Netdist PTF PN92710 Readme file


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*                      Amendment/Additional Information                       *
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03/30/98 - PQ15585
------------------
For Netdist on OS/2:

This is additional information on the documentation for the following Netdist
panels:

1). At the Node Definition panel.
    When this panel is opened thru the "Create" button on the previous panel
    (Node List), after you enter the node name at the Node name field, use the
    TAB key to enable the Platform list box selection.

2). At the Protocol Defaults panel.
    In order to enable the changes, the following first 3 boxes, or all 5 boxes
    should be checked:
    - Create response file
    - Enable changes
    - Overwrite existing values
    - Update ETC hosts file
    - Update ETC services file

3). At the DAE Defaults panel.
    In order to enable the changes, all 3 following boxes should be checked:
    - Create response file
    - Enable changes
    - Overwrite existing values


01/06/98 - PN92710
------------------
Updated to contain Year 2000 Network Distributor fixes.


04/04/97
--------
For Netdist on AIX:

 1) When specifying platform for a new node definition (inside of "Node
    Definition" panel), you may have to click the "DAE" box twice.
 2) When specifying "Protocol Defaults" from "Node Definition" panel,
    the usual & common setup is to check all 5 check-boxes.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


****************************************************************************
*** NOTE: If you have already installed Network Distributor, see MIGRATE.DOC
for details on installing this package without loss of data.
****************************************************************************



                               NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR

        Network Distributor lets you quickly and automatically install
        and/or configure the following DAE programs on OS/2 and AIX nodes
        in a network:

            .   DAE Communications System/2
            .   DAE Entry Communications System/2
            .   DAE AIX Communications System/6000
            .   DAE AIX Entry Communications System/6000
            .   DAE Host Link/2
            .   DAE AIX Host Link/6000

        These programs are all "enabled" for Network Distributor.   A
        non-DAE program can also be enabled.  If so, you can use Network
        Distributor to distribute the enabled non-DAE program at the same
        time you distribute the enabled DAE programs.

        This document describes how to use Network Distributor to
        distribute DAE programs only.  For information about how to use
        Network Distributor to distribute a non-DAE program, refer to the
        program documentation.


                                     OVERVIEW

        Network Distributor provides the following tools that you can use
        to install and/or configure the enabled DAE licensed programs on
        a network:

            .   Installation services
            .   Configuration services
            .   Combination of services
            .   Commands

        INSTALLATION SERVICES

        You can use the Network Distributor installation services to
        quickly and automatically install the following DAE licensed
        program on OS/2 nodes in a network:

            .   DAE Communications System/2
            .   DAE Entry Communications System/2
            .   DAE Host Link/2

        For example, if Nodes 1-10 are OS/2 nodes, you can quickly and
        automatically install DAE Communications System/2 on Nodes 1-10.


        CONFIGURATION SERVICES

        You can use the Network Distributor configuration services to
        quickly and automatically configure DAE components in your
        network, provided that the components are supported by Network










        Distributor and each node where you configure the components
        contains an enabled DAE licensed program supporting the
        components.

        The following table shows the DAE components supported by Network
        Distributor and the enabled DAE licensed programs providing
        support for each component.

            DAE COMPONENT            ENABLED DAE LICENSED PROGRAM
                                       SUPPORTING THE COMPOENT

          APPC                 DAE Communications System/2
                               DAE Entry Communications System/2
                               DAE AIX Communications System/6000
                               DAE AIX Entry Communications System/6000

          DECNET               DAE Communications System/2
                               DAE Entry Communications System/2
          MAP                  DAE Communications System/2
                               DAE Entry Communications System/2

          NETBIOS              DAE Communications System/2
                               DAE Entry Communications System/2

          TCP/IP               DAE Communications System/2
                               DAE Entry Communications System/2
                               DAE AIX Communications System/6000
                               DAE AIX Entry Communications System/6000

          Host file            DAE Host Link/2
                               DAE AIX Host Link/6000
          Host transaction     DAE Host Link/2
                               DAE AIX Host Link/6000

          Host batch           DAE Host Link/2
                               DAE AIX Host Link/6000

          Co-processor         DAE Communications System/2
                               DAE AIX Communications System/6000

        For example, the DAE NETBIOS component is supported by Network
        Distributor and also supported by the DAE Communications System/2
        and DAE Entry Communications System/2 licensed programs.
        Therefore, you can use Network Distributor to configure the DAE
        NETBIOS component on any node containing DAE Communications
        System/2 or DAE Entry Communications System/2.

        If you have an existing network configuration, Network
        Distributor does not destroy this configuration.  Instead,
        Network Distributor automatically gathers and adds to your
        existing configuration.





