StreetTalk lets you create lists of StreetTalk names. In effect, a list is an item that contains the StreetTalk names of other items. These lists let you perform functions on several StreetTalk items at a time without having to specify each StreetTalk item name.
For example, if you want to send an electronic mail message to all the employees in your company that attend a particular weekly staff meeting, you can create a list with all of the employees' StreetTalk names, then send the message to the list. This list can be used again at a later date.
Two main types of lists are available to StreetTalk users:
Controlled AdminList
You can configure either type of list to create other lists with (or without) certain properties; for example, a list that only allows service names as entries and (or) one that allows anyone to modify it.
Note: StreetTalk supports apostrophes in list names.
The following sections describe the two types of StreetTalk lists and provides information on how to create other types by configuring a list's properties.
The controlled StreetTalk list is made up of the StreetTalk names of all those items - users or network resources - that you want to treat equally as recipients. Only someone who is on the AdminList of that list's group can modify controlled lists. All newly created lists default to controlled lists, which require that you either be the owner or have group administrative privileges to modify them.
When you add an item to a list, you can specify either the full StreetTalk name or nickname of a user, service, or list. You can mix names and nicknames from different groups and organizations within a list. In addition, you can enter REM addresses and patterns (wildcard characters) as list members. The patterns are expanded when the list is used.
For more information on REM address names, see the Intelligent Messaging Administrator's Guide.
When you add the name of one list to a second list, all of the first list's members become effective members of the second list.
Like all items on the network, controlled lists have a StreetTalk name of their own. Every time you use the list, all the items in it are included in the operation.
If you frequently send mail to several users in different groups, you can include their full StreetTalk names in a list and send mail to the list.
For example, suppose you belong to the group Sales@WCTUS. You often send identical mail messages to Patricia Jones@Sales@WCTES, Richard Moulan@Ventes@WCTCA, and Klaus Schmidt@Verkauf@WCTDE. You can create this list:
MailList1@Sales@WCTUS
and include their complete StreetTalk names in it. Each time you send mail to that list, all three of them receive it.
A list can also be an entry in the extended list of an access right that is set on a file or directory. Chapter 9 describes access rights.
If you use a list often, you can give it a nickname to avoid typing the full list name.
Note that only administrators can add or modify StreetTalk lists.
You should avoid using wildcards with lists and creating lists within lists (nesting lists). Wildcards and nesting can impair the performance of StreetTalk because of the added time required to convert the list names and wildcards to StreetTalk names.
Example Adding a List to an Existing List
If you add the list Project@Sales@WCTUS to another list, Budget@Sales@WCTUS, all the members of Project become effective members of Budget. As a result, mail sent to Budget is automatically routed to all members of Project. This routing is illustrated in Figure 9-1.
For more information on security and access rights lists, see Managing VINES Security and Chapter 8 of this guide.
Deleting a StreetTalk name from a list does not delete that name from the network. When a user or list name is deleted from a list, it loses any rights acquired by being on the list, but it retains those rights it held independent of the list.
Changing the description of a list does not affect who belongs to it.
Optimizing Controlled List Performance
When you add names to a list, you should be aware of two situations that could cause problems with your system response time.
Deeply nested lists across multiple servers cause performance problems and are not recommended. This situation occurs when you have a chain of lists on different servers each of which refers to the next list. Since each list is on a different server, this means that each must be accessed separately on servers an unknown distance away from each other. Although this situation is unusual, it occasionally occurs over time as lists evolve.
Lists over slow links can also affect performance. For instance, if a list of sales personnel maintained on a server in the Chicago office of WCTUS has members from the Madrid office, any mail sent to the list will also be routed to Madrid. Although there is no way to avoid this situation, administrators and users with administrative rights should monitor lists to eliminate those that no longer apply.
In a Banyan network, you become an administrator when your StreetTalk name is added to an AdminList. An AdminList is a list of names stored on a specific Banyan server. It identifies those users who have administrative privileges.
An administrator's name appears in the item (first position) of a unique StreetTalk name. It can be up to 31 characters long.
There are two types of AdminLists: group administrator lists and server administrator lists.
If you are on the AdminList of a specific group, you have the right to manage all of the resources of that group, including users, lists (names of resources), nicknames (aliases of other names), and services. Group administrators can also create new groups. For most day-to-day tasks, group administrative privileges are all that you need.
By default, every StreetTalk group has an AdminList that identifies administrators of the group. When a new group is created, the AdminList must be adjusted.
If you are on a server AdminList, you can add services to that server and add organizations to the network. An administrator can appear on any combination of AdminLists and receives all the group and server management privileges associated with membership on each list. When you create a service (for example, a file or print service), you give it a StreetTalk name that includes a group name and select a server that will maintain its data.
