In a departure from the usual way of managing resources, it is necessary to install client software on NT servers in order to manage them.
The Vantage NT program is a client/server application which establishes communication between a Windows NT server and the Vantage workstation. It creates a command-line Windows NT console on the Vantage workstation enabling execution of Windows NT commands and enabling Vantage to monitor events on the server.
Three programs are installed and run as services on NT clients: Portmap, Vannt Serial Service and Vannt Socket Service.
Binaries for Vantage NT services are included in two self-extracting binaries: ntclt86.exe for the Intel platform and ntcltdec.exe for the Dec/Alpha platform. These files are located on the Vantage cdrom in the /NT_client directory. The following procedures explain the steps necessary for installation.
1. Copy the appropriate file(s) from the Vantage cdrom to a directory of your choice on the NT server machine.
2. If this is an update to existing NT client software open the Control Panel on the NT server, click Services and stop the three Vantage services: Portmap, Vannt Serial Service and Vannt Socket Service.
3. Open a DOS window on the server, change directory to the directory containing the installation file(s) and execute either ntclt86.exe for Intel or ntcltdec.exe for Dec Alpha platform.
4. Open the Control Panel on the NT server, click Services and start the three Vantage services Portmap, Vannt Serial Service and Vannt Socket Service. Click Startup, click the service names and set the Vantage services to start automatically.
Both serial and socket connectivity are available with this release. The major difference between the two being the hardware required to make the connection to the NT server. The serial connection is made with Catwalk connector kits. The network connection requires no special hardware other than your existing network.
Serial connections are established by attaching a Vantage Catwalk connector kit to an available serial port on the NT server and a terminal server in the typical fashion.
Network connections are made by configuring the resource's connectivity method as TCP/IP connectivity, using rlogin to log on to the Vantage workstation, then running vannt with the node name of the NT server as the first argument.
Clicking Start Console for a serially connected NT resource results in the following prompt in the server's console window: " vannt3 has been started. Type vannt [-l] [-b] to logon. "
To log in to the server, type vannt. You will be prompted for the user name, domain name and user password. Once logged in, the message User [username] logged in. followed by the operating system the server is running and the serial port to which connected.
At this point you have established a command-line console interface to the NT server. Type Help to display the commands available.
Clicking Start Console for a network connected NT resource will first prompt for the login on the Vantage workstation. When logged in successfully type vannt followed by the node name of the NT server (i.e. to connect to the NT node commando, type vannt commando). You will then be prompted for user name, domain name and password.
To start logging for System, Application and Security logs type the command startlogin the NT server's console window. Starting logging in this manner causes all messages pertaining to these three logs to be displayed in the NT server console window. Events can then be defined to alert or take corrective actions as appropriate.
See also Operating Vantage
