Unlike legacy OS 2200 systems, ClearPath Plus Servers Dorado Series systems use Operations Servers to host OS 2200 consoles. The Operations Server runs Operations Sentinel server Basic Edition software (and can be upgraded to Department or Enterprise Edition). The following paragraphs summarize the differences between the old and new console architectures.

Legacy Console Architecture

OS 2200 software uses a concept of logical consoles. The Exec and applications can direct console messages to these logical consoles, and operators use them for system operation. On legacy ClearPath IX systems, each logical console corresponded to a physical PC console.

New Console Architecture

OS 2200 partitions on Dorado Series systems do not require dedicated hardware for each console. Instead, software running on an Operations Server provides the logical console functions. A separate copy of this software runs on an Operations Server for each configured console of an OS 2200 partition that is active (Up). Because the Operations Server provides the execution environment for the logical console software, we say that the Operations Server “hosts” the OS 2200 logical consoles. Each Operations Server can host multiple OS 2200 consoles for multiple OS 2200 partitions.

Console Views

On legacy ClearPath IX systems, the console view was provided by the monitor attached to the physical PC console. On Dorado Series systems, the console view is provided by OS 2200 Console View, a software application that runs on an operator’s workstation. This workstation can be (and generally is) separate from the Operations Server that hosts the consoles. There can be several views of the same console on different workstations at the same time.

See the OS 2200 Console View Help for more information.

OS 2200 Console Resiliency

Dorado Series systems support multiple Operations Servers. Each Operations Server can host any of the OS 2200 consoles, but an OS 2200 console can only be hosted on one Operations Server at a time. Multiple Operations Servers provide hardware resiliency. In addition to hosting different OS 2200 consoles on different Operations Servers, Dorado Series systems can automatically rehost a console on a different Operations Server if the one it was running on fails. After the console is rehosted, each instance of OS 2200 Console View that was connected to the console automatically reestablishes a connection with the console. Also, placing the Operations Servers on different networks provides network resiliency.

Server Control

For platform management, Dorado Series servers contain a master Service Processor. Your server may also have a standby Service Processor for added resiliency. Service Processors are PCs running the Windows operating system and the Server Control software. Server Control maintains hardware information and interfaces with other software.

Server Control passes OS 2200 console messages between the host partition and the logical console. It also processes requests to up and down consoles and assists in the recovery of logical consoles.