                                        2







        COMBINATION OF SERVICES

        You can use a group of Network Distributor services at the same
        time.  For example, in one operation, you can:

            .   Install DAE Communications System/2 Nodes 1-3
            .   Install DAE Entry Communications System/2 on Nodes 4-10
            .   Install DAE Host/Link/2 on Node 1
            .   Configure the DAE APPC component on Nodes 1-10
            .   Configure the DAE host file component on Node 1


        COMMANDS

        You can use Network Distributor commands to manage the network in
        any of the following ways:

            .   Changing the Network Distributor profile file
            .   Editing a remote file
            .   Transferring programs
            .   Executing remote programs and commands
            .   Gathering configuration data
            .   Testing connectivity
            .   Backing up the master node

        For example, you can use the Network Distributor CIFDMEDT command
        to edit a file on a remote node.


                                  REQUIREMENTS

        Network Distributor requires the following hardware and software
        on each node where you plan to use Network Distributor services
        and commands:

            .   The hardware and software required by the DAE licensed
                program you plan to install and configure on the node.

            .   An additional 5MB of disk space on the master node
                (described in the next section) for storing Network
                Distributor and the topology.dat file.

                An additional 4MB of disk space on other Network
                Distributor storing the Network Distributor.

            .   Software providing support for either the NETBIOS or
                TCP/IP protocol.

                The following OS/2-based programs provide support for
                NETBIOS:

                     IBM OS/2 Extended Edition Version 1.3.1
                     IBM Extended Services for OS/2
                     IBM LAN Server Version 2.0
                     IBM LAN Enabler Version 2.0

                                        3







                     IBM OS/2 NETBIOS Database Client Application Enabler

                The following OS/2-based program provides support for
                TCP/IP:

                     IBM TCP/IP Version 1.2 for OS/2, or higher if
                     compatible with Version 1.2

                AIX provides support for TCP/IP.

            .   If you are using a combination of NETBIOS and TCP/IP
                protocols, at least one node must contain support for
                both NETBIOS and TCP/IP.


                    GETTING READY TO USE NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR

        Before you install Network Distributor, do the following:

        1.  Install the required hardware and software (described in the
            previous section) on each node where you plan to use the
            Network Distributor.

        2.  Determine which Network Distributor nodes to use for each of
            the following:

            .   Master node.  You must assign one Network Distributor
                node to be the master node.  The master node stores a
                topology.dat file containing information about how all
                the Network Distributor nodes on the network are
                configured.

            .   Client nodes.  You must assign all the remaining Network
                Distributor nodes to be client nodes.

            .   (If required) Adjacent node.  You must assign one client
                node containing both the TCP/IP and NETBIOS protocol to
                serve as an adjacent node if both of the following apply:

                -    The master node contains support for only one
                     protocol.

                -    A client node does not contain support for the
                     protocol used on the master node.

                For example, if the master node contains support for only
                TCP/IP, and any of the client nodes contain support for
                only NETBIOS, you must assign one client node with
                support for both TCP/IP and NETBIOS to serve as the
                adjacent node.

        EXAMPLE 1:

        The following example network contains a master node and client
        nodes, with one of the client nodes also assigned to be an

                                        4







        adjacent node.  The adjacent node is required so that client
        nodes containing only the NETBIOS protocol can access the master
        node, which contains only the TCP/IP protocol.

        鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨                            鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ό  CLIENT  ό                            ό  CLIENT  ό
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ·ŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽŽλ                            ·ŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽλ
             ό              NETBIOS                   ό
             ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ
                                ό
                          鎎ŽŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽ¨
                          όADJACENT/ ό
                          ό  CLIENT  ό
                          ό          ό
                          ·ŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽλ
                                ό
             鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨
             ό               TCP/IP                  ό
        鎎ŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽŽ¨                            鎎ŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽŽ¨
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ό MASTER   ό                            ό  CLIENT  ό
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ                            ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ

        EXAMPLE 2:

        The following example network contains a master node and client
        nodes.  An adjacent node is not required because the master node,
        which uses both the NETBIOS and TCP/IP protocols, can be accessed
        by all the nodes in the network.

        鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨                            鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ό  CLIENT  ό                            ό  CLIENT  ό
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ·ŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽŽλ                            ·ŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽλ
             ό              NETBIOS                   ό
             ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ
                                ό
                          鎎ŽŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽ¨
                          ό          ό
                          ό  MASTER  ό
                          ό          ό
                          ·ŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽλ
                                ό
             鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨
             ό               TCP/IP                  ό
        鎎ŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽŽ¨                            鎎ŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽŽ¨
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ό CLIENT   ό                            ό  CLIENT  ό
        ό          ό                            ό          ό
        ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ                            ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ


                                        5






        EXAMPLE 3:

        The following example network contains a master node and client
        nodes.  An adjacent node is not required because the network uses
        the NETBIOS protocol only.
       鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨                            鎎ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽ¨
       ό          ό                            ό          ό
       ό  CLIENT  ό                            ό  CLIENT  ό
       ό          ό                            ό          ό
       ·ŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽŽλ                            ·ŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽλ
            ό              NETBIOS                   ό
            ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽΆŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ
                               ό
                         鎎ŽŽŽ΅ŽŽŽŽ¨
                         ό          ό
                         ό  MASTER  ό
                         ό          ό
                         ·ŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽŽλ

                          INSTALLING NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR

        Install Network Distributor on nodes in the following sequence:

        1.  Install Network Distributor on the master node

        2.  Install Network Distributor on the adjacent node (if
            required)

        3.  Install Network Distributor on each client node

        To install Network Distributor on a node, do the following:

        1.  Place the diskette labelled Network Distributor Installation
            Diskette 1 in a diskette drive.

        2.  Activate an OS/2 window or OS/2 full screen and enter:

                {drive}:install

            where {drive} is the diskette drive containing the Network
            Distributor diskette.

