2.4 Managing the Agents through Remote Web Console

On NetWare® servers, you can monitor the Distributor Agent and the Policy/Package Agent at the server console where they are running. In addition, you can monitor the agents running on any supported platform (NetWare, Windows, Linux, or Solaris) from Internet Explorer using the ZENworks Server Management role in iManager.

However, the following Policy and Distribution Services management tasks cannot be performed in iManager and must be performed using ConsoleOne:

2.4.1 Setting Up Passwords for Remote Web Console

To secure the features provided by Remote Web Console, you can add a password in one of the following ways:

Adding a Password Using iManager

  1. Open iManager and click ZENworks Server Management > Remote Web Console.

  2. In the Display field, select Policy Package Agent.

  3. Click the Actions tab, then click Set Password.

    The following is displayed:

  4. If a previous password exists, then enter it in the Old Password field; otherwise, leave the field blank.

    IMPORTANT:Passwords are case sensitive.

  5. Enter the new password twice, once in the New Password field and again in the Confirm New Password field, then click OK.

    The following is displayed:

    You do not need to click OK again. Clicking OK does not exit the page; it only causes the entries in these two fields to be validated.

    The password is requested the next time Remote Web Console is accessed, even without reopening iManager.

Adding a Password by Editing the Zws.properties File

  1. Open zws.properties in a text editor that is appropriate for the following platforms:

    Linux:

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/zws.properties

    NetWare:

    volume:\zenworks\zws\zws.properties

    Windows:

    drive:\zenworks\zws\zws.properties

  2. Locate or add the following line:

    xmlrpcPassword=

    This line is case sensitive.

  3. Either replace the old password or append your new password to this line.

    The password is case sensitive.

  4. Save and exit the zws.properties file.

    The password is requested the next time Remote Web Console is accessed, even without reopening iManager.

Adding a Password Using a Distributed Server Package

  1. In ConsoleOne, create a Distributed Server Package.

    For more information, see Section 4.2.2, Creating a Policy Package Object.

    Depending on the purpose of the policy package, provide a descriptive package name, such as “Distributed Server Package - New RWC Password” or “Distributed Server Package - Replace RWC Password.”

  2. Right-click the newly created Distributed Server Package object, then click Properties.

  3. On the Policies tab, select the applicable platform, then click Add.

  4. Select Text File Changes, type a name for the policy in the Policy Name field, then click OK.

    The new policy should be displayed and selected. If not, select the check box in the Enabled column for the new policy.

  5. Click Properties, then click Add.

  6. In the New Text File Change dialog box, fill in the fields:

    Filename: The name of the file to be edited by the policy, including its full path.

    Change Description: Provide a short description of the change.

  7. Depending on whether you are replacing an existing password or inserting the password for the first time, do one of the following:

    • If you are creating a new password, fill in the fields:

      Change Mode: Select Append to File from the drop-down list.

      New String: Enter xmlrpcPassword=your_new_password, which provides this new line and password. Both the key and password are case sensitive.

    • If yo are replacing an existing password, fill in the fields:

      Change Mode: Select Search File from the drop-down list.

      Search Type: Select Start of Line from the drop-down list.

      Search String: Type the search string (the beginning of the line).

      Case Sensitive: Select this check box to enable it.

      Find All Occurrences: Select this check box to enable it.

      Result Action: Select Replace Line from the drop-down list.

      New String: Enter xmlrpcPassword=your_new_password, which fully replaces the existing line and password. Both the key and password are case sensitive.

  8. For multiple platforms, repeat Step 3 through Step 7.

  9. Click OK to save the changes.

  10. Create a Distribution for this package and assign it to the Distributor.

    For more information, see Section 3.4.4, Creating a Distribution.

    The password is requested the next time Remote Web Console is accessed after this Distribution has been applied, even without reopening iManager.

Removing Password Protection Using iManager

  1. Open iManager and click ZENworks Server Management > Remote Web Console.

  2. In the Display field, select Policy Package Agent.

  3. Click the Actions tab, then click Set Password.

    The following is displayed:

  4. In the Old Password field, enter the current password.

    IMPORTANT:Passwords are case sensitive.

  5. Make sure that both the New Password field and the Confirm New Password field are empty, then click OK.

    The following is displayed:

    You do not need to click OK again. Clicking OK does not exit the page; it only causes the entries in these two fields to be validated.

    The password is no longer requested the next time Remote Web Console is accessed, even without reopening iManager.

2.4.2 Managing the Distributor Agent

To access the Remote Web Console for a Distributor or Subscriber:

  1. Open iManager, select Roles and Tasks in the top frame, expand ZENworks Server Management in the left frame, then click Remote Web Console to display the following:

  2. Specify the IP address or DNS hostname of a server where the Distributor Agent or Policy/Package Agent is running, then click OK.

    or

    Browse to and select a Distributor or Subscriber object or the Server object representing the server where the Distributor Agent is running, then click OK.

    If you have passwords in effect, the following is displayed:

  3. Enter a valid Remote Web Console password.

    The password is case sensitive.

  4. Click Help on each Remote Web Console page for information on using the features available on that page.

    In the Display field, Tiered Electronic Distribution is the default. The other option is Policy Package Agent (see Section 2.4.3, Managing the Policy/Package Agent).

    Tabs at the top of the Remote Web Console frame provide various types of information related to the Policy and Distribution Services agents. Additional options are available on each tab.

  5. Continue with the task that you want to perform:

    Table 2-1 through Table 2-5 summarize these tasks, give details for the Remote Web Console tab and option to use for each task, and indicate whether the task can also be performed using ConsoleOne.

