Consolidated Management of OES/NetWare Server Farms AdRem Server Manager 7

Transcription

1 Consolidated Management of OES/NetWare Server Farms AdRem Server Manager 7

2 2009 AdRem Software, Inc. This document is written by AdRem Software and represents the views and opinions of AdRem Software regarding its content, as of the date the document was issued. The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. ADREM SOFTWARE MAKES NO WARRANTS, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. AdRem Software encourages the reader to evaluate all products personally. AdRem Software and AdRem Server Manager are trademarks or registered trademarks of AdRem Software in the United States and other countries. All other product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. AdRem Software, Inc. 410 Park Avenue, 15th Floor New York, NY USA Phone: +1 (212) Fax: +1 (212) Web site:

3 EXECUTIVE INTRODUCTION... 4 MAIN FEATURES... 6 INSTANT ACCESS TO CURRENT SERVER STATISTICS... 6 Multiple server status... 6 Real-time server performance... 6 Open files... 7 Connections... 8 NLM resource monitoring... 9 ADVANCED FILE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT Volumes Files and directories Trustee rights SERVER CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT General server statistics Quick access/editing of server SET variables and configuration files System log analysis LONG-TERM TREND COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND REPORTING Long-term performance trending Multi-chart performance reports Server configuration and file system reports MULTIPLE SERVER OPERATIONS Multiple server tasks Configuration comparison Keyboard scripts and scheduled commands MONITORING USED RESOURCES ON OES LINUX SERVER MONITORING PROCESSES STARTED ON OES LINUX SERVER OTHER FEATURES Backward Novell OES/NetWare compatibility Other features BENEFITS CONCLUSION APPENDIX: PRICING, LICENSING AND AVAILABILITY ABOUT ADREM SOFTWARE

4 Executive Introduction Executive Introduction Align IT with business and deliver better service to networked users while cutting costs and meeting Service Level Agreement (SLA) targets this is a typical dilemma faced by many a Novell OES/NetWare operations team today. Yet frequently instead of addressing these higher goals, NetWare administrators end up struggling with more down-to-earth issues that keep them stuck in inefficient reactive management posture. This is because a typical Novell OES/NetWare infrastructure is a rather complex entity with an intricate legacy of different versions of NetWare. Adding to the challenge is the fact that Novell OES/NetWare servers are frequently located in remote or distributed locations and that almost each flavor of NetWare ships with its own set of narrow-focused version-specific tools and utilities, some of which still require error-prone, timeconsuming manual operation and physical presence by the server console. According to the Server Operations Management Study conducted by TechRepublic, chief obstacles to time- and labor-efficient server management are manual processes such as initial deployment, monitoring, upgrades, migration and performance tuning. Beyond doubt, all these challenges make server operations a particularly labor-intensive area of Novell OES/NetWare infrastructure management. In this situation, the ability to centrally perform and automate multiple-server administration, diagnosis and configuration tasks is of strategic importance in any NetWare-dependent organization. Especially in large environments, NetWare administrators need cost-effective ways to control all aspects of server operation in order to consolidate and optimize existing server assets. To help administrators achieve operational excellence in addressing these issues, in 1998 AdRem Software designed AdRem Server Manager an all-in-one tool that provides graphical remote control over multiple Novell OES/NetWare servers from a Windows workstation. This popular, award-winning toolset is AdRem s most mature solution and has been used by IT professionals in organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to public institutions to large multiple-server corporate IT environments with hundreds or thousands of networked users. 4

