Introduction


etscape Communications Corporation is the premier provider of open software that lets people and companies exchange information and conduct commerce over intranet networks and the Internet. Netscape servers comply with open standards, making them easy to integrate with legacy systems.

The administration server, included with all Netscape SuiteSpot servers, is a unique, web-based server (HTTP protocol) that you use to configure all of your Netscape SuiteSpot 3.x servers. You access the administration server just like you'd access any web site--you use a browser such as Netscape Navigator or Netscape Communicator.

Use this book to learn the concepts for managing your Netscape SuiteSpot servers. You should read the first chapter of this book before you install any Netscape SuiteSpot server because it contains information about preparing for installation and lists guidelines for installing multiple servers on a single computer. You should read about cluster management if you plan to install servers on multiple computers and want to manage the servers from a central computer.

What's in this online material?

This online book describes the Netscape administration server and covers basic concepts common to all Netscape SuiteSpot servers. The online help describes the user interface for the administration server and documents how to use it to configure the administration server. It also contains in-depth information about command-line tools. Together, this book and the online help provide a complete documentation set for managing Netscape servers using the administration server.

This book also explains how to:

What is Netscape SuiteSpot?

Netscape SuiteSpot is an integrated suite of Netscape server products. In conjunction with Netscape Navigator or Netscape Communicator, you can use Netscape SuiteSpot to build cross-platform, network applications and create a network where information is easily exchanged.

You manage and configure Netscape SuiteSpot servers using a similar forms-based interface provided by the administration server. The interface is easy to learn, and the similarity among products makes it easy to learn new products, which can drastically lower the cost of implementing and managing a large network environment.

Netscape SuiteSpot 3.x includes the following products:

See the printed SuiteSpot Quick Start card for general information on getting started with these servers.

Conventions used in this book.

Monospaced font
This typeface is used for any text that appears on the computer screen or text that you should type. It's also used for file and path names and functions.
Boldface
Boldface type is used for button names and form elements such as input areas and check boxes.
Italic
Italic type is used for emphasis, book titles, and glossary terms.
Sidebar text
Sidebar text marks important information. Make sure you read the information before continuing with a task.
|
The vertical bar is used as a separator for user interface elements. For example, "choose Server Status|Logging Options" means you should click the Server Status button in the top frame of the Server Manager and then click the Logging Options link in the left frame.
[ ]
Square brackets enclose commands that are optional. That is, you can omit any text that appears in square brackets.
< >
Angle brackets enclose variables. When following examples, replace the angle brackets and their text with text that applies to your situation. For example, when path names appear in angle brackets, substitute the path names used on your computer.
/
Forward slash is used to separate directories in a path. If you use the NT operating system, you might be more familiar with \ in paths, but NT supports both forward and back slashes.
Unix
Marks text that applies only to the Unix versions of the administration server.
NT
Marks text that applies only to the Windows NT versions of the administration server.

Navigator requirements

To configure any of the SuiteSpot servers, you need a network browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Navigator Gold 3.0 or later, Netscape Communicator, or any other browser that supports Java and JavaScript. If you don't have a browser installed on your computer, install the version of Netscape Navigator from your SuiteSpot CD. In most cases, this is in the /nav30 directory. Because all configuration forms use Java or JavaScript, you must enable that feature in your browser before you can administer your Netscape SuiteSpot servers. To do this in Navigator:

  1. Choose Options|Network Preferences from the Netscape Navigator or Navigator Gold menu.
  2. Select the Language tab. Make sure Java and JavaScript are checked, and then click OK.
    To do this in Netscape Communicator:

  3. Choose Edit|Preferences from the Netscape Communicator menu.
  4. Select the Advanced category in the left column.
  5. Check the options labeled "Enable Java" and "Enable JavaScript," and then click OK.

How to use this book

You should read the first chapter of this book before you install any SuiteSpot server. It contains basic information about the administration server and its features. After reading that chapter, you should plan how you will install your servers. You should then read the installation documentation provided with the individual servers you want to install.

Once you install the servers you can read the rest of this book to learn how to configure the administration server and use it to manage your other Netscape SuiteSpot servers.

Contacting Technical Support

For product-specific Technical Support assistance, see the server product support page at the following URL:

http://help.netscape.com/products/index.html

For general Technical Support assistance, see the Netscape Technical Support Page at http://help.netscape.com.


Copyright 1997 Netscape Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.