        3.  Introductory text appears describing the installation
            program.
            After reading the text, press Enter.

        4.  The following question appears:

                Enter the drive and path where you want to install
                Network Distributor ({drive:path}):

            Enter the drive and path where you want to install Network
            Distributor (for example, D:\NETDIST), or press Enter to
            accept the default.


                                        6







        5.  The following question appears:

                Enter the name of the local node ({nodename}):

            Enter the name of the local node on which you are installing
            Network Distributor, or press Enter to accept the default
            node name that the Network Distributor determined from the
            current configuration of the node.

        6.  The following question appears:

                Enter the name of the master node ({nodename}):

            Enter the name of the node you assigned to be the Network
            Distributor master node, or press Enter to accept the
            default.

        7.  The following question appears:

                Enter the name of the adjacent node, if used
                ({nodename}):

            If you are using an adjacent node, enter the name of this
            node.  If you are not using an adjacent node, press Enter.

        8.  The following question appears:

                Enter the protocols supported on the local node (XXXX):

            Enter one or more of the following abbreviations, with no
            delimiter characters, to specify the protocols supported on
            the node where you are installing Network Distributor:

                N0   NETBIOS on adapter 0
                N1   NETBIOS on adapter 1
                TC   TCP/IP
                I0   No protocol (stand-alone node)

        9.  The following question appears:

                Do you want this program to make the required updates to
                your system files (Y):

            Enter Y if you want the Network DIstributor program to make
            the required updates.  Answer N if you want to make the
            updates manually after completing the installation.

            If you answer N, you will need to make the following updates:

                .    Add the line CALL STARTCIF to the STARTUP.CMD file.
                .    Add {drive:path} to the PATH statement in the
                     CONFIG.SYS file.
                .    Add {drive:path} to the DPATH statement in the
                     CONFIG.SYS file.


                                        7







                .    Add the line SET CIFDM {drive:path} to the
                     CONFIG.SYS file.

        10. The installation program then displays the information you
            have provided and asks the following question:

                     Is the information correct (Y):

                If the information is correct, press Y to start the
                installation.  If the information is incorrect, enter N
                to enter the information again.

        If installing Network Distributor on the master node, you are
        prompted to insert the second Network Distributor diskette.  If
        installing Network Distributor on any other node, all the files
        are installed from one diskette.


                        USING THE INSTALLATION SERVICES:
                                A SAMPLE SESSION

        This sample session describes how to use the Network Distributor
        installation services to help with installing a DAE licensed
        program on a network.

        In this session, assume that:

            .   You want to install DAE Communications System/2 on Nodes
                1-5, which are all OS/2 nodes.

            .   You already have installed Network Distributor on Nodes
                1-5.

            .   When you installed Network Distributor, you assigned Node
                1 to be the master node.

        1.  Choose one Network Distributor node (master, adjacent, or
            client) to use as a server node for the program.   The server
            node must contain enough disk space to store two copies of
            the program files, one in packed format and the other in
            normal format.

            In this session, assume that you choose Node 5 as the server
            node.  Node 5 contains enough disk space to store the DAE
            Communications System/2 files in packed and normal formats.

        2.  On the server node, install the DAE licensed program that you
            want to distribute over the network.  When you install the
            program, choose the option that sets up the node as a server
            node.  This installs the program files on the node in packed
            format.

            In this session, install DAE Communications System/2 on Node
            5, and select the option to set up Node 5 as a server node.


                                        8







        3.  Go to any node in the network.  Start the Network Distributor
            utility by doing the following:

            a.  Activate an OS/2 window or full screen prompt.

            b.  At the OS/2 prompt, enter:

                  NETDIST

        4.  At the Network Distributor main menu, select:

                 Configure node definitions

        5.  At the Node List window, repeat the following steps for each
            target node where you want to install the DAE licensed
            program.  In this session, you want to install DAE
            Communications System/2 on Nodes 1-5, so repeat the following
            steps for Nodes 1-5.

            a.  Scroll through the list of node definitions.  When you
                install Network Distributor, it creates a node definition
                for each Network Distributor node.

                From the list of node definitions, select the first
                target node where you want to install the DAE licensed
                program.  In this session, select Node 1 first.   Then,
                select the CHANGE pushbutton.

            b.  At the Node Definition window, from the Available
                Services list, select the appropriate installation
                service.  In this session, select:

                     Install DAE CS/2

            c.  At the popup menus, specify the following information,
                which specifies how you want to install the program on
                the target node.

