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    AST RESEARCH, INC.         TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1380               12-20-95

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    		       Percepta Server Management Software

    This is an informational bulletin.  This bulletin contains information on the
    following subjects:

    1.0  Percepta 1.21 Host Agents Overview
    2.0  What's new with the 1.21 Host Agents
    3.0  Documentation associated with this release
    4.0  Percepta Host Agents for Windows NT servers
    5.0  Percepta Host Agents for Novell NetWare servers
    6.0  How to obtain the Host Agent software
    7.0  Management Console Software Reference

    1.0  Percepta 1.21 Host Agents Overview.

    The part number for the Percepta 1.21 Host Agents is: 911580-036.

    The Percepta Host Agents are installed on every AST server that you want to
    monitor remotely with the appropriate Percepta Management Console services.

    The Percepta 1.21 Host Agents diskette contains agents for Novell NetWare
    and Windows NT Server Operating Systems.

    Host Agents for Windows NT Server systems were introduced in the previous
    Percepta 1.20 Host Agents.

    1.1  Novell NetWare systems

    The NetWare Host Agents can be installed on the Premium SE or MTE
    servers, the Manhattan G,  Manhattan P or V servers.  The agents run with
    NetWare 3.12 and 4.x servers.

    1.2  Windows NT Server systems

    The Windows NT Host Agents can be installed on the Manhattan G, P and V
    servers only.

    2.0  What's new in the Percepta 1.21 Host Agents

    The 1.21 release includes a DPT PCI Disk Array Controller agent for
    Windows NT systems not included in the 1.20 release.  There are some
    system requirements for this agent to work properly, as described below.

    The Novell NetWare Agents have not changed in functionality.

    3.0  Documentation associated with this release

    A Percepta Users Manual is available on the BBS.  The file is called
    USERMAN.TXT.  Refer to this manual especially for the Windows NT Server
    installation.  This has up to date information for your first Percepta
    installation on a Windows NT Server.  It also includes instructions for
    installation of the NetWare Host Agents. The user manual is included as part
    of the down-load file for the previous Percepta 1.20 Host Agents (AST part
    number 911580-035).

    The new Percepta Users Manual is also included with the Manhattan servers
    containing the Percepta 1.21 Host Agents.

    4.0  Percepta Host Agents for Windows NT

    Introduction

    This release contains a complete set of Host Agents for AST servers running
    the Windows NT Server Operating System.  This section contains specific
    information for your Windows NT server system.

    Once you install the Windows NT Host Agents, you will be able to view
    Windows NT servers from your Percepta Management Console.  You will
    also be able to view the Windows NT servers with Novell NMS, if you have
    installed the Percepta Management console software as a snap-in to NMS.

    You are encouraged to install the recently released Percepta 1.20
    Management Console software on your management workstation for the
    systems you are monitoring.  The existing Percepta 1.12 Management
    Console software can be used to view the Windows NT server if necessary.

    4.1  Installation of Windows NT Host Agents

    Installing the Host Agents for Windows NT systems is quick and easy.  There
    is a Setup program in the NT subdirectory of the Host Agents Diskette.  Run
    this program only after configuring your NT system.  You need to install the
    NWLink compatible transport, Gateway services for NetWare, TCP/IP, and
    then configure your SNMP services.  This is all described in the User Manual
    in detail.  After configuring your NT system, run the setup program.  Make
    sure you reboot after the installation is complete for the new Host Agents to
    take effect.

    Your Windows NT HAL may need to be updated on dual processor systems.
    See the section regarding this in "Dependencies" below.

    Percepta employs the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP is a
    component of TCP/IP internetworking services in Windows NT. TCP/IP is not
    installed as a part of the Windows NT Express Setup.  However, it is required
    by the Percepta Host Agents.  To install SNMP services refer to the Percepta
    Users Manual.  After SNMP services are installed, you must set the SNMP
    configuration.  The SNMP configuration specifies the communities and trap
    destinations.

