ConsoleWorks Management of Windows Emergency Management Services
From TDiWiki
Managing Microsoft Windows 2003 Emergency Management Services using ConsoleWorks from TECSys Development.
Enterprise management of Microsoft Windows 2003 is best accomplished using ConsoleWorks for the following reasons;
Best in class Enterprise Systems Event Management and Correlation. Real time access to the server with the operating system up or down. Event log management with actionable intelligence. In-Band and/or Out of Band management of the server. Increased uptime and decreased mean time to repair.
The use of Out of Band techniques to manage Windows has become a reality with the release of Microsoft Windows 2003. Using ConsoleWorks, the TDi Windows Event Forwarder (WEF), and a COM port, you can manage more systems with fewer resources.
The ConsoleWorks server will act as an event log aggregator, capturing and logging all system, security, and application errors. ConsoleWorks can take automatic action on events as they enter the event log using scripting based on site specific best practices. ConsoleWorks scripts are standard command (batch) files that you create to take any action that can be performed from the command line. Help desk automation, server and application correction, and real time SMTP communication are all handled through ConsoleWorks scripts. The ConsoleWorks server should become the event repository for all Windows events and provide reporting to track events from beginning to resolution.
Event forwarding to the ConsoleWorks server is accomplished by the TDi Windows Event Forwarder, or WEF. The WEF is a very small service that runs on the server being managed by ConsoleWorks. It uses local system security and SYSLOG to forward events to the ConsoleWorks server.
Accessing the system using Out of Band techniques provides remote command line access to the server without the security hassles of telnet. ConsoleWorks, a terminal server, and Microsoft Windows Emergency Management Services (EMS) technology allows you to gain remote command line access to the server. Even during Operating System distress that does not allow for In-Band access.
Microsoft’s focus on command line tools to manage and configure Windows 2003 combined with hardware manufactures providing EMS COM port redirection support from the BIOS makes this the preferred method to manage a Windows server. ConsoleWorks, combined with hardware EMS support, will allow you to access the BIOS and log boot-up messages, all from a web browser. ConsoleWorks logs can be sent to hardware providers to prove hardware problems so that the correct parts can meet technicians on the first trip.
All of this can be done for a fraction of the cost of current In-Band tools, implemented in a fraction of the time. This technology does not need polling and only sends messages when something has actually happened. ConsoleWorks will also bridge the gap between current In-band tools and the Out of Band through integration modules that plug in to most popular In-Band monitoring tools. ConsoleWorks is designed to scale from tens of systems to thousands.
Windows EMS is accessed via the DB9 COM port on the back of the Intel class server. It uses serial connectivity to communicate with the network via a terminal server. Terminal Server aggregation is accomplished via ConsoleWorks.
To setup Windows EMS management, first setup a new Console in ConsoleWorks.
Login to ConsoleWorks and choose Manage, Add Console.
Illustration 2.0: Add a Console
Illustration 2.1: Add a Console screen two
For this example we chose a Console Type of telnet. ConsoleWorks has the capability to communicate with applications and devices using any of the following types of connections;
- InterServer Console
- InterServer Failover Console
- LAT Port
- LAT Service
- Pseudo Console
- Pseudo Console on Demand
- Serial Port
- Syslog Listener
- SNMP Trap Receiver
- Telnet
- Telnet on demand
Illustration 2.2: Emergency Management Console Added
Now that the console setup is complete we can capture and log all information from the EMS port as soon as connectivity has been established.
Note: This console is the Out of Band connection tool to the managed Windows server. Another console must be setup to receive data from the WEF on the managed server. The WEF console is setup as a SYSLOG console which uses the EMS console as an associated console. This method allows all management of and connectivity to the managed server to be accomplished from one screen, the SYSLOG console configuration screen.
Next we hook the terminal server into the COM port of the server. The COM port will hook into a terminal server and communicate with it via serial communications.
As all terminal servers do not always have the same pinouts, it is sometimes necessary to understand how the pins on the COM port transmit data. The COM port is a DB9 Male connection. The cable to the terminal server requires a DB9 Female connector. Converters (DB9 to RJ45, DB9 to DB25, Male to Female, et cetera) are easily attained. The COM port communications are illustrated below.
Illustration 3.0:DB9 Male and Female
To enable EMS, on EMS compliant hardware, you must run the hardware system configuration utility to configure bit rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and flow control of the COM port. Your BIOS settings should match the settings of the correlating port on the terminal server.
Emergency Management Services redirection is enabled in Windows 2003 by adding a setting to the boot file, boot.ini. Bootcfg.exe can be used to perform this function using syntax similar to the following;
“Bootcfg /ems on /port COM1 /baud 115200”
Your site will probably be specific. The Bootcfg.exe help file provides a wealth of information into proper syntax for differing situations. The help file also completely details EMS.
