Specifying devices using a hosts file

The TL1 Probe uses a hosts file when connecting to multiple hosts. This file contains the details that the probe requires to connect to each of your network elements.

This file is specified by the HostsFile property. When the probe starts, it reads through the hosts file attempting to connect and log into each host. If the probe encounters a device to which it cannot make a connection to, or log on to, it sends a probe Watch message to the ObjectServer and moves on to the next device in the hosts file.

The hosts file defines the probe connections in the following format:

<host> <port> : [<tid>], [ci co], [ws wa wi], [hs hr hi ht], [rc ri];

Note: If you encounter a problem uninstalling the probe and you have modified the hosts file, remove the hosts file before uninstalling it again.

Table 1 describes the hosts file format and the properties in the properties file that correspond to each item.

Note: The values specified using the HostsFile property have a maximum length of 256 characters.

Table 1. Hosts file format
Item	Corresponding property	Description
`host`	Host	The host to which the probe connects.
`port`	Port	The port to which the probe connects.
`tid`	Tid	The target ID of the TL1 device.
`ci`	ChatinString	The chat in string for the host/port.
`co`	ChatoutString	The chat out string for the host/port.
`hs`	HeartbeatString	The heartbeat string the probe sends to the switch.
`hr`	HeartbeatResponse	The response the probe expects to the heartbeat request.
`hi`	HeartbeatInterval	The interval between heartbeats.
`ht`	HeartbeatTimeout	The time within which the probe expects to receive a response.
`rc`	ResynchCommand	The command that the probe sends to request resynchronization with the device.
`ri`	ResynchInterval	The interval with which the probe sends successive resynchronization commands to the device.
`ws`	WakeupString	The wakeup string that the probe uses to alert the device that it has made a connection and wants to log on.
`wa`	WakeupAttempts	The maximum number of wakeup attempts that the probe makes before moving on to the next device in the hosts file.
`wi`	WakeupInterval	The interval with which the probe sends successive wakeup strings to the device.

Be aware of the following syntax rules when creating a hosts file:

Semicolons (;) indicate the end of each entry in the host file.
Colons (:) are used to separate the device details from the corresponding connection information.
Commas (,) separate individual sections within logins.
Whitespace separates individual elements within the sections.
Whitespace characters are <sp>, <tab>, <cr>, and <nl>.
Comment lines are preceded by #.
Blank lines are ignored.

If the hosts file is defined, all properties in the properties file that define the connection to an individual host are ignored. These are the properties listed in the Corresponding property column of Table 1.

If the hosts file is not defined, the probe uses the Host and Port properties to connect to the device. If the Host, Port, and HostsFile properties are not defined, the probe exits.