Conference csc32::consolemanager

    We need to be able to analyze the console and/or event message
    log and/or archive files and generate summary reports that indicate how
    well we are doing regarding the remote management of our customer's
    systems.
    
    This is a HIGH priority need which the CM V1.1 release does not
    seem to address (CM Engineers, correct me if I am wrong regarding this
    point).
    
    As I see it, our contractual requirement can be met in CM V1.0 only by:
    
    1) Action Routine
    
    Write an action routine that writes console/event messages to a disk
    file for every/selected console/event message received.  However, this
    option would unduly stress the CM system and create yet another disk file
    consuming more disk space and requiring additional management.
    
    However, software tools could be used to massage this data in a variety
    of ways to produce a variety of reports.
    
    2) Pass Console/Event Messages to External Software Package
    
    Write an action routine that gets triggered for every/designated console
    and/or event messages and passes this data to an external software package.
    
    For example, place a DECalert RUDEM call into the action routine, pass
    the data to DECalert, and then generate summary reports from the
    DECalert ISAM file.
    
    Are there other options?  We believe that Option #2 is the better
    approach with less stress on CM and less CM management overhead.
    
    I would appreciate feedback from both CM engineering and others who may
    be faced with this same problem - what are your thoughts?
    
    Please advise.
    
    			/Thanks in Advance

    I have a customer who wants to place an event with an ENS action
    routine into his VCS profile.  However he does not want the event to be
    displayed on the C3 screen (ie. he wants to detect a string of text on
    the console, not highlight the icon but still run the action routine).
    
    As VCS V1.4 does not support this hes asked me to put it on a wish
    list.
    
    Regards
    
    Christina Hutchinson

    
    I need to have control on whether the events window pops up alongside
    the c3 interface or not.
    
    Something like "$ console c3/noevent_window" is what I am thinking of.
    
    Regards,
    
    Max.
    

Max,

  Have you looked under Opetions->General... there you will find an option
  called "Display EventlistWindow at startup".

Cheers,
Phil

    
    Phil,
    
    Yep, I have already taken advantage of that facility for myself.
    
    The reason I put it into a wishlist is because on system startup, I
    have set up a batch job that will create a c3 window on about half a
    dozen of my colleagues workstations. Instead of running round explaining
    what they have to do to remove the events window, I would like to have
    it as an option at that level.
    
    Sorry for not explaining myself properly again!  8-)
    
    
    Regards,
    
    Max.
    

Max,

  So, are all the C3's the same view? If so, do it once and copy the
  CONSOLE$C3.DAT around to everyone else.

  Also, what do you propose we do if your colleagues want the evntlist
  displayed at startup, but you have turned it off?

Cheers,
Phil

Max,

	On a different tack, you do realise that by fireing the c3 display
	to remote workstations you have a potential security hole.

	If the workstation is being used by "somebody" else (either intentionally
	or otherwise), by sending the c3 you will be giving them access to the
	consoles of your systems ?! and hence allowing them to halt them.

Andy.
	

    Another possibility for plugging the security hole would be to 
    optionally have the user enter a password when he/she connects. 
    Each system could have it's own password or a global password 
    for all systems, much like the way the Terminal Server Manager 
    works today. Just a thought for the next version.
    
    Dave
    
    

	Dave,

	I like the idea ....Andy.

    You could also implement the display security feature that VCS had.
    That was a nice feature and customers found it simple to setup and
    understand. I like the password protect on the connect too. I think 
    implementing both would be excellent.
    
    Regs,
      Dan

    Re .6
    
    Phil,
    
    Actually, as it is being done on startup, using the system account,
    any change that is made and saved should be passed onto the rest of the
    team.
    
    Andy... re .7,
    
    I understand your concerns, but I do not view it as any more of a risk
    than having the c3 window just on my workstation. My colleagues do all
    the right things in pausing workstations when leaving their desks
    etc....
    
    However, the subsequent security recomendations leading from your reply
    have much merit.
    
    Regards,
    
    Max.

    
    - Put a map in the background and put icons upon it.
    
    - if you have a LOT of nodes/buildings make some sort of zoom in
    function to zoom into you maps (DECmcc like) and have the top-map
    display priority colors.

Marcel,

  We have this now!! We are just putting the finishing touches to it
  before we let it out for testing. Stay tuned....

Cheers,
Phil

    I think it would be rather nice to enable an event to clear another
    one - some kind of event association. That is say I get an event that
    SLS has stopped, then it restarts - the restart message should clear
    the stopped message automaticaly.
    
    This would require an extra field in the database, but I think would be
    a good feature to have.
    
    Martin

    Martin,
            the concept of Ack and Clear has been extended for the next
    release ( if plans go as we hope). In that case events will be able to
    be Acked and Cleared and the time,User and some associated text will 
    be logged. 
    
    Is that what you were hoping for?
    
    Cheers Simon...

