Distributed System Administration From “The Continuing Evolution of Distributed Systems Management” by Westerinen and Bumpus (DMTF) Week-7.

Distributed System Distributed System AdministrationAdministration

FromFrom

““The Continuing Evolution of The Continuing Evolution of Distributed Systems ManagementDistributed Systems Management” ”

by Westerinen and Bumpus (DMTF)by Westerinen and Bumpus (DMTF)

Week-7Week-7

History – In the Beginning…History – In the Beginning…

Centralised systemsCentralised systems IsolatedIsolated Data exchanged by media backupData exchanged by media backup

eg decks of punched cards or eg decks of punched cards or

reels of Magnetic Tapereels of Magnetic Tape System management was centralised System management was centralised

and performed during off-peak timesand performed during off-peak times

1970’s – Minicomputer based 1970’s – Minicomputer based distributed systemsdistributed systems

Isolated systemsIsolated systems Used by individual departmentsUsed by individual departments Single function systemsSingle function systems

– Inventory, word processing Point-of-Sale, Inventory, word processing Point-of-Sale, etc…etc…

Supported by manufacturer specialistsSupported by manufacturer specialists Vendor unique Vendor unique (incompatible)(incompatible)

technologytechnology

1980’s: PCs and local 1980’s: PCs and local DataBasesDataBases

Novelties: Novelties: owned by individuals/departmentsowned by individuals/departments Initially self-contained and isolatedInitially self-contained and isolated Later, information extracted from Later, information extracted from

central databases was integrated into central databases was integrated into speadsheets and local PC applicationsspeadsheets and local PC applications

Required ad-hoc synchronisation to Required ad-hoc synchronisation to support mission-critical business support mission-critical business applicationsapplications

PCs and System ManagementPCs and System Management

Now data centres had to manage Now data centres had to manage mainframe and departmental data mainframe and departmental data centres as well as large numbers of centres as well as large numbers of geographically dispersed desktop geographically dispersed desktop PCsPCs

Distributed system management Distributed system management was:was:– Software upgradesSoftware upgrades– Configuration managementConfiguration management– Software/Hardware InventorySoftware/Hardware Inventory

LANs: 3-tier Distributed LANs: 3-tier Distributed SystemsSystems

New Technology – New challengesNew Technology – New challenges– Shared software and hardwareShared software and hardware– Data on shared fileserversData on shared fileservers– Configuration management was easierConfiguration management was easier

3-Tier Data:Procedure architecture3-Tier Data:Procedure architecture– Mainframe Mainframe FileServer FileServer PCPC

Client-Server applications appearClient-Server applications appear

LANs: 3-tier Distributed LANs: 3-tier Distributed SystemsSystems

Entirely new area of ManagementEntirely new area of Management Synchronised application upgradesSynchronised application upgrades Tools to monitor/locate performance Tools to monitor/locate performance

and other network problemsand other network problems Networks became more complexNetworks became more complex

– Bridges/switches/routers: Enterprise Bridges/switches/routers: Enterprise WANsWANs

Managing 3-tier Enterprise systemManaging 3-tier Enterprise system Enterprise network managementEnterprise network management Became increasingly more difficultBecame increasingly more difficult Required large engineering staff to Required large engineering staff to

service and operate equipmentservice and operate equipment

Network management with SNMPNetwork management with SNMP Appearance of standards Appearance of standards (ASN.1, SNMP, (ASN.1, SNMP,

SMI)SMI)

Adopted by Network system vendorsAdopted by Network system vendors Software agents in hardware for Software agents in hardware for

remote access to component remote access to component instrumentationinstrumentation

Easy way for management Easy way for management applications to monitor and analyse applications to monitor and analyse networknetwork

1990s: Desktop SysAdmin: DMI1990s: Desktop SysAdmin: DMI

PC vendors needed instrumentationPC vendors needed instrumentation Could not be achieved using SNMPCould not be achieved using SNMP Desktop Management Interface Desktop Management Interface (DMTF)(DMTF)

a single service providing access to a single service providing access to instrumentation in multiple componentsinstrumentation in multiple components

Also allowed dynamic addition, removal Also allowed dynamic addition, removal and query of component descriptionsand query of component descriptions(unlike SNMP where this was pre-compiled)(unlike SNMP where this was pre-compiled)

Distributed systems using HTMLDistributed systems using HTML another step in evolution of another step in evolution of

distributed systemsdistributed systems Web used forWeb used for

– Internet- product and sales supportInternet- product and sales support– Intranet- corporate informationIntranet- corporate information

Computing model changed from Computing model changed from Client/Server to Browser/ApplicationClient/Server to Browser/Application

Distributed systems using Distributed systems using HTMLHTML

New possibilities for integration and New possibilities for integration and platform independenceplatform independence

Central management of web serversCentral management of web servers Distributed Services modelDistributed Services model

– Many different applicationsMany different applications– Hosted on many serversHosted on many servers– Running on physically different computersRunning on physically different computers

Created need for reliable, efficient web Created need for reliable, efficient web infrastructures & Distributed mgmt.infrastructures & Distributed mgmt.

