4.1 Starting the Remote Loader

Each platform has a different way to start the Remote Loader.

4.1.1 Starting the Remote Loader on Windows

You can start the Remote Loader from the Remote Loader Console icon or from the command line.

Starting from the Remote Loader Console

  1. Click the Remote Loader Console icon on the desktop.

    Remote Loader desktop icon

  2. Select a driver instance, then click Start.

    Starting a driver

Starting from the Command Line in Windows

The command line functionality is provided by dirxml_remote.exe. By default, it is located in c:\novell\RemoteLoader\dirxml_remote.exe.

  1. At a command prompt, set the password for the Remote Loader. For password command options, see Table 4-1.

    dirxml_remote -config path_to_config_file -sp password password

  2. Start the Remote Loader.

    dirxml_remote -config path_to_config_file

  3. Use iManager to start the driver.

  4. Confirm that the Remote Loader is working properly.

    The Remote Loader loads the Identity Manager application shim only when the Remote Loader is in communication with the remote interface shim on the Metadirectory server. This means, for example, that the application shim shuts down if the Remote Loader loses communication with the Metadirectory server.

  5. (Conditional) Install the Remote Loader as a Win32 service.

    Run this step if the Remote Loader was not installed as a service using the console.

    dirxml_remote -config config.txt -service install

Table 4-1 Password Command Line Options

Option

Secondary Name

Parameter

Description

-password

-p

password

Specifies the password for command authentication. This password must be the same as the first password specified with setpasswords for the loader instance being commanded. If a command option (for example, unload or tracechange) is specified and the password option isn’t specified, the user is prompted to enter the password for the loader that is the target of the command.

Example:

-password novell4 
-p novell4

-setpasswords

-sp

password password

Specifies the password for the Remote Loader instance and the password of the Identity Manager Driver object of the remote interface shim that the Remote Loader communicates with. The first password in the argument is the password for the Remote Loader. The second password in the optional arguments is the password for the Identity Manager Driver object associated with the remote interface shim on the Metadirectory server. Either no password or both passwords must be specified. If no password is specified, the Remote Loader prompts for the passwords. This is a configuration option. Using this option configures the Remote Loader instance with the passwords specified but doesn’t load an Identity Manager application shim or communicate with another loader instance.

Example:

-setpasswords novell4 staccato3 
-sp novell4 staccato3

4.1.2 Auto-Starting the Remote Loader

To auto-start the Remote Loader on a Windows platform, see Step 9 in Section 3.1, Configuring the Remote Loader on Windows.

Select Establish a Remote Loader service for this driver instance if you want the Remote Loader as a service.

Establish a Remote Loader service for this driver instance

When this option is enabled, the operating system automatically starts the Remote Loader when the computer starts.

To auto-start the Remote Loader on a Linux/Unix platform, place your configuration file in /etc/opt/novell/dirxml/rdxml. Your Remote Loader instance starts automatically when the computer starts.

4.1.3 Starting the Remote Loader on Solaris, Linux, or AIX

On Solaris, Linux, or AIX, the binary component rdxml provides the Remote Loader functionality. The default location of this component is in the /usr/bin/ directory.

  1. Set the password for the Remote Loader. For command password options, see Table 4-1.

    Platform

    Command

    Solaris LInux AIX

    rdxml -config path_to_config_file -sp password password

    HP-UX* AS/400* OS/390* z/OS

    dirxml_jremote -config path_to_config_file -sp password password

    A sample config file can be as follows:

    commandport  8000

    connection  "port=8090 handshaketimeout=2000"

    trace  4

    tracefile  /opt/novell/dirxml/bin/RemotePipeShim.log

    tracefilemax  4096M

    class  com.novell.nds.dirxml.driver.delimitedtext.DelimitedTextDriver

  2. The above command does not start the Remote Loader, but creates the encrypted password files. See TID 7001255 for more information.

    Now run the above command without the -sp option to start the Remote Loader.

    Platform

    Command

    Solaris LInux AIX

    rdxml -config path_to_config_file

    HP-UX AS/400 OS/390 z/OS

    dirxml_jremote -config path_to_config_file

  3. Use iManager to start the driver.

  4. Confirm that the Remote Loader is operating properly.

    The Remote Loader loads the Identity Manager application shim only when the Remote Loader is in communication with the remote interface shim on the Metadirectory server. This means, for example, that the application shim shuts down if the Remote Loader loses communication with the Metadirectory server.

    For Linux, Solaris, or AIX, use the ps command or a trace file to find out whether the command and connection ports are listening.

    For HP-UX and similar platforms, monitor the Java Remote Loader by using the tail command on the tracefile:

    tail -f trace filename

    If the last line of the log shows the following, the loader is successfully running and awaiting connection from the Identity Manager remote interface shim:

    TRACE: Remote Loader: Entering listener accept()