                -    The target drive where you want to install the
                     program on the target node.

                -    The installation options that you want to install on
                     the target node.

            d.  Select the OK pushbutton to save the node definition.

        6.  Press OK to return to the Network Distributor menu and save
            the changes you have made to the node definitions in the
            topology.dat file.







                                        9







        7.  When you are ready to apply the installation service to all
            target nodes on the network, do the following:

            a.  Select the following option at the Network Distributor
                menu:

                     Apply services to the network

            b.  At the popup menu, specify when you want to apply the
                service and select the OK pushbutton.

            Network Distributor applies to the network the services you
            selected in the node definitions.  In this example, Network
            Distributor applies the installation of the DAE
            Communications System/2 files to Nodes 1-5.

        8.  Exit the Network Distributor utility by selecting the CANCEL
            pushbutton.


                       USING THE CONFIGURATION SERVICES:
                                 A SAMPLE SESSION

        This sample session shows how to use the Network Distributor
        configuration services to configure a DAE component on the
        network.

        In this session, assume the following:

            .   You want to configure the NETBIOS component on Nodes 1-6.

            .   Nodes 1-5 contain DAE Communications System/2 and also
                contain Network Distributor.

            .   Node 6 contains DAE Communications System/DOS, but,
                because DAE Communications System/DOS is not an enabled
                DAE program, Node 6 does not contain Network Distributor.
                Therefore, you cannot use Network Distributor to
                configure Node 6.  You must configure Node 6 manually.

            .   Node 1 is the master node.

        1.  Be sure that each node that you plan to configure with
            Network Distributor contains a DAE licensed program providing
            support for the components you plan to configure on the node.

            In this session, you plan to use Network Distributor to
            configure the NETBIOS component on Nodes 1-5.  Nodes 1-5
            contain DAE Communications System/2, which supports the
            NETBIOS component.

            You also plan to configure the NETBIOS component on Node 6.
            Node 6 contains Communications System/DOS, which supports the
            NETBIOS component.  However, because Communications


                                        10







            System/DOS is not an enabled program, you will need to
            configure Node 6 manually.

        2.  Go to any Network Distributor node.  Start the Network
            Distributor utility by doing the following:

            a.  Activate an OS/2 window or full screen prompt.

            b.  At the OS/2 prompt, enter:

                  NETDIST

        3.  At the Network Distributor main menu, select:

                 Configure node definitions

        4.  Create or change a node definition for each node where you
            want to configure the component.  In this session, you want
            to configure NETBIOS on Nodes 1-6, so you need to create or
            change node definitions for Nodes 1-6.

            Do the following:

            a.  Scroll through the list of node definitions.  A node
                definition already exists for each node containing
                Network Distributor.  Therefore, a node definition
                already exists for Nodes 1-5.

            b.  From the list of node definitions, select the first node
                definition that you need to change.  In this case, select
                Node 1.

            c.  A Node Definition window appears.  Do the following:

                1.   Make any required changes to the information in the
                     node definition.  The online help provides
                     information about each field in the definition.

                2.   Select the following service from the Available
                     Services list:

                        NETBIOS

                3.   Select the OK pushbutton to save the node definition
                     and return to the Node List window.

            d.  Repeat steps 4a-4c for each additional node definition
                that you need to change.  In this session, repeat steps
                4a-4c for Nodes 2-5.

            e.  Even though Node 6 is not supported by Network
                Distributor, you must create a node definition for it.
                At the Node List window, select the CREATE pushbutton to
                enter NODE6 as the name of the node.


                                        11







            f.  A Node Definition window appears.  Do the following:

                1.   Enter information about Node 6 in the node
                     definition fields.  The online help provides
                     information about each field in the definition.

                2.   Select the following service from the Available
                     Services list:

                        NETBIOS

                3.   Select the OK pushbutton to save the node definition
                     and return to the Node List window.

        5.  At the Node List window, select the OK pushbutton to return
            to the Network Distributor menu and to save the changes you
            have made to the node definitions in the topology.dat file.

        6.  If you are configuring a network component (APPC, TCP/IP,
            NETBIOS, DECNET, or MAP), you must be sure a connection
            definition exists between each pair of nodes that you want to
            communicate with each other.

            In this session, you are configuring the NETBIOS component on
            Nodes 1-6, so you must be sure the following connection
            definitions exist:

                Node 1 - Node 2
                Node 1 - Node 3
                Node 1 - Node 4
                Node 1 - Node 5
                Node 1 - Node 6
                Node 2 - Node 3
                Node 2 - Node 4
                Node 2 - Node 5
                Node 2 - Node 6
                Node 3 - Node 4
                Node 3 - Node 5
                Node 3 - Node 6
                Node 4 - Node 5
                Node 4 - Node 6
                Node 5 - Node 6

            Do the following:

                1.   At the Network Distributor window, select:

                         Configure connection definitions

                2.   Create any required connection definitions.  Refer
                     to the online help for instructions on how to do
                     this.




