2.3 Using the System Management Utility (SYSMAN) to
Centralize System Management
If you manage more than one computer, you can use the
System Management utility to centralize system manage-
ment.
The following table lists some major SYSMAN features
and points to sections in this chapter that contain more
information.
For
More
Information
Section 2.3.2
Define your SYSMAN management environment Section 2.3.4
Adjust your SYSMAN profile to set privileges, default device
and directory, and DCL verification
Section 2.3.6
Execute DCL commands from SYSMAN Section 2.3.8
Create SYSMAN command procedures Section 2.3.9
Set up SYSMAN with an initialization file Section 2.3.10
2.3.1 Understanding SYSMAN
The System Management utility (SYSMAN) centralizes
system management, so that you can manage nodes or
VMSclusters from one location. Rather than logging in to
individual nodes and repeating a set of management tasks,
SYSMAN enables you to define your management envi-
ronment to be a particular node, a group of nodes, or a
VMScluster environment. With a management environment
defined, you can perform traditional system management
tasks from your local node; SYSMAN executes these tasks on
all nodes in the target environment.
2.3.1.1 Privileges Required
You must have the following to run SYSMAN:
.
OPER and TMPMBX privileges
.
A separate account with no more than 125 rights, or
enough identifiers removed from the current account so
the total number of rights falls within the appropriate
range.
The rights limitation of 125 includes a minimum of three
identifiers that are granted during login when the process
rights list is created:
- A UIC identifier
- A system identifier
- At least one environmental identifier, depending upon
the environment in which the process is operating
2.3.1.2 Tools and Commands
SYSMAN uses many of the same software tools that you tra-
ditionally use to manage a system. It can process most DCL
commands, such as MOUNT and INITIALIZE. It can also
execute many system management utilities and command
procedures, such as AUTHORIZE and AUTOGEN.
SYSMAN also includes its own commands that let you per-
form the following tasks:
For
More
Information
Associate a terminal or port with a
user name
Section 6.9.1
CONFIGURATION Inspect or modify VMScluster pa-
rameters
Section 20.5
DISKQUOTA Control and monitor disk usage Section 8.11.2
z IO Control and display the I/O configu-
ration of an Alpha system
Section 7.4.2
LICENSE Load and unload licenses Section 3.3.2
PARAMETERS Inspect and modify system parame-
ters
Section 14.7
STARTUP Customize startup databases by in-
specting and modifying software
startup components
2.3.2 Enabling a Remote System to Execute SYSMAN
Commands
The SMISERVER process must be running on a remote
node for SYSMAN commands to execute on that node.
SMISERVER is the detached process responsible for executing
SYSMAN commands on remote nodes.
Any node that is part of a VMScluster normally starts
the SMISERVER process in the system startup procedure
SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.COM. (The system parameter
CLUSTER on the node must have a value of 1 or more.)
To start the SMISERVER process on a workstation that is not
part of a VMScluster, include the following command line in
the site-specific startup command procedure SYSTARTUP_
VMS.COM:
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP SMISERVER
For more information about SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM, see
Section 5.2.7.
You can also enter this command interactively to restart the
SMISERVER process without rebooting the system.
2.3.3 Understanding a SYSMAN Management
Environment
When you use SYSMAN, it is important to define the man-
agement environment you will be working in. The man-
agement environment is the node or nodes on which
subsequent commands will execute.
By default, the management environment is the local node
(the node from which you execute SYSMAN). To execute
commands on one or more other nodes, you can redefine the
management environment to be any of the following:
.
Your own VMScluster
.
A subset of nodes in your VMScluster
.
A nonclustered node available through DECnet for
OpenVMS
.
Another VMScluster
.
A subset of nodes in another VMScluster
.
Any group of individual nodes
Refer to Figure 2-1 during the following discussion of man-
agement environments.
You can use NODE21 as the management environment, or
you can define the environment to be any node, group of
nodes, or VMScluster shown in Figure 2-1.
If you execute SYSMAN from NODE21, then NODE21 is
the local node; it is the management environment when
SYSMAN starts. All other nodes are remote nodes.
