LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 1 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LAN Configuration Facility (LCF) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 January 7, 1994 ForeFront Software Inc. 2202 2 Ave. NW Voice: (403) 531-2160 Calgary, Alberta Fax: (403) 270-0372 Canada T2N 0G9 CompuServe: 73110,722 NOTE: This file is formatted for approx. 50 lines per page, and laid out for printing on a laser or inkjet printer; if you do not have such a printer, you may want to strip out the � and � characters before printing. TABLE OF CONTENTS 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� What is the LCF? (the short answer)................................ 2 Origin............................................................. 2 Features........................................................... 3 Benefits........................................................... 4 Operating Environment.............................................. 6 Price List......................................................... 7 Technical Question and Answers..................................... 8 Trial Information................................................. 15 (C) Copyright 1993, ForeFront Software Inc. (C) Copyright 1991-93, Royal Bank of Canada All rights reserved. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 2 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� WHAT IS THE LCF? (the short answer) 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� The LAN Configuration Facility (LCF) is a software replicator which has reconfiguration capabilities. It runs under OS/2 and has the ability to distribute, install and configure OS/2 systems, services and applications. The software to be installed is first set up on a reference system. It is then uploaded to an LCF code server to create an image and this image is propagated to any number of systems. In the case when a whole partition is imaged, the resulting systems are images of the reference. Herein lies one of the strengths of the LCF: the desktop's look and a myriad of options are all installed identically making the systems easy to support and consistent for its users. An image need not consist of a whole partition however, it is possible to image only parts of a reference system, down to the file level. Various images can later be merged at installation time. ORIGIN 袴袴袴 In 1990, the Royal Bank of Canada selected OS/2 as its primary workstation and server operating system. All of the bank's new mission critical applications are developed under OS/2 and the large majority of servers are currently OS/2, including those in its 1,700 branches. Over the next 3 years the bank plans to have 75% of its DOS workstations migrated to OS/2. As well, the bank has upward of 1,200 developers, 1/3 of which use OS/2. The enormous cost associated with installing and configuring all of these OS/2 systems lead to the bank's development of the LCF. With the LCF, OS/2 mission critical workbenches can be customized and thoroughly tested at the development center and then distributed outward from there. This creates systems which can be maintained and supported in a cost effective manner. In late 1992, ForeFront Software was established to bring the LCF to market. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 3 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FEATURES 袴袴袴袴 * An administrator can customize packages for later installation over the LAN. * Packages are stored in a central library at the LCF code server (the code server is simply an OS/2 workstation, it need not be a network server). * Packages are composed of files and directories and can consist of operating systems (OS/2 or DOS), products (Windows) and applications. * An administrator can push packages to unattended workstations running on the LAN (these workstations must be running OS/2). This feature requires the LCF Agent program to be pre-installed on the target workstations. The LCF Agent is an optional component. * An administrator can create scripts to enable users to install and configure the packages. The scripts can be set up to prompt the user for input or to work without any prompting at all. * A user can run the scripts to pull packages from the code server library. The script/package combinations are selected from simple pull-down menus. * User preferences can be stored at the code server and used to customize the system at installation. * The package can be customized based on the specific features of the machine it is installed on. * The installation of an OS/2 package can be done from a two diskette "seed system" when necessary. This is used when the target system does not yet have OS/2 on it such as when recovering from a hard disk failure. * Scripts can be run on unattended remote workstations to perform administration tasks such as virus detection or auditing. Again, this feature require the LCF Agent component. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 4 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� BENEFITS 袴袴袴袴 SPEED 컴컴� * Installation can be done at LAN speeds. EASE OF USE 컴컴컴컴컴� * Users can install software without having to deal with the complexity of installation programs. They need only pick from a menu and start the installation process. All the necessary installation tasks were performed when the package was created. * Developers and support staff can pull specific packages for problem re-creation and regression testing. STANDARDIZATION 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� * Systems and applications can be tailored to company standards and made readily available to users. SUPPORT 컴컴컴� * Pre-tested and customized packages are easier to support and maintain. * The packages can be pre-tuned by an expert. The script can be used to select file systems, position and size the swap file, print queues, etc., as well as set desktop options. * Automatic customization to user preferences saves user time and minimizes user resistance to the installation of new releases and maintenance. * The ability to run a script on remote workstations can be used to centrally execute virus checking, auditing and most other LAN administration programs. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 5 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� RECOVERY (DISASTER RECOVERY) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 * Critical workstations such as servers and gateways can save their operating systems and other software as packages for quick restoration in case the hard disk ever needs replacing. COST SAVINGS 컴컴컴컴컴컴 * Systems can be configured in ways which are impossible with the regular installation program. For instance, a package can be customized where parts of the regular system, such as help folders and the tutorial, are stored at a LAN server to minimize each workstations disk usage. OTHER 컴컴� * Software does not have to be CID enabled to be distributed, installed and configured by the LCF. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 6 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� OPERATING ENVIRONMENT 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LCF Code Server - Minimum 8 MB of main memory. - 12 MB of hard disk space plus an amount equal to the size of the images being stored. Images are not compressed. Images may be stored on the LAN server if the code server is also a LAN requester. LCF Client (Target Workstation) - Requirements dictated by software being installed. - OS/2 2.0 install requires 6 MB of main memory. LCF Agent - 500K hard disk space. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LCF Code Server - OS/2 2.x with REXX support installed. LCF Client - OS/2 1.3, 2.x LCF Agent - OS/2 1.3, 2.x NETWORKING REQUIREMENTS 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� All Components - NetBios (available with Lan Server, Lan Manager, NTS/2, NetWare, ...) LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 7 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� PRICE LIST 袴袴袴袴袴 Price for one Code Server capable of supporting 3 concurrent LCF Clients ........... $1500.00 Each additional concurrent access for above .... $500.00 Price per workstation for LCF Agent ............. $10.00 Note: An Agent is required to allow unattended installation and to enable the administrator to remotely run programs and scripts on the workstation. This component is optional. The following discounts apply to the LCF Agent price based on the number of these purchased: Minimum Quantity Applicable Discount 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 100 7% 500 15% 1000 20% 1500 22% 2000 25% New releases and levels of the LCF are supplied on demand to customers at the cost of shipping and handling. These updates are also placed on CompuServe and are available there at the cost of downloading. All prices are in US dollars. Prices effective: August 23, 1993 Prices subject to change without notice. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 8 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� This section answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the LCF. LCF Operation 컴컴컴컴컴컴� Q1: How does the LCF work? The LCF is a client-server application which runs under OS/2. The LCF server (the code server) is a repository for software images. These images are referred to as packages in LCF terminology. Software to be distributed by the LCF is first installed on a PC called the reference PC. The installation program supplied by the vendor is used. The software can be customized to local preferences and tested. An LCF package is then created from the customized software by starting the LCF client program on the reference PC. The LCF client program runs a script which copies the package's files and directories to the LCF code server. The copy is done over the LCF's NetBIOS session. The packages are distributed from the code server by starting an LCF client on each target PC. Again, this client runs a script. The script can optionally invoke OS/2 disk utilities such as FDISK, FORMAT and CHKDSK to prepare the hard disk. The script will copy the files and directories that make up the package to the hard disk over the NetBIOS session to the code server. After the files have been brought down, the script can run other LCF script commands to reconfigure the image if required. When an OS/2 system is being installed, the script runs various OS/2 programs such as SYSINSTX and MAKEINI to install an OS/2 boot record or generate the OS/2 Workplace shell INI files. By using OS/2 supplied routines, the results are identical to those the OS/2 installation program would have generated. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 9 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Q2: How is an LCF client initiated? There are several methods which start an LCF client. The major problem to avoid is running into files which are in use and locked by OS/2. One of the following methods will avoid locked files: 1. The client can be started from seed diskettes. This involves booting OS/2 with the installation diskette and using an LCF generated diskette as disk 1 after the IBM logo comes up. The "disk 1" that the LCF will generate contains basic OS/2 functionality, minimal LAN routines to provide NetBIOS access and a small LCF program called the Boot Strap program. It is the LCF Boot Strap program which pulls down the LCF client and associated files from the code server. 2. The client can be started by invoking the Boot Strap program directly. As noted in #1 above, this will copy down the LCF client and any files it needs to run. This is usually how an LCF is started when application software is being requested. The LAN administrator can set up menus that allow the user to pick packages for downloading. The LCF client can be invoked in this way to install an OS/2 system when the system is to be installed on a different partition than the one currently booted. LCF provides a package which can be used to create a Mini-OS/2 for doing such installations. This Mini-OS/2 only requires a 3 Megabyte partition. 3. From their PC, administrators can initiate a script on any other PC which has the LCF Agent program installed. This agent is a "mini-server" which can be used to run programs at the target PC and enable files to be copied to and from the target. The agent can, in turn, start an LCF client program at the target workstation to perform package installation in unattended mode. Q3: Which network operating system does LCF support? LCF requires NetBIOS support which is available with most LAN operating systems. The LCF server can run on any OS/2 platform. The platform does not have to be a network server. The LCF does not require a network requester layer to run. It is able to install network requesters without requiring access to the server. LCF is capable of installing the servers for LAN Server and LAN Manager. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 10 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LCF can be used to take a backup image of OS/2 servers and gateways so their hard disks can be restored at LAN speeds should replacement be required. Q4: What programs can be run by LCF on unattended PC's? Any non-PM OS/2 program can run under control of the LCF Agent. This has been used to run such programs as McAfee's virus scanner. Once the program has run, its report files can be copied back to the code server or administrator machine by the script. Q5: How many code servers do I need? In most cases a single code server is sufficient. The code server's NetBios access will pass through LAN bridges and some routers. On a NetWare LAN, Novell's NetBios simulator, which encapsulates the NetBios packets inside IPX, is routable. The code server can be installed on a portable PC and taken from LAN to LAN if desired. In some cases, the code server has been placed on a laptop and used by the repair personnel after a hard disk failure to reinstall OS/2 and mission critical applications. This laptop can be used with two pocket adapters and a cable to allow recovery of non-LAN attached PC's. Q6: How is a software library set up? A software library is a repository of packages that have been made available to the user. The packages are created as usual by an administrator. The administrator places the package name and its description on the menu of available packages that users see when they start up the LCF client. The administrator can set up group or individual menus allowing different views of the library. Reconfiguration 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Q7: What is involved in LCF image reconfiguration? After a package is copied onto the target PC's hard disk, it may require reconfiguring. This allows the reference system and target systems to be different in their hardware configurations, e.g. they may have different adapter cards installed. Note: it is usually possible to prepare an image so it needs little or no reconfiguring. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 11 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� The LCF provides several script commands to reconfigure an image. Some of these are: * The MAKE command can be used to adjust text configuration files such as CONFIG.SYS, PROTOCOL.INI, WIN.INI, etc. to the target PC. The LCF client program determines the hardware environment and sets variables which are used to regenerate these files. * The MAKEINI command runs OS/2 MAKEINI command in order to regenerate the Workplace shell INI files. This command is used to upgrade the Workplace shell desktop across OS/2 releases or to install an OS/2 package to a different drive letter than its image had at the reference PC. * The CMD and LOCAL commands allow OS/2 programs and command files (REXX included) to be run on the server or the client as part of the script. This can be used to reconfigure the environment for programs which have special needs. Q8: Can the image be modified once it is at the code server? Yes. The directories and files that make up the image are stored uncompressed in a directory tree similar to what existed at the source PC. DOS and Windows 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Q9: Can LCF be used to install DOS and Windows? LCF will install DOS and Windows and the software that run in these environments. The LCF reconfiguration facilities can be used to adjust the appropriate CONFIG.SYS and INI files. The installation must be done by running OS/2 on the target system. This is frequently done by using the LCF seed diskette system. Since the LCF Agent cannot run under DOS, a system running DOS cannot support LCF unattended installation. It is very important that the LCFBOOT utility program be used to adjust the DOS boot sector after replicating a DOS image. The program must also be used after replicating an OS/2 system that includes the dual-boot feature. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 12 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� OS/2 Desktop 컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q10: How does the LCF handle the OS/2 Workplace shell? The Workplace shell's INI files are binary files which cannot be adjusted with the LCF MAKE command. Instead, the LCF runs OS/2's MAKEINI or its own INI merge/copy programs under script control when changes are required to these files. There are several methods of handling the desktop: 1. If an OS/2 image is replicated without any changes to drive letters, then either the source system's desktop or the target system's desktop can be installed on the target. In this case, MAKEINI is not run. 2. If the image is replicated across drive letters, that is, if desktop objects have different drive references on the target system than on the source system, MAKEINI is run to correct the drive references when the source desktop is to be used. If the target's desktop is to be kept, the drive references will already be correct and MAKEINI is not required. Note: In both case, the LCF INI merge/copy programs and REXX can be run to add or delete applications from the resulting system. Q11: Can LCF upgrade desktops from OS/2 2.0 to 2.1? Yes. The INI files, desktop directories and "WP ROOT. SF" are deleted from the 2.1 image and a MAKEINI is run after the OS/2 system files have been brought down. This upgrades the 2.0 desktop as if MAKEINI had been run under the OS/2 installation program. LCF Scripts 컴컴컴컴컴� Q12: Does the script run on the client or the server? LCF scripts always run under the client. The script requests services of the LCF Server or the LCF Agent program which resides at the other end of the NetBIOS session. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 13 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Q13: Is the script language complex? The script language was designed to be very simple to use. A script is made up of a list of commands within sections. Sections are either executed or excluded based on script variables which can be set in a number of ways: 1. The LCF sets certain variables based on the machine environment. 2. The administrator can preset certain variables for a given user or group of users. 