Dazel is the former name for what is now known as HP Output Server (HPOS), part of the HP Output Management suite. Hewlett Packard (HP) bought Dazel Corporation in 2001.

HPOS is an output management system: its task is to centrally manage the output of complete enterprises, whether it is printed output, e-mail, fax, paging, web or file delivery, and so on. It provides a means for cross-platform management of output.

Currently, HPOS is supported on AIX, HP-UX, Sun Solaris, Windows 2000/2003 server and Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES and Suse Linux Enterprise Server). Also several add-on's are available, such as Output Managers for SAP or Oracle applications.

The most current version of HPOS is version 4.0. Support for versions 3.3 and 3.4 have ended in July 2007. The main difference between versions 3.5 and previous versions is, that version 3.5 uses a MySQL database to store its data, where older versions uses a proprietary flat file database (Velocis).

Version 3.5 of HP Output Server has been released in December 2005. A new accompanying course was also released. Version 3.3 has proven to be a very stable version. Version 3.4.1 was the first version to use MySQL for its database and has known some issues. Most customers have either stayed on version 3.3 or moved to version 3.5. With the release of 3.5, the support for 3.4.1 ended in 2006, and customers were requested to move to version 3.5.

For Windows users client software is available, known as HP Output Envoy. Also, for HPOS system administrators, an extended Envoy package is available, known as HP Output Explorer.

From July 2006 no more service packs will be released. Instead of SP's, Maintenance Releases will be made. This means that these will not only contain fixes, but also new additional functionality and new printer drivers. In March 2006 the Linux Server version was also released for Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 4.0 and Suse Linux Enterprise Server 9 SP2. And in July 2006, a new WebGUI was introduced. First step in this, is to provide for a WebGUI for job management. Later on, the WebGUI will become a full administration GUI for HP Output Server. Probably the Windows HP Output Explorer tool will no longer be needed by then. In July 2006 also a sftp (Secure FTP) destination was made available, besides the already available regular FTP destination.



Advantages of using HP Output Server:

• Scalability of output management.
• Central management and monitoring of all output in the enterprise.
• Reliable delivery of output, including tracking information and confirmation of successfull completion.
• A single administrator is usually enough for large organizations; without Output Server more staff would be necessary; thus Output Server reduces costs of output management.
• Requires only one printer driver (Envoy) on a Windows client, which reduces testing efforts.
• Ability to transform output as required.
• Configurable to work with Oracle and SAP.
• Support for many devices, both HP and third-party.
• Accounting and auditing of output possible.
• Runs on several operating systems and accepts output requests from a variety of client sources.

What it does, is very simple: it creates a web page that shows an overview of the jobs which passed through HP Output Server.

What do you need to accomplish this?

• The Event Monitor (EM) of HP Output Server, which is usually running anyway in any HP Output Server environment.
• A subscription file, in which you register what events to react to.
• A Description file, which formats the incoming events into HTML output and writes it to a file.
• An HTML header file, used as an header for the webpage; this one is created automatically by the following:
• An original HTML header file, which is used to create the HTML header file.
• An HTML header update script, which updates the HTML header file, from the original HTML header file. It updates the date and number of succesfull jobs.
• An EPOD update script, which updates the webpage.
• Perl script web_server.pl, which is included in the HP Output Server distribution. This perl script is the (small) webserver (You can also use the Apache webserver, in case you have the WebGUI installed).
• An EPOD clear log script, to empty the EPOD log once a week.
• Start and stop scripts for this EPOD web monitor.

#epod.subs
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.124.0,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.121.0,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.121.1,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.121.2,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.123.0,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.123.1,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.123.2,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.123.9,*
ids_alljobs,..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.123.99,*

# epod.desc
# support file for HPOS Epod logging
# see also EPOD.SUBS for event subscriptions
# This file generates HTML coded logging and can be viewed with
# the web_server.pl script

# Initialize HP Output Server environment
# Change to wherever your setup_env.sh file is.
. /appl/hpos/etc/setup_env.sh

set itext $instance

does $instance

# all abort messages (blue)
match ..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.121.*
set itext <font color=Blue>
endmatch
# all error messages (red)
match ..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.122.*
set itext <font color=Red>
endmatch
# all warning messages (black)
match ..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.123.*
set itext <font color=Black>
endmatch
# all report messages (green = good)
match ..1.0.10175.1.0.0.6.124.0
set itext <font color=Green>
endmatch

enddoes

does $class
match ids_alljobs
fields subjob owner msg jobid destination jobname proctime completed count rdevice profmsg
exec echo "</table> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=100% border=0> <TR><TD valign=top width=200> <font color=Black size=1>" `date`"</font> </td><TD valign=top align=left> <font size=1> $itext $subjob $owner $msg $jobid $destination $proctime $completed $count $rdevice $profmsg $jobname" >> /appl/hpos/epod/epod.log
endmatch
enddoes

