Chapter 2 - Basic Service Operations
Introduction to Basic Service Operations
This chapter describes the basic operations for managing services. These operations are as follows:
Adding services to a group Making services available to users Maintaining services Deleting services
The sections that follow describe these operations in detail.
You must add a service to a specific group. To improve performance, try to add the service to the same server as the group resides on. You can add services from DOS, Windows, or OS/2 workstations only. This book details adding file and print services.
See the following books for explanations on how to add:
STDA services - Managing Users and StreetTalk Netbios Name Registration - Managing Workstations Host communications services (SNA) - VINES 3270/SNA Option Guide Mail services - Intelligent Messaging Administrators Guide and Intelligent Messaging User's Guide
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Click the New File Service icon or select File, New, File Service.
3. Enter the StreetTalk name and a description of the service and click Next.
4. If your network has more than one server, select the server on which to add the service and click Next.
5. Select the type of service, Banyan File Service, and click Next.
6. Select the disk the service will use and click Next.
7. Click Start After Creation to start the service immediately and click Next.
8. A status window appears with information about the service. Click Done.
From the System Prompt:
1. From a PC on the network, enter MSERVICE at the system prompt. The Manage Services screen appears.
2. Select ADD a server-based service. The Add A Service screen appears.
3. Enter the StreetTalk name and description of the new service. If you loaded StreetTalk Directory Assistance, press ALT-N to view the names of other services.
4. Do one of the following:
- If your network has only one server, the Select Type Of Service menu appears. To continue, go to step 5.
- If your network has more than one server, the Select A Server menu appears. Choose the server on which to add the new service. The Select Type Of Service menu appears.
5. Select VINES file service. The select location screen appears.
6. Select the disk the service will use. The system prompts you to start the service immediately:
- Choose YES to start the service immediately.
- Choose NO to postpone starting the service.
You do not configure a file service; all file services support DOS, Macintosh, OS/2 (FAT), and Windows users. See "Creating a File Service" in Chapter 3 for more information on file services.
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Click the New Print Service icon or select File, New, Print Service.
3. Enter the StreetTalk name and a description of the service, and click Next.
4. If your network has more than one server, select the server on which to add the service and click Next.
5. Select the printer port and click Next.
6. Select the disk the service will use and click Next.
7. Click Start After Creation to start the service at creation and click Next.
8. A status window appears with information about the service. Click Manage to mange the service or click Close.
After starting the service, you must configure at least one destination before the service can be available to users. See Chapter 8 for instructions on configuring a print service.
From the System Prompt:
1. From a PC on the network, enter MSERVICE at the system prompt. The Manage Services screen appears.
2. Select ADD a server-based service. The Add A Service screen appears.
3. Enter the StreetTalk name and description of the new service. If you loaded StreetTalk Directory Assistance, press ALT-N to view the names of other services.
4. Do one of the following:
- If your network has only one server, the Select Type Of Service menu appears. To continue, go to step 5.
- If your network has more than one server, the Select A Server menu appears. Choose the server on which to add the new service. The Select Type Of Service menu appears.
5. Select VINES print service. The Choose Disk screen appears.
6. Select the disk the service will use. The system creates and starts the service.
After starting the service, the system displays a series of configuration screens. You must configure at least one destination before the service can be available to users. See Chapter 8 for instructions on configuring a print service.
In general, to make a service available, you must complete these tasks:
1. Add the service.
2. Check that the service is running.
3. For print services only, configure the service. Note that print services must be running for you to configure them.
4. Where appropriate, include the command for each service in user profiles. With the exception of profile-only commands, DOS, Windows, and OS/2 users can issue commands from their workstations. Macintosh users select file and print services through the Chooser accessory.
5. For file and print services, ensure that the appropriate StreetTalk user names are on any access lists that the services support. For example, access to file services is controlled by the Access Rights List.
The following sections describe specific requirements for different types of services.
