About using IDT

Architecture in which the IDT operates

IDT provides a seamless communications channel to all of the network devices that Netcool Configuration Manager manages through the use of the following components:

The Netcool Configuration Manager client ALWAYS connects to the network device through the Netcool Configuration Manager Presentation server.

IDT and the security framework

The IDT functionality integrates fully with the Netcool Configuration Manager security framework. Groups, users, and access permissions for IDT are controlled within the Netcool Configuration Manager account management environment.

In Netcool Configuration Manager, account management refers to the administration of groups, users, and the permissions of those groups and users. All rights are allocated at the group level. Users inherit access rights on the basis of group membership. As new users are added, they are assigned to a group that grants them the appropriate permissions to perform the functions that Netcool Configuration Manager permits.

In order to gain access to IDT; users need to belong to a group which has the 'IDT Access' group activity. This activity provides access to IDT via the Tools menu.

IDT Acess is only required for login to a device via IDT. The user does not require any activities to view their own logs. They do however require IDT Administration to view other users' logs. Additionally, the user may belong to the "IDT Administration", “IDT Allow AutoLogin”, “IDT Allow Manual Login”, or the "IDT Enable Mode" group activities.

How to access IDT

Users launch IDT from the Resource Browser by right clicking on the selected device(s), and selecting Tools > Device Terminal (Auto Login/Manual Login) from the menu. Alternatively if the device is highlighted, users can select Tools > Device Terminal (Auto Login/Manual Login) from the Tool bar. The Device Terminal Manual Login option will only be activated if the “IDT Allow Manual Login” activity is chosen in the Netcool Configuration Manager account management.

Multiple IDT sessions may be opened concurrently, and users can view multiple active IDT sessions side by side in a tabbed format. This provides the advantage of being able to compare configurations and settings quickly.

These sessions can also be viewed as separate panes on the desktop. The IDT sessions are logged as either active or inactive. The activity status of IDT sessions at any given time can be viewed within Netcool Configuration Manager by selecting Tools Active Terminals. If the session has disconnected for any reason and the session is still displayed as active in the dialog, you can manually set it to inactive by right clicking on the server and select the Mark Session As Closed icon.

All connection paths to the device will be tried automatically using the details provided in the RAD. Additionally, all supplied authentication credentials will be tried. Each IDT session is represented as a tab on the device terminal screen. This window is almost indistinguishable from a standard TELNET or SSH session. If any Message of the Day or other text describing the device has been set, this will be displayed prior to the request for login credentials if using TELNET. If using SSH, the Message of the Day will not be seen until after the request for login credentials. The maximum number of active IDT sessions that each client can run at a given time may be configured in the IDT Terminal Throttle system property. When the device has been accessed, the user may be warned about pending work - both Pending and Waiting to Execute UOWs. Users will also be warned if there is an existing IDT session.