of Tru64 UNIX that you are using.

• If known, the type of processor that is running the Tru64 UNIX software.

The Tru64 UNIX Publications group cannot respond to system problems or technical support inquiries. Please address technical questions to your local system vendor or to the appropriate Compaq technical support office. Information provided with the software media explains how to send problem reports to Compaq.

Conventions

This guide uses the following conventions:

MB1, MB2, MB3

MBN refers to the mouse button that you must press when selecting an item or initiating an action.

%
$

A percent sign represents the C shell system prompt. A dollar sign represents the system prompt for the Bourne, Korn, and POSIX shells.

#

A number sign represents the superuser prompt.

file

Italic (slanted) type indicates variable values, placeholders, and function argument names.

[ | ]
{ | }

In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional and braces indicate items that are required. Vertical bars separating items inside brackets or braces indicate that you choose one item from among those listed.

colored text

In syntax definitions, literal elements are colored green. Variable values, placeholders, and function argument names are colored red. No special colored text is used outside of syntax descriptions.

. . .

In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.

.
.
.

A vertical ellipsis indicates that a portion of an example that would normally be present is not shown.

cat(1)

A cross-reference to a reference page includes the appropriate section number in parentheses. For example, cat(1) indicates that you can find information on the cat command in Section 1 of the reference pages.

[Ctrl/x]

This symbol indicates that you hold down the first named key while pressing the key or mouse button that follows the slash. In examples, this key combination is enclosed in a box (for example, [Ctrl/C] ).

[Return]

In an example, a key name enclosed in a box indicates that you press that key.