2.3.4 Defining the SYSMAN Management Environment
To define the management environment, use the SYSMAN
command SET ENVIRONMENT. Whenever you redefine
an environment, SYSMAN displays the new context. You can
always verify the current environment with the command
SHOW ENVIRONMENT.
When you are not working on your local node or within your
own cluster, your environment is a nonlocal environment .
SYSMAN makes this distinction for security reasons; when
you are defining a nonlocal environment, such as a different
VMScluster, SYSMAN prompts for a password. SYSMAN
also prompts for a password when you attempt to manage a
system under a different user name. You can change your
user name by including the /USERNAME qualifier on the
SET ENVIRONMENT command.
A SYSMAN environment remains in effect until you change
it or exit from SYSMAN.
2.3.4.1 Defining Another Node as the Environment
You can define a management environment to be any
node available through DECnet. To define one or more
nodes to be your management environment, use the SET
ENVIRONMENT/NODE command. For example, the fol-
lowing SET ENVIRONMENT command defines the man-
agement environment to be NODE22:
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/NODE=NODE22
%SYSMAN-I-ENV, current command environment:
Individual nodes: NODE22
Username ALEXIS will be used on nonlocal nodes
The following command defines the management envi-
ronment to be a group of nodes - NODE23, NODE24, and
NODE25:
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/NODE=(NODE23,NODE24,NODE25)
Remote Password:
%SYSMAN-I-ENV, Current Command Environment:
Individual nodes: NODE23,NODE24,NODE25
At least one node is not in local cluster
Username ALEXIS will be used on nonlocal nodes
2.3.4.2 Using Logical Names to Organize Management Environments
If you want to organize the nodes in your VMScluster ac-
cording to specific categories (for example, all CI-based nodes
or all nodes with C installed), you can define logical names
to use with the SET ENVIRONMENT/NODE command, as
follows:
1. Create the logical name table SYSMAN$NODE_
TABLE by putting the following command into the file
SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGICALS.COM, which is executed
during system startup:
$ CREATE/NAME_TABLE/PARENT=LNM$SYSTEM_DIRECTORY SYSMAN$NODE_TABLE
2. Define one or more logical names to be a node or list of
nodes by putting a command similar to the following into
SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGICALS.COM:
$ DEFINE CI_NODES NODE21,NODE22,NODE23/TABLE=SYSMAN$NODE_TABLE
3. When you set your SYSMAN environment from the DCL
level, specify one of the logical names you created for this
purpose. For example:
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/NODE=(CI_NODES)
Remote Password:
%SYSMAN-I-ENV, current command environment:
Individual nodes: NODE21,NODE22,NODE23
At least one node is not in the local cluster.
Username SYSTEM will be used on nonlocal nodes.
You can also define logical names for VAX and Alpha
nodes in a dual-architecture VMScluster, as explained in
Section 20.6.
Example
The following example demonstrates how you can define
multiple logical names to organize several management
environments:
$ CREATE/NAME_TABLE/PARENT=LNM$SYSTEM_DIRECTORY SYSMAN$NODE_TABLE
$ DEFINE CI_NODES SYS2,SYS8/TABLE=SYSMAN$NODE_TABLE
$ DEFINE C NODE21,NODE22,NODE23/TABLE=SYSMAN$NODE_TABLE
$ DEFINE PASCAL NODE23,NODE18,CI_NODES/TABLE=SYSMAN$NODE_TABLE
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/NODE=(C,PASCAL)
Remote Password:
%SYSMAN-I-ENV, current command environment:
Individual nodes: NODE21,NODE22,NODE23,NODE18,SYS2,SYS8
At least one node is not in the local cluster.
Username SYSTEM will be used on nonlocal nodes.
2.3.4.3 Defining a VMScluster Environment
To define your management environment to be a VMScluster,
use the SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER command.
