
servertool Command in Linux
The servertool command is a utility in the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) that is part of the Java IDL (Interface Definition Language) and CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) technologies. It is used to manage and interact with CORBA objects, allowing administrators and developers to start, stop, list, and manage servers and objects in a distributed computing environment. CORBA is a standard defined by the Object Management Group (OMG) that enables communication between objects in a heterogeneous, networked environment.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the servertool command â
- Understanding the Linux servertool Command
- How to Use servertool Command in Linux?
- Examples of servertool Command in Linux
- Advanced Usage of Linux servertool Command
- Troubleshooting Tips of servertool Command
Understanding the Linux servertool Command
It's important to understand that "servertool" isn't a single, universally recognized Linux command. Instead, "server tools" refers to a broad category of utilities used for managing and administering Linux servers. These tools encompass a wide range of functionalities, including network management, system monitoring, file manipulation, and service control.
Letâs install it −
sudo apt install openjdk-8-jre-headless

How to Use servertool Command in Linux?
The command can be executed with various options to perform different operations related to CORBA object management. For example, tools like systemctl are used for managing system services, netstat or ss for network analysis, and top or htop for process monitoring. Therefore, rather than a single "servertool" command, Linux provides a rich ecosystem of individual commands and utilities that, when used together, enable comprehensive server administration.
Basic Syntax
The basic syntax for the servertool command is as follows −
servertool [options]
Commonly used options include commands to register, unregister, list, and manage servers and objects.
register
The register command is used to register a new server with the Object Request Broker (ORB). This command requires specifying the server's class name and other relevant information.
Example −
servertool register -classpath /path/to/server/classes -server ServerClassName
In this example −
- The register command is used to register a new server.
- The -classpath option specifies the classpath where the server classes are located.
- The -server option specifies the class name of the server being registered.
unregister
The unregister command is used to unregister a previously registered server from the ORB.
Example −
servertool unregister -server ServerClassName
In this example −
- The unregister command is used to unregister a server.
- The -server option specifies the class name of the server being unregistered.
list
The list command is used to list all registered servers and objects managed by the ORB.
Example −
servertool list

In this example, the list command lists all registered servers and objects.
start
The start command is used to start a registered server.
Example −
servertool start -server ServerClassName

In this example, the start command starts a registered server. The -server option specifies the class name of the server being started.
stop
The stop command is used to stop a running server.
Example −
servertool stop -server ServerClassName

In this example, the stop command stops a running server. The -server option specifies the class name of the server being stopped.
help
The help command displays the help message, providing a summary of the available commands and their usage.
Example −
help

In this example, The help command displays the help message for the servertool command.
Examples of servertool Command in Linux
Let's explore some practical examples to demonstrate the use of the servertool command in different scenarios.
- Registering a New Server
- Unregistering a Server
- Listing Registered Servers and Objects
- Starting a Registered Server
- Stopping a Running Server
Registering a New Server
To register a new server with the ORB, use the register command and specify the classpath and server class name.
Example −
servertool register -classpath /opt/corba/servers -server MyServer

In this example, the server class MyServer located in the /opt/corba/servers directory is registered with the ORB.
Unregistering a Server
To unregister a previously registered server, use the unregister command and specify the server class name.
Example −
servertool unregister -server MyServer

In this example, the server class MyServer is unregistered from the ORB.
Listing Registered Servers and Objects
To list all registered servers and objects managed by the ORB, use the list command.
Example −
servertool list

In this example, the command lists all registered servers and objects.
Starting a Registered Server
To start a registered server, use the start command and specify the server class name.
Example −
servertool start -server MyServer

In this example, the server class MyServer is started.
Stopping a Running Server
To stop a running server, use the stop command and specify the server class name.
Example −
servertool stop -server MyServer

In this example, the server class MyServer is stopped.
Advanced Usage of Linux servertool Command
For advanced users, the servertool command can be used in conjunction with other tools and scripts to automate server management tasks and integrate with distributed applications.
Automating Server Management
You can create scripts to automate the process of registering, starting, stopping, and managing servers using the servertool command.
Example Script −
#!/bin/ # Register a new server servertool register -classpath /opt/corba/servers -server MyServer # Start the registered server servertool start -server MyServer # List all registered servers and objects servertool list # Stop the running server servertool stop -server MyServer # Unregister the server servertool unregister -server MyServer
Save this script as manage_servers.sh and make it executable −
chmod +x manage_servers.sh

You can then run the script to automate the server management tasks −
./manage_servers.sh

Troubleshooting Tips of servertool Command
If you encounter issues while using the servertool command, consider the following troubleshooting tips −
Verify Classpath
Ensure that the classpath specified with the -classpath option is correct and includes all necessary classes and dependencies.
Example −
servertool register -classpath /opt/corba/servers:/opt/corba/lib -server MyServer

Check Server Class Name
Ensure that the server class name specified with the -server option matches the actual class name and is correctly capitalized.
Example −
servertool start -server MyServer

Review Log Files
Check log files for any error messages or warnings related to the servertool command and the ORB. Log files can provide valuable information for diagnosing and resolving issues.
Example −
tail -f /var/log/corba/servertool.log

Conclusion
To effectively use the servertool command, it is important to understand the basic concepts of CORBA architecture, including ORBs, object references, and IDL. The ORB is the core component of CORBA that handles communication between clients and servers. It manages object references, requests, and responses, enabling transparent interaction between distributed objects.