Presentation

1.1 Introduction

Netadmin is a software allowing you to perform the deployment and the configuration of applications in a centralized manner. It allows to deploy and configure the whole set of the Calyx Suite products.

Netadmin is made up of 3 distinct elements :

• An administration console : this software allows the administrator to set up his deployment and configuration strategy from the workstation on which the console is installed. It is installed by default on the server but might also be installed on an other worksation on the network.
• A server : its task is to store the installation programs of the products which are likely to be deployed but also to store the administrator defined configuration sent to the workstations of the network as well as the reports and logs generated by the stations and consulted by the administrator.
• An agent : installed on each workstation to administrate, it is responsible of the communication with the Netadmin server and the application of the installation strategies and the administrator’s configuration for that workstation.

The mechanism of agent – server communication developed for Netadmin allows you to get rid of the rights constraints linked to the domain and so, to manage a multi-domain network through the same Netadmin server.

The possibility to install the administration console apart from the Netadmin server lets you share the network management between different users.

Once the server and a console are installed, you have the possibility to configure the agents installation and the different products of the Calyx Suite but also to define its strategies.

After the installation of the agent, the administration console allows to display the different products of the Calyx Suite already installed on the workstation, to update it and apply the strategies defined by the administrator through the administration console.

1.2 System Description

1.2.1 The Netadmin server

The server is made up of 2 elements : a web server and a database. These two elements can be installed on a unique server or installed on two servers.

• Database : the database is used for the storage of the strategies defined by the administrator, some system and configuration informations brought back by the agents, the log files and the reports. That Database can be either an SQL Server 7 or 2000 (not provided with Netadmin) or an MSDE database (provided with Netadmin)
• Web Server : the Web server is a proprietary server and its task is to build and interface between the agents and the database. When the agent contacts the server, it retranscribes the received requests so as to forward it to the database and then send the informations obtained from the database to them.

1.2.2 The Netadmin Agent

The agent is a service executed under the system account that allows to perform the administrator’s defined operations thanks to the administration console. It is in charge of the installation, the update and the uninstallation of the Calyx Suite’s products, but also of the configuration and the collection of informations concerning the workstation and the Calyx Softwares installed on it.

1.2.3 Communication Principles

Two communication methods are defined in Netadmin :

• Agent – Server Netadmin Communication :
  The communication between agents and server lays on the http protocol in a periodical manner. The agents wake up periodically and contacts the server on a port defined at the time of the installation of Netadmin. However, it might be necessary in certain situations to wake up the agent without waiting the end of its reconnection delay : for that, each one of the agents is listening on a port defined during the installation of Netadmin server. The administration console uses that port to contact the agent and obliges it to wake up.
• Console – Server NetAdmin Communication : the communication between an administration console and the netadmin server is performed through an ODBC link.

1.3 New Functionalities

• Client – Server communication mechanism – http server and SQL database : the principle of use of a shared resource as the mechanism’s heart is abandoned to the benefits of an http communication and the storage of informations in an SQL database.
• Agent / Console dissociation : the administration console and the agent are now completely dissociated. The console is an independent application and its installation is performed by the administrator on the workstations they wish to use for the configuration.
• Agent and installation program format : the Netadmin works now as a service and uses the system account, so simplifying its installation and its maintenance. The installation program is a unique executable file allowing its displacement and its storage on other resources. Besides it is possible to generate some installation programs containing an NT administration account thus allowing a user without rights to perform the installation.
• Management of the products previously installed : at the time of its installation, the agent is able to detect a pre-installed Calyx Suite on the workstation and to take the configuration on its account. ( available functionality from the 5.4 version of Calyx Suite)
• Configuration and configuration inheritance : the inheritance of the products configuration is not operated in a global manner. It is now possible not to keep the inheritance of the rights uniquely for a software or a part of a software, the rest of the other parameters being inherited.
• Calyx users management : it is now possible to assign up to 5 badges to a user. These badges may be of different types or not.
• LDAP Synchronisation : the Calyx users management is now possible thanks to a synchronisation with an LDAP directory. If a user is created by importation from an LDAP directory, then its disappearance is emphasized in the Administration console.

Profiles dynamic download : that functionality allows to download a profile from an LDAP directory at the time of session opening with a badge. It allows to avoid the overload of a workstation with profiles when it has to be reachable by any person owning an authorized badge.