Chapter 1. IRISconsole Features and Capabilities

This chapter introduces the operational features, functions, and capabilities of the IRISconsole software. It explains

Using IRISconsole With the ST-1600 and the Indy Workstation

The IRISconsole software allows an Indy workstation to control CHALLENGE/Onyx systems through one or two Silicon Graphics ST-1600 multiplexers. Serial cables supplied with the option connect the Remote System Control port and the System Console port on each server to the ST-1600.

IRISconsole includes a security feature that lets you specify administrators and users who will have access to functionalities of IRISconsole. Also, certain features of IRISconsole can be accessed remotely using ictelnet, a version of telnet that works with IRISconsole.

IRISconsole is a local system; the IRISconsole software applies only to systems that are physically attached to the ST-1600 connected to the Indy workstation on which the IRISconsole software is running. The IRISconsole software cannot communicate with another system running IRISconsole to share access to attached systems.

Cabling the ST-1600 and CHALLENGE/Onyx systems is explained in the IRISconsole ST-1600 Installation Guide (007-2839-001). Figure 1-1 shows an example IRISconsole site installation.

Figure 1-1. IRISconsole Site Example


Hardware requirements for the IRISconsole software are as follows:

  • The 24-bit Indy workstation must have a minimum of 32 MB of memory and must be running IRIX 5.3. The 20-inch display is strongly recommended for IRISconsole operation, as are XFS filesystems, for their decreased recovery time and typically better performance.

  • If one of the attached servers is a CHALLENGE S, or if an attached CHALLENGE/Onyx system does not have a Remote System Control port, not all features of the IRISconsole software are available. An upgrade consisting of an RS-232 plate assembly is available to equip CHALLENGE L servers that lack this port; contact your service representative.

  • Only the cables supplied with IRISconsole, and additional cables for IRISconsole available from Silicon Graphics, are supported for connecting the CHALLENGE/Onyx systems to the ST-1600. The IRISconsole ST-1600 Installation Guide describes these cables.

The IRISconsole Graphical User Interface

The IRISconsole graphical user interface (GUI) enables you to set up and administer sites. A site is a group of workstations, servers, or other systems that are administered through IRISconsole. You can use the IRISconsole GUI to

  • set up a site or add or delete the systems in a site

  • display, view, or take control of the console of a system

  • generate a nonmaskable interrupt (NMI), or hardware-reset, or power-cycle a system

  • view real-time graphs of hardware operating statistics of a system in a site, such as voltage, operating temperature, and blower speeds; save the graphs as files and display them

  • set a threshold for operating statistics so that an alarm is activated and various activities are triggered when the threshold is exceeded

  • view activity logs and other system reports

Chapter 2, “Configuring Sites,” and Chapter 3, “Administering Sites,” in this guide explain how to set up sites and administer sites, respectively.

IRISconsole Security

IRISconsole includes security features that use local password protection to assist administrators in securing IRISconsole and its managed systems from unauthorized access. When IRISconsole security is turned on, access to certain operations is controlled. These operations are as follows; some of these operations are represented by buttons in the site window:

  • adding or deleting sites and systems in the sites (Edit pulldown menu)

  • getting the console (Get Console), viewing the console window of a system controlled by another user (Spy Console), and taking control of a system console that another user is currently using (Steal Console)

  • generating a non-maskable interrupt (Generate NMI)

  • hardware reset (HW Reset) and power cycle (Power Cycle)

  • viewing console activity logs (Show Console Logs)


Note: For access to these operations to be controlled, IRISconsole security must be turned on. Security is on by default.

The IRISconsole software includes functions for setting up and maintaining administrator and user logins, each with a password. These logins and passwords are specific to IRISconsole and are independent of system logins and passwords. You can

  • determine whether IRISconsole security is off or on

  • add an IRISconsole administrator

  • add an IRISconsole user

  • change the administrator's or user's password

  • delete an administrator or user

  • set IRISconsole security off or on

  • view a list of IRISconsole users

Determining Whether IRISconsole Security is Off or On

To determine whether IRISconsole security is on, type

icpass -security get

The software returns off or on.

Adding an IRISconsole Administrator

To add an IRISconsole administrator, type as root

icpass -add icadmin

The window shown in Figure 1-2 appears.

Figure 1-2. Adding an IRISconsole Administrator


Enter the new user's login and password. Note that they are independent of that user's system login and password. Click the Apply button.

Adding an IRISconsole User

To add an IRISconsole user, you must be an IRISconsole administrator. Type

icpass -add icuser

The window shown in Figure 1-4 appears.

Figure 1-3. Using the IRISconsole Security Window


After you enter your IRISconsole login and password and click the Apply button, the window shown in Figure 1-4 appears.

Figure 1-4. Adding an IRISconsole User


Enter the new user's login and password. Note that they are independent of that user's system login and password. Click the Apply button.

Changing the Administrator's Or User's Password

To change an IRISconsole administrator's or user's password, type

icpass -change icuser

or

icpass -change icadmin

The window shown in Figure 1-5 appears.

Figure 1-5. Changing an IRISconsole Password


Enter the login for the user whose password you want to change. Enter the user's old password and new password, and click the Apply button.

Deleting an Administrator or User

To delete an IRISconsole administrator or user, you must be an IRISconsole administrator. Type

icpass -delete icadmin <icadminlogin>

or

icpass -delete icuser <icuserlogin>

The security window shown in Figure 1-4 appears. After you enter correct information, a confirmation window appears with the message

Entry deleted from password database

Setting IRISconsole Security Off or On

To set IRISconsole security on or off, you must be an IRISconsole administrator. To set IRISconsole security on, type

icpass -security set on

To set IRISconsole security off, type

icpass -security set off

In either case, the security window shown in Figure 1-4 appears. After you enter correct information, a confirmation window appears with the message

Access Control status changed to `ON'

or

Access Control status changed to `OFF'

Viewing a List of IRISconsole Users

To view a list of IRISconsole administrators, type

icpass -list icadmin

To view a list of IRISconsole users, type

icpass -list icuser

In each case, IRISconsole prints the path of the password file.

IRISconsole Operation

To use the IRISconsole, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure the Indy workstation, ST-1600 multiplexer, and CHALLENGE/Onyx systems to be administered are cabled as described in the IRISconsole ST-1600 Installation Guide.

  2. Make sure all systems are powered on.

  3. The IRISconsole security feature is on by default; to check it or toggle it on or off, follow instructions in “IRISconsole Security,” earlier in this chapter.

  4. Start the IRISconsole graphical user interface: in an IRIX window, type

    /usr/sbin/ic
    

    The IRISconsole GUI main window appears, as shown in Figure 1-6.

    Figure 1-6. IRISconsole Graphical User Interface Main Window


To exit the IRISconsole GUI, select “Quit” in the File menu or press <Ctrl-Q>.

Chapter 2, “Configuring Sites,” gives instructions for setting up sites; Chapter 3, “Administering Sites,” has complete information on using IRISconsole for administering sites.