Chapter 9, Tools

The Tools Menu

Tools Menu



Killing a Process

 This option may be used to kill a process on a local or remote system. It is available under SCO Doctor and Doctor for Networks and is tightly integrated with SCO Doctor's system data monitoring facilities. This means that the process to be killed is selected from a displayed table or graph.

For example, if a remote system is being monitored and the Process Memory View is displayed, it is possible to select a remote process merely by highlighting the relevant process on the graph. Invoking the Tools, Kill Process menu option will then terminate the process.


Killing a Process Screen


  1. Select a view that displays the process you wish to kill, for example the Process CPU View .

  2. Use the arrow keys to select the name of the process.

  3. Select Tools, Kill Process.

  4. Enter the system signal number to be sent to the process. The default signal 2 will allow the process to exit in an orderly fashion. Some processes, however, trap signal 2 and will not terminate. To kill these processes, use signal 9 to forcibly end the process.



Rebooting a System

 This operation is used to shutdown and restart the operating system on any system. The progress of this command can not be monitored as the remote agent will be killed as part of the system shutdown procedure. After initiating the shutdown, the connection to the remote system will automatically be closed.


Tools Reboot Dialog Box


  1. Select Tools, Reboot System.

  2. Enter the name of the system to reboot or press F3 to get a popup selection list.

  3. Enter the time, in minutes, to wait before initiating the system shutdown and reboot.

  4. Enter a message to send to all users on that system.



Command Execution

 This facility allows you to run commands or command scripts on a remote system. It supports Bourne shell commands and scripts as well as TCL commands and scripts. Any output from the executed commands will be captured and displayed in a scrollable window. This output can be perused or saved to a file using the File, Save Output menu option.

For example, it may become necessary to ensure all users have a particular environment variable set in their /etc/profile file. To accomplish this, it is necessary to back up the /etc/profile file and then add a line to the end of the file. This will best be accomplished by a Bourne shell script which will look something like:

This script could be saved in a file and then executed remotely on one or more attached systems in one step, by using the Command Execute menu option.

NOTE: Use the Remote Login facility to run interactive commands that require user input.


Command Execution Dialog Box


  1. Select Tools, Command Execution.

  2. Select Normal for standard UNIX System commands or TCL to execute TCL program commands.

  3. Select Typed_commands or Script_file.

  4. At the Commands/Script field type the command to execute or if Script_file was selected in Step 3, type in the name of the file which contains the commands to be run.

  5. Enter the system name, or use the F3 key for a popup selection list of systems.



File Transfer

 The file transfer tool can be used to transfer single files or entire directory trees to remote systems. It may be used over LAN/WAN networks or over dial-up connections and offers a reliable and secure method to easily transfer files. For example, if a user on a remote system urgently needs an update to a vital document, the file transfer tool can quickly send a replacement. This file transfer capability would normally require the purchase of a separate communications package and another interface to learn.

File transfer works in a similar manner to the UNIX System cp command. If a target file for the transfer exists, it will be overwritten and if the target file is a directory, the source file will be copied into that directory. If required, the source file can be deleted after the copy has been completed, by selecting the Delete Original option.

If files are being sent to a remote system, the Recursive option can be used. This will copy all files and directories, recursively, from the source directory to the target directory. When using this recursive capability, both the source and target file must be extant directories.

The Append option can be used to append the contents of the source file to the target file. This option can also be used with the Recursive option.


File Transfer Dialog Box


  1. Select Tools, File Transfer.

  2. Select Send or Receive.

  3. Enter the local file name. If you selected Send in step 2 it will define the source file. If you selected Receive, it will define the target file.

  4. Enter the remote file name. If you selected Send in step 2 it will define the source file. If you selected Receive, it will define the target file.

  5. Enter the system name or use the F3 key to invoke a popup selection list of systems.

  6. Select Recursive if sending files to the remote system.

  7. Select Append if required.

  8. Select Delete Original if required.

SCO Doctor for Networks also provides support for more structured file transfers. For example, to send a file to all remote systems.


Software Deployment

NOTE: This option is only applicable to Doctor for Networks.

This operation allows you to upgrade a remote system's SCO Doctor software from the Central Management Station (CMS) and save the expense of a visit to the remote system by local personnel. Third party software packages can also be installed remotely, if they are packaged according to the SCO Doctor Software Installation Package Standard (SIPS) model and the agent has been installed. See the SCO Doctor Technical Reference for more details.

You will need to copy the relevant SCO Agent or SCO Doctor for Networks installation diskette images to your hard disk.

For each SCO Doctor diskette:

  1. Insert the diskette.

  2. Type continuously-

      dd if=/dev/rfd0135ds18 \
      of=/usr/lib/doctor/package/doctor/NAME bs=18b

    where name is VOL.000.000 for the first and VOL.001.00 for the second and VOL.002.000 for the third diskette.


Software Deployment Dialog Box


  1. Select Tools, Software Deployment.

  2. Specify the name of the remote system. Use F3 for a popup selection list of systems.

  3. Specify the name of the package you wish to use as the source for the install. Use F3 for a popup selection list of packages and select doctor.

  4. Select multi-user as the run level for the install.

  5. Select No reboot after the install is complete.



Agent Control Tools

 These menu options allow you to start or stop the agent process that is running on your local system. Before you can stop your local agent, you must close any open connections that you have to this agent.