7 Configuring the System for General Use

This chapter describes which system management applications to use to configure and set up services on a system after a Full Installation. The following topics are discussed:

Initial system configuration and setup with the graphical System Setup application (Section 7.1)

Post configuration system setup (Section 7.2)

Initial system configuration and setup with the text-based interface to the System Setup application if your system does not have graphics capabilities (Section 7.3)

An overview of additional system management and monitoring tools (Section 7.4)

Pointers to system administration and configuration documentation (Section 7.5)

Reconstructing the /etc/fdmns directory if your system was previously installed with the operating system and was using AdvFS as a file system type (Section 7.6)

Enabling realtime preemption after the installation (Section 7.7)

Enabling unattended reboots on multiprocessor systems (Section 7.8)

Enabling automatic system reboots on single systems (Section 7.9)

7.1 Graphical User Interface: The System Setup Application

To enable communication between a newly installed system and other systems and users, software licenses, network services, printers, and mail delivery must be configured. Initial system configuration tasks are performed from the Quick Setup application or the Custom Setup application (in the previous releases, this application was called the Checklist).

Note

Cluster configuration is described in Cluster Administration.

When you log in to a newly-installed system as the user root for the first time, and your system has graphics capabilities, the System Setup window shown in Figure 7-1 is displayed:

Figure 7-1: The Tru64 UNIX System Setup Window

The System Setup window is the launch point for the following configuration tools:

Quick Setup, which is a way to quickly configure a system with basic services, is described in Section 7.1.1.

Custom Setup, which is a launch point for more advanced configuration tasks, is described in Section 7.1.2.

Cloning Information provides basic information about Configuration Cloning. Configuration Cloning duplicates the configuration from an already configured system onto one or more systems to eliminate the need to perform configuration tasks at each system. Configuration Cloning procedures are documented in the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics.

7.1.1 The Quick Setup Application

If your system does not use an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) adapter for network connections, you quickly can set up your system for general use by using the Quick Setup application. As shown in Figure 7-2, Quick Setup requires you to answer a few simple questions about basic system configuration items. Quick Setup is a task-oriented application that leads you step by step through basic system configuration tasks. If your system configuration needs are not complicated, using Quick Setup is a way to quickly get your system up and running on the network. Quick Setup also has online help if you need assistance. If you need to configure additional items, you have the option to use the Custom Setup application later.

Figure 7-2: The Quick Setup Application

7.1.2 The Custom Setup Application

The Custom Setup application shown in Figure 7-3 is the launch point for additional SysMan configuration applications. Use Custom Setup if your system requires additional configuration or if you want to perform additional system administration tasks such as adding users or groups. In previous releases of the operating system, the Custom Setup application was known as the Checklist.

Figure 7-3: The Custom Setup Application

The applications on the Custom Setup application are listed in the approximate order in which it is recommended they be run. For instance, if you plan to connect or add the system to a network, the first task you should perform is to set up the network by using the Network Configuration application followed by the DNS (BIND) Configuration application, NIS - Network Information Service, and the NFS Configuration application. If you do not want to set up networking, the first task you should perform is to load and register your Product Authorization Keys (PAKs) by using the License Manager application.

After you open and exit an application on the list, a check mark appears in the box to the left of the icon. The date and time you last opened an application is shown under the application name. The time stamp does not mean that the application was executed; it only indicates that the application was opened. If an application is dimmed, it cannot be opened.

Online help is available for each application by clicking on the Help button or Help menu in the application. The online help describes the tasks that can be performed from the application and provides a description of all fields, buttons, and menus in each window or dialog box.

7.2 Invoking the System Setup Application After the Initial Configuration

Use one of the following methods to invoke the System Setup application after the initial system configuration:

To start the Tru64 UNIX: System Setup application from the command line, as superuser or root, enter the following command:
```
# /usr/sbin/checklist
```
Either a graphical or text-based interface is displayed depending upon the type of hardware you have.

