1 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
4 <refentrytitle>bos</refentrytitle>
5 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
9 <refpurpose>Introduction to the bos command suite</refpurpose>
12 <title>Description</title>
13 <para>The commands in the <emphasis role="bold">bos</emphasis> command suite are the administrative interface
14 to the Basic OverSeer (BOS) Server, which runs on every file server
15 machine to monitor the other server processes on it. If a process fails,
16 the BOS Server can restart it automatically, taking into account
17 interdependencies between it and other processes. The BOS Server frees
18 system administrators from constantly monitoring the status of server
19 machines and processes.</para>
21 <para>There are several categories of commands in the <emphasis role="bold">bos</emphasis> command suite:</para>
25 <para>Commands to administer server process binary files: <emphasis role="bold">bos getdate</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos
26 install</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos prune</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos uninstall</emphasis>.</para>
30 <para>Commands to maintain system configuration files: <emphasis role="bold">bos addhost</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos
31 addkey</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos adduser</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos listhosts</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos listkeys</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos
32 listusers</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos removehost</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos removekey</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos removeuser</emphasis>, and
33 <emphasis role="bold">bos setcellname</emphasis>.</para>
37 <para>Commands to start and stop processes: <emphasis role="bold">bos create</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos delete</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos
38 restart</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos shutdown</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos start</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos startup</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos stop</emphasis>.</para>
42 <para>Commands to set and verify server process and server machine status: <emphasis role="bold">bos
43 getlog</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos getrestart</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos setauth</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos setrestart</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos
44 status</emphasis>.</para>
48 <para>A command to restore file system consistency: <emphasis role="bold">bos salvage</emphasis>.</para>
52 <para>Commands to obtain help: <emphasis role="bold">bos apropos</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">bos help</emphasis>.</para>
56 <para>The BOS Server and the <emphasis role="bold">bos</emphasis> commands use and maintain the following
57 configuration and log files:</para>
61 <para>The <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/CellServDB</replaceable> file lists the local cell's database server
62 machines. These machines run the Authentication, Backup, Protection and
63 Volume Location (VL) Server processes, which maintain databases of
64 administrative information. The database server processes consult the file
65 to learn about their peers, whereas the other server processes consult it
66 to learn where to access database information as needed. To administer the
67 <replaceable>CellServDB</replaceable> file, use the following commands: <emphasis role="bold">bos addhost</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos
68 listhosts</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos removehost</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos setcellname</emphasis>.</para>
72 <para>The <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/KeyFile</replaceable> file lists the server encryption keys that the
73 server processes use to decrypt tickets presented by client processes and
74 one another. To administer the <replaceable>KeyFile</replaceable> file, use the following
75 commands: <emphasis role="bold">bos addkey</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos listkeys</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos removekey</emphasis>.</para>
79 <para>The <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/ThisCell</replaceable> file defines the cell to which the server
80 machine belongs for the purposes of server-to-server communication.
81 Administer it with the <emphasis role="bold">bos setcellname</emphasis> command. There is also a
82 <replaceable>/usr/vice/etc/ThisCell</replaceable> file that defines the machine's cell membership
83 with respect to the AFS command suites and Cache Manager access to AFS
88 <para>The <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/UserList</replaceable> file lists the user name of each
89 administrator authorized to issue privileged <emphasis role="bold">bos</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">vos</emphasis>
90 commands. To administer the <replaceable>UserList</replaceable> file, use the following commands:
