Status Report AssignmentIn commercial organisations management by exception is a term commonly used. It
means that no system should be logged into for routine maintenance. Computers are
expected to be set up and to run for years with no human intervention. To facilitate
this, scripts that monitor the health of a system are common, the idea is that the
computer will run with no one checking it. A script will then run on the computer that
checks everything looks okay and reports any problems that occur. In some cases
the same script can also be used to help an operator investigate an incident. In this
assignment you will write such a script.
In the first instance, you should develop a menu driven programme that an operator
can run, which is able to provide them with useful system information. This is all that
is expected for a basic pass. Once it is developed, the concept can be advanced so
that the application has its ‘own operator status report’ login, enabling the programme
to run without giving the operator access to a shell. Advancing the concept further the
programme could be developed so that it is able to run with a ‘none interactive flag’ –
enabling it’s execution to be automated with the resultant file e-mailed to a user
perhaps once a day or once a week (please don’t use root’s crontab for this). For the
most advanced students the concept could be advanced to the point where a user is
e-mailed only if there is a problem that needs to be addressed or repair functions
could be added that will allow the system to be changed if things are not as the
operator expected.
Document Preview:
Status Report Assignment In commercial organisations management by exception is a term commonly used. It means that no system should be logged into for routine maintenance. Computers are expected to be set up and to run for years with no human intervention. To facilitate this, scripts that monitor the health of a system are common, the idea is that the computer will run with no one checking it. A script will then run on the computer that checks everything looks okay and reports any problems that occur. In some cases the same script can also be used to help an operator investigate an incident. In this assignment you will write such a script. In the first instance, you should develop a menu driven programme that an operator can run, which is able to provide them with useful system information. This is all that is expected for a basic pass. Once it is developed, the concept can be advanced so that the application has its ‘own operator status report’ login, enabling the programme to run without giving the operator access to a shell. Advancing the concept further the programme could be developed so that it is able to run with a ‘none interactive flag’ – enabling it’s execution to be automated with the resultant file e-mailed to a user perhaps once a day or once a week (please don’t use root’s crontab for this). For the most advanced students the concept could be advanced to the point where a user is e-mailed only if there is a problem that needs to be addressed or repair functions could be added that will allow the system to be changed if things are not as the operator expected. Requirements What your script covers is completely up to you. However for guidance purposes you may want to consider the following: General system information, such as : The name of the machine The current system date and time Licensing information such as the operating system revision level When was the system last rebooted Information on registered users, such as...