1.6.11 Procedure for automatically setting the connection destination of agents

After information for determining connection destinations is distributed to agents, you can automatically set the connection destination by selecting an appropriate higher system from the IP addresses of managed computers. Because the connection destination automatically changes when the IP address of a computer changes, this function is useful when computers are moved. You can also manage distributed devices by providing multiple management servers for each range of IP addresses assigned to devices. This prevents the number of devices managed by a management server from exceeding the limit. This subsection describes how to automatically set the connection destination of agents.

You can use this function in JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 - Agent. Note that you cannot use this function in relay systems, agents for UNIX, and agents for Mac.

Note: To use this function, do not select the Settings to Perform Polling for Multiple Higher Systems check box under Communication Settings in the agent configuration. If, however, you are using the function that enables switching from one higher distribution system to another, enable multi-polling.

Note: If the connection destination of an agent is changed during startup of Package Setup Manager, a dialog box prompting you to update the Package Setup Manager window appears, and then the connection destination is switched to the new one.

Note: This function is not supported on the Citrix XenApp and Microsoft RDS server.

Organization of this subsection

(1) Automatically setting and changing the higher system to connect to
(2) Creating the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf)

(1) Automatically setting and changing the higher system to connect to

To automatically set or change the higher system to connect to, you need to create a file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf) in advance, and then distribute it to managed computers. The connection destination is automatically set at a certain time after distribution.

Creating a file for connection destinations

The file for connection destinations is used to determine the higher system to connect to. This file defines how the higher systems to connect to correspond with the IP address ranges of managed computers. For example, for the computers with IP addresses 172.16.22.1 through 172.16.22.255, a management server at the Tokyo branch office is defined as the connection destination. Similarly, for the computers with IP addresses 172.17.22.1 through 172.17.22.255, a management server at the Nagoya branch office is defined as the connection destination. For details about how to create the file for connection destinations, see (2) Creating the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf).

You can store the created file for connection destinations in the JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 - Manager data folder so that the file is incorporated in the installation set when you create the installation set.

Distributing the file for connection destinations to managed computers

If JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 - Agent is installed by using an installation set that contains a file for connection destinations, the file for connection destinations is stored in the following folder on each managed computer:

JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 Agent-installation-folder\MASTER\DB

If you register the file for connection destinations as a package and then create a job that distributes that package, you can distribute the package to managed computers. When doing so, specify the above folder as the distribution destination.

For computers that are not yet managed, you can store the file manually.

Time when the connection destination is determined

After you store the file for connection destinations on a managed computer, wait until polling (a job inquiry from the agent) is performed or restart the OS on the managed computer. The higher system to which the agent is connected is set according to the contents of the file for connection destinations.

The following three types of polling can be used to determine the connection destination for the agent:

Polling based on system startup

Used if the Perform poll based on the system startup check box is selected in Basic Settings in the agent configuration
Regular polling (every 30 minutes by default)
Polling at a specified time

Used if the Perform polling at the specified time check box is selected in Basic Settings in the agent configuration.

To reset the connection destination you have set, perform either of the following operations, and then wait for polling to be performed or restart the OS:

Change the IP address of the managed computer.
Edit or overwrite the file for connection destinations.

You can re-distribute the file for connection destinations in which the connection destination information is changed to agents, or directly edit and overwrite the file for connection destinations stored in the installation-folder\MASTER\DB of each agent. Then, restart the computer to apply the change to the connection destination.

If you move a managed computer and change its IP address, all you have to do to change the connection destination to an appropriate higher system is to wait for polling to be performed or restart the OS. End users need not be aware of changes to connection destinations.

If connection destinations of agents are automatically set or changed based on the file for connection destinations, log data for each agent is collected in the installation-folder\LOG\USER.LOG file. For details about logs relating to automatic changes to connection destinations, see the JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 Distribution Function Administration Guide.

Tip: If multiple IP addresses are specified for an agent, the agent connects to a higher-level system by using the IP address that has the highest priority defined by the operating system. If the connection succeeds, that system is set as the connection destination of the agent.

Relationship between automatic changes to connection destinations and other functions

Automatic changes to connection destinations by using the file for connection destinations might not be possible in conjunction with other JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 functions. Note the following:

If the file for connection destinations exists under JP1/IT-Desktop-Management-2-Agent-installation-folder¥MASTER¥DB¥ when you start managed computers, the agents are not connected to the management server or higher distribution system specified in the agent configuration. Instead, they are connected to a higher system (management server or relay system) based on the connection destination information specified in the file for connection destinations.
If both the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf) and the information file for higher connection destinations (dmhost.txt) exist in JP1/IT-Desktop-Management-2-Agent-installation-folder¥MASTER¥DB¥ on a managed computer, the information file for higher connection destinations (dmhost.txt) is ignored.
Even when the function that enables switching from one higher distribution system to another is enabled and the connection destination of a higher system is in fact switched, the following information and setting remain unchanged: information inside the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf), information inside the information file for higher connection destinations (dmhost.txt), and the Higher Systems to Be Polled setting specified in Settings to Perform Polling for Multiple Higher Systems under Communication Settings in the agent configuration.

To disable the connection destination settings in the file for connection destinations, perform one of the operations listed below. In any case, an agent that does not contain an information file for higher connection destinations will be connected to the connection destination specified in the agent configuration. An agent that contains an information file for higher connection destinations will be connected to the connection destination specified in that file.

Distribute an empty file for connection destinations to the agents.
Delete the file for connection destinations from installation-folder¥MASTER¥DB¥ on every agent.
Rename the file for connection destinations in installation-folder¥MASTER¥DB¥ on every agent to a name other than itdmhost.conf.

