Job Management Partner 1/Software Distribution Description and Planning Guide

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6.1.4 Setting up the TCP/IP environment

Before you install JP1/Software Distribution, you must set up the TCP/IP environment. Two tasks are required:

If IP addresses are to be used as the node identification key, you do not need to define host names for relay systems and clients, however need to define host names for relay managers.

You can define port numbers in the services file before installation or during setup. If a port number is defined both in the services file and during setup, the definition in the services file takes precedence.

Organization of this subsection
(1) Defining host names and IP addresses
(2) Defining port numbers (services)
(3) Using JP1/Software Distribution Client (client)

(1) Defining host names and IP addresses

You must first define the network's host names and IP addresses.

If host names are used as the node identification key, the host names defined in the user network are used in the windows of the managing server (System Configuration and Destination windows). If you have changed a host name in those windows, you must also change the host name in the user network

JP1/Software Distribution Manager uses TCP/IP host names to identify clients. Therefore, the computer in which JP1/Software Distribution Manager is to be installed must be able to determine an IP address from a host name.

Three methods are available for defining host names and IP address and for enabling the managing server to determine an IP address from the host name of a client:

The following explains each of these methods.

(a) Using DHCP and WINS

Because DHCP dynamically determines the IP addresses of clients, it can reduce the effort required to assign IP addresses and the volume of maintenance work. However, a JP1/Software Distribution system cannot use a dynamically changing destination as the node identification key. Therefore, if DHCP is used, you must use host names as the node identification key.

If WINS is used to manage the host names of individual hosts, the host names need not be defined at each host (PC). When DHCP dynamically assigns a new IP address to a host that has been moved from one subnet to another subnet, the WINS database is updated automatically. Therefore, there is no need to change definitions manually.

Whenever a client PC is shut down, its information in WINS is released. As a result, the JP1/Software Distribution system will no longer be able to determine an IP address for the client from the host name and jobs may end in an error. For details about how to set up DHCP and WINS, see the Windows Help.

(b) Using DNS

You can use DNS if there are UNIX systems within the network or if hosts connected via the Internet are connection destinations. You can also use DNS if all the connection destination clients are Windows based, because Windows operating systems support DNS clients. If the host names to be managed by DNS are defined by JP1/Software Distribution, jobs such as Remote installation beyond domains can be executed.

For details about how to set up DNS, see the Windows help.

Note the following points about using DNS:

(c) Editing the hosts file

If DHCP, WINS, or DNS is not used, you must define each connection-destination host name for each host. In the host where the managing server is running, you must define the host names and IP addresses of the connected relay managers/systems or clients. At each host where a client is running, you must also define the host name and IP address of the managing server.

You edit the following files in order to define host names and IP addresses:

For Windows NT:
Windows-directory\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Format:
IP-address host-name alias
Example:
192.0.0.1 hostA NetworkA-hostA
192.0.0.2 hostB NetworkA-hostB

For Windows Me or Windows 98:
Windows-directory\hosts
Format:
Same as for Windows NT.

(2) Defining port numbers (services)

You can define a port number for each service. If there is no services file, the settings specified during setup take effect.

For the service name netmdm, set the TCP protocol using the same port number; for the service name netmdmclt, set the TCP protocol and the UDP protocol; for the service name netmdmw, set the TCP protocol. The recommended port numbers are 30000 for netmdm, 30002 for netmdmclt, and 30001 for netmdmw. Edit the following files:

For Windows NT:
Windows-directory\system32\drivers\etc\services
Format:
service-name port-number/protocol-name [alias]#
#: alias (enclosed in square brackets [ ]) is optional.
Example:
netmdm 30000/tcp
netmdmclt 30002/udp
netmdmclt 30002/tcp
netmdmw 30001/tcp

For Windows Me or Windows 98:
Windows-directory\services
Format:
Same as for Windows NT.

For details about other port numbers, see B.1 Port numbers.

(3) Using JP1/Software Distribution Client (client)

To use JP1/Software Distribution Client (client), note the following items:

Check TCP/IP
From the Control Panel, choose Network. On the Configuration page, check that TCP/IP is selected in The following network components installed option. If TCP/IP is not selected, choose the Add button in the Configuration page and add TCP/IP.
Next, from Network, select TCP/IP and choose the Properties button. When the TCP/IP Properties dialog box appears, ensure that the necessary network settings are present.

Setting the communication environment file
The hosts file and services file can be found under the Windows directory (windows is the default setting). In the hosts file, define the name of the higher host at the connection destination and its IP address. In the services file, define the same service name for the client and the managing server.