By default, every server has an AdminList@servername@Servers, a list that identifies administrators of the servername@Servers group and the server identified by servername.
An administrator can appear on any combination of AdminLists and receives all the group and server management privileges associated with membership on each list. No super-user or other global administrator can override the contents of AdminLists. The user whose name appears on all server AdminLists can act as the network administrator.
Consider following these guidelines when you name administrators:
Limit the number of names on AdminLists. The more names you add to AdminLists, the less secure your network is. Be careful how you use lists. Do not create lists that attempt to serve more than one purpose. For example, if you create a list for mailing, do not use that same list to assign access rights to a file volume. Users whom you want only to receive mail may inadvertently be given rights to files and directories. AdminLists that include users on remote servers (for example, servers across X.25 or WAN lines) can degrade network performance because the system is required to validate those names. Do not put the names of users who are located across WAN links on AdminLists. Always record the names of all administrators. In addition to the names of real users, consider creating a fictitious administrator for use in case of an emergency. For example, every server could have the user Backup Admin @Servername@Servers. This user must have a blank user profile and must be password protected. (A blank profile helps prevent a login from getting hung up.) Profiles are explained in Chapter 7. An AdminList must have at least one name, but that name should not be a name that is stored on another server. If the other server is removed from the network or stops, the administrator of your group on your server disappears.
StreetTalk creates AdminLists when:
The first server is started. Additional servers are added to the network. Groups are added.
AdminLists on the First Server
When a server is installed, a person who will have full system administrator privileges on the system must be identified. The privileges are necessary to set up other administrators, resources, and users.
Table 9-1 describes the AdminLists created during first server startup on a native VINES server.
By default, each of these AdminLists contains a StreetTalk name that is entered during startup. In most cases, this is the name of the administrator who performs the start-up.
StreetTalk for Windows NT
On a StreetTalk for Windows NT server, the server's administrator's name (admin@servername@Servers) is added to the AdminList@servername@Servers list. The administrator's password is entered when the software is installed. This is the only list created on the server.
AdminLists on Additional Servers
When a server is added to the network after first server startup, the list AdminList@servername@Servers is created automatically on the server.
AdminLists When You Add a Group
An AdminList is created automatically when a group or server is added to the network. You cannot manually add or delete an AdminList. You can change the properties of an AdminList so that it can be an Open or Self-modify list.
When you add a group, StreetTalk creates the list AdminList@groupname@org in the group you are adding. By default, your StreetTalk name is included on this AdminList.
The rules for AdminLists fall into these categories:
Required membership to manage organizations Required membership to manage groups Maintaining group AdminLists
The following sections explain these categories.
Required Membership to Manage Organizations
Table 9-2 lists the AdminLists you must belong to in order to manage organizations.
Required Membership to Manage Groups
Table 9-3 lists the AdminLists to which you must belong to manage groups and the privileges you have when you belong to an AdminList.
When you add a group, you become the first member of the group' s AdminList. When you belong to the appropriate group AdminList, you can perform all the functions described in Table 9-3.
To maintain appropriate security, use care when adding names to a group AdminList. You can use lists to create a group AdminList. This approach makes maintaining the AdminList easier, but is less secure.
Table 9-3. AdminList Membership to Manage Groups
When you remove a person's name from a group AdminList, the person no longer can manage the group.
Caution: Use caution when deleting all names from a group AdminList. If a group AdminList is empty, every user has management privileges. In addition, deleting a user who is the only member of a group AdminList makes the group unmanageable.
You can configure any Controlled or Admin list so users can have these privileges:
Using a wildcard template. For example, typing *@finance@WCTUS makes all members of the finance@WCTUS group effective members of the list. Adding, deleting and modifying non-StreetTalk, or REM-style names; for example, names from the Internet. Adding, deleting, and modifying user names on this list. Adding, deleting, and modifying services on this list. Adding, deleting, and modifying list names on this list. Allowing any user to add, delete, and modify entries on this list (an Open List). or
Allowing any user to add, delete, and modify their own names on this list (a Self-Modify List). Note: You can have either an Open or a Self-Modify list, but not both.
For example, you can configure a list as Open to allow users to add or delete themselves from the list without administrative privileges. Such a list is useful, for example, when the creator of a list is not aware of all possible items that might belong on it and alerts all network users, or some subset of users, of the existence of this list. Users can then add themselves to the list as they deem appropriate.