Managing Tiered Electronic Distribution Objects

Table 2-1 Policy and Distribution Services Agent Tasks

Policy and Distribution Services Agent Management Task

Remote Web Console Tab and Option

ConsoleOne

List all object properties of Distributor and Subscriber objects in a single list

Configuration > Configuration

No

List the object properties of any subordinate Subscriber in the routing hierarchy

Configuration > Subordinate Configuration

No

List all object properties of Distribution objects (except type-specific information) in a single list

Distributions > Distribution Information

No

List all object properties of Channel objects in a single list

Channels > Channel Information

No

Display information about the Server Management database

Configuration > Database

Yes

If the Distributor has not been refreshed since changes were made to object properties in eDirectory, the object properties displayed in the Remote Web Console are different from the object properties displayed in ConsoleOne.The Remote Web Console displays object information from the point of view of the Distributor Agent.

Monitoring Policy and Distribution Services Agent Status

Table 2-2 Monitoring Agent Status Tasks

Policy and Distribution Services Agent Management Task

Remote Web Console Tab and Option

ConsoleOne

View and continuously refresh the current Distributor event log, complete with message severity levels

Events > Distributor Event Log

No

View and continuously refresh the current Subscriber event log, complete with message severity levels

Events > Subscriber Event Log

No

Display the current status of the various distribution threads started by the Policy and Distribution Services agents to perform their various functions

Configuration > Threads

No

Monitoring Distribution Status

Table 2-3 Monitoring Distribution Status Tasks

Policy and Distribution Services Agent Management Task

Remote Web Console Tab and Option

ConsoleOne

List all Distributions currently being processed by the Distributor or Subscriber, along with detailed status information

Distributions > Active Distributions

No

Display status information for a selected Distribution that has been received by a Subscriber

Distributions > Received Distributions

No

Display the route that a Distribution must take through the routing hierarchy from a Distributor or parent Subscriber to any subordinate Subscriber

Configuration > Route to Subscriber

No

Forcing Policy and Distribution Services Agent Actions

Table 2-4 Forcing Agent Actions Tasks

Policy and Distribution Services Agent Management Task

Remote Web Console Tab and Option

ConsoleOne

Immediately refresh a Distributor so that it reads eDirectory to check for modified Distributions

Configuration > Refresh Distributor

Yes

Immediately build a Distribution

Distributions > Build Distribution

Schedule dependent

Immediately send all Distributions listed in a selected Channel

Channels > Distribute Channel

Not with one click

Managing Security Certificates

Table 2-5 Managing Security Certificates Tasks

Policy and Distribution Services Agent Management Task

Remote Web Console Tab and Option

ConsoleOne

List the security certificates that are available on a Subscriber

Security > Show Certificates

No

Delete security certificates from a Subscriber

Security > Show Certificates > Remove Certificate

No

Have the Distributor sign Subscribers’ Certificate Signing Request (.csr) files so that the Subscribers can receive encrypted Distributions from the Distributor

Security > Sign CSR

Yes

2.4.3 Managing the Policy/Package Agent

The Policy/Package Agent is responsible for installing the software and enforcing the policies that it receives and extracts. The Remote Web Console enables you to manage the Policy/Package Agent, which is not possible using ConsoleOne.

To access the Remote Web Console for a Policy/Package Agent:

  1. Open iManager, select Roles and Tasks in the top frame, expand ZENworks Server Management in the left frame, then click Remote Web Console to display the following:

  2. Specify the IP address or DNS hostname of a server where the Policy/Package Agent is running, then click OK.

    or

    Browse to and select a Subscriber object or the Server object representing the server where the Policy/Package Agent is running, then click OK.

  3. If you have passwords in effect, the following is displayed:

    Enter a valid Remote Web Console password.

    The password is case sensitive.

  4. In the Display field, select Policy Package Agent (Tiered Electronic Distribution is the default).

    Click Help on each Remote Web Console page for information on using the features available on that page.

    Tabs at the top of the Remote Web Console frame provide various types of information related to the Policy/Package Agent.

  5. Continue with the task that you want to perform.

    The following table summarizes these tasks and gives the Remote Web Console tab for each task.

    Policy/Package Agent Management Task

    Remote Web Console

    ConsoleOne

    List the plug-ins that are currently loaded for enforcing server policies

    Configuration

    No

    List all the variables that the Policy/Package Agent has values for

    Configuration

    No

    List all the policies that the Policy/Package Agent enforces on a Subscriber server

    Policies

    No

    Immediately enforce one or more policies on a Subscriber server

    Policies

    No

    Remove individual policies from a Subscriber server

    Policies

    No

    Immediately refresh one or more policies so that the Distributor Agent reads eDirectory to check for modifications

    Policies

    No

    List all the software packages that the Policy/Package Agent installs on the Subscriber server

    Software Packages

    No

    Determine the current status of all software packages installed on the Subscriber server

    Software Packages

    No

    Create and run a program or script on the Subscriber server once or repeatedly

    Schedule

    No

    Down the Subscriber server

    Actions

    No

    Restart the Policy/Package Agent

    Actions

    No

2.4.4 Opening Multiple Remote Web Console Windows

On any Remote Web Console page, click Detach in the upper right corner to display the current page in a new browser window. This enables you to access multiple Remote Web Console features at the same time. For example, you could detach one window for the Tiered Electronic Distribution agents and another window for the Policy/Package Agent. Or you could detach a window for the Remote Web Console and still be able to perform other ZENworks Server Management tasks in the main Novell iManager window.