WiseManager Documentation

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By Serenity Systems International

Planning

The Serenity System Managed Client package consists of three basic software components: WiseManager, WiseServer and WiseClient. A key feature of the Managed Client environment as implemented by WiseManager is the fact that this application executes from the system administrator's workstation, which can be any workstation on the network, including a remote workstation using a dial up connection. This means that WiseManager can even be implemented and executed from the same system being used as the server. The WiseServer application resides and executes on the server. The WiseClient application resides and executes on each of the remote boot clients.

Software

Server Prerequisites

The server must be running either the Warp Server Entry, Warp Server Advanced, Warp Server SMP, or the newly released OS/2 Warp Server for e-business (a.k.a Aurora) with "Remote IPL", "File and Print Service", and "TCP/IP" installed. A fresh installation with NO fixpaks applied is highly recommended.

Limitations of Remote Boot Clients

WiseManager supports OS/2 Warp 4 as a remote boot client. Users should be aware that it is not possible to invoke Netbios/Netbeui peer resource sharing from a remote boot client. For example, a printer attached to a remote boot client cannot be shared as a peer resource. Sharing a printer is accomplished by attaching the printer to a server, a non-remote boot Warp 4 client, or using a printer which has a built in adaptor to make it a network resource. However, printers CAN be accessed and shared through TCP/IP printing.

The fact that a client has or does not have local drives is not the issue. A remote boot client does not have to be diskless. Once the machine is booted from the network, the local hard drives can be used in exactly the same way as a non-remote boot Warp 4 client system. However, even then, if the client is utilizing local drives, the restriction regarding peer resource sharing remains in effect. Peer resource sharing is not available.

Hardware

Server=

System

Any system capable of running Warp Server should be acceptable for the evaluationprograms which limits the number of clients to five Managed Clients. However larger installations should utilize an SMP version of Warp Server, either Warp Server Advanced SMP, or Warp Server for e-business with the extra SMP option.

Processor

Pentium class processor(s) or equivalent. Because all of the client stations perform their own processing, they create little additional demand on the server processor.

Memory

Sufficient memory should be available to achieve a cache hit ratio of more than 95%. 64M is acceptable for small installations (a few client stations). 128M should be considered the minimum for medium size installations (10 to 30 client stations), and 256M (or more) is recommended for larger installations (more than 30 client stations per boot server).

Hard Disk

For small installations, the minimum requirement is a large capacity IDE drive with at least a RAID 1 hardware mirroring controller. For larger installations, fast ultrawide-SCSI drives with hardware RAID support is highly recommended.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

A bus-mastering NIC is recommended. Users can also use multiple NICs to benefit from Warp Server's automatic load balancing capability.

Client

System

Generally, systems capable of running Warp 4 will provide acceptable performance. The IBM Network Station 2800, or other NLX form factor small foot-print PCs are highly recommended.

Processor

Pentium class processor or equivalent.

Memory

Same requirement as Warp 4.

Video

For best results, use video cards that are supported by the IBM GenGradd or Scitech display doctor drivers see http://service.boulder.ibm.com/os2ddpak/html/gradd/ and http://www.scitech.com). =====Hard Disk The use of a local hard disk for client systems is discouraged. This is an issue of design and implementation. Diskless clients provide more benefits from a standpoint of reliability, manageability, and problem resolution. However, some users may opt to utilize a small local harddrive to host the machine's swapper file. This will help reduce network bandwidth demand by the client system. For small installations, the benefit provided by use of local hard drives is negligible and use of local drives should be avoided.

Network Interface Card (NIC)
               The Managed Client environment is specialized and while many NICs support this environment, it is not always an easy task to determine which NICs fall into this category. Even different model NICs from the same manufacturer have provided mixed results. It is recommended that NICs tested and supported by Serenity Systems be utilized.

Network=

A 16 MB/s token ring or 100BaseT ethernet network is highly recommended. A 10BaseT nework will work fine for small installations.

Server Network Resource Requirements

IBMLAN.INI
               [server] section
NUMREQBUF

This is the number of request buffers. Four (4) should be defined for each requester.

