York Version 1.5.0 manual Introduction and Overview, Introduction to ConsoleWorks

2. Introduction and Overview

2-1. Introduction to ConsoleWorks

ConsoleWorks is an application built to monitor console port text or SYSLOG messages and to directly manage any device supporting console port connections. It runs on OpenVMS, Unix and NT/2000 platforms. In addi- tion, ConsoleWorks can manage devices indirectly by using script-initiated management applications running on the ConsoleWorks host.

ConsoleWorks accomplishes this management with three major components:

•a standard web browser (or a command line user interface)

•a specialized web server, and

•a host connected via cable to the device’s serial console port (direct management) or by network (indirect management).

Other than the original installation and some preliminary configurations, most ConsoleWorks operations are managed and configured using a standard web browser.

ConsoleWorks' flexibility provides the capability:

•to manage any device allowing management from a console port from any workstation on the net- work connected to the ConsoleWorks host,

•to manage hosts on a network remotely, either via the internet or a dialup network,

•for a ConsoleWorks server to use host-based utilities to contact a person based on event driven criteria, and

•to organize managed devices into logical groupings.

♦note: The V1.5-0 ConsoleWorks server for the Windows NT/2000 platform supports one server invocation. Fu- ture releases will provide the capability for multiple invocations on one server. Each ConsoleWorks invocation is a separate entity. Two concurrently running invocations do not share resources (profiles, users or console ports).

ConsoleWorks Windows NT/2000 server requires a system running Windows NT 4.0 with at least Service Pack 3 or Windows 2000. ConsoleWorks also requires a TCP/IP protocol stack.

The V1.5-0 ConsoleWorks Product Kit contains the files required for installing the following ConsoleWorks com- ponents:

1.ConsoleWorks Web Server, and

2.ConsoleWorks public domain scan and event definitions.

This guide describes how to install ConsoleWorks on a Windows NT/2000 host.

♦note: ConsoleWorks requires a valid license to operate.

2-2. Overview of the ConsoleWorks Installation Process

It is strongly recommended that installers design and plan their implementation of a ConsoleWorks installation. ConsoleWorks components require configuration that proceeds much more smoothly when an installation plan is followed. Suggestions and recommendations can be found in the Installation Concepts section of this chapter.

ConsoleWorks installs in two stages.

1)The first stage of the installation includes:

•downloading ConsoleWorks from the internet or mounting the CD,

•installing ConsoleWorks from the distribution kit,

3