5 Product Overview Product Overview One of the biggest difficulties in administering OES/NetWare and OES Linux servers 1.x or higher especially when different versions of NetWare exist in the network is the necessity to juggle various disconnected programs, most of which operate under Windows and are designed only for specific flavors of Novell OES/NetWare. This is where AdRem Server Manager makes the difference, incorporating all the most useful capabilities of several applications in one backwardcompatible console, and offering a selection of critical and otherwise unavailable capabilities. Among these, strategically important is the power to manage any number of geographically distributed servers collectively, which helps users to optimize performance, achieve consistency, and consolidate multiple server environments. Server Manager delivers extensive support in ongoing monitoring, management, maintenance, and provisioning of each singe server as well as an entire server farm. The solution works in a userfriendly Windows environment and affords an excellent insight into what is happening inside each managed server, providing information about its configuration, connected users, file system, server health and performance, and much more. Within this program, administrators can accomplish a variety of crucial server management tasks, including: advanced operations on files, directories, and volumes monitoring user activity and connections performance trending and reporting trustee rights management maintaining server SET parameters and configuration files scheduling tasks, scripts, and commands distributing software and NLMs NLM monitoring and profiling monitoring used resources (OES Linux Server) monitoring started processes (OES Linux Server) Equipped with all these powerful remote management capabilities, a Novell OES/NetWare support team is longer stuck to local server console administration and narrow-focused utilities on the server and workstation. Importantly, unlike other tools for OES/NetWare server administration, Server Manager provides the unique ability to control Novell OES/NetWare servers regardless of their version, starting from NetWare 4.11 SP9, 5.x, and 6.x, through Novell Open Enterprise Server (NetWare kernel) and OES Linux 1.x or higher. 5

6 Main Features According to the Server Operations Management Study conducted by TechRepublic, top manual processes in server management are initial deployment, monitoring, upgrades, migration and performance tuning Instant access to current server statistics Multiple server status AdRem Server Manager makes for efficient collective control of multiple servers from a single workstation. The program s monitor screen provides a top-level view of all the servers that are or were connected to the workstation. Servers are displayed in sortable columns that offer basic information and statistics such as requests per second, number of connections, and server utilization. The monitor window serves as a starting point for extensive server monitoring and management operations. For example, it can be used to add or delete servers to/from the list, access detailed performance statistics about individual servers, or distribute commands/tasks on multiple servers. Real-time server performance Figure 1. The monitor screen in Server Manager Server Manager provides administrators with a quick access to currently updated statistics on the health and network resources of each individual server. The dashboard-style summary view of the real-time server status provides data such as: general server information (server name and its IP address, operating system, version number etc.) server utilization (processor and memory utilization, number of opened files on server, and the number of licensed, inactive and total server connections) disk space usage. NLM utilization. 6

7 When an abnormal situation is detected, the problem area can be conveniently drilled down for detailed root-cause analysis. For an enhanced graphical view of server performance, administrators can create custom chart views that display various performance indicators of the managed server. This way, they can track on chart almost all server parameters available in the Novell OSE/NetWare system including ones such as memory, cache hits, transactions, processor/nlm utilization, or server utilization by users. Typically, performance charts display data from the last minute, however, users can also access trend statistics for the last 15 or 60 minutes of any monitored performance counter. Open files Figure 2. Server performance screen Server Manager provides a detailed file-side view of the OES/NetWare server. The program s list of open files brings together all the files that are currently opened by stations (users) and programs running on the server. Because typically each server has a large number of open files, extensive file searching and sorting capabilities are available. For example, it is possible to filter open files by file types, group them by directories as well as perform a text search on the entire list of open files. When there s a need to unlock a specific file opened on the server for example in order to update it or perform a backup operation administrators can use Server Manager to quickly locate all the file users and send them messages asking them to close a given connection. However, when a file user does not respond, you may perform a forced file unlock operation by clearing all connections to the file in question or by having the system close the specific file. 7

8 Connections Figure 3. Open files view With Server Manager, logged-in connections can be monitored not only from the file side but also from the user side. The program provides a list of users connections to a selected OES/NetWare server, as well as current statistics about the server/network load generated by particular users, amount of read/write data since login, number of open files, and total inactivity period. The list includes both user station connections and connections opened by the programs running on the server. Extensive filtering and sorting capabilities are available, for example, by sorting the disk usage column, one can quickly identify the biggest disk resource consumer. By right-clicking the mouse, administrators can broadcast a message to a user, change the user disk space quota, disconnect inactive connections, or directly clear any connection. Each user displayed in the connections list can be tracked on a monitor chart monitored counters include kb read/write, kb transmitted, requests, open files, and connections. In addition, it is possible to drill down to details about each connection. This way, one can view related charts and determine current disk usage, physical and logical locks, and semaphores related to the selected connection. 8