91 <emphasis role="bold">bos adduser</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos listusers</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos removeuser</emphasis>.</para>
95 <para>The <replaceable>/usr/afs/local/BosConfig</replaceable> file defines which AFS server processes
96 run on the server machine, and whether the BOS Server restarts them
97 automatically if they fail. It also defines when all processes restart
98 automatically (by default once per week), and when the BOS Server restarts
99 processes that have new binary files (by default once per day). To
100 administer the <replaceable>BosConfig</replaceable> file, use the following commands: <emphasis role="bold">bos
101 create</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos delete</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos getrestart</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos setrestart</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos
102 start</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos stop</emphasis>.</para>
106 <para>The <replaceable>/usr/afs/log/BosLog</replaceable> file records important operations the BOS
107 Server performs and error conditions it encounters.</para>
111 <para>For more details, see the reference page for each file.</para>
115 <title>Options</title>
116 <para>The following arguments and flags are available on many commands in the
117 <emphasis role="bold">bos</emphasis> suite. The reference page for each command also lists them, but
118 they are described here in greater detail.</para>
122 <term><emphasis role="bold">-cell</emphasis> <<emphasis>cell name</emphasis>></term>
124 <para>Names the cell in which to run the command. It is acceptable to abbreviate
125 the cell name to the shortest form that distinguishes it from the other
126 entries in the <replaceable>/usr/vice/etc/CellServDB</replaceable> file on the local machine. If
127 the <emphasis role="bold">-cell</emphasis> argument is omitted, the command interpreter determines the
128 name of the local cell by reading the following in order:</para>
132 <para>The value of the AFSCELL environment variable.</para>
136 <para>The local <replaceable>/usr/vice/etc/ThisCell</replaceable> file.</para>
140 <para>Do not combine the <emphasis role="bold">-cell</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> options. A command on which
141 the <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> flag is included always runs in the local cell (as
142 defined in the server machine's local <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/ThisCell</replaceable> file),
143 whereas a command on which the <emphasis role="bold">-cell</emphasis> argument is included runs in the
144 specified foreign cell.</para>
149 <term><emphasis role="bold">-help</emphasis></term>
151 <para>Prints a command's online help message on the standard output stream. Do
152 not combine this flag with any of the command's other options; when it is
153 provided, the command interpreter ignores all other options, and only
154 prints the help message.</para>
159 <term><emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis></term>
161 <para>Constructs a server ticket using the server encryption key with the
162 highest key version number in the local <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/KeyFile</replaceable> file. The
163 <emphasis role="bold">bos</emphasis> command interpreter presents the ticket, which never expires, to
164 the BOS Server during mutual authentication.</para>
166 <para>Use this flag only when issuing a command on a server machine; client
167 machines do not usually have a <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/KeyFile</replaceable> file. The issuer
168 of a command that includes this flag must be logged on to the server
169 machine as the local superuser <computeroutput>root</computeroutput>. The flag is useful for commands
170 invoked by an unattended application program, such as a process controlled
171 by the UNIX <emphasis role="bold">cron</emphasis> utility or by a cron entry in the machine's
172 <replaceable>/usr/afs/local/BosConfig</replaceable> file. It is also useful if an administrator is
173 unable to authenticate to AFS but is logged in as the local superuser
174 <computeroutput>root</computeroutput>.</para>
176 <para>Do not combine the <emphasis role="bold">-cell</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> options. A command on which
177 the <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> flag is included always runs in the local cell (as
178 defined in the server machine's local <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/ThisCell</replaceable> file),
179 whereas a command on which the <emphasis role="bold">-cell</emphasis> argument is included runs in the
180 specified foreign cell. Also, do not combine the <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> and
181 <emphasis role="bold">-noauth</emphasis> flags.</para>
186 <term><emphasis role="bold">-noauth</emphasis></term>
188 <para>Establishes an unauthenticated connection to the BOS Server, in which the
189 BOS Server treats the issuer as the unprivileged user <computeroutput>anonymous</computeroutput>. It is
190 useful only when authorization checking is disabled on the server machine
191 (during the installation of a file server machine or when the <emphasis role="bold">bos
192 setauth</emphasis> command has been used during other unusual circumstances). In
193 normal circumstances, the BOS Server allows only privileged users to issue
