DONE-10: Adminserver Survival Tips Brian Bowman Product Manager, Data Management Group

DONE-10: Adminserver Survival Tips

Brian BowmanProduct Manager, Data Management Group

2 DONE-10: Adminserver Survival Tips© 2005 Progress Software Corporation

Agenda

Introduction Importance of the

Adminserver Adminserver

Architecture How to Make Better

Use if it Summary


Ken Wilner, VP of Technology PSC February, 2005

“I don’t know why you want to talk about it – it just runs!”


Introduction

Introduced in 1999 - Version 9.0A Provides a common infrastructure and

interface for Server management First Plugins: AppServer™, WebSpeed®,

NameServer, Database The complete configuration point for the

deployment environment


What is the AdminServer?

A consistent interface for managing Progress products

Administrative access to Progress products installed on your network

Remote configuration and management capabilities

An administrative framework to provide…


Agenda




Use if it Summary


What does it do?

It’s not really the engine…


What does the AdminServer do today?

Fathom™ Management AppServer Brokers and Servers WebSpeed Transaction Servers & Agents NameServer Databases DataServers WebSpeed Messenger Sonic 4GL Adapter Web Services Adapter

It configures and manages:


What does it do?

It’s more like the ignition system of your application


Agenda




Use if it Summary


AdminServerThe Basic Picture

Request to start WebSpeed

WebSpeed is Started

Admin

Server

Something Goes In…

Something Comes Out…


Adminserver Tip

“Never start the adminserver as root”

Opens you up to security issues Causes all other processes to start as root


AdminServer An Advanced Picture

Admin ServerProgress Explorer

Browser

Plugin

PluginWebSpeed

Broker

WS Server

WS Server

PluginAppServer

Broker

AS

AS

DB Server

DB ServerPlugin

Database Broker

Fathom Management

4GL

Java

.Net


How the AdminServer Works

An extensible framework for hosting plugins – Loads plugins and accepts management requests– Local and remote request from Progress Explorer

and the command line interface Manages Client Connections Plugins provide management functions for a

particular product – Database, WebSpeed, AppServer, etc.

– Some plugins are adapters (WSA, AIA, WS messenger)

The real work is in the plugins

Adminserver Plug-ins are:


ProgressAdminServer (20931)

conmgr.properties

AdminServerPlugins.dat / .properties

ProgressExplorer

RMI

DBBroker(7835)

TCP

ubroker.properties

RMI

AS Broker(3050)

WS Broker (3055)

NameServer(5162)

RMI

ClientUDP (1)

TCP (2)

UDP

UDP

TCP (2)

How the Adminserver CommunicatesFathom

Management(6835)

TCP


Adminserver Tip

“Document and monitor all of the ports (#’s & types) that you use for the adminserver.”



AdminServerPlugins.[dat|properties] file

– Text file that contains a list of server plugins to start

– Only those products that are licensed on that machine will start

– Stored in $DLC directory – V9– Stored in $DLC/properties directory – R10– Treat as read-only; do not modify

Plug-ins



Ubroker.properties file

– Text file that contains configuration information for all OpenEdge™ instances

– Only those instances that are configured will start

– Stored in $DLC/properties directory– Modifiable via PE or any editor– If modified by editor – use validation tools

(*config)

Configuration Files



connmgr.properties file

– Text file that contains configuration information for all OpenEdge databases

– Only those databases that are configured for autostart will start when adminserver starts

– Stored in $DLC/properties directory– Modifiable via PE or any editor– If modified by editor – use validation tools

(*config)

Configuration Files


Adminserver Tip

“Back up your configuration files.”


Why should I worry about it?

You know it’s there (or hope it is)…

but don’t ever want to use it…


Agenda




Use if it Summary


Sometimes you want something that can go anywhere…


But parks like a dream…


Then why not have the best of both?


How can I make better use of it?

Load Balancing High Availability Debugging Security Fathom Management


Load Balancing

Client(s)

Machine A

Inventory 70%

Payroll (C)

Nam

eSer

ver

Inventory (A and B)

Location transparency

Load balancing

Machine C

Payroll

Machine B

Inventory 30%


Roy Ellis, Principle Engineer PSC May, 2005

“With the adminserver you can do remote configuration and management from almost anywhere!”


Web Server

Nam

e Server

(Load b

alancin

g)

CHUI

GUI

Web Client

Web Browser

Sonic ESB

ApplicationServer(Site 1)

ApplicationServer(Site 2)

Reporting

Backup(Site 2)

Nam

e Server

(Load b

alancin

g)

Production(Site 1)

User Tier Application Tier Data Tier

HTTP

Direct Connect

TCP/IP

Messaging

FathomReplication

.Net

SQL

High Availability Application


Adminserver Tip

“Never shut down the adminserver unless you are upgrading or installing.”

There is typically no reason to shut it down

Removes the ability for remote access to the application


DebuggingLogging Levels

Can set how much is written to log files– Level 1: Errors and Information

– Level 2: Terse (default)

– Level 3: Verbose Security Logging

– Log Specific user authentication / authorization

– Default: log both success and failed operations

– Can change so only failed logins are recorded

JVMARGS=$JVMARGS –DLogLevelSecurity = 2


Adminserver Tip

“Raise the logging level on your adminserver and manage the extra volume.”

This gives you more insight into what is happening after the fact.


Many Types of Security…


Security Options

User-group authorization – 9.1D– Format: -admingroup group[:group…]– Minimum 1 valid group name

Watch out for specifying group authorization without any users!

User authenticated to OS’s security system

Sub-process startup can be authenticated as well


Adminserver Tip

“Start each broker process under a different user name.”

This gives you the ability to identify which processes are doing what


Agenda




Use if it Summary


Benefits of Understanding the Adminserver

Feature Benefit

Single configuration location for OpenEdge

Adding a new server or re-configuring an existing server is easy.

Single process to start & stop complete application

Confidence that adding a new server will be correct and start & stop.

Remote Configuration

You can manage multiple remote systems from one place with one tool.


Summary

Now you have a better understanding of what it does for you

Now you understand why it exists Make use of the features it offers


Questions?

Brian Bowman

[email protected]


Thank you for your time!


Documents

DONE-10: Adminserver Survival Tips Brian Bowman Product Manager, Data Management Group