Systems Insight Manager 6.1 User Guide

F Host file extensions
Hosts files are used during discovery to manually add multiple systems to the Systems Insight Manager
database.
Hosts files typically contain IP addresses, system names, system name aliases, and user comments. The hosts
file that you create can contain additional information about systems. The information appears as one or
more comments that precede the hosts file entry for the system. Unless other values are specified, the default
values are used.
Table F-1 Hosts file system information
KeywordParameter
TYPEsystem type
SNMP_TIMSNMP timeouts
SNMP_RETSNMP retries
SNMP_MONSNMP read community
SNMP_CONSNMP write community
You can modify the hosts file to substitute a value for the defaults for one entry or change the default for all
subsequent entries. To change values for a single-system entry in a hosts file, add a statement to the hosts
file as a comment on the line before the host entry, as shown in the following example. The statement applies
only to the system it precedes. In the following example, the default TYPE is changed to "server" for the
system EngProliant.
Table F-2 Changing default hosts file parameters
Hosts file entriesKeyword statement
#$IMXE: TYPE=server#$IMXE:< Keyword=value >
16.26.176.92 EngProliant.compaq.com EngProliant #user
comments
For example: #$IMXE: TYPE=server
To change the default globally so that it affects the next file entry and all subsequent entries, use a statement
similar to the following example. The default is changed to "router" for the next entry. Router remains the
default for all entries until another #$IMXE_DEFAULT statement changes that value. If a single instance of
TYPE is changed by a #$IMXE statement, the default is not used only for the next entry and then reverts to
back "router".
Table F-3 Globally changing hosts file parameters
Hosts file entriesKeyword statement
#$IMXE_DEFAULT: TYPE=router#$IMXE_DEFAULT: < Keyword=value>
16.26.176.92 BldRtr6.compaq.com BldRtr6 #user commentsFor example: #$IMXE_DEFAULT: TYPE=router
NOTE: If a keyword parameter is omitted on a commented entry, the current default value is used. The
current default is always the standard default unless a new default value was set using the #$IMXE_DEFAULT
statement. Enclose keywords containing more than one word, such as "management processor." Enclose
the full keyword in double quotation marks. Quotation marks are optional for single keywords like "server."
The following text quoted from a hosts file illustrates several statements. The explanations, which begin with
the pound sign (#), are not displayed in the hosts file.
# Title: Systems in database
# Sorted by: IP address
# Date: 28-Mar-00 2:29:31 PM
# Author: administrator
The system EngProliant uses all current defaults. There are no
additional comments.
152