Use the SETDRIVE command in the user profile to make file services available to DOS, Windows, and OS/2 users. See Chapter 3 in this guide or the Command Reference for information on using SETDRIVE.
Macintosh
For Macintosh users, make sure that the AppleTalk Filing Protocol (AFP) service is running and that AppleTalk ports on the server are configured correctly and have properly initialized, so the file services in the appropriate zones are visible. In addition, give Macintosh users the name of the file services they can select through the Chooser accessory. See Chapter 7 for information on special configuration options for file sharing between Macintosh and DOS users.
For all users, make sure you modify the Access Rights Lists so that users have appropriate access to their directories and files. For details on setting access rights, see Managing VINES Security.
To make a print service available to DOS, Windows, and OS/2 users:
1. Check that their names are on the User Access List for the print service.
2. Use the SETPRINT command in their user profiles to set a workstation printer port to the queue of a print service.
3. If the print service uses a workstation-based network printer, establish a connection between the printer and the print service by issuing the PCPRINT command at the local DOS or Windows workstation.
Macintosh
To make a print service available to Macintosh users:
1. Provide them with the name of the print service.
2. Make sure you enter the appropriate AppleTalk zones in the destination configuration so that the services are visible. You do not need to add Macintosh user names to the access list of a print service at this time. Macintosh users can see and use any print service in the zones available to them through the Chooser accessory.
For more information, see Chapter 8 or the Command Reference.
The MSERVICE and OPERATE programs provide access to the following service maintenance functions:
Start and stop a service Configure a service Relocate service data Delete a service Set service log level Generate service log reports Change the service description Display service status Display a list of service users
Note: You can also use StreetTalk Explorer to perform many of these functions.
The rest of this section explains how to access the service menus and use all of the functions they provide except configuring a service, setting service log level, and generating service log reports. You can find information on these functions as follows:
To manage services, use either StreetTalk Explorer or the MSERVICE or OPERATE programs. To manage the services in the same group, relocate or delete a service, or change a service's description, use the MSERVICE program. If you want to manage the services on the same server but do not want to relocate or delete a service or change its description, use the OPERATE program.
Both programs display the status of the service. They also provide access to the Control A Service menu, where you can:
Start and stop services Configure services (as appropriate) Look at service users Set log levels for the service Generate service log reports Set event masks for the service
Figure 2-1 illustrates the functions available from each program. See Introduction to StreetTalk Explorer for a description of the functionality of StreetTalk Explorer.
Macintosh
The LOOK at service users option for a file service shows only DOS, Windows, and OS/2 users. To view Macintosh users accessing VINES file services, look at the AFP service for service users.
The following sections describe how to use both programs to access the Control A Service menu.
To Control a Service Using MSERVICE
1. From a PC on the network, either:
- Enter MSERVICE service-name, where service-name is the name of the service you want. The Manage A Service menu for the appropriate service appears. Go to step 4.
- Enter MSERVICE. The Manage Services menu appears.
Figure 2-2 shows the Manage Services menu. The bottom half of the screen shows the names of the services in your default group. The top half of the screen shows various command options.
2. At the Manage Services menu:
- Choose SELECT from list below to select a service in your default group. The cursor moves to the bottom half of the screen.
- Choose SEARCH for other services to search for a service in some other group. Choose Services in Another Group and enter the name of the group. When the Manage Services screen reappears, choose SELECT from list below.
3. Choose the name of the service. The Manage A Service menu appears. Figure 2-3 shows the Manage A Service menu.
4. Choose CONTROL the service. The Control A Service menu appears. Figure 2-4 shows the Control A Service menu with the name of the service being controlled displayed on the bottom half of the screen.
You can perform a variety of service-oriented tasks from the Manage A Service and Control A Service menus. See Table 2-2 for detailed information about the different service options.
To Control a Service Using OPERATE
1. From a PC on the network, either:
- Enter OPERATE servername, where servername is the name of the server you want.
