H.0 Configuration Planning Worksheet

Use the following worksheet to log configuration information as you plan how to set up your distribution system. You might need to attach lists for some items.

This worksheet is designed to print best from the PDF version of the documentation.

IMPORTANT:Do not use this planning worksheet by itself to configure Policy and Distribution Services, even if you feel experienced enough to do so. There are some required configuration steps that are not covered in this worksheet, because planning is not needed for those steps. Use the sections under Section 1.2, Configuring Your Distribution System as your guide for performing the actual configuration of Policy and Distribution Services.

Configuration Information

Instructions

Installing Additional Distributors, Databases, and Subscribers  

If you do not have additional Distributors, databases, or Subscribers to install, skip to worksheet item 12.

1) Tree for the Distributor and ZENworks Database objects:             

Provide the name of the eDirectory tree for installing the Server Management objects.

For more information, see Section 1.1.3, Understanding Your Network Topology.

2) Distributor server names:                         

Provide the server names for each server that you want to be a Distributor. Distributor servers build and own the Distributions.

For more information, see Distributor Properties.

3) Subscriber server names:                                                                     

Provide the server names for each server that you want to be a Subscriber. Subscriber servers receive and extract the Distributions.

For more information, see Section 1.1.5, Other Subscribers To Be Installed?.

4) Database server names:                      

Provide the server names for each server where you want to install the Server Management database, which can be installed on NetWare and Windows servers.

You can have multiple databases for Policy and Distribution Services, but only one per server.

Also specify the purpose for each database, or a Distributor identifier for each database if they will each be used the same way.

For more information, see Whether a Distributor Server Will Host a Server Management Database.

5) Installation paths for Distributors’ software:                   

Provide the path where you want the Distributor software installed. The default is \zenworks for both NetWare and Windows servers.

For more information, see Software Installation Paths.

6) Installation paths for Subscriber software:                                        

Provide the path where you want the Subscriber software installed. The default is \zenworks for both NetWare and Windows servers.

For more information, see Software Installation Paths.

7) Distributors’ properties, where different than the installation defaults:                                                       

Edit the following information for your Distributor servers:

  • Distributor object’s name (the default is Distributor_server_name)

  • Distributor’s context

  • Distributor server’s working directory

For more information, see Distributor Properties.

8) Subscribers’ properties, where different than the installation defaults:                                                                               

Edit the following information for your Subscriber servers:

  • Subscriber object’s name (the default is Subscriber_server_name)

  • Subscriber context

  • Subscriber server’s working directory

For more information, see Section 1.1.5, Other Subscribers To Be Installed?.

9) Installation paths for Server Management database software:                                              

Provide the path where you want the zfslog.db file located. The default is \zenworks\database. For NetWare servers, we recommend not using the sys: volume because the database file can become very large. We also recommend that you install the database software on a server where the Subscriber software is also installed so that you can use the Database Purge option.

For more information, see Software Installation Paths.

10) Database object name:                   

Either accept the default names, or provide ones that will help you to identify the databases’ purposes.

For more information, see Whether a Distributor Server Will Host a Server Management Database.

11) Database object Container:       

We recommend you use the same container where your other Tiered Electronic Distribution objects reside.

For more information, see Whether a Distributor Server Will Host a Server Management Database.

Configuring the Distributors for a Mixed eDirectory Environment  

If you do not have a mixed eDirectory environment, skip to worksheet item 13.

12) IP address of server in eDirectory 8.x:          

Provide the IP address of a server in the tree using eDirectory 8.x. This can be the Distributor server’s IP address, if that server is running eDirectory 8.x.

For more information, see Whether Distributors Might Exist in a Mixed eDirectory Environment.

Installing Inter-Server Communications  

If you do not need to set up inter-server communications, skip to worksheet item 14.

13) Subscriber servers outside your secured network:                                                                                           

Inter-server communications security might be needed if your Distributor and Subscriber servers communicate with servers outside your secured network.

For more information, see Determining Whether You Need Inter-Server Communications Security.

Installing NICI on Windows, Linux, or Solaris Servers  

If you do not need to install NICI to these servers, skip to worksheet item 15.

14) Windows, Linux, or Solaris servers (Distributor or Subscriber) that will be involved with Distribution encryption:                                              

List the Windows, Linux, or Solaris servers that will either build (Distributors) or extract (Subscribers) encrypted Distributions.

For more information, see Determining Whether You Need Encryption Security for Windows Servers.

Configuring the Distributor Routing Hierarchies  

   

15) Distributors’ routing hierarchies of tiered Subscribers:                                                                                        

Create a chart of tiered Subscribers for each Distributor showing how you want your Distributions to be distributed on your network. Distributors can use Subscribers in other Distributor’s routing hierarchies. However, a Subscriber should only be used once in a given Distributor’s hierarchy so that an end-node Subscriber only has one distribution path for receiving a particular Distribution.

For more information, see Section 1.1.6, Determining the Distribution Flow.

Configuring Parent Subscribers  

   

16) Subscriber/parent Subscriber assignments (end-node Subscribers associated with a parent Subscriber):                                                                                                       

Create Subscriber lists where each parent Subscriber delivers Distributions. You should assign each end-node Subscriber to a parent Subscriber, except where you want the end-node Subscriber to receive its Distribution directly from the Distributor.

For more information, see Selecting Subscribers for the Distribution Routes.

Creating and Configuring Subscriber Groups  

If you are not using Subscriber Groups, skip to worksheet item 19.

17) Subscriber Group object name:       

Provide a unique name for the Subscriber Group.

For more information, see Subscriber Groups.

18) Subscribers to be in this group:                

Provide a list of Subscribers that need the same Distributions from the Channel where the group is subscribed.

Creating the Policy Package Distributions  

   

19) Distributions, their types, and their Distributors:                                                                                                                                                       

Create a list of your Distributions. For each Distribution, include the Distribution type, object name, and servers that need the Distribution. The Distribution types are:

For more information, see Section 1.1.2, Selecting Your Distributions.

Creating and Configuring the Channels  

   

20) eDirectory container for Tiered Electronic Distribution objects:          

Container for creating and managing Tiered Electronic Distribution objects.

You might have created a container during installation of Policy and Distribution Services. If not, you should create a container specifically for managing Tiered Electronic Distribution objects.

For more information, see Whether a Distributor Server Will Host a Server Management Database.

21) Channel names:                                           

Provide the names of the Channel objects that you need for your Distributions. We recommend a unique Channel for each unique Distribution or Distribution grouping.

For more information, see Section 1.1.8, Determining the Channels for the Distributions.

22) Distributions for the Channels:                                                                            

Create a list of which Distributions belong to which Channels.

For more information, see Section 1.1.8, Determining the Channels for the Distributions.

Subscribing to the Channels  

   

23) Subscribers’ Extract schedules:                                                                   

Set extract schedules per Subscriber server according to when it would be best for each Subscriber to be extracting its Distributions.

For more information, see Section 1.1.9, Determining Subscribers’ Subscriptions.

24) Channel associations with Subscribers and Subscriber Groups:                                                                                           

Create lists where Subscribers and Subscriber Groups are associated with the Channels that have the Distributions you want them to receive.