Solstice Solstice AdminTools


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Flexible Distributed System Management

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Solstice AdminTools / User Manager / Database Manager / Printer Manager / Host Manager / Software Manager / Serial Port Manager / Ordering Information /

Customers in commercial and technical markets want to apply advanced Solaris (TM) technology in their enterprise computing environments. Distributed computing offers cost and flexibility benefits unavailable from legacy systems or PCs. In order to take advantage of Solaris technology, customers require system administration tools and facilities that enable lower-cost management of their operating environment.

In Solaris, systems administrators become more productive by working across the network. Administrators no longer need to be physically at the machines they are working on - they can manage several systems without leaving their own workstation. Solaris has implemented distributed administration tools leveraging network services such as NIS+ to facilitate location-independent administration.

Solaris uses a three-phased approach to reducing administrative costs. The first is to automate as many routine administration tasks as possible, making user problems disappear and lightening the workload for administrators. The second is to replicate configurations and "clone" tasks, leveraging system administration efforts. Systems are managed as consistent groups, with updates that are automatically sent across the network. System administrators' efforts are leveraged because they no longer do their work on a one-at-a-time basis. Finally, Solaris simplifies system administration tasks so that administrators work with graphical tools rather than low-level commands. Higher-level tools mean fewer errors, easier system maintenance, and lower costs.

-- Solstice AdminTools Distributed Administration Solutions

The Solaris 2.4 distributed computing environment includes a suite of graphical tools for making the everyday tasks of Solaris system administration easier, faster and more reliable. The Solaris distributed Administration Tools are RPC-based, allowing them to be distributed across ONC+(TM) networks.

Solstice AdminTools

Solstice (TM) AdminTools (TM) is a unified suite of tools for running the Solaris 2.x distributed system administration applications.

All Solstice AdminTools applications have a common look and feel and share the same network-aware features, including:

User Manager

The User Manager is a powerful, distributed tool for adding user accounts to Solaris systems. User Manager features a simplified GUI interface for making it easy to setup new user accounts, building new home directories on remote servers, and for making user information available to the outside world. User Manager supports:

Database Manager

The Database Manager allows you to manipulate UNIX administration data directly. Like all other Solstice AdminTools, Database Manager is name service independent allowing the administrator to use a consistent window when working with both centralized or standard UNIX administration data. All database fields are clearly labelled, and can be searched for key values. Database Manager is an invaluable tool for safely and consistently managing administrative data.

Printer Manager

The Printer Manager is an easy-to-use graphical interface for setting up both the client and server side of the SVR4 printing subsystem. The tool is used for creating new printer servers, and administering the connection of Solaris 2.x clients to their print servers. The tool allows the print server setup information to be stored and published in the NIS+ name service for easy user-level browsing and selection of remote printing resources.

Host Manager

Host Manager is used for connecting client systems onto the network. In Solaris 2.4, the Host Manager includes support for three different client types:

In addition, Host Manager persistently stores default values for domain, host, and user attributes and data entries are checked for type and range, to reduce errors.

Software Manager

Software Manager is an administration application for installing and removing Solaris 2.0 SVR4 ABI-compliant software packages. This Graphical User Interface is the next generation software installation tool, replacing the earlier CDmanager (TM). Software Manager allows for browsing, installation and removal of SunSoft or ISV products contained on a CD-ROM or hard disk - local or remote.

Serial Port Manager

Serial Port Manager uses progressive disclosure to allow junior to expert system administrators to manage serial ports locally or remotely.

Ordering Information

To purchase Solstice AdminTools, in the U.S., call 1-800-SUN-SOFT.

Outside the U.S., please call +1-415-960-3200 for the location of the SunSoft office closest to you.