9 NLM resource monitoring Figure 4. Connections view In the OSE/NetWare system, the tracking of OES/NetWare Loadable Module (NLM) programs can be performed from monitor.nlm, which involves the hassle of using the antiquated command line system, or from the Novell Remote Manager portal, which in turn is relatively slow and compatible only with Novell OES/NetWare 5.1 and newer. In this context, Server Manager offers a more practical option as it allows for effortless NLM management from a graphical environment across all versions of Novell OES/NetWare. The program displays a list of all loaded NLMs along with detailed statistics about server memory/processor utilization by each individual module. The list of all NLMs can be printed and exported to CSV, HTML and XML files. Administrators can create chart views displaying selected NLM parameters (such as % utilization, memory used, memory free, corrupted nodes). It is also possible to quickly load or reload NLMs remotely from anywhere (eliminating the need to copy them to the server volume). Server Manager s Distribute option makes it easy to copy or load NLMs to any number of servers (see Multiple server tasks ). In addition, it is possible to compare one server s NLM configuration with another s, or with the default Novell OES/NetWare server configuration (see Configuration comparison ). This makes it easy to identify abnormal processes on the server, and verify which NLMs are outdated, which are missing from the current configuration, and which ones have been added. 9

10 Advanced file system management Volumes Server Manager provides users with a gateway to OES/NetWare volumes. As a result, they can quickly access extensive information about current volume capacity (free and used space, amount of compressed and deleted files, etc.), volume properties (NDS object name, installed namespaces, volume number and other) as well as file and directory entries (including number of all, used, and free directory entries). Apart from allowing users to view volume information, Server Manager makes it easy to perform operations on volumes and ensure a consistent file system environment. It is possible to quickly mount/dismount volumes as well as view volume restrictions for particular users, groups of users or NDS objects. In order to optimize volume space and performance, administrators can distribute a pool of space usage restrictions among selected users or modify existing restrictions. Server Manager s volume management capability can also be used for creating detailed volume inventory. For example, administrators can view and print summary reports on data such as: volume utilization statistics (number of files, total file size, volume space usage by subdirectory, disk space utilization, name spaces, etc.) volume disk space restrictions users directory space utilization Files and directories Figure 5. Disk manager screen Server Manager provides a straightforward way to perform a wide range of management and maintenance tasks on volume files and directories on selected server. The program makes it easy to move/copy/delete directories (including all or selected files within them) between single server 10

11 volumes or between multiple servers. It should be noted that files can be copied not only from the local disk directory to selected servers, but also from multiple servers to the local disk. When the file copy operation is performed between volumes of a single server or between servers in the same NDS tree, administrators can choose to retain all the file properties and trustee rights. Additionally, the program enables performing the following operations on files and directories: viewing and editing file contents, viewing and assigning attributes and properties to all or selected files and directories (including subdirectories), salvaging and purging deleted files, setting masks for viewing files, setting attributes for a certain file/directory recursively, setting trustee rights (see Trustee rights ). Another vital feature is the ability to view and print directory utilization statistics. It can be used to determine the amount of space used by individual users or directories in the selected directory, and quickly check the number of files and total file size in the directory. What s more, Server Manager incorporates a powerful search engine, which allows users to locate files by various criteria, such as date of creation or modification, size, owner or content. For example, this capability can be used to identify all unowned files or files belonging to former employees. Since searching is performed on the server side by smagent.nlm, the program offers the fastest search solution for Netware volumes. Search parameters can easily be saved and restored. Trustee rights Unlike other tools for NetWare administration, Server Manager displays the complete hierarchy of files/directories with various users access rights, and enables the tracking and management of all inheritance masks and trustee rights to a given directory and its subdirectories. Figure 6. Trustee rights management screen 11

