CHARON-AXP for Linux utilities

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General description

CHARON-AXP provides the following set of utilities:

All these utilities are invoked from Linux console command line.

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'mkdskcmd' utility

Creating disk images

The "mkdskcmd" utility:

• Creates empty disk images of a given standard disk type or a custom disk size
• Transfers existing disk images of one type to disk images of another type.

The first step is to obtain the name of the disk that needs to be created:

This command results in a list of all supported disk types.

Choose the desired disk (for example "RZ22"), then use the "mkdskcmd" command  to create the virtual disk image as shown below:

A disk container "rz22.vdisk" will be created in the current directory.

It is also possible to create custom disk images using "--blcount" (blocks count) and "--blsize" (blocks size) switches.

To get all the available parameters please use the "–help"switch:

The "--avtable" parameter is used to work with an alternative disk specification database (or to point to the standard database ("mkdsk.vtable") if it is in a location other than the current directory).

The "--blcount" (blocks count) and "--blsize" (blocks size) switches are used to create custom disk images.

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Transferring disk images

The "mkdskcmd" utility is able to transfer (copy) disk images of one type to a disk image of another type.

This operation is needed, for example, to obtain more free space on a disk image that already contains data.

Note: it is not possible to add more free space dynamically. CHARON-AXP must be stopped before performing this operation.

An example of the syntax follows:

where:

• <source disk file name> - a file name of the disk image to be transferred

• <source disk parameters> - the name of the disk from the list provided by the "mkdskcmd --list" command execution or the disk geometry specification (see below).

• --shrink or -k - used in the case where the target disk is transferred to a smaller disk.

Example:

It is also possible to specify the disk parameters manually with "--blcount / -c" (blocks count) and "--blsize / -z" (blocks size) switches:

Example:

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'mtd' utility

The "mtd" utility is used to:

• Create a CHARON tape image from a physical tape
• Write a tape image to a physical tape.

Usage is the following:

where the options are:

Example:

Use the following syntax to write the content of a tape container to a physical tape:

Example:

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'hasp_srm_view' utility

The "hasp_srm_view" utility displays content of CHARON-AXP licenses.

Run the utility with one of the following parameters to see the license(-s) details:

• "-l" (or without parameters) - CHARON default license details
• "-all" - all available CHARON licenses details
• "-key <key number>" - specific CHARON license (defined by its "key number") details

The "hasp_srm_view" utility provides the following functionality:

• Display the CHARON-AXP licenses details. It is possible to view all available license or some specific one.
• Collecting license status information
• Collecting host fingerprint information
• Managing software license transfer procedure.

Run the utility without any options to display the license details.

The specific type of CHARON license defines what switches may be used in each case.

Collecting the "c2v" file can be done only from the CHARON host console.

Remote collection of status information

For remote collection of status information it is recommended to use "ssh" as shown in the following examples:

To see the license text on the console:

To collect license text to an output file on host server:

# ssh root@localhost /opt/charon/bin/hasp_srm_view > /opt/charon/bin/hasp_srm_view.txt

The "hasp_srm_view" utility always reports the ID and IP address of the host(s) where active licenses are found.

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'hasp_update' utility

The "hasp_update" is a Sentinel standard utility for license management included in CHARON-AXP kit.

To invoke the "hasp_update" utility login as "root" and use the following syntax:

where:

Example:

# hasp_update u license_update.v2c

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'ncu' utility

The "ncu" ("Network Control Utility") is used to dedicate a host interface to CHARON-AXP, to release it back to the host and to manage CHARON virtual interfaces (TAPs).

The utility allocates chosen network interfaces (both physical and virtual) and configures the offload parameters.

Dedication of a host physical interface to CHARON

Login as root and enter "ncu". The following menu will appear:

The utility lists available network interfaces (both physical and virtual) and indicates whether they are dedicated to the host or to CHARON and whether they are currently in use by host operating system.

"ncu" offers several options:

1. Dedicate interface to CHARON
2. Release interface to host
3. Create a bridge between a chosen physical network interface and the Linux virtual network and create a number of virtual network interfaces 
4. Remove the Linux virtual network and all the created virtual network interfaces
5. Add VLAN
6. Remove VLAN 
7. Print status  - use it to display status of network interfaces and the menu shown above
8. Exit

In the example above we see 2 network interfaces - "eth0" and "eth1", both of them are dedicated to host, but host uses only the interface "eth0".

Let's dedicate the interface "eth1" to CHARON-AXP.

Enter "1", then type "eth1" and press Enter:

Now the interface "eth1" is dedicated to CHARON-AXP:

Interfaces Dedicated to  State 
---------- ------------  ----- 
eth0       host          connected to host 
eth1       CHARON        disconnected from host 
lo         host          unmanaged from host 
================================================================= 
bridge name bridge id STP enabled interfaces 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
================================================================= 
 
 select action: 
1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

Enter "8" to return to console prompt.

Now "eth1" can be used by CHARON-AXP.

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Release of a host physical interface back to host

Login as root and enter "ncu". The following menu will appear:

Interfaces   Dedicated to   State 
----------   ------------   ----- 
eth0         host           connected to host 
eth1         CHARON         disconnected from host 
lo           host           unmanaged from host 
================================================================= 
bridge name bridge id STP enabled interfaces 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
================================================================= 
 
 select action: 
1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

Let's say that we want to return the interface "eth1" (currently dedicated to CHARON) back to host. To do that enter "2" then "eth1":

Enter "8" to quit the "ncu" utility.

The interface "eth1" is released back to host system now.

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Creation of a virtual network

Login as root and enter "ncu":

Enter "3" to create a bridge between the host physical network adapter and the LINUX virtual network interfaces (TAP) and specify the physical network interface ("eth1" in our example) and the number of virtual network interfaces to be created (2 in our example):

Now enter "5" to see the created virtual interfaces:

In the example above we see 2 virtual network Interfaces "tap0" and "tap1" connected to the created bridge. The physical network interface "eth1" is used for the bridge to the virtual network interfaces.

The interfaces "tap0" and "tap1" are ready to be used in CHARON configurations - they do not need to be additionally dedicated to CHARON.

Enter "6" to quit "ncu" utility.

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Removal of a virtual network

Login a root. Start "ncu" utility:

Enter "4" then enter the interface name that is a bridge to the Linux virtual network on this host ("eth1" in our example):

Enter "6" to quit "ncu" utility.

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