5.2.3 Creating host groups from a file

(1) Creating a host group file

For a given destination, a host group file defines information including the destination name, destination type, and the path of the host group to which it belongs. If the display language is Japanese, use a text file in the Shift_JIS encoding format to perform I/O operations. If the display language is Chinese (simplified characters), use a text file in the GBK encoding format to perform I/O operations. If the display language is English, use a text file in the ASCII encoding format to perform I/O operations. You can comment out a line by placing a single-quotation mark (') or hash mark (#) in the first column.

You can streamline the process of creating a host group file by outputting the system configuration information to a text file and then editing the file. For an example of creating a host file, see 5.2.6 Example of host group creation.

Format

destination-name HID=host-ID,TYPE=destination-type,MAC=MAC-address,ROOT=path-of-host-group,DATE=creation-date-and-time

Description

You can place items in any order after the destination name and host ID.

destination-name (required)

Set the name of the host group or host.

If destination-name is a host group, specify it in the format * host-group-name. The initial character is a single-byte asterisk (*). Separate the asterisk and the host group name with a single-byte space. The host group name must be unique. For details about how to name host groups, see 5.2.2 Assigning group names.

If destination-name is a host, specify it according to the node identification key used in the system.

If you are using host names as the node identification key, specify the destination name in the format * host-name. The initial character is a single-byte asterisk (*), and the asterisk is separated from the host name by a single-byte space. You can specify another character or character string (except a space) in place of the asterisk. For example, you can replace the asterisk with an IP address.

If you are using IP addresses as the node identification key, specify the destination name in the format IP-address *. The IP address is separated from the asterisk by a single-byte space. You can specify another character or character string in place of the asterisk. For example, you can replace the asterisk with a host name. You can also omit the asterisk altogether.

When you create a host group file on the manager, you can only specify hosts registered in the system configuration information as destination names.

HID=host-ID

Set a host ID that uniquely identifies the host. If host IDs are set in the file output by selecting Save to File from the File menu in the Destination window, you must use the host IDs exactly as they appear in the file. Do not specify this operand for hosts for which no host ID is set in the host group file output by Save to File, or for newly added hosts.

TYPE=destination-type

Specify the host type as one of the following. If you omit this operand, CLIENT is set by default.

• GROUP (host group)

• MANAGER (management relay server)

• MASTER (relay system)

• CLIENT (agent)

MAC=MAC-address

Set the MAC address of the host. Because MAC address information is used by functions such as Wake on LAN, you should not modify this operand as a general rule. If you modify this operand, some functions might not work.

ROOT=path-of-host-group

Set the full path of the host group to which the host belongs. If you do not specify a value for this operand, the destination is created with the host group of the preceding entry and the value of the TYPE operand as the type.

DATE=creation-date-and-time

The date and time when the host will be (or was) first registered on the management server. Specify the date and time in the format MM/DD/YYYY/hh/mm/ss. For YYYY, you can specify a value in the range from 1971 to 2037. For hh, you can specify 0 to 23.

If you omit this operand, the date and time at which you clicked Create from File is set for the destination.

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(2) Creating host groups from a file

When you create host groups from a host group file, the information in the Destination window is replaced with the contents of the host group file. You can save the existing contents of the Destination window by backing it up to a file.

If the existing information in the Destination window includes host IDs, you must use the host IDs as they appear in the window.

To create host groups from a file:

1. In the Destination window, from the File menu, select Create from File.

2. Select the host group file you created, and then click OK.

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(3) Outputting host groups to a file

You can output the host group configuration displayed in the Destination window to a file. You can use this process to modify host configuration information by outputting the existing host groups to a file and then editing the file contents.

To output the host group configuration to a file:

1. In the Destination window, from the File menu, select Save to File.

   The Save Destination dialog box appears. Before you perform this step, click Refresh to refresh the window contents. If automatic application of system configuration information occurs and the information displayed on screen conflicts with the underlying data, the correct information might not be output to the file.

2. Enter a file name, and then click OK.

   The host group configuration is output to a file.

The following figure shows an example of the host group configuration output to a file:

Figure 5‒5: File output example of host group configuration

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