12 Administrators easily add new trustees, review and modify existing file system usage restrictions, and analyze global reports on volume trustee rights. This way, they can ensure vital information assets are protected from misuse or unauthorized access. Access rights to a particular directory (including subdirectories and files) may be saved to a file. This is how you can later quickly reconstruct rights to many files and directories e.g. following the replacement of the hard disk. Server configuration management General server statistics With Server Manager s configuration analysis capability, administrators can instantly view the information collected during NetWare server operation. The data presented by the program include the following items: general (system, hardware, cache buffers, network address), server devices and abends, memory (cache, garbage collection), network (LAN/WAN drivers, protocols, known networks, known servers, etc.). Quick access/editing of server SET variables and configuration files To access and manage server parameters, configuration and log files, NetWare administrators usually use the Novell Remote Manager portal. However, this solution presents a few inconveniences. Firstly, the portal is compatible only with Novell OES/NetWare 5.1 and newer versions. Secondly, web interface operations are rather time-consuming, especially when a large number of servers are involved. Figure 7. Server SET parameters 12

13 Server Manager eliminates this confusion by providing a single console compatible with all versions of Novell OES/NetWare for viewing, storing, comparing, modifying, and deleting server SET variables and configuration files. The program significantly eases modifying server settings because it displays all available values and parameter descriptions. For enhanced parameter analysis, Server Manager allows users to print parameter summaries, as well as save all current server parameters in an NCF file and retrieve them when needed. In the case of migration or update, it is easy to export to an XML, HTML or CSV or print a template of the current configuration of the base server (including NLMs, SET parameters, configuration files, and search paths) and compare it with the configuration of the other server after changes, ensuring that the migration was successful. Administrators can also update en masse the desired configuration state from a single source as well as revert to a former configuration state. The bottom line is that administrators gain a powerful method for building a comprehensive server inventory. System log analysis Server Manager allows administrators to view logs generated by a NetWare server or any program, complete with detailed log data such as console logs, system errors, bootstrap errors, and server abend errors. Data from log files is presented in a useful table format users can sort and filter parameter columns, limit the displayed contents of large log files, search for text in a displayed log file and print log contents. As a result, the program significantly eases error analysis and server troubleshooting. Figure 8. System log screen 13

14 Long-term trend collection, analysis and reporting Long-term performance trending Server Manager stores all the statistics concerning the currently monitored server performance indicators. The collected data can be used to plot real-time and long-term trends that in turn can be transformed into reports. Equipped with these capabilities, users can better detect and prevent problems, document infrastructure performance, and make informed capacity decisions. Figure 9. Trend viewer showing multiple servers trends form Figure 10. Trend viewer showing multiple servers histogram form To quickly determine recent server performance, users can access trend statistics for the last 15 or 60 minutes of any monitored performance counter the relevant real-time charts are conveniently placed in separate tabs. For a larger perspective on the server s historical behavior, the program ships with a trend viewer. It presents a single trend chart with selected performance parameters (minimum, average or maximum values) for a user-selected time window (day, week, or month). 14

15 This way, administrators can compare a single parameter across a selection of servers, or multiple parameters within a single server. Multi-chart performance reports A more advanced graphical analysis of server trends is possible with the program s report wizard. It allows administrators to group any number of trend charts in a single report as well as modify report layout and graphics. Any such report can be created ad hoc provided that the program stores all the necessary information and then printed or exported to XML, HTML, and CSV format. Another useful feature of Server Manager s reporting module is the ability to create report templates that ease and simplify the process of creating new reports. Figure 11. Report wizard Server configuration and file system reports Apart from long-term performance trends and multi-graph reports, Server Manager provides a wide selection of informative reports related to the server configuration and file system. For instance, it is possible to create reports on server parameters, configuration files, system logs, loaded NLMs, volumes, and directories. Multiple server operations Multiple server tasks Server Manager provides powerful distribution and task scheduling capabilities that allow users to perform many time-intensive activities on any number of servers simultaneously. This timesaving feature can be used to automate many critical server maintenance tasks across multiple servers such as: Copying/loading NLMs Modifying server SET parameters Copying software/files (copying files from local machine directory to selected server(s) or from selected server(s) to local machine directory) Cleaning up/purging/salvaging deleted files Executing console commands 15

