Isect Middleware How-To - Startup

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# Startup

After a successful installation the Isect programs are usually installed in /usr/local/bin. Hopefully, this directory is in your path.

First, the remote execution daemon, isdexecd, should be started:

    zeus:/var/tmp isdexecd &
    [2] 13822
    Thu Jul 15 11:26:18 1999
    getwd() = /var/tmp
    isdexec assigned port #5502
    isdSocket() assigned 3

isdexecd doesn't disconnect from the controlling process so its advised to run it in the background.

isdexecd could really be run anywhere, and /var/tmp is a pretty save place to put it. By default, all isdexecd's children (the local workers) will inherit its working directory. If they abend it is good to know where the core files are likely to show up.

When isdexecd starts up it reports the date, its working directory, and the port it was assigned (from /etc/services). For no really good reason it also reports the handle of the socket it opened.

isectd is started the same way:

    zeus:/var/tmp isectd &
    [3] 13829
    service->name=op, service->serviceid=134561888
    SERVICE 'op' added.
    SystemError : 1, Operation not permitted, setrlimit()
    Unable to increase open files to 1024
    using 256 descriptors
    UNNAMED assigned port #6215
    isectd assigned port #5501

As isectd starts up it reports various environemental and operational curiosities. The first thing it does is install its own reserved service called 'op'. This is the service that accepts operator commands for configuring and administrating isectd while its running. As a service its unique characteristics are:

1. The op service has no workers
2. The op service cannot be stopped and started by the operator

In the output above, isectd complains that it can not increase the number of file descriptors to 1024 and is using 256 instead. This is OK, unless of course you need 1024 or more descriptors.

The UNNAMED port is dynamically created to accept logins from the workers that get started. isectd includes the value of UNNAMED and its hostname in the startup requests it sends isdexecd for workers. The workers know to rendezvous with isectd at the specified host and port number. Having two separate ports makes it easier for isectd to distinguish client from worker connection requests. Also, by passing the port number to workers through isdexecd the port number doesn't have to be reserved in /etc/services.

Finally, isectd displays the port it's waiting for client logins on.

Now that both isectd and isdexecd are running, we're ready to configure a service and a worker.

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