This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
iMonitor
NetWare 6.5 ships with iMonitor v2.1. It is accessible as a component of NoRM, and provides eDirectory management and repair capabilities similar to the server management capabilities offered by NoRM. The goal of iMonitor is to provide a Web-based alternative, and eventual replacement, for many of the traditional eDirectory management and troubleshooting tools such as DSBrowse, DSTrace, DSDiag, and much of DSRepair.
iMonitor is capable of gathering information not only from NetWare 6.5 servers, but from most any version of eDirectory, including NDS version 4.11 or higher, and NDS or eDirectory running on any supported platform (NetWare, Windows NT/2000, Solaris, Linux, and Tru64).
Although iMonitor does provide tree-wide management, it is designed to get "down in the weeds" just like the console-based tools that you may have used in the past. It keeps track of the activities of the DSAgent running on each eDirectory server, so you can get an accurate picture of what is happening at any given time.
The following list identifies some of the major features offered by iMonitor in NetWare 6.5:
General eDirectory tasks: This category of features includes search for eDirectory object(s), status of DirXML in your environment (if applicable), both pre-configured and customizable eDirectory reports, and detailed eDirectory error code and troubleshooting references.
Monitor eDirectory agent health: This includes synchronization status, detailed synchronization information, known eDirectory servers, and partition and replica status for this server.
Browse eDirectory agent: This lets you view eDirectory objects and attributes from the perspective of the server as well as viewing eDirectory schema on the server.
Configuring eDirectory agent: Configure partition lists, replication filters, background processes, agent triggers, login settings, schema and partition synchronization, and database cache settings.
Server-centric tasks: This includes Web-based versions of DSTrace, simplified DSRepair, and a background process scheduler. These services are available only for the server from which iMonitor is running.
As you can see, much of what was previously accomplished by console-based tools is now available via the Web-based interface of iMonitor.
Installing iMonitor
iMonitor is installed automatically during the installation of NetWare 6.5. Because it shares resources with NoRM, the PORTAL and HTTPSTK.NLM programs must be loaded on the server. Entries are placed in the AUTOEXEC.NCF to accomplish this.
After the installation, use a Web browser from a client computer in your network to access iMonitor. To access iMonitor from an Internet connection outside your firewall, you will need to make sure that TCP port 8009 is opened through the firewall to the IP address of your Web server. Port 8009 is the default port through which you will access the Web Manager interface. If desired, this port can be changed as long as it doesn't conflict with any other service on the NetWare 6.5 server.
To use iMonitor, use a current version of a Web browser, and make sure that Java or JavaScript is enabled on your Web browser. For steps on doing this, see the Web Manager section of this chapter.
To access iMonitor, open NoRM and browse down to the Manage eDirectory heading in the left column, and then select NDS iMonitor.
Alternatively, you can open iMonitor directly by opening your Web browser and entering your Web server's domain name or IP address, the NoRM port number (8009), and the iMonitor path (/nds). For example:
https://www.quills.com:8009/nds
or
https://137.65.192.1:8009/nds
You might be prompted to accept a certificate. At the Authentication dialog box, enter the full username, with a leading dot, and password of a user with administrative rights to this server, and then select OK to display the screen shown in Figure 3.11.
As with NoRM, your iMonitor session remains open until all browser windows at your workstation are closed.
)
Figure
3.11 The iMonitor home page showing a summary of DSAgent information.
iMonitor Basics
Because it is a component of NoRM, iMonitor adheres largely to the same page layout as NoRM and iManager.
iMonitor Interface Layout
There are four possible frames to an iMonitor page:
Header frame: The Header frame is located at the top of the screen. It provides a semaphore (Green, Yellow, Red) assessment of the eDirectory tree's health, in addition to access to other iMonitor tools and the iMonitor configuration. Clicking the NDS iMonitor title in the header will take you to an About iMonitor description of iMonitor software components. By default, the Agent Summary page is always displayed when iMonitor first starts.
Navigation frame: The Navigation frame is located on the left side of the screen. It lists different management tasks, organized into groups, which you can perform with iMonitor. Each link takes you to the specific page(s) for performing that task.
Main Content frame: The Main Content frame occupies the middle-right of the screen. When you select a link in the Header or Navigation frames, the appropriate page will be displayed in the Main Content frame.
(Conditional) Replica frame: When needed, the Replica frame will appear in the lower-left corner of the iMonitor frame. This will happen when another replica of the requested data exists, or when another replica has a different view of the information being presented in the Main Content frame. From the Replica frame you can change the replica that you are using to view the requested data.
The amount and type of information that you see in iMonitor is dependent on your current eDirectory identity and the version of the DSAgent with which you are currently working. As new versions of eDirectory are released, they will be updated to provide more information to iMonitor. Therefore, older versions of eDirectory or NDS, while still accessible via iMonitor, will not provide the same level of detail offered by eDirectory 8.7.
Modes of Operation
iMonitor can function in one of two possible modes. You don't need to do anything to select between the two modes; iMonitor handles it automatically. However, it is important to understand them in order to properly interpret iMonitor data and navigate the eDirectory tree.
Direct mode: Direct mode is used when iMonitor is gathering information or executing an operation on the same server from which iMonitor is running. The server-centric iMonitor features mentioned previously, which include DSTrace, DSRepair, and Background Scheduler, are available only from Direct mode. Direct mode gives you full access to all iMonitor features and is faster than Proxy mode, which is described next.
Proxy mode: Proxy mode is used when iMonitor is gathering information or executing an operation on a server other than that from which iMonitor is running. Proxy mode makes it possible to gather information and statistics from older versions of eDirectory or NDS. Proxy mode is the default method of operation for iMonitor, meaning that once iMonitor is opened, it will continue to run from the specified server until explicitly told to switch to an instance of iMonitor on a different server.
iMonitor chooses the mode based on the URL request submitted from your browser. If the URL contains a server query, iMonitor will use Proxy mode. If no server query is present, iMonitor will run the query against the local DSAgent using Direct mode.
Configuring iMonitor
The default configuration of iMonitor is suitable for most environments. However, iMonitor offers a configuration file, SYS:SYSTEM\NDSIMON.INI, that allows you to customize iMonitor if desired. It lets you change both the general execution of iMonitor, as well as customize specific iMonitor features. For more information on iMonitor, see the NetWare 6.5 online documentation.