To start the Tru64 UNIX: System Setup application from the Common Desktop Environment (CDE) front panel:
1. Click on the application manager icon on the CDE front panel. The application manager icon looks like an open drawer of a typical filing cabinet.
2. Double click on the System_Admin application group icon.
3. Double click on the Tru64 UNIX: System Setup application icon.

7.3 Text-Based Interface: The System Setup Application

When you log in to a newly-installed system as the user root for the first time, and your system does not have graphics capabilities, the System Setup window shown in Example 7-1 is displayed.

Example 7-1: The Text-Based System Setup Application

                Tru64 UNIX: System Setup
 
Tru64 UNIX System Setup helps you set up your system.
To run Quick Setup, press return, or enter one of the 
numbered choices and press return.
 
Quick Setup leads you through a set of steps to set up 
a typical UNIX system. This includes networking, user services,
time services, printers, and other basics.
 
Custom Setup examines your system and lists the relevant tasks
for configuring your computer. These tasks are listed in the 
order most frequently performed.
 
You can run Quick Setup to get a basic configuration and then
use Custom Setup for any custom configuration settings.
 
Click on Cloning Information to read how to clone an existing
system setup onto other systems or save a setup for cloning.
 
1) Quick Setup
2) Custom Setup
3) Cloning Information
4) Exit
 
Please enter your selection [1]:

Refer to Section 7.1 for a description of the choices on this menu.

7.4 System Management and Monitoring

This section provides overview information about the SysMan (System Management) tools that are available to monitor and manage a system after it is installed and configured:

The SysMan Menu provides a menu of system management tasks arranged in a tree-like hierarchy of general categories that cascade down to actual tasks. You can expand or contract a branch to show the subbranches and tasks within a main branch. Selecting a task opens a dialog box for performing the task. There are main branches for Accounts, Mail, Monitoring and Tuning, Networking, Printing, Security, Hardware, Software, File Systems, Storage, Support and Services, and General Tasks. To start the SysMan Menu from the command line, enter the following:
```
# /usr/sbin/sysman &
```

The SysMan Station provides a high profile view and status of a system's physical and logical objects. It is intended to be the central point from which to manage a system. SysMan Station launches other SysMan tools to perform system management tasks. The SysMan Station lets you monitor a system, group of systems, or an entire cluster and administer system resources. It can run on a standard Java capable display (such as a UNIX workstation) or within a PC's browser, or it can be downloaded and run directly on a PC. To start the SysMan Station from a command prompt, enter the following command:
```
# /usr/sbin/sysman -station &
```

The Event Manager provides a single point of focus for the multiple channels through which system components report event and status information by combining events from all sources into a single event stream. You can either monitor the combined stream in realtime or view historical events retrieved from storage. EVM's viewing facilities include a graphical event viewer, which is integrated with the SysMan application suite, and a full set of command line utilities, which allow events to be filtered, sorted, and formatted in a variety of ways. Enter the following command to start the Event Manager from the command line:
```
# /usr/sbin/sysman event_viewer &
```

Compaq Insight Manager is a web based management utility that enables you to look across a heterogeneous computing services environment and access information about any entity connected to the network. Entities are referred to as devices and can be computer systems, networked printers, or network components such as routers. You can obtain information about the configuration of systems and their components or peripherals and in some cases, perform certain administrative tasks. For example, systems can be configured to enable remote booting and Insight Manager enables you to boot remote systems from their own local system. Insight Manager can facilitate other administrative tasks such as asset management, asset security, workload management, and event management.
You can activate these Web browsing features from a dedicated HTTP port or from the Compaq Insight Manager CIM32 or CIMXE Management Consoles running on Compaq NT servers. Compaq Manager Agents for Tru64 UNIX includes SNMP based subagents and WBEM capabilities to present SNMP data in a format viewable by a Web browser. It provides a rich view of the data using HTML 2.0 and JavaScript in the form of Web pages.
Compaq Management Agents for Tru64 UNIX and other systems are also distributed on the Compaq Management CD, which can be obtained by subscription. For more information, see the following web site:
```
http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/SmartStart/ss_subscription.html
```

Section 7.5 provides pointers to system administration and configuration documents.

