Configuration Manager

A node is a group of devices organized into a tree structure representing the various interconnections of the devices. The Node Configuration program is responsible for starting the configuration process for a node. It does this by querying the Customized database to see if the device at the top of the node is represented in the database. If so, the program writes the logical name of the device to the stdout file and then returns to the Configuration Manager.

The Configuration Manager begins by invoking a Node Configuration program listed in one of the rules in the Configuration Rules (Config_Rules) object class.

The Configuration Manager intercepts the Node Configuration program's stdout file to obtain the name of the device that was written. It then invokes the Configure method for that device. The device's Configure method performs the steps necessary to make the device available. If the device is not an intermediate one, the Configure method simply returns to the Configuration Manager. However, if the device is an intermediate device that has child devices, the Configure method must determine whether any of the child devices need to be configured. If so, the Configure method writes the names of all the child devices to be configured to the stdout file and then returns to the Configuration Manager.

The Configuration Manager intercepts the Configure method's stdout file to retrieve the names of the children. It then invokes, one at a time, the Configure methods for each child device. Each of these Configure methods operates as described for the parent device. For example, it might simply exit when complete, or write to its stdout file a list of additional device names to be configured and then exit. The Configuration Manager will continue to intercept the device names written to the stdout file and to invoke the Configure methods for those devices until the Configure methods for all the devices have been run and no more names are written to the stdout file.