In SYSMAN, VMScluster environments can be one of two
types:
VMScluster Environment Definition
To expand the management environment in Figure 2-1 from
NODE21 to Cluster 1, enter the following command from
NODE21:
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER
%SYSMAN-I-ENV, Current Command Environment:
Clusterwide on local cluster
Username ALEXIS will be used on nonlocal nodes
In the VMScluster environment shown in Figure 2-1,
SYSMAN executes commands on all nodes in Cluster 1,
namely NODE21, NODE22, and NODE23.
To manage a nonlocal VMScluster with SYSMAN, use
the /NODE qualifier to identify the cluster. If you define
a VMScluster alias, the /NODE qualifier can use the alias
rather than the node name.
If you use the /CLUSTER and /NODE qualifiers together, the
environment becomes the VMScluster where the given node
is a member. For example, to perform management tasks
on Cluster 2 in Figure 2-1, enter the SET ENVIRONMENT
command with the /CLUSTER qualifier and name one node
within Cluster 2 using the /NODE qualifier:
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER/NODE=NODE24
Remote Password:
%SYSMAN-I-ENV, Current Command Environment:
Clusterwide on remote node NODE24
Username ALEXIS will be used on nonlocal nodes
For information about using SYSMAN to manage a
VMScluster that contains both Alpha and VAX nodes, see
Section 20.6.
2.3.5 Understanding Your SYSMAN Profile
When you use SYSMAN across VMSclusters, SYSMAN es-
tablishes a profile that contains your rights, privileges, and
defaults, and verifies that you are an authorized user. If you
encounter privilege problems when using SYSMAN, it helps
to know how SYSMAN determines your profile.
SYSMAN looks for three possible scenarios when determining
your profile:
.
If the environment is a VMScluster that has common
SYSUAF and RIGHTSLIST databases, SYSMAN assigns
the profile in effect on the local node to the SMISERVER
process on the target node(s). This profile includes both
authorized and current privileges.
.
If the environment is a VMScluster and does not have
common SYSUAF and RIGHTSLIST databases, SYSMAN
checks the SYSUAF on the target node(s) to see if you
are an authorized user. If you are an authorized user,
SYSMAN copies your profile from the SYSUAF on the
target node(s) to the SMISERVER process on the target
node(s).
.
If the environment has nodes that are not part of your
local VMScluster, or if you have recently changed your
user name, SYSMAN prompts you for a password before
it checks the SYSUAF on the target node. If you enter
the correct password and the SYSUAF shows that you
are an authorized user, SYSMAN copies your profile from
the SYSUAF on the target node(s) to the SMISERVER
process on the target node(s).
The profile does not include symbolic names, logical names,
preset terminal characteristics, or key definitions established
through a login command procedure. The only environment
that has the attributes defined in a login command procedure
is the local node from which you are executing SYSMAN.
2.3.6 Adjusting Your SYSMAN Profile
Use the SYSMAN command SET PROFILE to change your
SYSMAN management profile. The qualifiers /PRIVILEGES,
/DEFAULT, and /VERIFY enable you to change the following
attributes of the SMISERVER process:
Attribute Qualifier
For More
Information
/VERIFY Section 2.3.7
This profile is in effect until you change it with the SET
PROFILE command, reset the environment (which may
change your profile automatically), or exit from SYSMAN.
The SET PROFILE command temporarily changes the at-
tributes of your current local process. However, when you
exit from SYSMAN, all attributes are restored to the values
that were current when SYSMAN was invoked.
2.3.6.1 Changing Your Current Privileges
The SYSMAN command SET PROFILE/PRIVILEGES tem-
porarily changes your current privileges in an environment.
Frequently, system management commands require spe-
cial privileges. You might need to add privileges before you
execute certain commands in an environment. System man-
agers usually have the same privileges on all nodes; if you do
not have the required privileges on a node, SYSMAN cannot
execute the command and returns an error message.
