13.30 SetPrimaryMS

Use this Knowledge Script to designate the primary and secondary management server for an agent. If the primary management server fails, the secondary, or backup, management server takes over communication with the managed client until communication with the primary management server resumes.

Within an AppManager management site, the agent only accepts job requests and sends events to its designated management server. During installation, you can designate the agent’s primary and optionally, a secondary management server. For performance reasons, you should always designate the primary and, if there is one, a secondary management server, within a management site.

After installation, use this script to add a secondary management server, or change the agent’s designated primary management server. If you are managing a computer from more than one AppManager site, run this script from another site to designate the primary and secondary management server for that site.

If you are managing a client from more than one management site, run this script from each site to designate the primary and secondary management server for that site. To authorize an agent to communicate with an additional management server, use the AgentConfigMSRestrictions Knowledge Script.

The list of authorized management servers is updated to include the designated primary and secondary management servers. If the agent was configured to not allow anonymous management server communication, that communication restriction goes into effect after you designate the primary and secondary management server.

To improve repository performance, you should always designate a primary management server for each managed client computer in your site. If you cannot designate a primary management server during installation—for example, if the installation program cannot communicate with the management server—you must manually designate the primary management server using this script.

To configure a primary and backup management server for a managed Windows client, run this script and set the Primary management server hostname and Backup management server hostname parameters. After establishing a primary and backup management server for a managed client, you can also use this script to change the primary management server hostname, the backup management server hostname, or both using the Select management server operation to perform parameter:

Designation to Change	How to Change It
The managed client’s primary management server	Enter a new hostname for the primary management server. Leave the Backup management server hostname parameter blank. Set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 1.
The managed client’s backup management server	Enter the hostname of the existing primary management server. Enter a new hostname for the backup management server. Set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 2.
Both the primary and backup management servers	Enter a new hostname for the primary management server. Enter a new hostname for the backup management server. Set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 3.

Designation to Change

How to Change It

The managed client’s primary management server

Enter a new hostname for the primary management server.

Leave the Backup management server hostname parameter blank.

Set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 1.

The managed client’s backup management server

Enter the hostname of the existing primary management server.

Enter a new hostname for the backup management server.

Set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 2.

Both the primary and backup management servers

Enter a new hostname for the primary management server.

Enter a new hostname for the backup management server.

Set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 3.

Set the Management server operation to perform parameter properly to avoid unexpected behavior. For example, assume you want to establish the computer BOSTON as the primary management server, but do not want to make any change to the backup management server. If you run this script with the Backup management server hostname blank but inadvertently set the Management server operation to perform parameter to 3, the empty Backup management server hostname parameter is not ignored. Because you have indicated you want to change both the primary and backup management servers, the blank entry for Backup management server hostname is interpreted as authorization for any available management server to act as a backup management server for the target managed client.

For more information about multiple management server configurations, see the Administrator Guide for AppManager.

13.30.1 Resource Objects

Windows 2003 Server or later

13.30.2 Default Schedule

The default interval for this script is Run once.

13.30.3 Setting Parameter Values

Set the following parameters as needed:

Parameter	How to Set It
Raise event if set operation succeeds or fails?	Set to y to raise an informational event when the managed client is successfully updated with the new management server information or if the update fails. The default is n.
Event severity when set operation succeeds	Set the event severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of a successful registration of the management server. The default severity level is 25.
Event severity when set operation fails	Set the event severity level, from 1 to 40, to indicate the importance of a event in which the registration of the management server fails. The default severity level is 10.
Primary management server hostname	Specify the name of the management server you want to use as the primary management server. NOTE:The value for this parameter cannot be blank, even if you are only setting the backup management server.
Backup management server hostname	Specify the name of the management server you want to use as the backup management server.
Management server operation to perform	Specify which management server configuration you want to update for the target managed client. Type: 1 to change only the primary management server 2 to change only the backup management server 3 to change both the primary and backup management servers The default is 1.

13.30.4 Example of How this Script Is Used

When you install the AppManager agent, you automatically designate a primary management server, and that management server becomes the only management server that the managed client communicates with for a single repository/management server configuration. A secondary or backup management server can also be defined at installation for each managed client in case the primary management server fails. The secondary management server only communicates with the managed client when the primary management server is unavailable. When communication with the primary management server resumes, the managed client resumes exclusive communication with the primary management server.

Because a multiple management server environment is chiefly intended for failover functionality (to provide an alternative management server if the primary management server fails), each managed client can have one primary management server and one backup management server for each repository.

In addition, identifying a specific management server for specific groups of managed clients gives you greater control over the distribution of communication load and network bandwidth usage.