Configuring Server Remote Access

Server Remote Access allows you to connect to the server host using telnet or SSH protocol and execute remote programs, such as ONSTAT or ONMODE, or any schell script and OS command.

Once the remote access is configured, you will be able to use many server administration functions, such as creating/deleting dbspaces and chunks, terminating selected user sessions, starting/stopping servers, and also run interactively any Informix On-utilities and remote server-side scripts from within built-in terminal panels. For example, you can execute ONSTAT, ONMODE or ONTAPE commands without having to switch to any terminal sessions. All required Informix environment variables are set automatically for a selected server so you can start typing your on-utilities right away.

You configure Remote Access using Host Access tab in the Connection Manager window. These settings are optional, so if you do not specify them you still are able to use most of the application features. You will be prompted to specify these settings when you attempt to use any server administration task, which requires remote access. Once the remote access settings are specified, they are stored in the server connection profile and do not require entering them again.


Host Access Tab

The Host Access tab has the following parameters:

Protocol : Telnet or SSH.  Your server host should run the corresponding Telnet or SSH server to allow remote access.

INFORMIXDIR: You should enter the full path to your Informix server directory at the server host. For example, d:\informix for NT server or /opt/informix for UNIX servers.

ONCONFIG: You should enter the ONCONFIG file name for your server. For example, onconfig.ol_myserver

Override Login : By default, the program attempts to use the same user name and password to connect to the host via telnet protocol as you specified in the Database tab. You can override these parameters by providing a separate login account and password for remote access. For example, you might always want to use user name informix to perform administrative tasks, such as start/stop servers, etc.

Login Automation: If your UNIX/Linux user login script requires answering some prompts, such as, for example, selection of IDS server or a terminal type, you should provide responses to these prompts in order to enable automatic login.

Terminal Settings: You can specify variety of terminal settings for the interactive terminal panel, such as fonts, colors, type of terminal, size of terminal window, etc.

Telnet or SSH Server Configuration

The workstation, which host the IBM Informix server, should run Telnet or SSH server to allow remote administration.

UNIX and LINUX

UNIX and LINUX workstation usually provide the telnet server by default and it does not require any special configuration.

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 servers come with Telnet service. It usually not started by default and should be started using Windows Administrative Tools -> Services program.  After the telnet services starts, it should be configured to allow access with standard login parameters - user name and password.

To configure Windows 2000 Telnet server:

  1. From Windows Start menu choose Settings -> Control Panel.
  2. From the Control Panel program select Administrative Tools -> Telnet Server Administration. The console window will open.
  3. In the console window choose option 3 - Display / Change Registry Settings
  4. In the next menu choose option 7 - NTLM
  5. Select value 1 for NTLM parameter
  6. Exit the console

Windows NT

Windows NT does not have a built-in Telnet server. You should install the Telnet server for your Windows NT workstation to allow remote access features. The telnet server should provide standard login prompts such as User Name and Password.

The Server Studio JE was tested with the following telnet servers from third parties on Windows NT 4.0 platform:

1. Georgia SoftWorks Windows NT Telnet Server.
   http://www.georgiasoftworks.com
  
2. GoodTech Telnet server
   http://www.goodtechsys.com
  
3. Pragma Telnet Server
   http://www.pragmasys.com  

4. Ataman TCP Remote Logon Services (ATRLS)
   http://www.ataman.com/atrls_info.htm  

5. Seattle Lab SLnet RF Telnet Service
   http://www.seattlelab.com/slnet  

Other servers may or may not be supported.
A server will not be supported if it prompts for anything other than login name, password, and domain name.

If the telnet server is not supported to perform automated operations, such as changing server mode or terminating the user sessions, you still can log in using "Command Console" operation, and execute server commands using interactive Telnet window.

The following limitations apply:

1. Only clear-text authentication is supported.

2. Server must be configured to use all default prompts and banners, because these prompts are used to recognize particular server and generate proper responses when performing automated login.

3. Only CMD.EXE or compatible program is supported as user shell on NT.

Most of NT telnet servers prompt for NT domain name when performing login. Whenever SSJE sees this prompt, it sends an empty string, which is treated as default domain by all servers in the above list.