MORE INFORMATION
Site control files contain configuration information for a site. The Site
Config Manager makes the site configuration match, if possible, what is
requested in the site control file. In other words, the site control file
represents the desired configuration for a site. The site control files
exist in the following forms:
ACTUAL (1)
PROPOSED (2)
NEWSITE (3)
TRANSACTIONS (4)
LOCALTRANSACTIONS (6)
The file type is specified by the first integer field in the file after the
BEGIN_FILE_DEFINITION keyword at the start of every site control file. The
integer type for each is specified above. This document uses the logical
names, not the integer values.
Typically, there will be a site control file named SITECTRL.CT0 in the
SITE.SRV\SITECFG.BOX directory at all times after Setup has completed
installation of the site server. This file is referred to as the master
site control file. This file contains a backup of the most recent site
control file submitted to the Site Configuration Manager. It represents the
most recent proposed configuration for the site. It is present only for
backup, error recovery, and documentation purposes and is not used in
processing. It can usually be used to repair a damaged site configuration.
Always make a copy of this file before doing any examination or editing,
and work with the copy if possible.
Site control files are stored in two ways: as actual files in the
SITE.SRV\SITECFG.BOX and as database images manipulated by the Systems
Management Server Administrator and the Hierarchy Manager at primary sites.
The SiteControl table in the SQL database maintains complete images of site
control files. These are kept in pairs: an ACTUAL and a PROPOSED for each
site in the database. These are referred to as site control images in this
article.
The Site Configuration Manager reads all site control files that have a
*.CT1 extension and uses these files as a basis for reconfiguring the site.
Typically, these files are PROPOSED files, containing the proposed new
configuration for the site, which may or may not be possible to implement.
TRANSACTIONS or LOCALTRANSACTIONS files can also be used to provide
specific, one-time instructions to the Site Configuration Manager. Actions
based on these files may be acknowledged after they have been performed,
depending on the nature of the action.
The Site Configuration Manager replies using a site control file with a
*.CT2 extension. These replies are read by the Hierarchy Manager. These are
usually ACTUAL Site Control Files, but may also be TRANSACTIONS or
LOCALTRANSACTIONS file in some cases (during system shutdown and system
upgrades).
The Hierarchy Manager reads all files that have a .CT2 extension. These
files are usually ACTUAL files received from the Site Configuration Manager
that contain the status of the site after having completed the most recent
proposed changes. CT2 files may also arrive from other Hierarchy Managers
from sites lower in the site tree. Hierarchy Managers communicate among
each other with .CT2 files to signal changes in the site hierarchy.
Files of type NEWSITE are used by the Systems Management Server
Administrator and by Setup to instruct the Hierarchy Manager to begin
creation of a new site, either locally or remotely. They remain in the
database for emergency recovery and history purposes, but are not used
during normal processing once the site is operational.
Files of type TRANSACTIONS contain specific instructions and not general
configuration information. They are typically used to instruct other
Hierarchy Managers up the site tree to make a change in the site hierarchy.
Files of type LOCALTRANSACTIONS are used within a site between the Site
Config Manager and the Hierarchy Manager or Setup to upgrade or deinstall a
site. The concept "local" means that the transactions are for use within
the site rather than between sites.
All Site Control files are created and processed in the
SITE.SRV\SITECFG.BOX directory. The .CT1 extension indicates an input file
for the Site Configuration Manager, and a .CT2 extension indicates an input
file for the Hierarchy Manager.