                                        12







        7.  View the global information that Network Distributor is
            using, and make any required changes to these values.  Do the
            following:

            a.  At the Network Distributor window, select:

                     Configure global definitions

            b.  At the Global Definitions window, select:

                     Global network definitions

            c.  In this session, none of the global information pertains
                to the NETBIOS component, so press the CANCEL pushbutton
                to return to the Global Definitions window.

            d.  At the Global Definitions window, press the CANCEL
                pushbutton to return to the Network Distributor window.

        8.  Apply the configuration service to all the target Network
            Distributor nodes in the network.  In this session, apply the
            configuration of NETBIOS to Nodes 1-5.

            Do the following:

            a.  Select the following option at the Network Distributor
                menu:

                     Apply services to the network

            b.  At the popup menu, specify when you want to apply the
                service and select the OK pushbutton.

            Network Distributor then applies to the network the services
            you selected in the node definitions.  In this example,
            Network Distributor applies the configuration of NETBIOS  to
            Nodes 1-5.

        9.  Exit the Network Distributor utility by selecting the CANCEL
            pushbutton.

        10. Because Node 6 is not a Network Distributor node, you must
            configure the NETBIOS component on this node manually.  Do
            this as described in the Installing and Configuring
            Communications System/DOS book.


                      USING THE NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR COMMANDS

        The Network Distributor commands let you do the following:

            .   Stop Network Distributor
            .   Restart Network Distributor
            .   Change the Network Distributor profile
            .   Edit a remote file

                                        13







            .   Transfer files
            .   Execute remote commands
            .   Gather configuration data


        STOPPING NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR

        The Network Distributor stop command stops all Network
        Distributor processes currently running on the node.  This
        includes NETBIOS and TCP/IP servers, and the CRON (scheduler).

        The syntax is:

           CIFDMTRM


        RESTARTING NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR

        The Network Distributor start command restarts Network
        Distributor aftertermination.  You might want to stop Network
        Distributor and then restart it when you are ready to use the
        Network Distributor services and commands.

        The syntax is:

          STARTCIF


        CHANGING THE NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR PROFILE

        The Network Distributor profile command edits the Network
        Distributor profile file on any Network Distributor node in the
        network. This command makes profile management simple, even for
        large networks.

        The command is designed to be executed from the node designated
        as the PROFNAME in the Network Distributor profile.  From this
        node, you can change the profile files on all the nodes in the
        network so that the PROFNAME field contains the name of a
        different node.  You can use the command to change the values of
        any fields in the profile file except NODENAME, which should
        never be changed without reinstalling.

        The syntax is:

          CIFDMPRF {node} {updates}

          where:

               {node}     is one of the following:

                           Node name of one node
                                - or -
                           -A  (for all nodes in topology)
                                - or -

                                        14







                           -{filename}  (containing list of nodes)

                 {updates} is one of the following:

                                     KEY=VALUE  (update one value in
                                                 profile)
                                     {filename} (containing multiple
                                                 profile lines)

        Examples:

        To change one node's BOOTCOMM permission:

          CIFDMPRF NODE1 BOOTCOMM=N

        To change all nodes' BOOTCOMM permission:

          CIFDMPRF -A BOOTCOMM=N

        To change one node's profile to merge file profile.dat:

           CIFDMPRF NODE1 profile.dat

           where profile.dat contains the lines that are to be updated.


        EDITING A REMOTE FILE

        The Network Distributor remote editor command lets you edit a
        file on a remote node.  This command helps with Cron and profile
        updates.

        You can use this command to edit a file residing on any remote
        Network Distributor node, provided that the Network Distributor
        permission flags on both the sending and receiving nodes are
        enabled to allow PUTF and GETF operations.

        The value of the USEREDIT profile value controls which editor is
        invoked.  The editor must support invocation by means of a "C"
        system call with the file name as the final parameter.

        The syntax is:

           CIFDMEDT  {node} ( CRON | PROFILE | {filename} )

        CRON and PROFILE are special values that indicate the Cron table
        and the cifdm.prf file. This is done because the access to the
        profile through this interface, as well as CIFDMPRF used the
        PROFREMT and PROFNAME settings, while specifying the filenames
        will utilize the GETFxxxx and PUTFxxxx settings. In the case of
        CRON, the appropriate signals are also posted on the remote
        system to allow the cron table to be updated within the cron
        server on the remote node.

        Examples:

                                        15







        To edit the cron table on remote node NODE1:

           CIFDMEDT NODE1 CRON

        To edit c:\config.sys on remote node NODE2:

           CIFDMEDT NODE2 c:\config.sys


        TRANSFERRING FILES

        The two file transfer commands transfer files to or from remote
        nodes.