- Enter OPERATE. The Select A Server menu appears. Choose the server you want to operate.
The Operate A Server menu appears.
Figure 2-5 shows the Operate A Server menu. The bottom half of the screen shows the names of the services the server. The top half of the screen shows various command options.
2. Choose SELECT a Service to operate. The cursor moves to the bottom half of the screen.
3. Choose the service you want to operate. The Control A Service menu appears. See Figure 2-4 for an example of the Control A Service menu.
You can perform a variety of service-oriented tasks from the Control A Service menu. See Table 2-1 for detailed information about the different service options.
Note: You cannot access the Manage A Service menu with OPERATE. Use MSERVICE to access the Manage A Service menu. See "To Control a Service Using MSERVICE" for more information.
To Control a Service Using StreetTalk Explorer
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Click the Browse Services icon.
3. Double-click the name of the service you want to control in the right pane, or click the service and select File, Properties.
You can perform a variety of service-oriented tasks from this property sheet, including check the status, stop or start the service, look at service users, set log levels, and generate log reports.
Starting and Stopping Services
Observe the following rules when starting or stopping services:
Start a service before using it. Stop the service whenever you perform a backup at the server console or change external hardware, such as modems or communications lines. Before stopping a service, check if anyone is using it. The LOOK at service users function in the Control A Service menu lists everyone currently using the service. Warn users before you stop the service. Restart the service when you want it to be available again. For most services, stop and then restart the service when you change configuration information for the service. Changes do not become effective until you do this.
Note: The exceptions to this rule are the print and AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) services. The print service must be running for you to configure it. The AFP service does not need to be stopped to reconfigure it. Changes made to the configuration of either service take effect immediately.
To Start and Stop Services
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Select the service.
3. Double-click the name of the service or select File, Properties.
4. Click Start or Stop.
From the System Prompt:
1. Access the Control A Service menu by running MSERVICE or OPERATE. See "Accessing the Service Menus" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose either START service or STOP service. The system displays a confirmation message in the lower part of the menu.
If you want to shut down all services on a server, do so from the Operator Menu at the server console. See the Banyan Server Operations Guide for details.
To relocate data contained in a service (for example, files on a network file volume), you must back up the service data from the source server and restore it on the target server. The source server is the server that contains the service data you want to relocate. You relocate the server data to the target server.
In most cases, you must back up and restore the service data to relocate service data to a different disk on the same server. For file services, you can also use the DOS COPY or VINES VCOPY commands to relocate data to another disk on the same or different server.
To relocate optional services, such as the 3270/SNA option, the target server must have the appropriate option installed.
Note: You cannot relocate print services at this time. You must delete the service from the source server and then re-create it on the target server. See Chapter 8 for details on creating and configuring a print service.
How to Relocate a Service
You can relocate the information contained in a service using one of two methods:
Method 1 - Create a new service and move the old data to the new service. Use this method for services that do not require a lot of configuration information, such as file services. You cannot use the same name for the new service unless you have already renamed or deleted the original service. If the service is optional, make sure that the option is installed on the target server.
Method 2 - Relocate the existing service while conserving its data and configuration information. Use this method for services that have a lot of configuration information, such as host communications services.
Make sure the line information in the service's configuration corresponds to the line assignments on the target server. If the line assignments do not correspond, the service cannot be used. Make the appropriate changes to the service configuration through MSERVICE or reassign the lines at the server console. For information on assigning lines at the server console, see Managing Communications.
The following methods require you to back up and restore service information. See the Banyan Server Operations Guide for details on backup and restore procedures, including procedures for backing up and restoring VINES system software.
To Relocate a Service - Method 1
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Select the service in the right pane.
