SCO UnixWare 2.1 Technical Summary - Bandwidthco Computer ...

An SCO Technical White Paper Version 2.1.2
as well as IPC objects such as semaphores, shared memory and message queues. The concept
of least privilege, or the ability to execute a system administration task with the least amount of
privilege necessary to execute the task, has been introduced into SCO UnixWare. The least
privilege/trusted facility administration feature splits the single privileged role of root into
well-defined, but less powerful roles. This allows system administrators to be assigned specific
tasks and have their administrative responsibilities restricted. This avoids inadvertent errors
and/or the compromise of confidential information.
Auditing provides the ability to track all pertinent system and user activity that may affect the
security of a computer system. This mechanism can be used to identify instances of
unauthorized access control and occurrences of unusual activities.
SCO UnixWare 2.1 Network Management
Network Management provides the ability to view and manage many of the SCO UnixWare
resources from Network Management SNMP consoles like HP OpenView, IBM Netview or
Novell Network Management System (NMS). The Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP) is the most widely used means for gathering information on the status of individual
nodes on the network and making changes in the operational parameters of the nodes. SCO
UnixWare SNMP provides a solution for IP- and IPX-based networks. The system administrator
can display network information and manage the network on any SNMP management console.
Instrumentation, or gathering of statistics, for each object provides network management with the
information needed for the management process. Network resources include such components
as the file system, requester protocol stacks, and devices. In SCO UnixWare, network
management is comprised the following components:
• SNMP agent
• SMUX protocol and library
• MIB files
• MIB compiler (mosy)
• command line utilities
The SNMP agent is the module that maintains the database for managed objects, allocates and
manages the memory for the database, allows objects to register themselves as managed
objects, and sends information about these objects to management consoles, as requested. The
SNMP agent runs over UDP/IP and IPX. SCO UnixWare uses the SNMP Multiplexing
protocol (SMUX) as its instrumentation interface to SNMP. This interface can also be used by
third parties for instrumentation. Management Interface Base (MIB) files form a hierarchical
tree of managed objects and attributes. These MIB files can be compiled into a definition file,
using the MIB compiler (mosy), that the SNMP agent understands.
The objects instrumented in SCO UnixWare include the following:
• Host resource MIB - system, storage, device, software run, software run performance,
software installed (RFC 1514).
• NetWare protocol stack MIBs - IPX, RIP/SAP, SPX, diagnostics.
• MIB II - SCO UnixWare protocol stacks, SNMP agent statistics.
Command line utilities are provided to monitor and manage the SNMP agents. These include
utilities such as:
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• getone - get one attribute or object in the MIB.
• getnext - get the next attribute or object in the MIB.
• getmany - get groups of attributes or objects in the MIB.
• getroute - extract routing information from an SNMP entity.
• setany - sets one attribute or object.
• snmpstat - show network status for the SNMP agent.