Table of Contents

Storage Management

Backing Up Your Database
Restoring a Database

On UNIX:
On Windows NT:

Moving a Database

On UNIX:
On Windows NT:

Security

User Account Management

Adding Users
Deleting Users
Changing Passwords

System Administration

As your network inventory and user base grow, you need to perform certain system administration tasks to accommodate that growth. This chapter describes some of the features this product provides to help you with these tasks.

The following sections are presented in this chapter:

• Storage Management

• Security

For detailed information on System Administration, refer to the online help.

Storage Management

Perform storage management tasks to ensure that you have a set of database backups in case your current database becomes corrupted or otherwise unusable.

Use a directory naming scheme that indicates your backup dates in case you need to restore the database. You should create a separate directory for each backup. The backup directory must be writeable by the user bin on Solaris systems. The backup process creates three files:

• px.db (database root file)---contains all database system tables

• syslog.db---contains Essentials tables for the syslog application

• CRM_filebackup.tar---contains other files (for example, generation files)

Backing Up Your Database

Scenario: You have imported devices into your Essentials database and you need to back up the database.

You can back up your database immediately or you can schedule it for later.

Make several directories to store your backup files. For example, if you want to perform backups weekly, use a naming convention that indicates the dates of the backups, such as:

The Back Up Data Now dialog box appears. (See Figure 8-1.)

Caution It is recommended that you store backups in a partition other than the one hosting the run-time database.

Step 2 Enter the fully qualified path name of the backup directory, then click Finish.

A confirmation message appears.

To schedule regular backups, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Select Admin > System Admin > Schedule Backup.

The Set Backup Schedule dialog box appears. (See Figure 8-2.)

Caution It is recommended that you store backups in a partition other than the one hosting the run-time database.

Step 2 Enter information in the fields as required, then click Finish.

Restoring a Database

Scenario: You discover your run-time database is corrupted and you want to restore the database.

Caution Restoring the database from a backup permanently replaces your database with the backed up version.

You can restore your database only by running a script from the command line.

Caution As part of restoration, the entire product, except the web server in Windows NT, is shut down and restarted. Ensure that you are not running any critical tasks. Otherwise, you might lose data.

Restoring a database requires you to stop all processes and then restart them. To restore the database, perform the following steps:

On UNIX:

Step 1 Log in as the superuser at the command line and enter the root password.

Step 2 Stop all processes by entering:

On Solaris: /etc/init.d/dmgtd stop

On AIX: /etc/rc.dmgtd stop

On HP-UX: /sbin/init.d/dmgtd stop

Step 3 Restore the database by entering:

$NMSROOT/bin/perl $NMSROOT/bin/restorebackup.pl < backup directory >
where $NMSROOT is the Essentials installation directory.

For example, if the backups are stored in the /var/backup directory with a retention cycle of 3, there might be a /var/backup/1, /var/backup/2, and /var/backup/3. To restore the most recent version, enter the following command:

$NMSROOT/bin/perl $NMSROOT/bin/restorebackup.pl /var/backup/3.

Step 4 Examine the log file in the following location to verify that the database was restored:

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Note You can start a process using the Start Processes option. All required processes are started when you access the system. Your login determines whether you can use this option.

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Note If you stopped the DbServer process, all processes were shut down. Using this option will start only the DbServer process, not the other processes.

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The Process Status table displays the new status of all processes.

On Windows NT:

At the command line, ensure that you have the correct permissions, then perform the following steps:

Step 1 Stop all processes by entering:

net stop crmdmgtd

Step 2 Restore the database by entering:

%NMSROOT%\bin\restorebackup.pl backup directory
where %NMSROOT% is the Essentials installation directory.

For example, if the backups were stored in a \var\backup directory with a retention cycle of 3, there might be a \var\backup\1, \var\backup\2, and \var\backup\3. To restore the most recent version, enter the following command:

%NMSROOT%\bin\restorebackup.pl drive:\var\backup\3.

