Configuring the Connection to Moab

In order to function, a Viewpoint client must connect to a Moab server. However, creating a new server connection on demand can be expensive in terms of time and resources. The primary purpose of the connection manager module is to recycle existing connections, thus avoiding the cost of creating new ones. Note that factors such as network latency, resource utilization on the Moab and Viewpoint servers, and the network proximity of the Moab and Viewpoint servers affect application performance and user experience; take these factors into consideration when fine-tuning for optimal performance.

To configure a connection, do the following:

1. Open the core.xml file located in the Viewpoint home directory.
2. Specify the type attribute in the <moab-connection> element. The value can be one of:
   • ssh-password (SSH password authentication) - A connection to the Moab server via SSH that requires password authentication.
   • ssh-key (SSH private key authentication) - A connection to the Moab server via SSH that requires private key authentication.
   • local - A local connection to Moab that operates through a shell.
   • process - A local connection to Moab that directly invokes commands. This is more secure than local, but will disable some features in Viewpoint.
3. Configure the required elements, which differ for each of the connection types. Element details are included in the sections that follow.
   • Required elements for ssh-password are host, user, and password.
   • Required elements for ssh-key are host, user, public-key-path, and password.
   • Neither the process nor the local connection types have any required elements.
4. Configure optional elements according to preferences. Element details are included in the sections that follow.

Required Elements for SSH Password Authentication

• <host> - The host name of the Moab server.
• <user> - The username used to connect via SSH to the Moab server.
• <password> - When authenticating via SSH password (type="ssh-password"), the password is the password used to authenticate.

Optional Elements for SSH Password Authentication

• <initial-connections> - The number of connections created when the server starts. The default is 1.
• <maximum-connections> - The maximum number of connections allowed. The default is 10.
• <moab-path> - The location of the Moab commands. By default, the operating system path is searched for Moab commands.
• <port> - The SSH port used to connect to Moab.

Sample Configuration for SSH Password-Authenticated Moab Connection

<moab-connection type="ssh-password">
    <!-- required elements -->
    <host>moab-server</host>
    <user>moab-user</user>
    <password>password</password>
    <!-- optional elements -->
    <initial-connections>5</initial-connections>
    <maximum-connections>10</maximum-connections>
    <moab-path>/usr/moab/bin</moab-path>
    <port>22</port>
</moab-connection>

Required Elements for SSH Private Key Authentication

For both authentication models (password and private key), the required <host> and <user> elements are the same, but the following required elements are unique for SSH private key authentication:

• <public-key-path> - The path on the Viewpoint server to the public key file used for SSH authentication.
• <password> - The private key passphrase.

Optional elements for private key and password authentication are the same.

Sample Configuration for SSH Private-Key-Authenticated Moab Connection

<moab-connection type="ssh-key">
    <!-- required elements -->
    <host>moab-server</host>
    <user>moab-user</user>
    <public-key-path>/home/moab-user/.ssh/id_rsa.pub</public-key-path>
    <password></password>
    <!-- optional elements -->
    <initial-connections>5</initial-connections>
    <maximum-connections>10</maximum-connections>
    <moab-path>/usr/moab/bin</moab-path>
    <port>22</port>
</moab-connection>

Moab Workload Manager Configuration Requirements

To connect Viewpoint and a Moab Workload Manager, you must verify the following conditions are met:

Include the Viewpoint user in the admin level 1 group of the ADMINCFG[1] parameter. Also, proxying must be enabled. For example:

ADMINCFG[1] USERS=<Viewpoint-user> ENABLEPROXY=TRUE

If you do not specify the Moab path (<moab-path>), you must then include the location of the Moab client commands in the Viewpoint user's $PATH environment variable.

Sample Configuration for a Local Moab Connection

<moab-connection type="local">
    <!-- optional elements -->
    <initial-connections>5</initial-connections>
    <maximum-connections>10</maximum-connections>
    <moab-path>/usr/moab/bin</moab-path>
</moab-connection>

Sample Configuration for a Process Moab Connection

<moab-connection type="process">
    <!-- optional elements -->
    <initial-connections>5</initial-connections>
    <maximum-connections>10</maximum-connections>
    <moab-path>/usr/moab/bin</moab-path>
</moab-connection>