Planning GroupWise Monitor

Before installing GroupWise Monitor, you should complete the planning tasks listed below. The planning tasks help you gather information you need as you install and set up GroupWise Monitor. You can use the GroupWise Monitor Installation Worksheet to record your installation and setup information.


Deciding Where to Install the GroupWise Monitor Components

After reviewing GroupWise Monitor Overview and the system requirements listed in Monitor System Requirements, plan where you want to install the Monitor components in your system.


Monitor Server

The Monitor Agent runs on Linux and Windows.

If you want to install the Monitor Agent and the Monitor Application on the same server, you can install them at the same time. If you want to install them on different servers, you must run the Monitor Installation program twice, once for each server. For example, you might want to install the Monitor Application on NetWare for use with a NetWare Web server, but you must always install the Monitor Agent on Linux or Windows.

The installation directory for the Monitor Agent depends on the platform:

  • Linux: The Linux Monitor Agent is automatically installed to the bin and lib subdirectories of /opt/novell/groupwise/agents.

  • Windows: The default installation directory is c:\gwmon.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 1: Platform, mark the platform (Linux or Windows) where you plan to install the Monitor Agent.

Under Item 2: Components to Install, select whether you want to install the Monitor Agent, the Monitor Application, or both.

Under Item 3: Monitor Agent Installation Path, specify the directory on the Linux or Windows server where you want to install the Monitor Agent software.


Web Server

The Monitor Application integrates with your Web server to pass agent status information gathered by the Monitor Agent to your Web browser for display in the Monitor Web console. The location of the Monitor Application files that are installed depends on the Web server that it is being integrated with. For example, on Windows, the images used to produce the Monitor Web console interface and the Monitor Web console help files are installed in the docs\com\novell\gwmonitor subdirectory beneath the Web server root directory. On Linux, they are installed in the gwmon/com/novell/gwmonitor subdirectory beneath the tomcat/webapps directory.

The Web server uses a servlet engine in order to incorporate product-specific components, such as the Monitor Application, into its functioning.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 7: Web Server, select the Web server you want to use with Monitor.

Under Item 8: Web Server Path, specify the directory path to the Web server root directory.

Under Item 12: Java Servlet Engine, mark whether you want to use the Novell Servlet Gateway, the Tomcat Servlet Gateway, or another Java servlet engine.

If you use the Novell Servlet Gateway, it is installed in sys:\java on NetWare or in c:\novell\java on Windows. If you choose to use the Tomcat Servlet Gateway or another Java servlet engine, you need to specify the directory path to where the servlet engine is installed.


Determining the Monitor Agent's Configuration

As you install the Monitor Agent, you are prompted to supply the configuration information described in the following sections:


Monitor Agent Network Address

The Monitor Agent communicates with the Monitor Application and with monitored agents by way of TCP/IP.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 4: Monitor Agent Network Address, record the IP address or DNS hostname of the Linux or Windows server where you plan to install the Monitor Agent software. Use the default port number of 8200 unless that number is already in use on that server.


Domain Directory Path

The Monitor Agent can gather information about the locations of GroupWise agents to monitor by reading from a domain database. Using the gathered information, the Monitor Agent can display a list of monitored agents when you start it for the first time.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 5: Domain Directory Path, specify the directory path to a domain where a GroupWise 6.x MTA is running.


Default Monitor Agent Language (Windows Only)

GroupWise Monitor is automatically installed in all available languages. During installation, you can select a default language for the Monitor Agent console interface, which is available on Windows but not on Linux.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 6: Default Monitor Agent Console Language, specify a default language.

On Linux, you use the Monitor Web console exclusively.


LDAP Information (Linux Only)

If you are installing the Linux Monitor Agent and Monitor Application, the Installation Advisor needs to access eDirectory through LDAP. eDirectory access is required in order to create the Monitor Agent and Monitor Application objects. To obtain access, the Installation Advisor needs the IP address and port number of an LDAP server, along with a username and password to log in with. Because the Linux Installation Advisor uses LDAP to access eDirectory, you must provide the username in LDAP format. For example:

cn=admin,ou=users,o=corporate

If you want to secure the connection to eDirectory with SSL, you can specify a certificate file. For background information about SSL, see "Encryption and Certificates" in "Security" in the GroupWise 6.5 Administration Guide. If you do not want to use SSL, the LDAP server must be configured to accept clear text passwords

WORKSHEET

Under Item 15: LDAP Information, specify the IP address and port number of an LDAP server, a username in LDAP format, the password for the username, and if necessary, the full path to your SSL certificate file.


