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:

• Using DHCP and WINS
• Using DNS
• Editing the hosts file

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:

• To use DNS, you must use the TCP/IP protocol to set up the network software. Specify the name of the domain to which the computer belongs and the IP address of the server that manages that name.
• Set DNS so that bidirectional conversion is supported, such as from host name to IP address and vice versa.
• To use both a hosts file and DNS, do not specify the full domain name (a name consisting of the host name followed by a period and the domain name) of the host using a DNS for another host name in the hosts file.
• If a remote host connected directly to the network provider has been assigned a temporary name as its host name, JP1/Software Distribution will not be able to manage it.

(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.

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.

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.