Manage Servers

Use the Manage Servers functionality to add servers to the NetDirector system. This must be done before any server can be managed by the system. The only prerequisites are that the server be running a version of Linux that NetDirector manages, that it have an Emu Sofware Server Agent installed, and that it be connected to the Server Manager by a network.

Adding a Server

1. To add a server, click the "Add Server" button. This will display the Add Server screen:
   

    

   Note: You will see essentially this same screen if you select an existing server and click the "Update" button. However, under "Update", the "Available to All Users" option is not available.

   In the "Name" field, enter the name you want to use to identify the server in NetDirector. This can be any identifying string, such as host name, IP address, company name, server type, etc. We recommend this be a string that is unique to each server, as this will be the only identifier that users will see.

    

   Note: Server names cannot contain any of the following characters: \/:*?\"<>|\'

2. Enter the IP address of the server.

    

3. Enter the username and password for the user that the NetDirector Server Agent is installed at. This can be root, or a non-root user with privileges to modify and restart the services being managed on the system.

    

4. The "Server Port" field defaults to the NetDirector default value of 8500. This is the port that the Server Agent is listening on for communication from the Server Manager. If for any reason this port number was modified during the Server Agent installation, be sure to make that change here as well.

    

5. The Server Service Tag and Server Lease Expiration Date, and Remarks fields are optional. These fields will show up in the Manage Servers screen to help better track server information.

    

6. Selecting "Yes" for the "Available to All Users" option will bypass all roles for this server and allow all users to access the server. This can be useful if there are only one or two system administrators who are making changes and need access to all servers managed by NetDirector. However, for larger deployments we recommend that this option be left at the default value of "No", and that each server is instead added to the appropriate Role.

    

   Note: This setting cannot be modified via the Update button later. Please make sure to set this properly or you will need to delete the Server from the Server Manageent screen and re-add it to modify the setting.

7. Once your server information is configured properly, click "Save". You will be returned to the Add Server screen to allow you to add more servers. When you are finished adding servers, click "Close" to return to the Server Management screen.

Managing Services on Server Agents

Each individual service managed by NetDirector can be configured in the Server Manager to be enabled or disabled. Also, if the service is not installed in the default location, the information on where to find the files can be configured. To modify the service configuration on any Server Agent, do the following:

1. Select the server you want to modify in the Server Management screen, and click the Services button. You will see the Service Administration screen:

1. To disable a service from being managed via NetDirector, select "Disable" from the Service Option drop-down menu to the right of the service.

2. To enable an installed service that is currently disabled, select "Enable" from the Service Option drop-down menu to the right of the service.

3. To change the configuration file path from the default location for your Server Agent OS, select "Change" from the Service Option drop-down menu to the right of the service. This should activate the two text box fields to the right. In the Directory field, enter the path to the directory where the configuration files are stored. In the Binary/Bootup File field, you can enter the complete path to the binary or startup script which launches the service if it is different from the default.

4. Once finished, click "Update". Click "Close" to return to the Server Management screen.