16 Distributing changes in text and configuration files Synchronizing time across multiple servers Changing server SET parameters Clearing connections In each of these operations, administrators can specify the exact time and frequency of task execution (once, daily, weekly, monthly, when idle, at system startup, at logon). This capability can be put to many uses. For example, the Distribute config/text file changes option can be used to modify autoexec.ncf files on multiple servers at the same time. Configuration comparison With its powerful configuration comparison capabilities, Server Manager provides an intuitive way to enforce consistent configuration states, quickly detect configuration conflicts or non-standard configuration, and tune a large number of servers. For example, program users can compare configurations of multiple servers (including SET parameters, configuration files, NLMs, and search paths), or within a single server after changes like new software or patch installation. In the case of migration or update, they can export to an XML, HTML or CSV file as well as print a template of the current configuration of the base server and compare it with the configuration of the other server after changes, ensuring that the migration was successful. They can also distribute SET parameters from a base server or from any previously saved configuration template to any number of servers. The bottom line is that administrators can easily establish a detailed reference system that will help them enforce consistency throughout the entire server farm. Figure 12. Configuration analysis Keyboard scripts and scheduled commands Server Manager provides the facility to record and play sequences of keystrokes on a server console, and to create complex keyboard macros that can replace frequently used command sequences. This way, administrators can define and execute script files that automatically perform sophisticated tasks without the administrator s input. 16

17 Monitoring used resources on OES Linux Server Using the Opened pane, Server Manager provides a lot of useful information about resources used on the OES Linux server, represented by opened files, such as file name, user, file description and type. Information is presented in a convenient table format with columns filtering capabilities. Figure 13. Opened files on OES Linux Server Monitoring processes started on OES Linux Server The Processes pane contains information regarding the processes that are started on the OES Linux server. Information presented in a table format can be customized according to the user s needs. Figure 14. Processes started on OES Linux Server 17

18 Other features Backward Novell OES/NetWare compatibility To help users manage their OES/NetWare infrastructures, Novell offers various administrative utilities, which, however, are often tied to a specific OES/NetWare version. For example, the OES/NetWare Management Portal can be used only to manage OES/NetWare 5.1 and later versions, while Novell imanager was introduced in OES/NetWare 6.0. To cut through the clutter, Server Manager offers an integrated server management and maintenance solution with complete backward compatibility with previous versions of the OES/NetWare system. As a result, administrators can manage all Novell OES/Netware servers from a central point of administration without resorting to various version-specific tools. Other features Protocol independence Server Manager connects by IPX/SPX or TCP/IP automatically Optimized for slow or WAN connections the program uses only one NLM, which minimizes server resource utilization Built-in remote console for quick remote server access, Server Manager uses the popular AdRem Free Remote Console (Freecon) utility. The console can be run directly from the program and protects remote server access with mandatory edirectory authentication. Enhanced integration with AdRem sfconsole if SFCON.NLM is loaded on the server, by selecting the Remote Console command users can start AdRem sfconsole s web client Service Location Protocol (SLP) used in server discovery in pure TCP/IP environments Quick access to Novell Remote Manager, NDS Manager, NDS imonitor, NWAdmin and ConsoleOne. 18

19 Benefits Benefits According to the product users testimonials, Server Manager delivers considerably more precise and automated control over servers and network than other tools. The program greatly simplifies and speeds up various repetitive routine operations such as installation, upgrades, configuration, troubleshooting as well as user, disk, file, and trustee administration. Users perceive Server Manager as allowing them to tune and configure servers more quickly, discover problems and resolve them with greater speed, or even anticipate them. Many customers appreciate the ability to report on the server utilization, which enables them to reassign under-utilized resources as well as make timely and informed decisions on the infrastructure evolution. Looking from the bottom line perspective, organizations consistently report increased server and network availability and performance, better productivity of IT teams and network end-users, which contributes to reducing the costs of downtime and positively affects the revenue. The following is an overview of major areas where AdRem Server Manager delivers greatest business and Return on Investment (ROI) opportunities. Key IT benefits Centralized server operations environment especially important in large multiple-server environments Consolidated management of disks, directories, files, users, volumes, trustee rights and server connections Ability to perform operations on multiple servers simultaneously The reduction in the skill set required to manage servers No need to juggle slow, narrow-featured Novell tools, each one supporting different Novell OES/NetWare versions Automation of a wide range of server administration tasks (reduction of human error) Reduced visits to the physical server console Simplicity of use fast and familiar-looking Windows-based console Ability to handle problems proactively, i.e. to recognize and analyze performance trends and patterns, anticipate issues and prevent them Low impact on the network efficiency in WAN environments Improved data analytics shorter mean time to detect, diagnose and repair problems Compatibility with all the latest NetWare versions and with Novell OES Key business benefits Quick time to value: the product is rapidly installed, configured and deployed on multiple servers simultaneously Increased productivity of network operations staff Increased revenue and users' efficiency through optimized performance and availability of servers and the underlying applications Reduced risk of business failure by creating predictable server environment Reduced capital expenditures through server consolidation Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the OES/NetWare system 19