Once connectivity between ConsoleWorks and the server has been established Enterprise Management of the server can begin.
You now have access to your Windows EMS command line, while the OS is up or down, without plugging a crash cart in the system to diagnose the problem. This solution also allows for access to the Windows 2003 SAC and !SAC prompts to allow for operating system command line access and server configuration, administration, troubleshooting, and reboot. ConsoleWorks allows you to sit in front of the box from anywhere on your corporate network.
Illustration 4.0: HP Proliant Boot as seen via ConsoleWorks and Windows EMS
To access the BIOS screens see VT100 Hot Keys for Windows EMS BIOS access
The Windows EMS command line, the System Administration Console or SAC, provides tools specific to diagnosis and resolution of server health issues. The SAC tools allow you to find a process and either raise/lower it’s priority or kill it. You can also limit process memory usage or reboot the server from the SAC. Additionally, STOP errors will be reported to the SAC as the server is on the way down. ConsoleWorks will detect this STOP error and can take the action, which you have determined, to correct the situation or notify you that a major problem has occurred. The STOP error will be captured in the ConsoleWorks logs although the crash dump will remain on the crashed server, if a Windows crash dump is configured to be performed.
One of the SAC tools is the Windows Command Line itself and all of the power that exist within it. This allows for access to most, if not all, of the tools required to manage, configure and administer the server
Illustration 5.0: Microsoft Windows 2003 EMS SAC prompt, as seen via ConsoleWorks.
Illustration 5.1: Microsoft Windows 2003 EMS SAC Command prompt (running tasklist.exe), as seen via ConsoleWorks
ConsoleWorks Overview:
- Business Challenge –
o Managing the accumulation of different technologies
o Managing the changing environment at a low cost
o Managing the enterprise using fewer personnel, and
o Managing a reliable and available enterprise
- Business Need –
o Reduce Costs and manage the changing enterprise
o Add management capability to existing monitoring tools like PATROL, HP OpenView, Tivoli, and CA Unicenter
o Manage all systems, applications and devices within the entire enterprise
- The Solution -
o ConsoleWorks monitors and manages the entire enterprise at a fraction of the cost of most monitoring tools
o ConsoleWorks immediately adds value by extending a monitoring tool into a management solution
o ConsoleWorks is easy to implement within three to five business days
o ConsoleWorks provides a reliable and available enterprise by managing all enterprise systems, applications, and devices.
TECSys Development, Inc. (TDi) is the leading provider of device and application management software solutions. Our solution offerings provide monitoring and management of mission critical, heterogeneous enterprises. Our company has a global presence with offices and partners located on the west coast, east coast, central United States, and Western Europe.
TDi is a privately held corporation incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in Plano, Texas. TDi utilizes key enterprise capable partners and resellers to work directly with its customers worldwide. TDi was incorporated in 1993 and later reorganized in 2001. TDi is self-funded with no debt and no venture capital investors to date.
Founder, William Johnson, created a company with a focus on services to Fortune 100 Corporations with distributed data centers. His focus was implementing data center automation for large customers. After seeing the need for more efficient automation products, he formed TDi and began developing solutions to meet enterprise customer demands. Understanding the issues that IT personnel faced each day, Mr. Johnson developed a team of expert engineers to create the TDi's product set, PAKGen, SENSys and ConsoleWorks.
TDi's products lead the way in innovative technology such as remote access to managed devices, security features, real time notification preventing device failure, automated actions generating automatic corrections to device problems, and logging and auditing of all activity providing the ability to meet SLA requirements.
As the Internet began to develop, the team at TDi responded to the needs of their customers and created the patented Web server technology for ConsoleWorks. ConsoleWorks uses the console interface from a managed device to capture data, which typically falls onto the floor. ConsoleWorks differs from other SNMP or agent based products in that users can do more than monitor and alert on the health of a single device. The innovative technology of ConsoleWorks also provides remote access and management of various types of devices. ConsoleWorks has been further developed to provide fail over capabilities for increased up time and increased security for managed devices with SSL and SSH.
TDi is focused on creating key partnerships around the world that further facilitate solving the problems of enterprise systems management. Compaq, now a part of the new Hewlett-Packard Company, was the first partner to embed ConsoleWorks as their management solution of choice in the GS series Alpha Servers. Additionally, TDi has added other manufacturing partners, such as Lantronix, as a part of our expanding partnership focus. With value added partners located around the world, TDi will continue to provide solutions for the problems facing the IT community.
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