Setting up NetDirector Using the Administrator login

When logged in to the Administrator section of NetDirector, you cannot use the system to manage servers. Rather, the Administrator section is specifically and exclusively for the purpose of adding users to the NetDirector system, and assigning the users to roles. How you choose to assign users to roles is entirely up to you.

You may decide to make just one role and place all servers and all services running on those servers in that role. Further, you may decide to assign all users to this role. This configuration would result in all users of the NetDirector system having access to all servers and all services. We can call this the Permissive, or Open, configuration.

Alternatively, you may choose to create multiple highly specialized roles. For example, you may decide to create a role called Email, into which you place only your Email servers, and another role called Web into which you place your Apache, Bind and DHCP servers, and so forth. It would then be logical to assign your Email Administrators to the Email role, your Web Admins to the Web role, and so on. We can call this the Restrictive, or Closed, configuration.

There can be any number of shades of gray between these two extremes. The point is that NetDirector is designed to be as flexible as possible so that you can set it up to match the way you organize your IT department. And this customization starts with the Administrator capabilities of the tool.

Administrator Screen

Once logged in as the administrator, the toolbar at the top of the screen allows access to the various management setup screens.

Here are explanations of each button, from left to right:

• Manage Servers - Displays the Server Administration screen, where all servers under management are added, edited, or deleted.
  
• Manage Roles - Displays the Role Administration screen where groups of users are assigned to for management of the servers and services assigned to the role.
  
• Manage Users - Allows you to add and delete users, and assign them to specific Roles.
  
• System's Email button - Allows you to configure the email server information to allow NetDirector to send information to users via email.
  
• Scheduled Changes - Allows you to view all scheduled changes
• Rollback Changes - Allows you to view all rollbacks for any changes that have already taken effect.
  
• Log Out - Logs out the Administrator login and takes you back to the NetDirector login screen.