20 Conclusion Conclusion Gartner estimates that 70% of the typical enterprise IT budget is expended on day-to-day support operations. Within these costs, IT staff costs account for 32% and are the largest contributor. An EMA research study revealed that IT systems are utilized only in 10-15%. According to other studies, the staggering 50% of network problems are detected by end users, and the majority of IT shops are locked in a reactive management mode. AdRem Server Manager 6 is an intuitive yet powerful toolset that allows users to bring about a major shift in the way they use their time and maintain their server infrastructures. With modest purchase and maintenance costs, quick deployment and extensive multi-server management capabilities, IT teams can quickly deliver the much-desired business value to an entire organization. This makes AdRem Server Manager an attractive offering for IT organizations that rely heavily on the Novell OES/NetWare and OES Linux 1.x or higher operating system. The program does well in smaller networks but also in large environments where numerous servers are usually dispersed in remote geographic locations. In the latter case, administrators can use Server Manager to remotely connect to distributed servers and perform all the critical monitoring, maintenance, and performance tuning tasks regardless of the connection speed. Inexperienced administrators will appreciate the simplicity of navigation in the Windows environment, which will allow them to keep a tight hold on the network virtually without any prior training. Seasoned network professionals will be glad to see the end of button-pressing and window-opening, and to tap into the numerous possibilities resulting from the unimpeded access to neatly organized editable information. In a nutshell, the product's versatility makes it an ideal assistant in daily server and network maintenance. 20

21 Appendix Appendix: Pricing, Licensing and Availability AdRem Server Manager is available from or from AdRem Software s resellers and sales channel partners worldwide. Server Manager 7 is licensed on a per managed server basis which means that a single license entitles the user to you use it on one OES/NetWare server. The client part of the program can be installed on an unlimited number of Windows workstations. To manage multiple servers, you will need to purchase a separate license for each server. Information about the product pricing is available here: AdRem Server Manager runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista (except Home editions), Windows Server 2003/2008 (with the appropriate Novell NetWare Client installed) and supports managing NetWare servers from v SP9 through NetWare 5.x, 6.x, OES Linux 1.x or higher and Novell Open Enterprise Server (NetWare kernel). For additional information about the product and a 30- day no-cost trial version, please visit 21

22 About AdRem Software About AdRem Software AdRem Software ( provides rapidly-deployable software solutions for monitoring, managing, troubleshooting and securing enterprise networks. The company's products target small and mid-size companies, VARs, system integrators, and networking services firms that seek to maximize returns on their IT infrastructures by boosting network/systems performance and availability, optimizing IT asset utilization and reducing maintenance overhead. The company's solutions are deployed on over 400,000 servers worldwide AdRem Software was founded in 1998 as a privately held corporation. The company s efforts to create scalable, multi-task, easy-to-use solutions were quickly noticed and appreciated, resulting in the prestigious Best Commercial Application award from the Novell Developers Contest in 1999 for AdRem Server Manager. With AdRem Software s flagship solution, AdRem NetCrunch, businesses can automatically visualize and monitor their multi-technology networks and proactively ensure system, application and service availability to customers, employees, and partners. AdRem NetCrunch is the first midtier enterprise-class solution that delivers full-fledged proactive network and systems management at the price of a point product. AdRem Software serves a diverse global customer base, including small, medium and large enterprises from all industries, government and public sector organizations, non-profit organizations, and educational establishments. The company s solutions are sold through AdRem s online store, resellers, distributors, and system integrators in more than 60 countries. 22