Step 3 Examine the log file in the following location to verify the database was restored:

%NMSROOT%\log\restorebackup.log

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Note You can start a process using the Start Processes option. All required processes are started when you access the system. Your login determines whether you can use this option.

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Note If you stopped the DbServer process, all processes were shut down. Using this option will start only the DbServer process, not the other processes.

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Moving a Database

Scenario: You notice the file system containing the Essentials database is filling up and you need to move the current run-time database to a new location.

You can relocate your database by running a script from the command line. Before you begin, ensure the new location has sufficient disk space.

Caution As part of relocation, the entire product, except the web server in Windows NT, is shut down and restarted. Ensure that you are not running any critical tasks. Otherwise, you might lose data.

This section describes the procedure for moving the database on both UNIX and Windows NT systems.

To move the database, perform the following steps:

On UNIX:

Step 1 Log in as the superuser at the command line, and enter the root password.

Step 2 Stop all processes by entering:

On Solaris: /etc/init.d/dmgtd stop

On AIX: /etc/rc.dmgtd stop

On HP-UX: /sbin/init.d/dmgtd stop

Step 3 Move the database from the current location to the target location by entering:

$NMSROOT/bin/perl $NMSROOT/bin/dbmove.pl < target directory >
where $NMSROOT is the Essentials installation directory and CSCOpx is the default directory.

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Note The target directory must be owned by user bin and group bin. The user must have read, write, and execute permissions, and the group must have at least read permission. Otherwise, the program will terminate with an error message and the database will not be moved.

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Step 4 Verify the move by examining the contents of the log file in the following location:

$NMSROOT/bin/dbmove.log file

Step 5 Restart the system by entering:

On Solaris: /etc/init.d/dmgtd start

On AIX: /etc/rc.dmgtd start

On HP-UX: /sbin/init.d/dmgtd start

On Windows NT:

Step 1 Ensure that you have the correct permissions at the command line prompt.

Step 2 Stop all processes by entering:

net stop crmdmgtd

Step 3 Move the database from the current location to the target location by entering:

%NMSROOT%\bin\dbmove.pl target directory
where %NMSROOT% is the Essentials installation directory

Step 4 Examine the log file in the following location to verify that the database was moved:

%NMSROOT%\log\dbmove.log

Step 5 Restart the system by entering:

net start crmdmgtd

Security

Several Essentials network management and application management operations are potentially disruptive to either the network (for example, software image downloads) or to the applications themselves (for example, stopping a process) and must be protected. To prevent such operations from being used accidentally or maliciously, this product uses a multilevel security system that allows access to certain features only to users who can authenticate themselves at the appropriate level.

The security features depend on the platform you are using. Table 8-1 shows available security levels:

System administrators determine the security level of all users when they are given access to Essentials. Each security level has a different set of available tasks. For example, level 0, Help Desk, provides access only to tasks required for help desk activities. Level 4, Network Administrator, provides access to all network administration tasks. Level 8, System Administrator, provides access to all application administrative tasks.

User Account Management

Only systems administrators or superusers (admin login) can add or delete users or change certain user information. All users can change their own passwords.

Adding Users

Scenario: Your company has just hired a new employee to help manage the network and you want to give the employee administrator-level privileges.

To add a user, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Select Admin > User Accounts > Add Users.

The Add System Users dialog box appears. (See Figure 8-3.)

Deleting Users

Scenario: An employee in your network administration group has left your company. You need to delete the employee from the administrator-level user list.

To delete users, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Select Admin > User Accounts > Modify/Delete Users.

The Modify Users dialog box appears. (See Figure 8-4.)

Changing Passwords

Scenario: A user wants to change his password to ensure account security.

To change a password, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Select Admin > User Accounts > Modify My Profile.

The Modify My Profile dialog box appears. (See Figure 8-5.)

Posted: Wed Oct 6 12:08:23 PDT 1999
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