To also disable the connection destination in the information file for higher connection destinations, perform one of the above operations with the information file for higher connection destinations rather than the file for connection destinations.

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(2) Creating the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf)

The file for connection destinations is a text file named itdmhost.conf. The following describes how to create it.

Format of the file for connection destinations

In the file for connection destinations, define the IP address ranges of managed computers and the corresponding connection destinations. You can define one combination per line. Separate items by using commas (,). A line beginning with a semicolon (;) is handled as a comment. Note that the last line cannot end with a line break. In addition, use UTF-8 for the character code of the file.

The following shows the format of the file for connection destinations.

[ITDM]
minimum-IP-address,maximum-IP-address,connection-destination
minimum-IP-address,maximum-IP-address,connection-destination
 :
[DM]
minimum-IP-address,maximum-IP-address,connection-destination,connection-type [,multicast-distribution-address]
minimum-IP-address,maximum-IP-address,connection-destination,connection-type [,multicast-distribution-address]
 :

The following table lists and describes the items in the file for connection destinations.

Section	Item	Description	Value that can be entered	Required?
ITDM	Specify the management server to which the agent is connected.			Required
	Minimum IP address	Specify the minimum IP address in the range of the IP addresses of managed computers.	Single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format	Required
	Maximum IP address	Specify the maximum IP address in the range of the IP addresses of managed computers.	Single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format	Required
	Connection destination	Specify the host name or IP address^#1 of the connection-destination management server.	For a host name, a maximum of 255 single-byte alphanumeric characters For an IP address, single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format	Required
DM	Specify a higher system for distribution that uses Remote Install Manager.			Required
	Minimum IP address	Specify the minimum IP address in the range of the IP addresses of managed computers.	Single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format	Required
	Maximum IP address	Specify the maximum IP address in the range of the IP addresses of managed computers.	Single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format	Required
	Connection destination^#2	Specify the host name or IP address^#1 of the higher system used as the connection destination for distribution that uses Remote Install Manager.	For a host name, a maximum of 64 single-byte alphanumeric characters For an IP address, single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format	Required
	Connection type^#2	If the connection destination is a management server, specify `netmdm`. If the connection destination is a relay system, specify `netmdmw`.		Required
	Multicast distribution address	To distribute jobs to managed computers by multicasting, specify the multicast address set for the connection destination.	Single-byte numbers in `xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx` format (in the range from 224.0.1.0 to 239.255.255.255)	Optional

#1: Specify the host name or IP address in accordance with the value of the operation key specified for Address Resolution Method during setup of the management server.

#2: You can specify a maximum of eight sets of connection destinations and connection types per line. If multiple connection destinations and connection types are specified, connection destinations that are specified earlier have higher priority.

The following shows the notes for the file for connection destinations.

If an IP address of a managed computer is outside the defined range, its connection destination is not changed.
If the same range of IP addresses of managed computers is defined more than once, the line that is defined first takes effect.
If the same section is defined more than once, the section that is defined first takes effect.
If there are no sections, the defined lines are ignored.
The definition on a specified line is invalidated in the following cases:
- A required item is omitted.
- An invalid IP address is specified.
- The value specified for connection-destination exceeds the maximum number of characters that can be entered.
- A value other than netmdm or netmdmw is specified for connection-type.
- The line contains only a line break.
If you do not specify multicast-distribution-address or specify an invalid value, you cannot set the multicast address. However, the combinations of IP address ranges and connection destinations specified for items other than multicast-distribution-address are still valid.
Any specification of an item other than the items that can be specified for a line is ignored.
Any text following a semicolon is handled as a comment, and is ignored during processing.
Single-byte spaces at the beginning or end of an item are ignored.

Sample file for connection destinations

The following is a sample file for connection destinations.

;Connection destination settings
[ITDM]
172.17.12.1,172.17.12.250,manager01
172.17.13.1,172.17.13.250,manager02
0.0.0.0,255.255.255.254,manager04
[DM]
172.17.12.1,172.17.12.250,dmsub01,netmdmw,dmsub02,netmdmw,dmman01,netmdm
172.17.13.1,172.17.13.250,dmman01,netmdm,dmman02,netmdm
0.0.0.0,255.255.255.254,dmman02,netmdm

In this example, if the IP address of the managed computer is 172.17.13.6, the connection-destination management server is a host whose name is manager02. The higher system for distribution that uses Remote Install Manager is a management server whose name is dmman01 or dmman02.

In the file for connection destinations, you can define 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.254 (all IP addresses) on the last line of each section to indicate a connection destination that is to be used if no appropriate IP address is found. In this example, for computers with IP addresses outside the range from 172.17.12.1 to 172.17.12.250 and from 172.17.13.1 to 172.17.13.250, the connection-destination management server is manager04. For these computers, the connection-destination higher system for distribution that uses Remote Install Manager is dmman02. If you specify multiple connection destinations, the connection destination that is defined first has higher priority. In this example, dmsub01 and dmman01 has the highest priority.

Tip: After creating the file for connection destinations, you can check whether the file conforms to the required file format by using the checkitdmhost command. For details about the checkitdmhost command, see 8.13 checkitdmhost (checking the format of the file for connection destinations).

Note after distribution of the file for connection destinations

Before you change the IP address of the connection destination host that is set by distributing the file for connection destinations to managed computers, delete that file from the relevant managed computers. If the file is not deleted, changing the IP address of the connection destination host might automatically change the connection destination. As a result, a connection destination different from the expected higher system might be set.

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