Importing and Exporting Actions

HP VUE allows local systems to access actions defined on remote hosts. The remote host containing the action definition is called the database host or the action server. The database host "exports" its actions to other systems, which, in turn, "import" the action.

For example, a system administrator installing an application on a remote execution host may find it desirable to define the action for the application on the same host. Since that action can be made available to the other systems on the network, it is not necessary to copy the definition from system to system.

In a diskless cluster, actions imported by the cluster server are available to all cnodes.

In order for a system to use an action defined remotely:

The database host must be configured to export the actions to other hosts.
The local system must be configured to import the remote actions.

To configure the database (exporting) host

Place the files (the *.vf files) containing the definitions for the actions to be exported in /etc/vue/config/export.
Create action icons for the actions by placing an executable file for each action in /etc/vue/config/export/tools or one of its subdirectories.
Edit /etc/exports to include all hosts who will be using the actions. They must be allowed to NFS-mount /tmp and /etc/vue/config/export.
Edit /var/adm/inetd.sec to allow all the hosts using the actions to use the database host's spc.
Perform any additional configuration for remote application and data access:
- If the application and data reside on the database host, no additional configuration is necessary.
- If the application resides elsewhere, then the database host and execution host must be configured for remote execution.
- If the data resides elsewhere than with the application, then the database host must be configured for remote data access.

See Also.

“Using Actions to Run Remote Applications” covers configuring the hosts so that actions can execute remote applications.
“Using Actions to Access Remote Data” covers configuring the hosts so that actions can use remote data.

To configure the local (importing) host

NFS-mount the file system of the database host to provide access to the authentication directory (see “User Authentication During Remote Execution” for more information) and /etc/vue/config/export.
Create the directory /etc/vue/config/import if it does not yet exist.
Edit /etc/vue/config/Xsession. Add or modify the line that sets the VUEACTIONREMOTEHOSTS environment variable, which specifies the remote hosts whose actions will be imported:
VUEACTIONREMOTEHOSTS=remote_host,remote_host ...
Add the remote host to the Network Toolbox (see “To add a host to the Network Toolbox”).
Log out and back in.

See Also.

“To NFS-mount a remote file system ” explains how to set up NFS mounts.
“To reread Login Manager configuration files” explains how to reread Xsession.

To add a host to the Network Toolbox

Configure the local host to import the actions (see “To configure the local (importing) host”).
Configure the remote host to export its actions (see “To configure the database (exporting) host”).
Create a link between the Network Toolbox and the remote host (database host) toolbox:
ln -s /mount_point/database_host/etc/vue/config/export/tools \ /etc/vue/config/import/database_host
This creates the host icon in the top level of the Network Toolbox.

Example: Exporting and importing an action

The application Interface Architect on host appserver is used by numerous systems in the network. It is desirable to create one action for the application, and export that action to all the systems that use it. Thus, appserver becomes both the application server and the database (action) host.

On host `appserver'.

Create the file /etc/vue/config/export/architect.vf and define the action:

   ACTION           Architect

     WINDOW-TYPE    NO-STDIO

     EXEC-STRING    /usr/architect/bin/architect

   END

Create an action icon by creating an executable file /etc/vue/config/export/tools/Architect.
Edit /etc/exports to include all the hosts that will use the Architect action.
Edit /var/adm/inetd.sec to include all the hosts that will use the Architect action.

On each importing host.

NFS-mount the file system of appserver.

Execute the following command to add the imported actions to the Network Toolbox on the local hosts.

   ln -s /mount_point/appserver/etc/vue/config/export/tools \

   /etc/vue/config/import/appserver

Edit /etc/vue/config/Xsession to add appserver to the local host's search path using the environment variable VUEACTIONREMOTEHOST:
VUEACTIONREMOTEHOSTS=appserver,another_remote_host ...
Log out and back in.

Importing and Exporting Actions

Technical documentation

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To configure the database (exporting) host

To configure the local (importing) host

To add a host to the Network Toolbox

Example: Exporting and importing an action