TECSys Development ConsoleWorks Version 1.5.0, Installation Manual

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2. Introduction and Overview
2-1. Introduction to Console Works
Console Works is an application built to monitor console port text or SYSLOG messages and to directly manage
any device supporting console port connections. It runs on OpenVMS, Unix and NT/2000 platforms. In addi-
tion, Console
Works can manage devices indirectly by using script-initiated management applications running
on the Console Works host.
Console
Works accomplishes this management with three major components:
• a standard web browser (or a command line user interface)
•
a specialized web server, and
•
a host connected via cable to the device’s serial console port (direct management) or by network
(indirect management).
Other than the original installation and some preliminary configurations, most Console
Works operations are
managed and configured using a standard web browser.
Console
Works ' flexibility provides the capability:
•
to manage any device allowing management from a console port from any workstation on the net-
work connected to the Console
Works host,
• to manage hosts on a network remotely, either via the internet or a dialup network,
•
for a Console Works server to use host-based utilities to contact a person based on event driven criteria,
and
• to organize managed devices into logical groupings.
♦
note: The V1.5-0 Console Works server for the Windows NT/2000 platform supports one server invocation. Fu-
ture releases will provide the capability for multiple invocations on one server. Each Console Works
invocation is a separate entity. Two concurrently running invocations do not share resources
(profiles, users or console ports).
Console
Works Windows NT/2000 server requires a system running Windows NT 4.0 with at least Service Pack 3 or
Windows 2000. Console Works also requires a TCP/IP protocol stack.
The V1.5-0 Console
Works Product Kit contains the files required for installing the following Console Works com-
ponents:
1. Console Works Web Server, and
2. Console Works public domain scan and event definitions.
This guide describes how to install Console
Works on a Windows NT/2000 host.
♦
note: Console Works requires a valid license to operate.
2-2. Overview of the Console Works Installation Process
It is strongly recommended that installers design and plan their implementation of a Console Works installation.
Console Works components require configuration that proceeds much more smoothly when an installation
plan is followed. Suggestions and recommendations can be found in the
Installation Concepts
section of this
chapter.
Console
Works installs in two stages.
1) The first stage of the installation includes:
•
downloading Console Works from the internet or mounting the CD,
•
installing Console Works from the distribution kit,
3