Client-Server Web-based System Manager

AIX Version 4.3 System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices

Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Web-based System Manager applications can also be run in client-server mode. In this mode, the AIX machine acts as a server to a graphical client located elsewhere on the network. The Web-based System Manager server does not require a graphical terminal.

Installing Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Server Installation

The same filesets that allow Web-based System Manager Applications to run in stand-alone mode also allow Web-based System Manager to run in client-server mode. In addition, the Web-based System Manager server must be configured to be started by inetd when a client connects to the Web-based System Manager server. By default, when Web-based System Manager is installed, the Web-based System Manager server will be configured to run in this manner.

Client Installation

Because Web-based System Manager is written in Java, a Web-based System Manager client can be any machine that has a Java 1.1.2 Virtual Machine installed, including a machine with a browser that supports Java 1.1.2 A Web-based System Manager client could be another AIX machine with a graphics terminal, or a PC. There are two possibilities for Web-based System Manager clients: an applet client in a browser, and an AIX client application.

Applets: A Web-based System Manager client can be run as an applet in a browser, or as a stand-alone Java application. To run a Web-based System Manager client in a browser requires no installation. The Java classes will be downloaded by the browser as needed.
AIX client applications: All AIX machines with Web-based System Manager installed can serve as both Web-based System Manager servers and Web-based System Manager clients. No additional installation is necessary.

Configuring Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Configuring the Web-based System Manager Server

The Web-based System Manager server will be started by inetd when a Web-based System Manager client connects to the server. By default, the Web-based System Manager server will listen on port 9090 after initialization.

Configuring the Web-based System Manager client

A remote Web-based System Manager application will prompt the user for a hostname on startup. The port to which the client connects is by default the Web-based System Manager Server default port. The port number can be passed to the client application on the command line, or can be stored in the websm.cfg file.

Web-based System Manager Config file

The Web-based System Manager config file websm.cfg is kept in the /usr/websm directory on AIX machines for both the Web-based System Manager server and the Web-based System Manager client.

On non-AIX machines, this file will be searched for in the directory from which an application is invoked.

The Web-based System Manager Config file supports the following parameters:

port=9090

Configure Web-based System Manager for Applet Mode

There are three possible choices for configuring Web-based System Manager for applet mode:

If a web server is detected (such as Lotus Domino Go Webserver or Netscape Web Server), then Web-based System Manager will be automatically configured to be enabled in applet mode upon completion of installation when the Configuration Assistant is run. If a web-server is not installed, then you will be prompted for the document directory for your web-server. To bring up the Configuration Assistant at a later time after install, you can run configassist at the command line.
The default URL for the Web-based System Manager launch page will be at the following URL:

http://<hostname>/wsm.html
If a web server is not detected or does not ship with media (such as APACHE Web Server), then configuration will be required by the user if Web-based System Manager is to be used in applet mode. Configuration can be done by two methods:
1. Invoke the Web-based System Manager System application (wsm system). Select the Internet Environment icon. Follow the instructions on the Web-based System Manager Applet page of the Web-based System Manager System notebook.
2. Configure Web-based System Manager from the command line: /usr/websm/bin/wsmappletcfg -docdir <path to the document directory of your webserver> (Example: for Lotus Domino Go Webserver this would be /usr/lpp/internet/server_root/pub)
  Some web-servers look in sub-directories under the top-level directory for locale-specific html files. The wsmappletcfg program will search under the document directory for directories with the same name as locales installed for Web-based System Manager. If locale directories are found, wsmappletcfg will link the translated version of the html files to the appropriate directory.
  
  If you want the top-level html files to be set to the language of your choice, specify the option -lang <lang> when running wsmappletcfg with the 5 character locale you want (for example; ja_JP).
A third method to configure Web-based System Manager for applet mode is by using SMIT. At the command line, enter:
smit web_based_system_manager

Running Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Remote applet

A Web-based System Manager server can also be managed from any machine with a web browser. When Web-based System Manager is installed on an AIX machine, if a web server is detected, a link will be setup for the Web Server to the Web-based System Manager HTML launch page.

The default URL for the Web-based System Manager launch page is http://<machine name>/wsm.html. The actual URL may vary. See the owner of the machine for the URL if the default URL does not work.

The Web-based System Manager server will be started automatically when an applet or remote application tries to connect to it.

Remote application

From the command-line:
A Web-based System Manager application on one machine can be used to manage a Web-based System Manager server on another machine. To start Web-based System Manager to manage a remote machine, enter:
```
wsm -host <hostname> [ -port <port num> ]
```
This will bring up a login box for you to enter your account name and password
for the remote machine. If the login is successful, you will see the
Web-based System Manager launch container for the Web-based System Manager server you specified in the hostname parameter.
From the Desktop:
1. Click on the Application Manager icon.
2. Click on the System_Admin icon.
3. To manage a machine other than your own, click on the Remote Launch Pad icon.
4. Type the machine name you want to manage.
5. In the login window, type your name and password for that machine. The Web-based System Manager launch pad displays.

Enabling/Disabling the Web-based System Manager Server on an AIX 4.3 Machine

By default, the Web-based System Manager server is disabled. To enable the Web-based System Manager server, run:
/usr/websm/bin/wsmserver -enable.

To disable the server, run:
/usr/websm/bin/wsmserver -disable.