    Simon,
    
    I know it has been extended, what I'm looking for is something like :-
    
    ADD_EVENT:
    	NAME: SLS_STOPPED
    	TEXT: "SLS has Stopped"
    	etc.
    END_EVENT
    
    ADD_EVENT:
    	NAME: SLS_STARTED
    	TEXT: "SLS has restarted"
    	etc.
    	CLEAR: SLS_STOPPED
    END_EVENT
    
    This would mean that when the event SLS_STARTED occurred, it would
    clear any event, in the same cluster/group, with the name SLS_STOPPED.
    This would be done automaticaly. You may also want to put in some extra
    stuff like the text you would like displayed, etc.
    
    OK? Want to talk about this off line?
    
    Martin

    Martin,
            yes we can talk about this offline, but t occurs to me it is
    rather like an extension the the stuff being done in the OSCInt Expert
    Filter. It may be more relevant to incorporate it there. anyway we can
    speak more later.
    
    Cheers Simon...

Martin, Simon,

	I did put this request in for OSCint v2, but it didn't make the final release,
	perhaps a further request to Christian Heusbourg may raise the visibility.

Andy.

    
Indeed Andy you asked for this functionality, instead of adding an event with 
priority clear into ENS, having the OSCint Expert Filter 'clear' an event in 
the event list. This feature is not in V2 as we were already in FT. 
So indeed, as the OSCint Expert Filter is already designed to handle rules,
adding the functionality to 'clear' events will answer I think Martin's
request (with an extension to handle the notion of cluster/group).
The other possibility is to add the functionality into PCM, that's what Martin
proposed in .16, or another one would be to do both... Part of the answer will
also depend on how OSCint will evolve...  
                                             
Cheers,
Christian.
    

    I don't care where it is, to be honest. I would 'prefer' it to be in
    Console Manager, only because I feel happier when things are in
    software funded from central engineering.
    
    Martin

    Hi chaps,
    
    One of the nice things about ENS in VCS was the ability to create
    objects called displays, and then associate displays with actions. This
    meant that if someone moved, you only had to change the display record
    and all the action routines would now send to the new location.
    
    This does not seem possible in Console Manager, so I'd like to suggest
    that you re-introduce this concept to PCM.
    
    This would mean that wherever someone sat, they can get the messages
    sent to their current position, as opposed to where it has been
    hardcoded. Also, it makes change much easier.
    
    Shaun

Martin,

  Sorry, cant do, not in the near future anyway! I will place it on the
  wishlist for the far future.

Cheers,
Phil

Good day,

We would like to see a client/server type GUI (much like DEC Scheduler)
where we can locally launch the GUI while connecting to remote PCM
Servers (no, X display doesn't cut it...). Here's why...

We have a central enterprise manager (Netview) getting events from DEC
internal and external (non-DEC) systems. That means we run *multiple*
copies of ConsoleManager on many different platforms (not just on the
Netview platform, we have VMS PCM and Unix PCM). We need the ability to
launch ConsoleManager from Netview even though the console we are
connecting to isn't managed by a "local" Consolemanager. This is why a
client/server GUI such as DECscheduler's would be good for us...

Any takers?

Thanks,

Ed

PS. I spoke to Rae Kung-Collier about this at IMSYM...

Ed,

  You will need to submit a Phase 0 request for the next major PCM   release when
  (if?) that happens.

  Having said that, it was something we were planning to do, but
  things have gotten a little sidetracked. Your submission of a Phase 0 request to Rae
  should ensure that this requirement gets the proper attention rather than just being
  another item on our "wish-list"


Cheers,
Phil
 

You could do it now, to a certain extent.

To the UNIX boxes you can use RSH (remote Shell) to fire off a command on the
PCM system to do whatever you want. The window will still be sent back from the
remote PCM system, but you launch it from netview. It is possible to do similar
with VMS systems as well.

Hope that helps

Shaun

	Just received a request from a "former VCS" user to enhance PCM so 
that he can use his TPU section file for key definitions within the MONITOR 
interface.  Dan B. showed me the use of the "CONSOLE$MONITOR_INIT.DAT" and
"CONSOLE$command.SCRIPT" files which will get back most of what he has lost 
with the TPU section file key definitions (eg. "<PF1>1" for "VIEW NODE1") 
but still thinks that being able to implement TPU section file functionality 
would be a great enhancement to the product.  

Thanks,

Dennis

Dennis,

  If the monitor interface were built on TPU that would be easy, but it isnt
  so I doubt that you will ever see this.

  What exactly does the customer want to do that they cant today?

Cheers,
Phil

    Alex,
    
     In the consolemanager conference (1352.7) i made public some
            undocumented Pcm features inherited from Phil Baxter.
            These features allow the eventlist popup-menu customization and
    is
            really useful. Dan , in 1352.8, told me to ask you to document
    and
            support it in a future Pcm release.
    
            If this is possible could you add the "date and time" as
    parameter
            (P5) to make the use of procedures started based on these
            parameters even better.
    
    Thanks
    
    Pierre