Maximum value is 408.

MAXOPENS

Number of files, pipes, and devices which can be open simultaneously on the server. This value is ignored by the server under the HPFS386 file system.

Maximum value is 8000.

MAXSESSOPENS

Number of files, pipes, and devices simultaneously open for a requester. This value is ignored by the server under the HPFS386 file system.

Maximum value is 8000.

[remoteboot] section

MAXTHREADS

Number of threads that the Remote IPL service starts in order to perform asynchronous reading of the configuration files.

Maximum value = MAXTHREADS in the server's config.sys.

This value should be no greater than 6.

Increasing this parameter can decrease performance in larger installations.

PROTOCOL.INI
[protocol] section
NCBS

Should be set to 4 x n where n is the number of remote boot clients supported by this server.

SESSIONS

Total number of DOS and OS/2 remote boot clients supported by this server.

Installation

Install Warp Server

It is highly recommended that a fresh install be used with WiseManager. However, if you must use an existing system, please backup your system. The WiseManager installation process will cause changes to be made to the system in such a way that THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO RETURN THE SERVER TO THE STATE IT WAS IN BEFORE THE INSTALLATION BEGAN. The only way to restore the system will be from a backup!

Disk Partitions

The following represent a typical and recommended disk partitioning pattern. Your actual needs may be different.

Install the basic components of OS/2, MPTS, File & Print Service, Spooler Queues, and TCP/IP in the System Partition. Depending on the video driver needed for the server, you might need to include DOS. Installation of WinOS2 on the server is not recommended. The remote boot client stations WILL be able to run WinOS2.

Drive Letter Type Minimum Size (MB) Format Comment
C: Primary 30 HPFS Maintainance (BootOS2 - at the present, BootOS2 does not work with Warp Server for e.business. Recently, fixes which may allow bootos2 to work with Warp Server for e.business so this condition should be corrected in coming releases of WiseManager.)
D: Logical 512 HPFS System partition
E: Logical 1,024 HPFS/JFS For the IBMLAN\RPL and IBMLAN\RPLUSER directory
F: Logical large HPFS/JFS For WiseManager and ALL remote boot client work areas
G: Logical <100 HPFS Garbage dump
H: Logical (2nd drive) large (100 per client) HPFS Swap area for server and remote boot clients

File and Print Services

When you install the network portion of Warp Server, be sure to check the "More..." button to the right of the "File and Print Sharing Services" and check "Remote Boot Service for OS/2 Workstations (Remote IPL)" and "Remote Boot Service for DOS Workstations (Remote IPL)" (optional). Click "Okay" and then "Next". You should see the following screens:

MPTS

An evaluator offered this comment, which is being evaluated: I found this bit of the install a bit "shakey" under Warp Server for e.business. After GETRPL is executed and I reboot, I have to go back into install (icon on desktop) and perform page 3 - First apply FP9 (don't re--boot), then go into install again and click "I did it". I think some people could miss this step.


After following the prompts of this stage, a message is displayed which says the server is not started when, in fact, it is. There's a message in the VX-Rexx console to ignore this, so I guess it's OK, but someone could easily click the "try to start server" button. Now this is finished, the install program requests you select the re-boot option - unfortunately it doesn't do anything and a manual shutdown and re-boot is needed.


A "cold" boot (power off/on) is probably best at this point in my opinion. The installation program adds a NET Start RIPL line to the STARTUP.CMD file, unfortunately (as in my case) if you already use Remoteboot (OS/2 DOS or WSOD), this causes an error as the server is already started when the server starts.


Perhaps the install program could be changed to look at IBMLAN.INI to see if REMOTEBOOT is listed as a required service and only if not there, either add it into the IBMLAN.INI file or add the NET START RIPL (or REMOTEBOOT) command to the STARTUP.CMD file ??