By selecting one or more list characteristics, you can create a customized list for your environment. For example, you can create a list that allows users to:
Add, delete, and modify user names and services, but not list names Add, delete, and modify only their own names Add, delete, and modify only StreetTalk names Add, delete, and modify every entry on a list, including non-StreetTalk names Use a wildcard template and REM-style names
A list can also have a contact - someone who might be responsible for answering queries about the list, or for sending out updates to members of a list. Although the contact field on a list automatically defaults to the name of the list' s creator, it can be changed to any name by modifying administrative attribute <0:206>. Chapter 16 describes administrative attributes. Being designated contact does not confer any administrative privileges; it is simply a convenient way to set up one focal point for list activities or queries.
For instructions on configuring lists, see "Setting List Properties" later in this chapter.
To manage a list - to add or delete users, to set list properties, to rename or delete a list - you must be on the AdminList of the group that contains the list. See the section "Required Membership to Manage Groups."
However, to view the names on a list, you do not need any special AdminList membership.
To Manage a List
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. From the right pane, right-click the list you want to manage.
2. Select Properties from the shortcut menu.
See Introduction to StreetTalk Explorer for a description of StreetTalk Explorer.
From the System Prompt:
1. Enter MLIST on the command line or select LISTS from the MANAGE main menu. The Manage Lists menu appears.
2. Select the appropriate list management function. The Manage A List screen appears.
To Add a List
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Click the new list icon.
2. Enter the StreetTalk name for the new list and a description on the New List window. The description can have a maximum of 63 characters.
3. Click OK. The List property sheet appears.
4. Add the StreetTalk name of a user to add to the list in the New member text box and click Apply.
5. Click OK when you finish adding new members.
From the System Prompt:
1. At the Manage Lists menu, select ADD A List. The Add A List screen appears.
2. Enter the StreetTalk name for the new list and a description. The description can have a maximum of 63 characters.
Note: When you add a list, use a name that clearly indicates the contents of the list. You will probably maintain many lists on your network. Precise names and clear descriptions avoid confusion.
To Add Names to a List
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. In the right pane, right-click the list you want to manage.
2. Select Properties from the shortcut menu.
3. Enter the StreetTalk name you want to add to this list in the New member text box on the Summary folder.
4. Click Add. If the StreetTalk name does not exist, StreetTalk displays an error message and does not add the name.
5. Click Apply to save the changes. Click OK when you finish adding new members.
From the System Prompt:
1. Enter MLIST at the command line. The Manage Lists menu appears.
2. Select a list to manage. The Manage A List menu appears.
3. Select ADD list member. The Add A Member To A List screen, appears.
4. Enter the StreetTalk name you want to add to this list. If the name does not exist, StreetTalk displays an error message and does not add the name.
To View Names
From StreetTalk Explore:
1. From the right pane, right-click the list to manage.
2. Select Properties from the shortcut menu and click the Summary tab to view list members.
3. Click Remove to delete a selected list member or click Add to add the StreetTalk name entered in the New member text box.
From the System Prompt:
1. Enter MLIST at the command line. The Manage Lists menu appears.
2. Select a list to manage. The Manage A List menu appears.
3. Use PGUP and PGDN to look at all of the names on the list. Choose SELECT list member to select a name from the displayed list.
4. The Delete Or View List Member menu prompts you to delete the member from the list. Select NO.
Repeat this procedure to view the descriptions of other names on the list.
Along with allowing templates, user, service, and list names, all newly created lists now default to allowing REM (Remote Electronic Mail) style names, and definition as Open or Public. These list properties can be configured either through StreetTalk attribute (<0:204>) or, if you have administrative privileges, through the List Properties screen. See Chapter 16 for more information on StreetTalk attribute <0:204>.
Procedure
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. In the right pane, right-click the list name and select Properties from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Properties tab.
Click each of the following checkboxes to allow users to:
Templates - Type in a template using wildcards if you like. For example, typing *@finance@WCTUS makes all members of the finance@WCTUS group effective members of the list.
Adding templates, such as *@finance@WCTUS, only works if the group containing the list is maintained on a server running VINES 5.0 or later.
User names - Add, delete, and modify user names on this list.
List names - Add, delete, and modify list names on this list.
REM addresses - Add, delete and modify non-StreetTalk names; for example, names from the Internet, and so on. All newly created names default to allowing REM style (non-StreetTalk) names as valid list members.
For more information on REM address names, see the Intelligent Messaging Administrator's Guide.
Note: A pre-6.00 StreetTalk Naming service does not allow REM style names.
Service names - Add, delete, and modify services on this list.
Allow user modify rights - Open (Allow any user to add, delete, and modify this list) or Self-Modify (Allow users to add, delete, and modify their names on this list).