3. Double-click the name of the service or select File, Properties.
4. Click the Users tab to check that no one is using the service you want to relocate.
5. Click the Summary tab and then click Stop to stop the service.
6. Back up the service. See the Banyan Server Operations Guide for information on backing up services.
7. Add the new service. Make sure you create the same type of service as the one you are relocating. See "Adding Services to a Group" earlier in this chapter for specific instructions.
8. Use the backup tape to restore the source service to the new service. The following warning message appears:
Service has been recreated since this backup tape was made. Continuing will overwrite the current service. Do you wish to continue?
9. Enter YES to restore the service.
Caution: Be sure to select the correct service name so that you do not restore the data to the wrong service. As an alternative, restore to a service with a new name if you want to rename the service.
10. Delete the old service. See "To Delete a Service" later in this chapter.
From the System Prompt
1. Access the Control A Service menu by running MSERVICE or OPERATE. See "Accessing the Service Menus" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose LOOK at service users to check that no one is using the service you want to relocate. Return to the Control A Service menu.
3. Choose STOP service.
4. Back up the service. See the Banyan Server Operations Guide for information on backing up services.
5. Add the new service. Make sure you create the same type of service as the one you are relocating. See "Adding Services to a Group" earlier in this chapter for specific instructions.
6. Use the backup tape to restore the source service to the new service. The following warning message appears:
Service has been recreated since this backup tape was made. Continuing will overwrite the current service. Do you wish to continue?
7. Enter YES to restore the service.
Caution: Be sure to select the correct service name so that you do not restore the data to the wrong service. As an alternative, restore to a service with a new name if you want to rename the service.
8. Delete the old service. See "To Delete a Service" later in this chapter.
To Relocate a Service - Method 2
1. Access the Control A Service menu by running MSERVICE or OPERATE. See "Accessing the Service Menus" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose LOOK at service users to check that no one is using the service you want to relocate. Return to the Control A Service menu.
3. Choose STOP service.
4. Back up the service. See the Banyan Server Operations Guide for information on backing up services.
5. Access the Manage A Service menu by running MSERVICE. See "To Control a Service Using MSERVICE" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
6. Choose RELOCATE service data. The system prompts you to relocate the service.
7. Choose YES to relocate the service. The Select A Server menu appears.
Warning: Do not choose YES unless you backed up the service data. If you choose YES, all the service data is deleted from the source server.
8. Choose the target server. If the service is optional, make sure the option is installed on the target server. The Choose Disk screen appears.
Note: The target server can be the same server as the source server. If you want the same server, choose YES when the system prompts you for confirmation. Choose NO to cancel the relocate operation.
9. Choose the disk where the service will reside. The system deletes the service on the source server and creates the service on the target server.
10. For services that require configuration information, the system displays screens with this information. These are the screens you see when you add the service. If necessary, change this information now.
11. At the server console of the target server, use the backup tape to restore the service data to the new service. The following warning message appears:
Service has been recreated since this backup tape was made. Continuing will overwrite the current service. Do you wish to continue?
12. Enter YES to restore the service.
Changing a Service Description
Service descriptions help identify services for users on the network. Changing a service description does not change the service name or how the service works.
To Change a Service Description
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Select the service in the right pane.
3. Double-click the name of the service or select File, Properties.
4. The description is highlighted. Make your changes and click OK.
From the System Prompt:
1. Access the Manage A Service menu by running MSERVICE. See "To Control a Service Using MSERVICE" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose CHANGE service description.
3. Enter a new one-line description of up to 63 characters for the selected service.
As soon as you begin to control services, VINES displays their status. VINES refreshes status information automatically, showing status changes that occurred since you began to control the service. In addition, you can refresh service status manually.
To Display a Service Status
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Select the service in the right pane.
3. Double-click the name of the service or select File, Properties.
4. The status is shown on the property sheet.
From the System Prompt:
1. Access the Control A Service menu by running either MSERVICE or OPERATE. See "Accessing the Service Menus" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose DISPLAY service status or press F9 at the Control A Service menu. This action updates the Status field on the menu with the latest status.
