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System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices

Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Web-based System Manager applications can also be run in client-server mode. In this mode, the AIX machine acts as a server to a graphical client located elsewhere on the network. The Web-based System Manager server does not require a graphical terminal.

Installing Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Server Installation

The same filesets that allow Web-based System Manager Applications to run in stand-alone mode also allow Web-based System Manager to run in client-server mode. In addition, the Web-based System Manager server must be configured to be started by inetd when a client connects to the Web-based System Manager server. By default, when Web-based System Manager is installed, the Web-based System Manager server will be configured to run in this manner.

Client Installation

Because Web-based System Manager is written in Java, a Web-based System Manager client can be any machine that has a Java 1.1.2 Virtual Machine installed, including a machine with a browser that supports Java 1.1.2 A Web-based System Manager client could be another AIX machine with a graphics terminal, or a PC. There are two possibilities for Web-based System Manager clients: an applet client in a browser, and an AIX client application.

Configuring Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Configuring the Web-based System Manager Server

The Web-based System Manager server will be started by inetd when a Web-based System Manager client connects to the server. By default, the Web-based System Manager server will listen on port 9090 after initialization.

Configuring the Web-based System Manager client

A remote Web-based System Manager application will prompt the user for a hostname on startup. The port to which the client connects is by default the Web-based System Manager Server default port. The port number can be passed to the client application on the command line, or can be stored in the websm.cfg file.

Web-based System Manager Config file

The Web-based System Manager config file websm.cfg is kept in the /usr/websm directory on AIX machines for both the Web-based System Manager server and the Web-based System Manager client.

On non-AIX machines, this file will be searched for in the directory from which an application is invoked.

The Web-based System Manager Config file supports the following parameters:

port=9090

Configure Web-based System Manager for Applet Mode

There are three possible choices for configuring Web-based System Manager for applet mode:

  1. If a web server is detected (such as Lotus Domino Go Webserver or Netscape Web Server), then Web-based System Manager will be automatically configured to be enabled in applet mode upon completion of installation when the Configuration Assistant is run. If a web-server is not installed, then you will be prompted for the document directory for your web-server. To bring up the Configuration Assistant at a later time after install, you can run configassist at the command line.

    The default URL for the Web-based System Manager launch page will be at the following URL:

    http://<hostname>/wsm.html

  2. If a web server is not detected or does not ship with media (such as APACHE Web Server), then configuration will be required by the user if Web-based System Manager is to be used in applet mode. Configuration can be done by two methods:
    1. Invoke the Web-based System Manager System application (wsm system). Select the Internet Environment icon. Follow the instructions on the Web-based System Manager Applet page of the Web-based System Manager System notebook.
    2. Configure Web-based System Manager from the command line: /usr/websm/bin/wsmappletcfg -docdir <path to the document directory of your webserver> (Example: for Lotus Domino Go Webserver this would be /usr/lpp/internet/server_root/pub)

      Some web-servers look in sub-directories under the top-level directory for locale-specific html files. The wsmappletcfg program will search under the document directory for directories with the same name as locales installed for Web-based System Manager. If locale directories are found, wsmappletcfg will link the translated version of the html files to the appropriate directory.

      If you want the top-level html files to be set to the language of your choice, specify the option -lang <lang> when running wsmappletcfg with the 5 character locale you want (for example; ja_JP).

  3. A third method to configure Web-based System Manager for applet mode is by using SMIT. At the command line, enter:
    smit web_based_system_manager

Running Client-Server Web-based System Manager

Remote applet

A Web-based System Manager server can also be managed from any machine with a web browser. When Web-based System Manager is installed on an AIX machine, if a web server is detected, a link will be setup for the Web Server to the Web-based System Manager HTML launch page.

The default URL for the Web-based System Manager launch page is http://<machine name>/wsm.html. The actual URL may vary. See the owner of the machine for the URL if the default URL does not work.

The Web-based System Manager server will be started automatically when an applet or remote application tries to connect to it.

Remote application

Enabling/Disabling the Web-based System Manager Server on an AIX 4.3 Machine

By default, the Web-based System Manager server is disabled. To enable the Web-based System Manager server, run:
/usr/websm/bin/wsmserver -enable.

To disable the server, run:
/usr/websm/bin/wsmserver -disable.


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