    After the Host Agents are installed, the setup program will force the SNMP
    Services to be "loaded on boot", because the services module called ASTSNMP
    needs to be loaded by the SNMP services.  If you choose to change the SNMP
    configuration to a manual load, be sure to load the SNMP services yourself
    after the system boots in order to activate the AST Host Agents.  The setup
    program makes standard software installation entries in the NT registry as
    the Percepta software is added by using an AST registry key.

    4.2  SNMP Services errors

    On Windows NT-Server systems, the Percepta setup program installs all of
    the AST host agents, and makes entries in the registry for the loading of the
    SNMP agents.  If your system does not have a DPT disk array included, you
    should edit the registry and remove the ASTDAD agent from the SNMP
    agent list.  This will avoid unexpected entries in the event log describing
    errors from the ASTDAD agent and the ASTDFS agent.

    4.3  Dependencies

    4.3.1  DPT 3224 Disk Array Controller

    This release includes agents for the AST PM3224 PCI Disk Array Controller
    for Novell NetWare systems and for Windows NT Server systems.  There are
    several things to be aware of regarding the agent for the Windows NT server.

    If you already have a DPT PCI Disk Array Controller, you will need to
    upgrade your system with the latest DPT Firmware and DPT Storage Manager.
    This software is available on the AST BBS.  This software is also
    available with Manhattan G, V and P systems which include the Percepta
    1.21 Host Agents.  The following are the minimum revision levels required.

          DPT Component                             Minimum Revision Level

          DPT 3224 Firmware                         7CH
          DPT Storage Manager                       1E9
          DPTENGNT.DLL                              v1.F0

    When the DPTENG loads in the Windows NT server, it will check for the
    minimum firmware level.  If this minimum is not found, the DPTENG
    program will unload.  When the Percepta Disk Array Agent loads, it will
    check for the minimum DPTENG revision level.  If it fails to find the
    minimum revision level, the Agent will unload.  When either program
    unloads, no DPT Host Agent services will be provided.  When either the
    DPTENG program or the Disk Array Agent fail to load, an entry will be made
    in the Windows NT Event log.

    The minimum revision checking will prevent the use of older firmware and
    DPT software which may exhibit failures in the Windows NT Server when
    disk array configuration information is obtained by the Storage Manager and
    the DPTENGNT.DLL.

    The new Storage manager software version 1.01 (AST p/n 911709-036, -037,
    -038, and -039) can be obtained from the AST BBS (file names
    11709036.EXE, 11709037.EXE, 11709038.EXE, and 11709039.EXE).  For
    additional information on the DPT PM3224 PCI Storage Manager Utilities,
    see Software Bulletin # 0207 on AST's BBS.

    4.3.2  Dual Processor systems and the Windows NT Server HAL

    If you have a dual processor system, the setup program may need to update
    the dual processor HAL.DLL file on the Windows NT server.  Before the
    installation of the Host Agents, the setup program checks to see if the HAL
    needs to be updated.  If the HAL needs to be updated, a pop-up box appears
    during installation.  If you select , your HAL.DLL file is updated with
    the version of the HAL provided by Microsoft in hotfix #10326 and the setup
    program continues the installation.  If you select , the installation is
    not completed.

    4.3.3  Finding Windows NT Servers

    The Percepta Management Console is only used in the stand alone
    environment, for example without NMS. The Percepta Management console
    software detects AST servers advertising Percepta services. These are
    tabulated in the NetWare bindery. The AST servers found are listed in the
    Percepta Server Manager console main window for your selection. Because
    Windows NT servers do not normally include bindery information, you may
    not be able to find the Windows NT Server in the server list from the
    Percepta Server Manager, in some installations.  The Windows NT Server
    must be run in a network where at least one Novell server is running to
    provide the bindery services.  If the NT Host Agents are run in a pure
    Windows NT network environment, the Percepta Management console
    launcher will not locate the NT server.  In this case, you may install the File
    and Print services for Netware on your NT system.  Once this Windows NT
    service is installed, the Percepta Management Console will find the Windows
    NT server.