Note: The DISPLAY service status option does not appear on the Control A Service menu for print services. To update the Status field, press F9.
Service Statuses
The Status field displays one of five states. See Table 2-4 for a list of these states.
If a Service Is Inoperative
If a service is inoperative, try stopping and starting the service again. If this does not work, generate a service log report, as described in Managing VINES Security. Depending on the log level set, the report may give you and your service representative valuable information about what happened just before the service became inoperative.
If a Service Is Inconsistent
The inconsistent state can occur only on multi-server networks when the group and the service reside on different servers. Two conditions may be the cause:
The server that maintains the service's group is not operating or cannot be reached. The inconsistent state should disappear when the appropriate server becomes operational or accessible. The service was restored from a backup tape, after someone deleted it from its StreetTalk group.
In some cases, stopping and restarting the service resolves the problem. As an alternative solution to the inconsistent state, follow this procedure:
1. Stop the service.
2. Back up the service.
3. Delete the service.
4. Add the service again. Be sure to use the StreetTalk name the service had originally.
5. Restore the service using the backup tape.
6. Start the service.
Backup and restore procedures are described in detail in Banyan Server Operations Guide.
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Select the service.
3. Double-click the name of the service or select File, Properties.
4. Click the Users tab. The names of the current users display.
From the System Prompt:
1. Access the Control A Service menu by running either MSERVICE or OPERATE. See "Accessing the Service Menus" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose LOOK at service users.
3. Choose a name to view that person's description.
4. Press F10 or ESC to return to the Control A Service menu.
Deleting a service removes it from the network and removes its name from the StreetTalk database. It also deletes all information associated with the service. You must use the MSERVICE program to delete a service. You cannot delete a service through the OPERATE program.
Before deleting a service, inform users that the specific service will no longer be available on the network.
Caution: Unless you have backed up a service, deleting a service from the network is a permanent action.
From StreetTalk Explorer:
1. Enter the StreetTalk name of the service's group in the Browse field.
2. Select the service by clicking its name or its icon.
3. Select File, Delete. The system prompts you to confirm the deletion.
- Select YES to confirm deletion.
- Select NO to reject the deletion.
From the System Prompt:
1. Access the Manage A Service menu by running MSERVICE. See "To Control a Service Using MSERVICE" earlier in this chapter for detailed instructions.
2. Choose DELETE service. The system prompts you to confirm the deletion.
- Choose YES to confirm deletion.
- Choose NO to reject the deletion.
You can use VINES management menus to manage services from third-party developers. A gateway between VINES Intelligent Messaging and another electronic mail system is an example of a third-party service. The developer must provide you with information about how the third-party program works, including detailed documentation for both administrators and users.
For information on VINES software tools options, see the Banyan Applications Toolkit documentation or contact your Banyan sales representative or reseller.
Interpreting Service Error Messages
Error messages appear in the 25th line of DOS workstations and in the special VINES message boxes of OS/2 and Windows workstations.
Macintosh
Error messages from a VINES print service appear at the Macintosh desktop if a user is logged in through the special VINES login utility. The print service does not generate any messages concerning PAP printer destinations.
To access on-line help for service error messages, enter the VNSERR command at the DOS prompt. This command displays a brief explanation of an error message. Enter the VNSERR command follows:
VNSERR error-code
where error-code identifies the specific service message.
You can also print the help text for each service, using the following format:
VNSERR /p:error-code-letters
where /p identifies that you want to print the information on LPT1 and error-code-letters identifies the three letters that uniquely identify the service. LPT1 must have been assigned with the SETPRINT command.
Example Accessing Help Using VNSERR
To access help for the message VPS502, enter:
vnserr vps502
The VNSERR command displays an explanation of the message.
Example Printing Help Text Using VNSERR
To print the help text for all print service error messages at LPT1, enter the following command:
vnserr /p:vps
