Common things MATtool can Administer

MAT can manage most of the common UNIX administration tasks.  The current version of MAT divides the administrative tasks among:

DNS Server

NIS Server

NFS Server

UNIX Config

MATtool can any file on a MAT host, and distribute that file to all selected hosts.
Edit Any
This allows any file on a remote MAT host to be edited.  The resulting GUI allows the selection of the file to edit.  After selecting the file it can be edited from the lower portion of the console window.  After the changes are complete, clicking "New" will send the edited file back to the remote MAT host.  Access to this feature is controlled from the MAT users UI.
 

The following sections outlines the functionality provided by MAT.

DNS Server:
MAT is capable of managing serveral DNS domains spanning multiple subnets from a single DNS server.

DNS Master Tool
The DNS module allow you to quickly and easily create and manage DNS zones.  The DNS tool can manage several zones and subnets on a single host.  This icon appears on the console for those machines which are designated as DNS servers.  Machines are designated DNS servers from the MAT hosts view.  Selecting this icon brings you to the DNS configuration tool.
 

NEW Domain
In the context of the DNS tool, this icon is for creating a new domain.  Selecting it starts a GUI which prompts the user for the information necessary for a new domain.  The information required to create the DNS SOA.  Once a new domain has been created two additional icons appear for managing the domain.

Domain Records
In the DNS context this icon is for managing the DNS records.  Selecting it causes a list of all the hosts in the domain to be displayed on the console.  The records for each individual host can created, modified or deleted from here.  Error checking looks for name and address collisions, and notifies the user when one is detected.

Restart Domain
When the DNS records are changed the DNS daemon named has to be notified of the change.  Selecting this sends the HUP signal to the DNS daemon on the DNS server.  If named is not found it will attempt to start it.
 
 

NIS Master
This module is available on those machines which have been designated as a NIS master.  From it you gain access to NIS master tools.  These are similar to the tools offered on the basic console, except the NIS tools have much more error checking, and additional functionality.
 

PASSWD Tool
From this tool you can manage all the users in an NIS domain.  With this tool you can create, modify, and delete users from the NIS domain.  In addition to modifying the NIS password file the agent will also modify the users properties.  When a new users is added the tool will create the users home directory, with appropriate ownership.  For those sites were adding a user requires requires additional steps, a post user add script is provided.  This can be used to add new users to quota lists, RAS lists, or any other database needed by the site.  Changes made to an existing user are applied to the users home directory.  Changing the home directory location will cause the MAT agent to move the users home directory to another location.  Changes to the UID, or GID are also applied to the users home directory.  Associated with the add, modify, and delete functions are site specific post change scripts.  These can be modified to suit your network.

GROUP Tool
This tool allows you to manage the NIS groups.  From here you can manage all aspects of the NIS groups, such as adding, modifying, or deleting groups and their members.  The tool is coupled with the NIS password file to eliminate any errors when adding users to a group.

NIS Hosts
The NIS hosts tool modified the NIS hosts database.  The tool allows you to quickly inspect, and modify the hosts database.  The tool checks for name collisions in both the hosts name and the hosts aliases.

Aliases Tool
The aliases tool simplifies the task of maintaining the NIS aliases file, and any associated mailing list included by it.  The tool not only displays the aliases file, but any mailing list that is included by it.  Both the alias file and the associated mailing lists are configurable by the aliases tool.

NETGROUP Tool
The netgroup tool manages the NIS netgroups.  It is coupled to the NIS host and user database to minimize errors.  The tool does not yet yet understand all on the netgroup file directives.

ETHERS Tool
The ethers tool is for maintaining the NIS ethers.  This database is mostly used for network booting.

SERVICES Tool
This tool maintains the NIS services database.  This tool is particularly useful when dealing with SunOS diskless clients, or auto-clients.

YPMAKE
After updating any of the NIS databases, the new database must be pushed out to any NIS slave servers.  This button calls the nisYPmake script, and displays the output.  The script can be edited to suit your site.
 

NFS Server
This module allows the MAT console to control your NFS servers.  From it you can export file systems, and monitor which hosts are mounting a file system.
 

Exported
From here a user can export file systems.  Selecting this icon lists the currently exported file systems, along with their export permissions.  The GUI interface is customized based on the minimum access level.

NFS Clients
From here an administrator can inspect which hosts are mounting an exported file system.

NFS Stats
From here an administrator can view the output of the nfsstat command.  This is not available in Linux.
 
 

 Supported UNIX administration tasks:

USER Administration
From the MAT console you can add, modify and delete the users on every MAT host.  The MAT agent will update the password file as well as make any needed changes to the users home directory.  When a new user is created the agent will create the new users home directory, and copy any site specific user configuration files from.  More advanced features are offered by the NIS user administration tool.

GROUP Tool
This tool allows you to manage the groups on a host.  From here you can manage all aspects of the groups, such as adding, modifying, or deleting groups and their members.

Hosts
The hosts tool modified the hosts file.  The tool allows you to quickly inspect, and modify the hosts file.

  MOTD
This tool allows you to edit the motd file, or the issue file.  This is commonly used to alert users of any pertinent information when they login to a host.

  DNS Client
The DNS client tool provides an easy to use interface to the DNS resolv.conf file.

Aliases Tool
The aliases tool simplifies the task of maintaining the aliases file, and any associated mailing list included by it.  The tool not only displays the aliases file, but any mailing list that is included by it.  Both the alias file and the associated mailing lists are configurable by the aliases tool.

  MOUNTS
This GUI provides an interface to the (v)fstab file.  The tools appearance is dependent on the hosts OS.  The GUI provides many of the common options for mounting a file system.

SERVICES Tool
This tool maintains the services database.  This tool is particularly useful for controlling which services you allow on your hosts.

CRONTAB
This tool provides a GUI interface to the hosts crontab.

New administrative components are being added to MATtool with every release. This list is not complete.