<!-- this html header is used by HPOS epod event logging -->
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Refresh" content="30">
<title>HPOS Epod Event Monitoring</title>
</head>
<table border=0 cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 width="100%">
<tr bgcolor=#dcdcdc>
<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%">
<table border=0 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 width="100%">
<tr bgcolor="#dcdcdc">
<td align=left>
<b><font face=Arial color="#800080" size="+.3">
HPOS Epod Event Monitor</font>
<font face=Arial color="#800080" size=-3>
<!--kkkk-->
</font></b>
</td>
<td align=right>
<font face=Arial color="#800080" size=-3>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</table>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<font face=Arial size=-3>
<!--@@@@@@@@@@-->

# update-htmlheader.sh
# replace string <!--kkkk--> in file htmlheader for the number of jobs
now=`date`
nrjobs=`grep -i green /appl/hpos/epod/epod.log* | wc -l | awk '{print $1}'`
totjobs2=`cat /appl/hpos/totjobs | awk '{print $1}'`
let nrjobs="$nrjobs+$totjobs2"
cat /appl/hpos/epod/htmlheader.org | sed "s/<!--kkkk-->/$nrjobs jobs since 28-07-03. ($now)/g" > /appl/hpos/epod/htmlheader

#!/bin/ksh
unset result
result=`ps -ef | grep epodupd | grep -v grep | grep -v $$ | wc -l | awk '{print $1}'`
# check if i am running
if [ $result -gt 0 ]
then
exit
fi
let teller=0
while [ $teller -lt 100 ]
do
cat /appl/hpos/epod/htmlheader > /appl/hpos/epod/epodhtml2.log
tail -r -35 /appl/hpos/epod/epod.log >> /appl/hpos/epod/epodhtml2.log
mv /appl/hpos/epod/epodhtml2.log /appl/hpos/epod/epodhtml.log
sleep 3
let teller="$teller+1"
done

#!/bin/ksh
# Little script to clear the epod.log file
# base directory for this script
base=/appl/hpos
# number of succesfully completed files this week
complete=`grep -ci green $base/epod/epod.log | awk '{print $1}'`
# number of succesfully completed files before this week
compl=`cat $base/totjobs | head -1 | awk '{print $1}'`
# add those two
let total=0
let total="$total+$compl"
let total="$total+$complete"
# save the previous total
cp $base/totjobs $base/totjobs.old
# clear the log file
cp /dev/null $base/epod/epod.log
# write the new total to totjobs
echo $total > $base/totjobs

# Clear the epod log once a week on Sunday
0 0 * * 0 /appl/hpos/epod/clear_epod_log.sh 2>/dev/null

# epodstart.sh
# script to start epod eventmonitoring
# source environment
. /appl/hpos/etc/setup_env.sh
# kill any previous instance of epod
kill -9 $(ps -ef | grep dzl_epod | \
awk ' { print $2 } ' - ) >/dev/null 2>&1
kill -9 $(ps -ef | grep epod | \
grep web_server.pl | awk ' { print $2 } ' - ) >/dev/null 2>&1
# restart epod
/appl/hpos/lib/dzl_epod -s /appl/hpos/epod/epod.subs -d /appl/hpos/epod/epod.desc -Q -B > /appl/hpos/epod/epod.err 2>&1 &
cd /appl/hpos/epod
# start the webserver
perl ./web_server.pl -f /appl/hpos/epod/epodhtml.log &

# epodstop.sh
# script to stop epod eventmonitoring
# source environment
. /appl/hpos/etc/setup_env.sh
# kill any instance of epod
kill -9 $(ps -ef | grep dzl_epod | awk ' { print $2 } ' - ) >/dev/null 2>&1
kill -9 $(ps -ef | grep epod | grep web_server.pl | awk ' { print $2 } ' - ) >/dev/null 2>&1

Configuration: AIX 5.2, maintenance level 1 and Dazel 3.3, Service Pack 9.
Problem: sysdumpdev -e shows increasing usage of the system dump device. Eventually the dump device needed, grows to 1200 MB, after which the server becomes unresponsive and a reboot is the only solution.