Vendor Integration of System Vendor Integration of System Management servicesManagement services

Web-based systems: combinations of Web-based systems: combinations of network and system technologiesnetwork and system technologies

Understanding and management Understanding and management requires integration of informationrequires integration of information

Management tools became platforms Management tools became platforms with various “snap-in” componentswith various “snap-in” components

No standard for “snap-in”No standard for “snap-in” Vendors began including web Vendors began including web

interfaces in networked devicesinterfaces in networked devices

Common Information ModelCommon Information Model

Integration of management Integration of management information requires definition of information requires definition of concepts and semantics for managed concepts and semantics for managed componentscomponents

CIM also defines interfaces for and CIM also defines interfaces for and relationships between componentsrelationships between components

““End-to-End” managementEnd-to-End” management General and Reusable conceptsGeneral and Reusable concepts

Common Information ModelCommon Information Model

Complex system represented easilyComplex system represented easily Uses classes and sub-classes to Uses classes and sub-classes to

model systems and component partsmodel systems and component parts May also define logical entities and May also define logical entities and

services providedservices provided

Common Information ModelCommon Information Model

CPE5013 (c) Monash UniversityCPE5013 (c) Monash University 1717

CIM - SchemaCIM - Schema[Abstract, Version ("2.7.0"), Description ("ManagedElement is an abstract class that provides a common superclass" "(or top of the inheritance tree) for the non-association classes in the CIM Schema.") ]class CIM_ManagedElement {[MaxLen (64), Description ( "The Caption property is a short textual description (one-" "line string) of the object.") ] string Caption; [Description ( "The Description property provides a textual description of ""the object.") ] string Description; [Description ( "A user-friendly name for the object. This property allows ""each instance to define a user-friendly name IN ADDITION TO its ""key properties/identity data, and description information.\n""Note that ManagedSystemElement's Name property is also defined ""as a user-friendly name. But, it is often subclassed to be a ""Key. It is not reasonable that the same property can convey ""both identity and a user friendly name, without inconsistencies. ""Where Name exists and is not a Key (such as for instances of ""LogicalDevice), the same information MAY be present in both ""the Name and ElementName properties.") ]string ElementName;};

WWeb-eb-BBased ased EEnterprise nterprise MManagementanagement“CIM over HTML”“CIM over HTML”

CIM defines data….CIM defines data…. WBEM also defines common protocol WBEM also defines common protocol

(HTTP) and encoding (XML)(HTTP) and encoding (XML) Object manager infrastructure Object manager infrastructure (from (from

CORBA)CORBA)

known as “CIM Server”known as “CIM Server” Many implementations availableMany implementations available

Directory Enabled NetworksDirectory Enabled Networks

Uses CIM as the data storage modelUses CIM as the data storage model Uses LDAP for message exchange Uses LDAP for message exchange

and directory repositoryand directory repository Provides centralised repository of Provides centralised repository of

management, object location and management, object location and configuration info for computing and configuration info for computing and networking hardwarenetworking hardware

CIM/WBEM & DMI CIM/WBEM & DMI Management InfrastructuresManagement Infrastructures

Distributed Management TrendsDistributed Management Trends Focus on Focus on

– business solutionsbusiness solutions– transparent delivery of servicestransparent delivery of services

Requires integrated dynamic, rather Requires integrated dynamic, rather than isolated static managementthan isolated static management(eg multi-vendor, not single-vendor solution)(eg multi-vendor, not single-vendor solution)

Systems, software and networks Systems, software and networks managed together in integrated waymanaged together in integrated way

Include business knowledge (policies) Include business knowledge (policies) in management infrastructurein management infrastructure

Management: Management: an Integrated Servicean Integrated Service

Perform usual management tasks:Perform usual management tasks:– Acquire inventory dataAcquire inventory data– Transmit notification of eventsTransmit notification of events– Maintain statistics and metricsMaintain statistics and metrics– Read/Write configuration parametersRead/Write configuration parameters

But using a common mechanismBut using a common mechanismie. Management port and Business portie. Management port and Business port

Management: Management: an Integrated Servicean Integrated Service

Distributed Management AlliancesDistributed Management Alliances Modern network management includesModern network management includes

– Common semantics and modelsCommon semantics and models– Integrated business and management servicesIntegrated business and management services

Many standards organisations need to Many standards organisations need to cooperate on distributed functionscooperate on distributed functions– Storage Network Industry AssociationStorage Network Industry Association– Global Grid Forum (OGSI)Global Grid Forum (OGSI)– Distributed Management Task Force Distributed Management Task Force

(CIM,WBEM)(CIM,WBEM)– W3C (OASIS)W3C (OASIS)

Distributed Management AlliancesDistributed Management Alliances

Finally….Finally….

New world of management is New world of management is evolvingevolving

Need to reduce cost through Need to reduce cost through interoperable servicesinteroperable services

Being addressed by vendors and Being addressed by vendors and customers participating in customers participating in formation of standards for business formation of standards for business and management abstractions and and management abstractions and servicesservices