Automatic global file reading through the Appliance Manager

Using the Appliance Manager Automatic Configuration page

On each managed appliance, the administrator has a GUI-based alternative method for setting up that appliance to read part of its configuration from one or more global configuration files.

You can create and configure your global configuration files as described in Ways to create a global configuration file. Then, for each appliance that you want to include in your multiple-cache management network, you can start the Appliance Manager and open the System - Automatic Configuration page. To access this page, select the Setup tab > System > Automatic Configuration.

The following options can be configured:

Automatic Configuration Files
Automatic Configuration Update Interval

Automatic Configuration Files

In this option, specify the global configuration files that this appliance uses in addition to its default and local settings to determine its own configuration. You can specify the files by FTP URL or HTTP URL. Acceptable inputs include:

ftp://[user:password@]server//path/configfilename

http://[user:password@]server/path/configfilename

http://[user:password@]cache:adminport/

configfilename

Conflicting settings are resolved as follows:

The settings contained in the global configuration files overwrite any conflicting default settings contained in the default configuration file.
The settings contained in the local configuration file overwrite any conflicting settings in a global configuration file.
If more than one global configuration file is listed, settings in a file listed later overwrite any conflicting settings in a file listed previously.

By setting this option on a group of appliances to point them to a common global configuration file, the administrator can implement configuration changes on multiple appliances by manually editing a single file.

Examples of entries are as follows:

ftp://nc1:mypw@cfgsrvr//cfg/acls.cfg

ftp://nc1:mypw@cfgsrvr//cfg/ports.cfg

Automatic Configuration Update Interval

In this option, specify the interval at which this appliance reads the configuration settings in the files specified in the Automatic Configuration Files list. The following options are available:

Periodically at the Following Intervals
The appliance reads the automatic configuration files after the specified number of hours has elapsed.
Daily
The appliance reads the automatic configuration files every day at the time specified in the Scheduled Times option.
Weekly, on the Following Days
The appliance reads the automatic configuration files on the specified days at the time of day specified in the Scheduled Times option.
Monthly, on the Following Dates
The appliance reads the automatic configuration files every month on the specified date (or dates) at the time of day specified in the Scheduled Times option.

To set monthly read dates, enter the dates separated by spaces. For example:
```
1 8 15 22 29
```
The preceding example indicates that the automatic configuration files will be read and will refresh this appliance configuration on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th day of every month.

If you set the Automatic Configuration Update Interval option to Daily, Weekly, on the Following Days, or Monthly, on the Following Dates, the Scheduled Times option specifies the time (or times) of the specified days that the appliance reads the automatic configuration files. The format for your entry is

hr:min{am|pm}

For example, if you select Mon (Monday) in the Weekly setting of the Automatic Configuration Update Interval option, and enter 1:00am in the Scheduled Times option, the appliance reads the automatic configuration files every Monday at 1:00 a.m.

When you want to specify multiple scheduled times, enter each scheduled time on a new line. For example:

1:00am

3:00pm

8:00pm

Get Configuration Files Now option

Click Manual Update under this option if you want this appliance to update its configuration immediately with the files specified in the Automatic Configuration Files list.