3. If desired, variables can be solicited from the user with menus and panels. Variables are also used for substitution within the script body. The script language does not support branching or any other complexity which might make the script hard to use and yet it provides all the power needed to control the facility. Audit Logs 컴컴컴컴컴 Q14: Is there any LCF auditing? The LCF produces an audit log at both ends of the client-server session. This allows an administrator to review each step of an installation run. The audit log produced at the client program can be automatically "pushed back" to the LCF server. PC/Workstation Naming 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Q15: How does LCF identify PCs? The LCF uses the universal address of a PC's network adapter to uniquely identify each client and server. A feature provided by the LCF, called Name Resolution Services, converts the unique name into an installation assigned name if desired. This feature runs a command file at the code server on behalf of each client when they startup. The installation can modify this command file to do name resolution in any manner desired. All audit logs files are stored at the code server with the name that is returned by the Name Resolution Service. Special group options and user preferences can be stored at the code server in user directories. These can be pulled down when scripts run on the user's PC. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 14 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LCF and CID 컴컴컴컴컴� Q16: Do products have to be CID enabled to be installed with the LCF? No, products do not have to be CID enabled to be installed with the LCF. Response files are not required because the installation program has already been run for software which is being replicated. Q17: How does LCF compare to CID? CID was announced by IBM in October 1992. CID is a process, not a product. CID utilizes the application's install program at the target machine each time it performs an installation. This means that: 1. The application being installed must be CID enabled by its developer. 2. The administrator has to set up response files which contain all the replies to installation prompts which the installation program may use unless the installation program's defaults are wanted. The LCF is a replicator with reconfiguration capabilities. Because a system's image is replicated, it is the best way of propagating software when many identical systems are required. This is exactly what is required when installing a set of line-of-business systems. The LCF also allows you to do the following which are hard or impossible to do if you run the installation programs for a set of software each time: * The LCF can be used to install drivers that the installation program doesn't know about. * It allows the administrator to tune the configuration in ways that would never be possible with a product's installation program. * One can propagate special hybrid systems where components are offloaded to LAN servers. An example of such a hybrid would be a system where the help files and infrequently used folders are placed on the LAN server to save disk space at each workstation. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 15 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� TRIAL INFORMATION 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� An LCF trial can be installed in an hour or less. After installing the LCF, its Installation Verification Procedure (IVP) can be used to take an image of an existing OS/2 system and install it on another machine. The IVP's imaging and installation operations will run at about the speed that an XCOPY command runs on your LAN today. This IVP requires OS/2 machines for the code server, reference and target systems. The reference and target machines could be the same for the purposes of the IVP. Getting an LCF Trial 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 The LCF software can be downloaded from CompuServe, several popular OS/2 bulletin boards or it can be obtained on a diskette by contacting ForeFront Software at the phone number noted on page 1. On CompuServe the LCF trial is contained in a file called LCFnnn.ZIP which can be found in library 1 of the OS2AVEN forum. In the above file name, nnn represents the version and release of the latest LCF software so use the file with the greatest nnn you find. The trial has a similar file name on other bulletin boards. Once downloaded, the file should be unzipped into its own directory. This will produce 4 files, one of which is the INSTALL command. The command can be run and the first action on the install menu can be used to read the ReadMe.INF file which will also have been created by unzip. LCF Information ForeFront Software Inc. Page 16 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� LCF Authorization 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� IN ORDER TO RUN THE LCF AN AUTHORIZATION CODE MUST BE OBTAINED FROM FOREFRONT SOFTWARE AND THE CODE MUST BE ENTERED WHEN THE INSTALLATION PROGRAM PROMPTS FOR IT. The authorization code serves the following purposes: 1. It allows us to distribute the full function LCF product for trial. The product has not been crippled in any way and performs exactly like the production version because it is the production version. 2. It expires the trial after 30 days while still allowing for extensions without a need to reinstall anything. 3. It allows the expiry feature to be permanently removed in order to create a production LCF. This means that you can start running the LCF in production mode without reinstalling and without lose of any customization you may have performed during the trial. 4. It allows us to keep track of LCF trials so that we can obtain feedback from which we can improve the product to meet your needs. The LCF installation can be performed without the authorization code and the INSTALL command rerun later to perform the authorization part only. The authorization code is not needed to access the documentation. Instructions for obtaining the authorization code are contained in ReadMe book and are also provided when the INSTALL command is run. LCF SUPPORT 컴컴컴컴컴� LCF is supported on CompuServe in section 1 of the OS/2 Vendor A forum (GO OS2AVEN) and by phone or fax at the numbers given on page 1. *** The End ***