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Using Maintenance Mode

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NMMGR's maintenance mode is a character mode interface used to manage both network directory and configuration files. It can be used interactively, from within the screen mode interface, or as a set of commands entered via a batch job.

Maintenance mode can generate a job stream to sequentially update directories on a list of NS nodes. This feature saves you from manually changing the network directory files of every node on a network when you make a configuration change. You define the list of nodes to be updated by this automated process. Additionally, the process provides logging information and is recoverable.

Maintenance mode commands are read from the formal file designator NMMGRCMD, which defaults to $STDINX. You can redirect the input to come from a standard ASCII file by using a file equation for NMMGRCMD.

Entering Maintenance Mode from Screen Mode

You can access maintenance mode from within screen mode, execute one or more maintenance mode commands, and return to screen mode. There are two methods you can use to enter the maintenance interface from screen mode. The two methods are as follows:

  • Enter the screen mode command NM[MGRCMD] in the command window of any screen and press [ENTER].

  • Press the [Maint Mode] function key from the Network Directory Main screen.

When you use either method, a screen appears with the maintenance mode prompt:

NMMGR>

When you enter maintenance mode from screen mode the interface is interactive. You can enter any appropriate maintenance mode commands at the prompt. In some cases, a command will prompt you for additional input which you can enter by typing a response to the new command prompt. When each command has completed execution, you will be returned to the maintenance mode prompt shown above.

When you are finished entering maintenance mode commands, type EXIT at the prompt to leave the maintenance mode interface and return to screen mode.

Running Maintenance Mode from a Batch Job

You can also access maintenance mode directly from a batch job by running NMMGR from a stream job or by running NMMGR with a file equation for the formal designator NMMGRCMD set to a command file. An example of such an equation is:

:FILE NMMGRCMD=CMDFILE

Command input is echoed to $STDLIST if you are running NMMGR from within a stream job or when the input is read from a command file.

You can run NMMGR in the maintenance mode interactively. Enter the file equation NMMGRCMD= $STDINX. You will get the banner for NMMGR and the prompt: MMGR>

You can create a command file using any editor that is capable of generating straight ASCII output. Blank command lines may be entered freely.

Updating Remote Directories

You can use the maintenance mode MAKESTREAM command to generate a stream job that, when executed, logs on to a list of selected nodes and executes the set of commands contained in a command file. In this way, you can update the network directory of every node in a network without having to manually log on to every node and run NMMGR.

Two files must be generated before using the MAKESTREAM command. One is a list of node names of the nodes to be updated, the other is a list of commands to be executed. Both can be generated with any ASCII text editor.

As NMMGR logs onto each node named in the node list and applies the commands contained in the command file, the success or failure status of each nodal update is recorded in the node list file, along with the date and time of the event. The node list "control" file may be used again to retry updates of failed nodes, after the source of the failure has been determined and corrected.

In order for NMMGR maintenance mode to log onto each remote node, the local node's network directory must contain an entry for the node whose directory you wish to update. Without an entry, it is not possible to log on to the remote node because there is no connection information for the node. For this reason, the MAKESTREAM process is generally used for updating directories on existing nodes rather than to create a directory on a new node. However, it is possible to use these commands to create a new directory. To accomplish this, the node manager of the new node would have to verbally notify you of the node's existence. You then would have to enter the new node's connection information into your network directory. Once this information is entered into your directory, you will be able to log on to the new node and merge your entire directory to create a version of this directory on the new node.



Chapter 5 Using NMMGR in Maintenance Mode

Maintenance Mode Commands