Example
The following example makes SYSPRV one of your current
privileges:
SYSMAN> SET PROFILE/PRIVILEGES=SYSPRV
SYSMAN> SHOW PROFILE
%SYSMAN-I-DEFDIR, Default directory on node NODE21 -- WORK1:[MAEW]
%SYSMAN-I-DEFPRIV, Process privileges on node NODE21 --
TMPMBX
OPER
NETMBX
SYSPRV
2.3.6.2 Changing Your Default Device and Directory
Use the SET PROFILE/DEFAULT command to reset the de-
fault device and directory specification for your process and
all server processes in the environment.
Most often, the default device and directory specified in your
UAF record is a first-level directory in which you create and
maintain files and subdirectories. SYSMAN uses this default
device and directory name when resolving file specifications.
It also assigns the default device and directory name to any
files that you create during a session.
In some cases, you might need to change the default device
and directory in your SYSMAN profile. For example, you
might have a directory containing command procedures as
well as some system management utilities that require the
default directory to be SYS$SYSTEM.
Example
The following example sets the default device and directory to
DMA1:[SMITH.COM]:
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> SET PROFILE/DEFAULT=DMA1:[SMITH.COM]
2.3.7 Setting DCL Verification
Using the SET PROFILE/VERIFY command, you can turn
on DCL verification, which displays DCL command lines and
data lines as they execute.
SYSMAN can execute DCL commands using the DO com-
mand. By default, SYSMAN DCL verification is turned
off.
Example
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> SET PROFILE/VERIFY
2.3.8 Executing DCL Commands from SYSMAN
The SYSMAN command DO executes DCL commands, com-
mand procedures, and SYSMAN commands on all nodes in
a VMScluster environment. In VMSclusters or in any envi-
ronment with multiple nodes, you enter a set of commands
once, and SYSMAN executes the commands sequentially on
every node in the environment. SYSMAN displays the name
of each node as it executes commands, or an error message if
the command fails.
If a node does not respond within a given timeout period,
SYSMAN displays a message before proceeding to the next
node in the environment. You can specify a timeout period
with the SET TIMEOUT command.
Each DO command executes as an independent subprocess,
so no process context is retained between DO commands. For
this reason, you must express all DCL commands in a sin-
gle command string, and you cannot run a procedure that
requires input.
In a VMScluster environment, SYSMAN executes DO com-
mands sequentially on all nodes in the VMScluster. After
a command completes or times out on one node, SYSMAN
sends it to the next node in the environment. Any node that
is unable to execute a command returns an error message.
For more information about using the DO command to man-
age a VMScluster, see Section 20.6. You can also refer to the
OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual
for a complete description of the DO command.
Example
In the following example, SYSMAN runs the INSTALL util-
ity and makes a file known on all nodes in the VMScluster
when you enter the commands from the local node:
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER
SYSMAN> SET PROFILE/PRIVILEGE=CMKRNL
SYSMAN> DO INSTALL ADD/OPEN/SHARED WORK4:[CENTRAL]STATSHR
.
.
.
%SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, Command execution on node NODE21
%SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, Command execution on node NODE22
2.3.9 Creating SYSMAN Command Procedures
The SYSMAN command @ executes SYSMAN command
procedures on each node in the environment.
Example
The following example creates and executes a SYSMAN
command procedure to display the current date and system
time for each VMScluster node:
$ CREATE TIME.COM
SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER
CONFIGURATION SHOW TIME
Ctrl/Z
2.3.10 Setting Up SYSMAN with an Initialization File
You can create an initialization file that is used each time you
invoke SYSMAN. In the initialization file, you can perform
tasks such as defining keys and setting up your environment.
The default file specification for the SYSMAN initializa-
tion file is SYS$LOGIN:SYSMANINI.INI. If you want your
SYSMAN initialization file to have a different file specifi-
cation, you must define the logical name SYSMANINI to
point to the location of the file. The following is a sample
initialization file that defines several keys:
$ TYPE SYSMANINI.INI
DEFINE/KEY/TERMINATE KP0 "SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER/NODE=(NODE21,NODE22)"
DEFINE/KEY/TERMINATE KP1 "CONFIGURATION SHOW TIME"
DEFINE/KEY/TERMINATE KP2 "SHOW PROFILE"
.
.
.