Determining the Monitor Application's Configuration

As you install the Monitor Application to a Web server, you are prompted to supply the configuration information described in the following sections:


Web Clipping Application (PQA) URL

On Windows, the Monitor Installation program creates a Web Clipping Application (PQA), also referred to as a Palm Query Application, to enable Palm OS device users to access the GroupWise Monitor Web console. (The Web Clipping Application is not available on Linux.)

The Web Clipping Application, named gwmon.pqa, includes the URL required to connect to the Monitor Application, a Login page, an About Novell GroupWise page, and the images used when displaying the Monitor Web console on the Palm OS device.

You must specify the URL you want used. For example:

http://groupwise.novell.com

The Monitor Installation program automatically appends /servlet/gwmonitor to the URL so that users are directed to the Monitor login page. For example, using the URL above, the Monitor Installation program creates the following URL in the gwmon.pqa file:

http://groupwise.novell.com/servlet/gwmonitor

As you determine the URL, keep in mind the following:

  • If the Web server uses SSL, you need to change http to https.
  • If you are using a proxy server, you need to specify the proxy server's address.
  • The Web clipping proxy server (gateway) does not currently support challenge and response authentication. Therefore, you need to ensure that the Web server is not configured to require basic challenge response authentication, or at least is configured not to require this authentication for the URL defined in the gwmon.pqa file.
GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 9: Web Clipping Application (PQA) URL, specify the URL you want included in the gwmon.pqa file.


Web Server Default Page

The main Novell Web Services page (novell.htm) is installed to the Web server's root directory. In the Windows Monitor Installation program, you can have this file replace the Web server's current default Web page, or you can retain the current default Web page. On Linux, this Web page is handled differently, so there is no need to replace an existing Web page on Linux.

If you use the Novell Web Services page as the default Web server page, the Web server's current default page remains in its original location but is renamed to filename.001 (for example, default.001 or index.001). You should change the default Web server page only if the server and its Web server are used solely for Novell products. As you install additional Novell products, the Novell page is updated to allow access to each one.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 10: Default Web Page, specify whether you want to use the Novell Web Services page or retain the Web server's current default page.


eDirectory Objects and Configuration File

Monitor Application configuration information is stored in two places: in Novell eDirectoryTM and in a configuration file. You can easily modify the configuration information in ConsoleOne® by editing the properties of the GroupWise Monitor Application object (named GroupWiseMonitor). However, the configuration file is required if you need to install the Monitor Application to a Web server that is outside your firewall, where access to eDirectory is not available. The default location of the Monitor Application configuration file depends on the platform:

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

If you are installing the Windows Monitor, under Item 11: Monitor Configuration File Path, specify the directory on the Web server where you want to create the Monitor Application configuration file. On Linux, the Monitor software is automatically installed in subdirectories under /opt/novell/groupwise/agents.

Under Item 13: Monitor Object Configuration, specify the tree and context where you want the Monitor Installation program to create the GroupWise Monitor Application object and the accompanying Monitor Provider object (named GroupWiseProvider).

eDirectory is considered the master location for the Monitor Application configuration information. Any changes made directly to the Monitor Application configuration file are overwritten the next time the information in eDirectory is modified and saved.

The default configuration information is sufficient for an initial Monitor installation. For more information about configuring Monitor, see "Monitor" in the GroupWise 6.5 Administration Guide.


Default Monitor Web Console Language

GroupWise Monitor is automatically installed in all available languages. If necessary, you can select a different default language for the Monitor Web console interface and default Web server page than you selected for the Monitor Agent console interface.

GROUPWISE MONITOR INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 13: Default Monitor Web Console Language, specify a default language.