        Their syntaxes are:

           CIFDMGET {node} {remotefilename} {localfilename} ( TXT | BIN )

           CIFDMPUT {node} {localfilename} {remotefilename} ( TXT | BIN )

        Examples:

        To get the c:\config.sys from NODE1 to our temp.sys:

           CIFDMGET NODE1 c:\config.sys temp.sys TXT

        To put an executable called C:\temp.exe to NODE1 c:\node1.exe:

           CIFDMPUT NODE1 C:\temp.exe C:\node1.exe BIN


        EXECUTING A REMOTE COMMAND

        The Network Distributor remote execution command
        immediately execute a remote command, with the results of the
        execution returned to your screen. You can schedule a remote
        command for later execution by means of the cron facility.

        The syntax is:

            CIFDMCMD {node} {command} [{time}]

            The time must be in one of the following formats:

                "MM/DD hh:mm"
                "+time"
                "@ mm hh DD MM DayOfWeek "

                MM=Month DD=Day of month  hh=Hours mm=Minutes

        Standard Cron input fields are supported for the @ format, so
        each field may be a list (for example, 1,3,4), a range (for
        example, [1-4]), an asterisk (*), or a specific value.



                                        16







        A command that executes one time only will be deleted from the
        cron data file when it has completed. All others remain until you
        delete them.   (This is an optional parameter and does not return
        any output.)

        The node name may be any node in the network, and the command
        should be enclosed in quotes if it contains any imbedded spaces.
        Up to 5000 bytes of output will be printed to your screen from
        the command execution.

        Examples:

        To run a directory of the C:\ directory on NODE1:

            CIFDMCMD NODE1 "dir c:\"

        To execute the same command at 6:00 PM on November 20th:

            CIFDMCMD NODE1 "dir c:\ > c:\dir.out" "11/20 18:00"

        This schedules the command to run at the selected time.  (The
        output can be retrieved by CIFDMGET NODE1 C:\dir.out tmp.out
        TXT.)


        GATHERING CONFIGURATION DATA

        The Network Distributor data gathering command gathers existing
        software and hardware configuration from each node in the
        network.  Network Distributor automatically executes the data
        gathering command when you install it, but you can re-execute
        this command any number of times to update changed information or
        to add data for newly installed products.

        A program enabled by Network Distributor might extend the
        function of the data gathering command to gather information
        about previous versions of the program or to gather information
        about related programs.

        The syntax is:

           CIFDMDG

        The command returns status information if it is unable to contact
        any of the nodes, or if a resulting error code occurs.


        TESTING NETWORK CONNECTIVITY

        The Network Distributor network connectivity command lets you
        verify if you can communicate with a remote node.

        The syntax is:

           CIFDMPNG {node}

                                        17







        Example:

        To find out if NODE1 is up and running:

           CIFDMPNG NODE1

        The command returns either a return code, or a node found
        message.


                            BACKING UP THE MASTER NODE

        All nodes in the network may be re-installed without loss of
        data, except the master node.  For this reason, it is recommended
        that you backup the master node, especially in a large network,
        where the loss of the master node could cause a critical failure.

        To define a backup master node:

        NOTE: Make sure the backup master node meets the space
        requirement for a full master node.

        1.  Use Network DistributorPRF to set BACKNAME to the name of the
            new backup node on all nodes.

        2.  Schedule a cron to backup the master data to the backup node
            at whatever interval your site considers appropriate.  This
            process of synchronizing the nodes creates some network
            traffic, but unless changes are being made, the traffic is
            minor.  An interval of an hour is usually more than
            sufficient for most users.  Even daily is adequate for
            locations where installations are not done frequently.

        To schedule the cron, enter the following command:

           CIFDMCMD {backupnodename} "CIFDMINT CIFDMBCK.SCR" "@1 * * * *"

        This schedules the command "cifdmint cifdmback.scr"
        to run at 1 minute after every hour of every day of every month.

        To cutover to the backup master node:

        1.  Be sure the process for defining a backup master node is
            complete.

        2.  Be sure the master node is fully backed up by entering the
            following command:

                CIFDMCMD {backupmasternode} "CIFDMINT CIFDMBCK.SCR"

        3.  Go to the backup master node and enter the following command:

                CIFDMCUT



                                        18







        4.  This switches the current master node to the new backup
            master.  Use the procedure for defining a master node to
            complete that process, or use Network DistributorPRF to
            change the BACKMAST to any value desired.


                         REINSTALLING NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR

        If your Network Distributor files or configuration becomes
        damaged, you can reinstall Network Distributor on client nodes
        with no loss of configuration data.

        If you reinstall Network Distributor on the master node, you will
        lose configuration data unless you reinstall all the Network
        Distributor-enabled programs on the network.  For this reason
        it is recommended that you use the backup command to back up the
        configuration information on the master node.


                           NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR PROFILE

        Each Network Distributor install directory contains a local
        profile named cifdm.prf.  This file contains a set of values that
        control the operation of Network Distributor on that node.  The
        profile contains values that define the local node name, the
        master node name, a backup master if one is defined, as well as
        some local NETBIOS and security values.  Following are the values
        stored in the profiles and how they are used.

        NODENAME={nodename}

        This value defines the local node name for the system. This value
        cannot be changed without re-installing Network Distributor. To
        change the node name, shut down Network Distributor on the local
        node, delete the contents of the Network Distributor directory
        and reinstall the product. (Re-installation of the master node
        can result in loss of data.)