7.5 System Administration and Configuration Documents

If you need more information about configuring, administering, or monitoring your system, read the relevant sections of these manuals in the documentation set:

The Network Administration: Connections and Network Administration: Services manuals provides information about configuring, administering, and troubleshooting a network.

System Administration provides information about system administration tasks such as configuring printers, file system management, adding user accounts, backing up and restoring files, shutting down the system, event management, using the Insight Manager, SysMan invocation, and other topics pertaining to system administration.

TruCluster Server Cluster Installation describes cluster-specific installation tasks.

TruCluster Server Cluster Administration describes how to administer and manage a cluster.

Software License Management provides information about loading and registering license PAKs.

AdvFS Administration provides information about Advanced File System (AdvFS) administration.

Logical Storage Manager provides information about administering the Logical Storage Manager (LSM).

System Configuration and Tuning provides information about tuning the kernel to achieve optimum system performance.

To view the documentation set on line on a system that is capable of graphical display, mount the documentation CD-ROM as described in Chapter 8, then use Netscape or Acrobat Reader to view the manuals. If your system does not have online viewing capabilities, contact your support representative to order a printed copy of the documentation set.

7.6 Reconstructing the /etc/fdmns Directory

If your system was running a previous version of the operating system and was using the Advanced File System (AdvFS) type, the Full Installation overwrote the /etc/fdmns directory, which contained important AdvFS configuration data.

To reconstruct this directory, you must run the advscan utility with the -r flag for each disk on the system. Because of the device naming conventions that were introduced in Version 5.0, simply restoring the directory from a backup copy is not sufficient. See AdvFS Administration for more information about using the advscan utility.

7.7 Enabling Realtime Preemption

The operating system kernel provides options to enhance the performance of realtime applications conforming to POSIX 1003.1b-1993 (formerly 1003.4 Draft 14). The realtime kernel makes it possible for the operating system to guarantee that an application has access to resources in a timely and predictable manner.

The realtime kernel that supports kernel preemption was previously an option during an installation. Now, the POSIX 1003.lb portions are included in the kernel automatically and a separate kernel is not needed. Preemption capabilities are disabled by default but can be selected and enabled when the kernel is configured and built.

To enable realtime preemption capabilities, follow this procedure to modify the /etc/sysconfigtab file:

Use the text editor of your choice to add the following lines to a temporary file (such as /tmp/stanza):
```
generic:
                 rt_preempt_opt=1
```

Use the sysconfigdb command to merge the temporary file with the existing /etc/sysconfigtab file:
```
# sysconfigdb -m -t /etc/sysconfigtab -f /tmp/stanza generic
```
Note

Never use a text editor to directly modify the /etc/sysconfigtab file.

7.8 Enabling Unattended Reboots on Multiprocessor Systems

To reduce system down time due to a processor failure on a multiprocessor system, an unattended reboot feature is available for multiprocessor platforms.

To enable unattended reboot functionality, log in as the user root and set the following console variables:

```
# consvar -s boot_osflags a
```

```
# consvar -s boot_reset off
```

```
# consvar -s auto_action restart
```

```
# consvar -a
```

When processor failures are detected on a multiprocessor platform, the system marks the faulting processor as failed, and the entire system is rebooted without any operator intervention. The faulting processor will not be restarted when the reboot occurs. To restart the faulting processor, corrective action must be taken. The system will not try to restart the failed processor until the power has been recycled on the system or the console init command is issued at the console prompt ( >>> ).

7.9 Enabling Automatic Reboot on Single Systems

If you want your system to automatically reboot after a processor or power failure, shut down the system to console mode and set the following console variable:

# set auto_action restart

This console variable should be valid on most system types. If this variable is not valid for your system type, refer to your hardware owner's guide for a list of supported console environment variables.