3. If you change any properties, click Apply or click OK when you finish.
From the System Prompt:
1. Enter MLIST at the command line. The Manage Lists menu appears.
2. Select a list to manage. The Manage A List menu appears.
3. Select SET list properties. The current list of properties for this list appears.
You can set each of the following properties to YES or NO to allow users to:
Allow templates? - Type in a template using wildcards if you like. For example, typing *@finance@WCTUS makes all members of the finance@WCTUS group effective members of the list.
Adding templates, such as *@finance@WCTUS, only works if the group containing the list is maintained on a server running VINES 5.0 or later.
Allow REM addresses? - Add, delete and modify non-StreetTalk names; for example, names from the Internet, and so on. All newly created names default to allowing REM style (non-StreetTalk) names as valid list members.
For more information on REM address names, see the Intelligent Messaging Administrator's Guide.
Note: A pre-6.00 StreetTalk Naming service does not allow REM style names.
User names? - Add, delete, and modify user names on this list.
Allow service names? - Add, delete, and modify services on this list.
Allow list names? - Add, delete, and modify list names on this list.
List is Open? - Allow any user to add, delete, and modify this list.
or
List is Self-Modify? - Allow users to add, delete, and modify their names on this list.
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. At the Test Membership folder of the List window, you can determine whether a user is on this list (for example, if the user is on a list that is on this list). To do so, type the user's StreetTalk name in the Name to test text box.
2. Select Test.
3. A message indicating that this user is, or is not a member of the list appears. The name also is displayed in the Results window.
From the System Prompt:
1. At the Manage A List screen, you can determine whether or not a user is on this list (for example, if the user is on a list that is on this list.) To do so, type the user' s StreetTalk name.
2. A message indicating that this user is, or is not a member of the list appears at the bottom of the Manage A List screen.
To Change the Description of a List
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Display the Summary folder of the List window.
2. Enter a new description for the list into the Description text box. The description can have a maximum of 63 characters.
3. Click OK to save the changes.
From the System Prompt:
1. At the Manage A List menu, select CHANGE list description.
2. Enter a new description for the list into the Change List Description screen. The description can have a maximum of 63 characters.
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Display the Summary folder of the List window.
2. Select a list member and click Remove.
3. Click Apply or OK to save the changes.
From the System Prompt:
1. At the Manage A List menu, choose SELECT list member and select a name from the displayed list.
2. At the next screen, select YES.
3. StreetTalk requests a confirmation before deleting the name from the list. Select YES to delete the name.
Use care when deleting a list from the network. The list members are not notified of this change. To delete a list, you must be on the group AdminList. For more information, refer to Managing VINES Security.
Caution: Deleting a list does not delete the StreetTalk names in the list from the network. However, the members of the deleted list lose any privileges they had by being on that list.
For more information on lists, refer to Managing VINES Security.
Procedure
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. In the right pane, right-click the list and select Delete from the shortcut menu.
2. Select Yes to delete the list or No to cancel the delete operation.
From the System Prompt:
1. Enter MLIST at the command line. The Manage A List menu appears.
2. Select DELETE this list.
3. Select YES to delete the list or NO to cancel the delete operation.
To Rename a List
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. In the right pane, right-click the list and select Rename from the shortcut menu.
2. Enter the new name in the New name text box.
3. Click OK to rename the list.
From the System Prompt:
1. Enter MLIST at the command line. The Manage Lists menu appears.
2. Select a list to manage. The Manage A List menu appears.
3. Select RENAME this list. The Rename List screen appears.
4. Enter the StreetTalk name you want to replace the existing list name.
- If the list name already exists, an error message appears and the name is not changed.
- If the list was renamed before, the most recent list name appears under the Previous Rename Status field.
Repeat this procedure to rename other lists.
When Lists Are Renamed
When you rename a list, the StreetTalk database on the initiating server remains in a read-only mode until the rename process is complete.
Note: If the server from which you are renaming a list goes out of service during a rename, the status field in the DOS screen still indicates that the list is being renamed when you bring the server back up. If this happens, re-initiate the procedure and rename the list.
It is important not to delete the nickname that is created during the renaming process. Through the nickname, users on the renamed list will have the same access rights as they had before the list was renamed.
For example, suppose a list named Task Force@Work@HQ has control access to the file volume FILES@SHARED@HQ. The list is renamed to Users@Work@HQ, the name Task Force@Work@HQ becomes a nickname for Users@Work@HQ. Users who had control access through the Task Force@Work@HQ list now have access through the Task Force@Work@HQ nickname. If the nickname is deleted, users will no longer have control access to the file service.
If the nickname is deleted, users lose access to the file volume.