        MASTNAME={mastername}

        This value defines the node which is the current Network
        Distributor master node. This value should not be changed, except
        by the process defined to switch to the
        backup master node.

        BACKNAME={backupname}

        This value is used to define the backup master node name during a
        cutover process. It should be set to the same value on all nodes
        prior to executing a cutover. See the section on backup master
        node for details.





                                        19







        PROFNAME={profile management node}

        Some of the profile values will disable the ability to remotely
        manipulate the sysetm profile. Only the profile management node
        is defined to be able to override that security and update the
        profile. The default value is the Network Distributor Master
        node.

        PROTOCOL={protocol list}

        This list of character pairs defines the protocols in use on the
        system and the corresponding adapters if appropriate. For
        example, NETBIOS is protocol N with an adapter choice of 0 or 1.
        Changing this value will affect the starting of Network
        Distributor servers and may require routing table generation to
        be performed to re-establish communications. (See Routing
        tables.)

        ADJCNAME={adjacent node name}

        If the Network Distributor master node does not use the same
        protocols as the local node, it may be necesary to specify an
        adjacent node to route through to obtain access to the master
        node. If this field is changed, routing regeneration is
        recommended.

        SESSIONS={Server Session Count}

        NETBIOS protocol requires that each application program reserve a
        certain count of sessions on the netbios adapter at
        intialization. This profile value sets the initial number of
        server sessions, names and commands that are requested from
        NETBIOS during initialization by the servers. If this value is
        too high, it will be revised downward until enough resources are
        available. This value affects the number of simultaneous clients
        which this server may support effectively. If sessions are
        exhausted, then existing ones must be broken and re-established
        to maintain processing. This is very inefficient, so it is
        advised that adequate sessions be made available for the number
        of simultaneous installs that will be performed. It may be
        necesary to use LAPS to adjust the system netbios parameters to
        raise this value. At least 6-8 should remain free for Network
        Distributor client programs on the node, plus the number required
        by other NETBIOS applications, such as Communications System and
        LAN requester.

        SESSCLNT={Client Session Count}

        Identical value for the client programs to the SESSIONS specified
        above. This will also affect the number of parallel sessions that
        can be established. Normally, a count of 2 is sufficient, one for
        the master and one for the CIF server for application install.




                                        20







        GETFREMT={Y/N}

        This flag controls whether or not servers on this node should
        allow remote file transfer to get files from the local system.
        Note that turning off this flag may cause problems performing
        Network Distributor enabled installations. It should be left on
        during installation processing and turned off if desired
        to control file access on the system.

        PUTFREMT={Y/N}

        This flag controls whether or not remote systems can transfer
        files onto this system. Most installation processing is of a
        "GET" nature, so this flag will not typically affect Network
        Distributor enabled installations.

        COMMREMT={Y/N}

        This flag controls whether or not other nodes may initiate
        commands onto this system. Turning it off will disable remote
        installation of products and other Network Distributor functions
        that rely on remotely executing commands such as network data
        gathering. It should be turned back on prior to running
        installations.

        BOOTCOMM={Y/N}

        This flag controls whether or not the reboot program will respond
        to a local or remote request to reboot. This reboot simulates the
        entry of a {ctrl}-{alt}-{delete} sequence from the keyboard. HPFS
        systems will save file buffers, but open applications may lose
        unflushed data files. Turning the flag off will disable execution
        of this program.


        CRONREMT={Y/N}

        Defines whether or not remote systems may manipulate the Cron
        data file and signal cron that updates have been made. The
        CIFDMEDT program is used to modify the cron data remotely.

        PROFREMT={Y/N}

        Defines whether or not remote systems may edit the profile data
        on this system directly using the CIFDMEDT program. Even if set
        to N, the PROFNAME system may still access the profile directly.

        USNETCFG={Y/N}

        Invoking the Network Distributor utility (NETDIST) on a node
        causes a local copy of the topology database plus a number of
        panel libraries and other data to be copied onto the local
        system. If this flag is set, the Network Distributor utility will
        terminate without loading any additional files onto the local
        system, and terminate.

                                        21







        GETFLOCL={Y/N}

        This flag controls whether or not CIFDMGET and other programs
        which copy files to the local system will process commands. If it
        is set to N, no local programs may get files from remote systems.
        This will disable many Network Distributor functions necesary to
        install products, so it should be turned back on before
        performing installations.

        PUTFLOCL={Y/N}

        Similar to GETFLOCL, this flag controls the processing to copy
        files to other systems. As with GETFLOCL, this flag should be
        enabled prior to running a Network Distributor enabled
        installation.

        COMMLOCL={Y/N}

        This flag controls local execution of the command execution API.
        It will not allow any programs on the local system to request
        remote execution of a command.