194 commands that change the status of a server or configuration file, and
195 refuses to perform such an action even if the <emphasis role="bold">-noauth</emphasis> flag is
196 provided. Do not combine the <emphasis role="bold">-noauth</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> flags.</para>
201 <term><emphasis role="bold">-server</emphasis> <<emphasis>machine name</emphasis>></term>
203 <para>Indicates the AFS server machine on which to run the command. Identify
204 the machine by its IP address in dotted decimal format, its
205 fully-qualified host name (for example, <computeroutput>fs1.abc.com</computeroutput>), or by an
206 abbreviated form of its host name that distinguishes it from other
207 machines. Successful use of an abbreviated form depends on the
208 availability of a name service (such as the Domain Name Service or a local
209 host table) at the time the command is issued.</para>
211 <para>For the commands that alter the administrative files shared by all server
212 machines in the cell (the <emphasis role="bold">bos addhost</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos addkey</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos adduser</emphasis>,
213 <emphasis role="bold">bos removehost</emphasis>, <emphasis role="bold">bos removekey</emphasis>, and <emphasis role="bold">bos removeuser</emphasis> commands), the
214 appropriate machine depends on whether the cell uses the United States or
215 international version of AFS:</para>
219 <para>If the cell (as recommended) uses the Update Server to distribute the
220 contents of the <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc</replaceable> directory, provide the name of the system
221 control machine. After issuing the command, allow up to five minutes for
222 the Update Server to distribute the changed file to the other AFS server
223 machines in the cell. If the specified machine is not the system control
224 machine but is running an <emphasis role="bold">upclient</emphasis> process that refers to the system
225 control machine, then the change will be overwritten when the process next
226 brings over the relevant file from the system control machine.</para>
230 <para>Otherwise, repeatedly issue the command, naming each of the cell's server
231 machines in turn. To avoid possible inconsistency problems, finish issuing
232 the commands within a fairly short time.</para>
241 <title>Privilege Required</title>
242 <para>To issue any bos command that changes a configuration file or alters
243 process status, the issuer must be listed in the <replaceable>/usr/afs/etc/UserList</replaceable>
244 file on the server machine named by the <emphasis role="bold">-server</emphasis>
245 argument. Alternatively, if the <emphasis role="bold">-localauth</emphasis> flag is included the issuer
246 must be logged on as the local superuser <computeroutput>root</computeroutput>.</para>
248 <para>To issue a bos command that only displays information (other than the
249 <emphasis role="bold">bos listkeys</emphasis> command), no privilege is required.</para>
253 <title>See Also</title>
254 <para><link linkend="BosConfig5">BosConfig(5)</link>,
255 <link linkend="CellServDB5">CellServDB(5)</link>,
256 <link linkend="KeyFile5">KeyFile(5)</link>,
257 <link linkend="ThisCell5">ThisCell(5)</link>,
258 <link linkend="UserList5">UserList(5)</link>,
259 <link linkend="bos_addhost8">bos_addhost(8)</link>,
260 <link linkend="bos_addkey8">bos_addkey(8)</link>,
261 <link linkend="bos_adduser8">bos_adduser(8)</link>,
262 <link linkend="bos_apropos8">bos_apropos(8)</link>,
263 <link linkend="bos_create8">bos_create(8)</link>,
264 <link linkend="bos_delete8">bos_delete(8)</link>,
265 <link linkend="bos_exec8">bos_exec(8)</link>,
266 <link linkend="bos_getdate8">bos_getdate(8)</link>,
267 <link linkend="bos_getlog8">bos_getlog(8)</link>,
268 <link linkend="bos_getrestart8">bos_getrestart(8)</link>,
269 <link linkend="bos_help8">bos_help(8)</link>,
270 <link linkend="bos_install8">bos_install(8)</link>,
271 <link linkend="bos_listhosts8">bos_listhosts(8)</link>,
272 <link linkend="bos_listkeys8">bos_listkeys(8)</link>,
273 <link linkend="bos_listusers8">bos_listusers(8)</link>,
274 <link linkend="bos_prune8">bos_prune(8)</link>,
275 <link linkend="bos_removehost8">bos_removehost(8)</link>,
276 <link linkend="bos_removekey8">bos_removekey(8)</link>,
277 <link linkend="bos_removeuser8">bos_removeuser(8)</link>,
278 <link linkend="bos_restart8">bos_restart(8)</link>,
279 <link linkend="bos_salvage8">bos_salvage(8)</link>,
280 <link linkend="bos_setauth8">bos_setauth(8)</link>,
281 <link linkend="bos_setcellname8">bos_setcellname(8)</link>,
282 <link linkend="bos_setrestart8">bos_setrestart(8)</link>,
283 <link linkend="bos_shutdown8">bos_shutdown(8)</link>,
284 <link linkend="bos_start8">bos_start(8)</link>,
285 <link linkend="bos_startup8">bos_startup(8)</link>,
286 <link linkend="bos_status8">bos_status(8)</link>,
287 <link linkend="bos_stop8">bos_stop(8)</link>,
288 <link linkend="bos_uninstall8">bos_uninstall(8)</link></para>
292 <title>Copyright</title>
293 <para>IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.</para>
295 <para>This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0. It was
296 converted from HTML to POD by software written by Chas Williams and Russ
297 Allbery, based on work by Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth Cassell.</para>