Monitoring Your Network - Getting Started with NerveCenter Client - Connecting to a Server -
Starting the Client Connecting to a Server Automatically

Connecting to a Server

Before you can use the client, you must connect the client to a NerveCenter server. This server collects data from managed devices, creates alarm instances, and performs the actions defined in alarms. The server also gives the client access to information about alarm instances and the status of nodes.

You can connect your client to more than one server at one time and view information about all the active alarm instances being managed by those servers. However, only one server can be the active server. The active server determines which NerveCenter database is used when you ask for a list of polls or the definition of an alarm.

For information on how to establish a connection with a NerveCenter server, see the following subsections:

You may also be interested in the following topics, which relate to connecting to a server:

Connecting to a Server Manually

If you haven't configured the client to connect to one or more servers at startup, or if you want to establish a connection with a server that you don't typically use, you must establish your connection with the server manually.

To connect to a NerveCenter server manually:

From the Server menu, select Connect.
The Connect to Server window displays.
In the Server Name field, type the hostname or IP address of the machine where the NerveCenter server is running. Or choose a hostname or IP address from the Server Name drop-down list.
The first time you connect to a server, the drop-down list is empty. After that, it contains a list of the machines to which you've connected, or attempted to connect, in the past. (The list won't display the names of machines to which you're already connected.) For information on removing an entry from the drop-down list box, see the section Deleting a Server from the Server List.
Type a user name and password in the User ID and Password fields, or leave these fields blank.
If you're running the client on a Windows system and you want to connect to a NerveCenter server using the same user name and password you used to log in to Windows, you can leave these fields blank. Otherwise, you must enter a user name and password. The user whose name you enter here must be a member of the NerveCenter Users or NerveCenter Admins group (Windows) or the ncusers or ncadmins group (UNIX).
Select the Connect button.
If the machine to which you try to connect is not running the NerveCenter server, you see the message The server did not respond.

When the client successfully connects to the server, all of the buttons in the button bar become enabled, and the Aggregate Alarm Summary window appears.

Client Connected to a Server

Windows Accessible from Toolbar lists the client windows you can reach by using the buttons in the client's toolbar.

Windows Accessible from Toolbar

Button	Window
	Opens the Connect to Server window. From this window, you can connect the client to a NerveCenter server.
	Opens a Client message window containing the prompt `Disconnecting` `from` Hostname. Use this window to confirm that you want to disconnect the client from a NerveCenter server.
	Opens the Property Group List window. From this window, you can view the currently defined property groups and the properties that each property group contains.
	Opens the Node List window. From this window, you can view a list of the nodes defined in the NerveCenter database and a brief definition of each node.
	Opens the Poll List window. From this window, you can view a list of the polls defined in the NerveCenter database and a brief definition of each poll.
	Opens the Mask List window. From this window, you can view a list of the trap masks defined in the NerveCenter database and a brief definition of each trap mask.
	Opens the Alarm Definition List window. From this window, you can view a list of the alarms defined in the NerveCenter database and open a definition window for each alarm.
	Displays a list of currently defined correlation expressions. Correlation expressions enable you to create alarms from boolean expressions.
	Opens the Severity List window. From this window, you can view a list of the severities defined in the NerveCenter database. (A severity has a name, a severity level, and a color associated with it.)
	Opens the Perl Subroutine List window. From this window, you can view a list of the currently defined Perl subroutines.
	Opens the Report List window. From this window, you can view a list of reports.
	Opens the Action Router Rule List window. From this window, you can view a list of the current set of rules that you have defined for the Action Router.
	Opens the Import Objects and Nodes dialog. From this dialog, you can import behavior models from one NerveCenter to another.
	Opens the Export Objects and Nodes dialog. From this dialog, you can export specific objects or groups of objects from one database to another.
	Opens the Server Status dialog. This dialog provides you with a comprehensive view of all your NerveCenter server settings.
	Opens the Alarm Summary window. This window presents information about the current alarm instances for the active server.
	Opens the Aggregate Summary window. This window presents information about the current alarm instances for all the servers to which you're connected.

Starting the Client	Connecting to a Server Automatically
	29 July 2003