        USEREDIT={path and file name of editor}

        This parameter defines the name of an editor to invoke in
        CIFDMEDT. It will copy a remote file to the local system in a
        temporary file and invoke the editor specified with temporary
        file name as its only parameter. The default is the editor that
        is shipped with OS/2.

        NOTE: On OS/2 version 1.3, it is necesary to supply the full name
        of the executable image, including the .exe for the editor, for
        this to function properly.


                           NETWORK DISTRIBUTOR UTILITY

        The Network Distributor utility (NETDIST) is used to manage the
        communications and product configurations for Network Distributor
        enabled products. This program acts as a network topology editor,
        allowing the user to define connections between nodes, as well as
        which protocols and services should be loaded onto each node. The
        program can be executed on any node in the network, and will
        always update the network database with its changes. The program
        contains online help for the correct values to place on most
        fields.

        To execute NETDIST, change current directory to the Network
        Distributor installation directory and enter:

           NETDIST





                                        22







        This will bring up NETDIST and allow you to edit the network
        configuration, view the system logs for installations that have
        been performed, and manage global product default values. You may
        also invoke remote product installation and configuration on one
        or more nodes using the "apply changes" functions.


                                 NETBIOS PROTOCOL

        The NETBIOS protocol requires that adequate resources be
        available on the selected adapter in order to function properly.
        Using the Lan Adapter and Protocol Support program (LAPS) which
        is supplied with OS/2 communication products, you may configure
        these resources. There are three resources that are used in
        NETBIOS, sessions, command and names. In the case of Network
        Distributor, an equal number of each resource is utilized, as
        each session will have a unique name and command to support it.
        These resources are shared by all NETBIOS applications on the
        system. See your system NETBIOS documentation for details. Note
        that separate NETBIOS parameters are specified for each adapter.

        Network Distributor will utilize the SESSCLNT and SESSIONS
        parameters from the profile to control the number of names,
        command and sessions that are requested. If the resources are not
        available, then the requested count is revised downward until
        allocation is successful. A minimum of 2 names, commands and
        sessions must be available for proper operation.


                                   ERROR CODES

        Network Distributor is a network oriented product, and is
        potentially affected by the protocols on which it is built. The
        following error codes may be reported by Network Distributor
        programs and processes:


        NETBIOS PROTOCOL-SPECIFIC ERROR CODES

        Code    Reason
        ----    -------------------------------------------------------
        105     Message Timed Out - The partner trapped or is in a loop
        110     Session closed - partner has exited
        114     Duplicate Name in local table, probably two servers
                running
        115     Name table full, need to configure more names
        116     Local Session table full, need to configure more
                sessions.
        118     Lack of resources, not enough Names,Sessions or
                Commands on remote server
        120     Cannot find name, the server is not running, or has
                trapped
        124     Session ended abnormally, partner hung up or trapped
        156     Unable to allocate required resources, too many programs
                running

                                        23







        The Network Distributor Program's have a set of error codes
        defined as well

        Code    Reason
        ----    -------------------------------------------------------
          01    Malloc failed and returned null
          02    Unable to get to destination, no route defined or
                routing error
          03    Internal logic error - should not occur unless files
                damaged
          04    Error getting local process info  from OS/2
          05    Error running DOSMOD function
          06    Unable to open CIFDM.PRF file
          07    Error in CIFDM.PRF data format
          08    Invalid Network Distributor object type for call used
          10    File not found error
          11    Unable to open route file ROUTE.DAT
          12    Unable to open object file  OBJECT.cif
          13    Unable to save object file
          14    Object file is too large > 32K
          15    Open file error on client side during CIFDMCopyFile
          16    Open file error on server side during CIFDMCopyFile
          17    Open mnemonic.dat file error
          18    Unable to open topology file in Network Distributor code
          19    Could not find basic node data in Toplogy data
          20    Incorrect cron input fields
          21    Invalid start parameters to server (adapter not included)
          22    The client has not initialized Network Distributor
                (internal error)
          23    Operation not allowed due to profile permission settings
          32    Error opening the NETCFG.LOG file
          33    File open error, file is busy or damaged


        TCP/IP PROTOCOL-SPECIFIC ERROR CODES

        Code    Reason
        ----    -------------------------------------------------------
          24    Indicates that TCP/IP service CIFDM is not defined
          25    Indicates that TCP/IP not up or is incorrectly configured
                (bindfail)
          26    Indicates error in TCP/IP (accept failed)
          27    Indicates no hosts entry in TCP/IP (no hosts file entry
                for node)
          28    TCP/IP read from socket failed
          29    TCP/IP write to socket failed
          30    TCP/IP socket open failed
          31    TCP/IP connect to partner failed.









                                        24







        NETWORK TOPOLOGY DATABASE ERROR CODES

        Code    Reason
        ----    -------------------------------------------------------
        2001    Malloc failed and returned a null in Topology routines
        2002    An invalid record was encountered in topology data (<20
                bytes)
        2003    An error occurred while saving the Topology data to
                disk
        2004    The criteria file for a defined object was not present














































                                        25






Last modified: January 23, 2004
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