--- Tip

                   Experience has shown that the netwok installation portion of Warp Server to be problematic - often causing traps during MPTS install. The base OS installation has improved to the point where problems are few and far in-between. Therefore, it is recommended to perform the installation in two phases: First, with the base OS and NO NETWOK - uncheck all of the options from the network installation screen (including TCP/IP) with the exception of MPTS. Then, specify that there is NO network adapter in the system. The installation will proceed to install a NULL network driver in the system. Once you're done with the base OS installation, you can go back and do a selective install for networking. 

---

Install WiseManager

When you have finished with the basic Warp Server install, you are ready to install WiseManager. If you are installing or re-installing WiseManager on an existing system, be sure to stop all other on-going tasks which need the server. The WiseManager installation program may automatically reboot the server at various stages of the installation process without giving any prior warning message.

Place the WiseManager CD into your CD-ROM and from an OS/2 command line, issue the command:

           x:\install.exe   (for Warp Server)or
           x:\install.exe AURORA  (For Warp Server for e-business)
       where x is the drive letter of your CD-ROM
   You will see one of the two following screens (if the "I did that" button is grayed out, stop the installation program and double click the "WiseServer Installer" program icon on your desktop to restart the installation program):



Warp Server for e-Business (AURORA)


Warp Server

   The first time you invoke the WiseManager installation program, you will be prompted for the various locations in use. Generally, the default values will work fine. However, in the example above, you will need to change the location of the WiseManager directory (TVoice) to a different drive. The default setting points to the same drive as IBMLAN\RPLUSER.
   You can always invoke the "Drive Letters" option under the "Configuration" dropdown menu in the install program to change drive letters.
   From this point and on, simple follow the on-screen instruction to finish the installation.
   This cannot be emphasized strongly enough. It is important to follow the instructions EXACTLY as stated and in the SPECIFIED SEQUENCE provided. At any time during the installation process, if you are not sure about a certain step, or if you have a question, STOP! If you skip one of the steps, it is very likely that you will have to do a complete Warp Server reinstall before you can use WiseManager.


   Tip
       Make sure that the TCP/IP services DDNS, DHCP, and BINL are NOT running during WiseManager installation. At a certain point during the installation, you will see a dialog box warning you about this. When you see that message, bring up the window list to determine if these tasks are running. If so, while you are in the window list, close the tasks DDNSAPS.CMD, DBCPSCPS.CMD, and BINLSCPS.CMD. 
       In addition, if you're doing a re-installation, it's important that the RIPL service and WiseServer service NOT be running. The RIPL service can be stopped by issuing the command NET STOP RIPL from an OS/2 command line. The WiseServer service can only be stopped by executing the "Stop WiseServer" function inside the WiseServer application folder. 
       Finally, it has also been reported that GETRPL, RIPLINST, and XCOPY may have problems with some brands of CD-ROM drives. If you get any error messages from GETRPL, RIPLINST, XCOPY, or if the CD-ROM seems to take a long time before recognizing the WiseManager installation CD, do not skip past them. STOP. This task may have to be completed using a different CD-ROM drive. 

An evaluator offered this comment, which is being evaluated: I found this bit of the install a bit "shakey" under Warp Server for e.business. After GETRPL is executed and I reboot, I have to go back into install (icon on desktop) and perform page 3 - First apply FP9 (don't re--boot), then go into install again and click "I did it". I think some people could miss this step.

After following the prompts of this stage, a message is displayed which says the server is not started when, in fact, it is. There's a message in the VX-Rexx console to ignore this, so I guess it's OK, but someone could easily click the "try to start server" button. Now this is finished, the install program requests you select the re-boot option - unfortunately it doesn't do anything and a manual shutdown and re-boot is needed.

A "cold" boot (power off/on) is probably best at this point in my opinion. The installation program adds a NET Start RIPL line to the STARTUP.CMD file, unfortunately (as in my case) if you already use Remoteboot (OS/2 DOS or WSOD), this causes an error as the server is already started when the server starts.

Perhaps the install program could be changed to look at IBMLAN.INI to see if REMOTEBOOT is listed as a required service and only if not there, either add it into the IBMLAN.INI file or add the NET START RIPL (or REMOTEBOOT) command to the STARTUP.CMD file ??


   After you have performed all of the steps, reboot the server before using any of WiseManager's services.