Article

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By Eric Marcus

If you have ever had overly helpful staff members bring a server down (reset/reboot) during production time, you'll appreciate this. Here is how to prevent the downing of servers by people other than you, using ZENworks 7 Server Management.

For restricting downing to non-production time

1. In ConsoleOne, create a Distributed Server Package called RestrictDownTime (or name to your preference) in the correct server policy container.
2. In the Properties of the above Package, select Policies, NeWware and click on Add.
3. Click on "Scheduled Load/Unload, name that policy as LoadMyNLM (or whatever).
4. Click Properties of LoadMyNLM, there is a blank box with a down triangle below that, click it.
5. Select Load NLM, Click Add.

Here is where you will have to think. I use AIO.NLM in this box because none of my servers needs it and it has no negative impact on my servers. You can use your choice of NLM or make one with CodeWarrior that does nothing and put it in there.

6. I use AIO.NLM so I will put it in the Filename box.
7. Save it, and make sure the Default Package Schedule is set to Run Immediately.
8. Create your TED objects like you normally would, and make sure the TEDChannel is set to run at the start of your production time (8:00AM for example). You need a TEDChannel, TEDDistribution and the Server Package Policy.
9. Repeat 1 to 9 but select Unload NLM and select 5:00PM in its own TEDChannel (a separate TEDChannel for the different times).

Now, after the above, you have an NLM that is loaded from 8-5 or whenever your production time is.

10. Go to the Properties of the Package and click on Add, select Server Down Process.
11. Go to the Properties, click on the Conditions tab, put a checkmark in Use conditions in downing server, click on the box at the bottom, select NLM or JAVA loaded: and click Add.
12. Put AIO.NLM in the box that says, Name of NLM or Java: (note it is case sensitive)
13. Refresh your Distributor and check the policy by typing Policy List at the ZENworks Console.
14. In autoexec.ncf add Alias Reboot at the bottom to remove the ability of typing reboot server at the console. (Down and reset server will not work with AIO.NLM loaded, but reboot server somehow gets around that.)

Hopefully the "helpful" person will not look in the logger screen on the server because it will say Conditions Met; AIO.NLM loaded.

When YOU want to reboot it during production, simply unload AIO and you are all set.

If you have any questions you may contact Eric at eric.marcus@kentcounty.org

Disclaimer: As with everything else at Cool Solutions, this content is definitely not supported by Novell (so don't even think of calling Support if you try something and it blows up).

It was contributed by a community member and is published "as is." It seems to have worked for at least one person, and might work for you. But please be sure to test, test, test before you do anything drastic with it.