Even though HP suggests using maintenance level 1 for AIX 5.2, try using maintenance level 2; after loading ML2, this problem is gone; it's an AIX bug with a memory leak in the TCP/IP stack, which is solved in ML2.

To manage Linux server, running on HP blades, you need to be able to access the ILO. Without it, you won't be able to remotely access the console or to reboot the server. If your ILO is on a separate network and your only access is through SSH, it can be difficult to access the ILO, since the web-based GUI is only supported in Microsoft Internet Explorer. By means of SSH tunneling however, it is possible to access the ILO.

First, you need to have a UNIX box which is capable of accessing the ILO directly through SSH (in our example called "jumpserver"). Also, you'll need to have the ILO's IP address.

On your Linux client in a system console (let's assume, this client is called "desktop"), create the SSH tunnel and forward the correct ports needed for ILO access, by running as user root:

# ssh -g -L 23:10.250.21.38:23 -L 443:10.250.21.38:443 -L 17988:10.250.21.38:17988 -L 3389:10.250.21.38:3389 jumpserver -N

If you're receiving messages like these on your console:

Mar 9 11:47:29 daemon:notice bootpd[192990]: received short packet
Mar 9 11:47:31 daemon:notice bootpd[192990]: received short packet
Mar 9 11:47:38 daemon:notice bootpd[192990]: hardware address not found: E41F132E3D6C

# refresh -s inetd

#daemon.notice /dev/console
daemon.notice /nsr/logs/messages

# refresh -s syslogd

This describes how to get SSH access to a Linux system on a HP blade system, which requires you to work through the ILO:

First of all, you need to know the ILO IP address. Simply open up an SSH session to this IP address:

# ssh -l ilo-admin 10.250.21.37
ilo-admin@10.250.21.37's password:
User:ilo-admin logged-in to 10.250.21.37
iLO 2 Advanced 1.60 at 16:05:58 Jul 11 2008
Server Name:
Server Power: On

</>hpiLO->

hpiLO-> VSP
Starting virtual serial port
Press 'ESC (' to return to the CLI Session
</>hpiLO-> Virtual Serial Port active: IO=0x02F8 INT=3
[ENTER]
</>hpiLO-> Virtual Serial Port active: IO=0x02F8 INT=3
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES release 4 (Nahant Update 8)
Kernel 2.6.9-89.ELsmp on an i686
hostname login:

mo1::off:/sbin/mgetty -x 0 -D -s38400 -a /dev/ttyS1

ilo:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty ttyS1 115200 vt100

# echo "ttyS1" >> /etc/securetty

# kill -HUP 1

This is a procedure to enable time synchronization (ntpd) on Linux (in this example, replace the IP address of the time server with the IP address of your time server):

• Stop all applications on the server.
• Check if you can access the time servers, e.g.:

  # ntpdate -q 10.250.9.11

• Check if the current timezone setting is correct by simply running the date command.
• Set the time and date correct:

  # ntpdate 10.250.9.11

• Start the NTP server:

  # service ntpd start

• Check the status:

  # service ntpd status

• Check the time synchronization (it may take some time for the client to synchronize with its time server):

  # ntpq -p

• Check that ntpd is started at system restart:

  # chkconfig ntpd on
  # chkconfig --list | grep ntpd

• Check the process:

  # ps -ef | grep ntpd

• Reboot the server:

  # reboot

• Make sure the relay host, e.g. the Exchange server, allows incoming email from your Linux server.
• Make sure no firewall is blocking SMTP traffic from the Linux host. You can use nmap for this purpose:

  # nmap -sS smtp.server.com

  (Replace "smtp.server.com" for the actual SMTP server hostname of your environment).
• Check it the DNS configuration is correct in /etc/resolv.conf and make sure you can resolve the hostname and its IP address reversely:

  # nslookup hostname
  # nslookup ipaddress
  

  (use the IP address returned by the first DNS lookup on the hostname to reversely lookup the hostname by the IP address).
• Make a copy of sendmail.mc and sendmail.cf in /etc/mail.
• Edit sendmail.mc (add in the name of your SMTP server):

  define(`confTRUSTED_USER', `root')dnl
  define(`SMART_HOST', `esmtp:smtp.server.com')dnl
  MASQUERADE_AS(`hostname.com')dnl
  FEATURE(masquerade_envelope)dnl
  FEATURE(masquerade_entire_domain)dnl
  

• Then run:

  # make -C /etc/mail

• Edit sendmail.cf by modifying the "C{E}" line in sendmail.cf. Take any user listed on that line including root off that line, so mail sent from root gets masqueraded as well. Towards the bottom of sendmail.cf file, there is a section for Ruleset 94. Make sure that after "R$+" there is ONE tab (no space, or multiple spaces/tabs):

  SMasqEnv=94
  R$+ $@ $>MasqHdr $1
  

• Clean out /var/spool/clientmqueue and /var/spool/mqueue (there may be lots of OLD emails there, we may not want to send these anymore).
• Then restart sendmail:

  # service sendmail restart

  (or "service sendmail start" if it isn't running yet; check the status with: "service sendmail status").
• Make sure that sendmail is started at system restart:

  # chkconfig sendmail on # chkconfig --list sendmail

• Open a "tail -f /var/log/maillog" so you can watch any syslog activity for mail (of course there should be a "mail.*" entry in /etc/syslog.conf directing output to /var/log/maillog for this to work).
• Send a test email message:

  # echo "test" | sendmail -v address@email.com

  (and check that the email message is actually accepted for delivery in the verbose output).
• Wait for the mail to arrive in your mailbox.

This describes how to configure the EMC PowerPath registration keys.

First, check the current configuration of PowerPath:

# powermt config
Warning: all licenses for storage systems support are missing or expired.

# emcpreg -install

=========== EMC PowerPath Registration ===========
Do you have a new registration key or keys to enter?[n] y
Enter the registration keys(s) for your product(s),
one per line, pressing Enter after each key.
After typing all keys, press Enter again.

Key (Enter if done): P6BV-4KDB-QET6-RF9A-QV9D-MN3V
1 key(s) successfully added.
Key successfully installed.

Key (Enter if done):
1 key(s) successfully registered.

Whenever you need to perform an upgrade of SDD (and it is wise to keep it up-to-date), make sure you check the SDD documentation before doing this. Here's the quick steps to perform to do the updates.

• Check for any entries in the errorlog that could interfere with the upgrades:

  # errpt -a | more

• Check if previously installed packages are OK:

  # lppchk -v

• Commit any previously installed packages:

  # installp -c all

• Make sure to have a recent mksysb image of the server and before starting the updates to the rootvg, do an incremental TSM backup. Also a good idea is to prepare the alt_disk_install on the second boot disk.
• For HACMP nodes: check the cluster status and log files to make sure the cluster is stable and ready for the upgrades.
• Update fileset devices.fcp.disk.ibm to the latest level using smitty update_all.
• For ESS environments: Update host attachment script ibm2105 and ibmpfe.essutil to the latest available levels using smitty update_all.
• Enter the lspv command to find out all the SDD volume groups.
• Enter the lsvgfs command for each SDD volume group to find out which file systems are mounted, e.g.:

  # lsvgfs vg_name

• Enter the umount command to unmount all file systems belonging to the SDD volume groups.
• Enter the varyoffvg command to vary off the volume groups.
• If you are upgrading to an SDD version earlier than 1.6.0.0; or if you are upgrading to SDD 1.6.0.0 or later and your host is in a HACMP environment with nonconcurrent volume groups that are varied-on on other host, that is, reserved by other host, run the vp2hd volume_group_name script to convert the volume group from the SDD vpath devices to supported storage hdisk devices. Otherwise, you skip this step.
• Stop the SDD server:

  # stopsrc -s sddsrv

• Remove all the SDD vpath devices:

  # rmdev -dl dpo -R

• Use the smitty command to uninstall the SDD. Enter smitty deinstall and press Enter. The uninstallation process begins. Complete the uninstallation process.
• If you need to upgrade the AIX operating system, you could perform the upgrade now. If required, reboot the system after the operating system upgrade.
• Use the smitty command to install the newer version of the SDD. Note: it is also possible to do smitty update_all to simply update the SDD fileset, without first uninstalling it; but IBM recommends doing an uninstall first, then patch the OS, and then do an install of the SDD fileset.
• Use the smitty device command to configure all the SDD vpath devices to the Available state.
• Enter the lsvpcfg command to verify the SDD configuration.
• If you are upgrading to an SDD version earlier than 1.6.0.0, run the hd2vp volume_group_name script for each SDD volume group to convert the physical volumes from supported storage hdisk devices back to the SDD vpath devices.
• Enter the varyonvg command for each volume group that was previously varied offline.
• Enter the lspv command to verify that all physical volumes of the SDD volume groups are SDD vpath devices.
• Check for any errors:

  # errpt | more
  # lppchk -v
  # errclear 0

• Enter the mount command to mount all file systems that were unmounted.

# dpovgfix vg_name