    4.3.4  Plug-n-Play

    Plug and Play information is not available for display by Percepta on
    Manhattan G systems.  You can view Plug-n-Play information on Manhattan
    P and V systems from the Management Console.  The Plug-n-Play
    information is gathered by the Windows NT Host Agents when the SNMP
    services are started on the server.

    4.3.5  Community Names

    The Windows NT operating system does not include the concept of
    individual community names for Monitor and Control operations like
    NetWare has.  Instead, Windows NT provides community names associated
    with groups.  When you configure your SNMP services from the Control
    Panel of the NT Server, you must specify the community names you want the
    Management Console to use. Refer to the Percepta User Manual for complete
    instructions.  To provide the best security for your Windows NT server, you
    must select the "security" option when you set up your SNMP configuration.
    In the Security setup window, make sure you select "Only accept SNMP
    Packets from These Hosts".  You then enter the IP or IPX addresses of the
    Workstations that you want to allow the ability to make configuration
    changes or to view Percepta information.  The User Manual describes the
    steps to set up your Windows NT server.

    Windows NT also includes a method of specifying multiple trap
    communities.  This is not to be confused with Monitor and Control
    community names within Novell NetWare.  A Trap Community is a list of
    workstations which should receive the AST Host Agent SNMP traps.  This is
    similar to the Novell NetWare environment where you modify the file called
    "TRAPTARG.CFG" to specify the workstations you want to receive the
    Percepta alerts.

    5.0  Percepta Host Agents for Novell NetWare servers

    5.1  Consistent revision control

    This Percepta 1.21 release contains updated NetWare agents with a consistent
    revision control for ease of determining if the Host Agents are up to date.

    5.2  ASTCMUPD Program

    The program in the NetWare subdirectory of the distribution diskette called
    ASTCMUPD.EXE is a CMOS memory program. After installation, this
    program is run by the server each time the server is booted.  This program
    must be called from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the server before NetWare
    is loaded. The revision of this program was changed from 2.00 to 1.21 in this
    release.  The ASTCMUPD program will now match the general release of the
    Host Agents, rather than track a separate revision.

    6.0  How to obtain the Host Agent software (AST p/n 911580-036)

    File 11580036.EXE can be found on AST's BBS (817) 230-6850.  AST's
    BBS supports modem speeds up to 28.8k bps.  The above file will also be
    posted on:

    CompuServe
    Go ASTSUPPORT

    AST Worldwide Web Site
    http://www.ast.com

    Once you download the compressed file, run the 11580036.EXE program to
    decompress the files.  Run the README batch file, then run the EXTRACT
    batch file to create the Host Agents Diskette.

    For additional information on the Percepta Host Agents software, see
    Software Bulletin # 0222 on all AST's On-Line forums.

    7.0  Management Console Software Reference

    For reference purposes, the following Management Console software
    packages may be used with the new Host Agents.  This software is available
    on CompuServe and AST's BBS.

    Percepta 1.12 for SE/MTE                          911792-031, -032 and -033
    Percepta 1.20 for Manhattan G                     911281-035 and -036
    Percepta 1.20 for Manhattan P/V                   911579-037 and -038

    Each one of the Percepta Management Console services for the different
    server types is installed on the workstation that you want to set up as your
    Percepta Management console.  You have to install all the management console
    software if you want to monitor all types of AST servers. When you click on
    the Percepta icon, the Percepta Server Manager window is launched.
    This Window includes a list of all AST servers found.  If you do not install all
    of the Management Console services, some servers will not be able to be
    viewed, even though all AST servers are indicated in the server list. Normally
    when you click on a server from the list, the appropriate Percepta
    Management Console services are launched.  Verify that the Management
    Console services are installed.

    Only one instance of the Percepta Server Manager window can be launched.
    If you are using Percepta and you want to start another server you may notice
    that clicking on the Percepta icon does nothing.  This is because the current
    Server Manager window is minimized.  You can however launch several
    views of several different servers from the Server Manager window.

    SYSTEMS AFFECTED
    AST PART NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION

    All Manhattan P/V/G systems.