Terminal Names

Terminals can be named according to certain parameters, which can make it easier to match the physical device with its record in the SUSE Manager Web UI.

Naming schemes available are Hostname, FQDN, and HWType. Naming scheme can be selected in the Branch Network formula. For more information, see Branch Network Formula.

By default, terminals are named according to the Hostname naming scheme with the HWType scheme as a fallback.

1. Naming by HWType

Terminal names that are derived from the hardware type use this format:

BranchID.Manufacturer-ProductName-SerialNumber-UniqueID

For example:

B002.TOSHIBA-6140100-41BA03X-c643

The BranchID is the unique identifier for the branch server that the terminal is connected to. You can configure this value in the Branch Network Formula settings for the branch server. You can disable this prefix by toggling the Do not prefix salt client ID with Branch ID checkbox in the Branch Network Formula.

The Manufacturer, ProductName, and SerialNumber are provided by the terminal hardware BIOS. If the terminal does not provide a serial number, it will be omitted from the terminal name.

The UniqueID is the first four characters of a generated machine identification number. Added unique ID is a requirement for successful terminal deployment. Without unique ID, subsequent terminal registration will fail.

2. Naming by Hostname

Terminal names that are derived from the hostname use this format:

BranchID.Hostname-UniqueID

For example:

B002.terminal-c643

The BranchID is the unique identifier for the branch server that the terminal is connected to. You can configure this value in the Branch Network Formula settings for the branch server. You can disable this prefix by toggling the Do not prefix salt client ID with Branch ID checkbox in the Branch Network Formula.

The Hostname is the plain hostname (without domain part) of the terminal.

The UniqueID is the first four characters of a generated machine identification number. You can disable this behavior by toggling the Do not append unique suffix to the salt client ID checkbox in the Branch Network Formula.

3. Naming by FQDN

Terminal names that are derived from the Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN) use this format:

BranchID.FQDN-UniqueID

For example:

B002.terminal.example.com-c643

The BranchID is the unique identifier for the branch server that the terminal is connected to. You can configure this value in the Branch Network Formula settings for the branch server. You can disable this prefix by toggling the Do not prefix salt client ID with Branch ID checkbox in the Branch Network Formula.

The FQDN is the fully qualified domain name of the terminal.

The UniqueID is the first four characters of a generated machine identification number. You can disable this behavior by toggling the Do not append unique suffix to the salt client ID checkbox in the Branch Network Formula.

4. Assign Hostnames to Terminals

If you want terminal names to be derived from the hostname, you will need to ensure your terminals have a static hostname. This requires a static IP address to be able to resolve the static hostname.

There are a number of different ways to assign hostnames to terminals. This section describes how to do this when DNS and DHCP services are managed by the branch server.

Procedure: Assigning IP Address and Hostname with Formulas

  1. In the DHCP formula settings, navigate to Hosts with Static IP Address and click Add Item. For more information on the DHCP formula, see DHCPd Formula.

  2. In the Hostname field, type the hostname of the branch server.

  3. In the IP Address field, type the static IP address for the terminal. Ensure the IP address is within the range used by the branch server.

  4. In the Hardware Type and Address field, type the hardware type and address in this format:

    ethernet <terminal_MAC_address>

  5. OPTIONAL: For multiple terminals, click Add Item and fill in the details for each terminal.

  6. Click Save Formula to save the changes.

  7. In the Bind formula settings, navigate to the A records of the appropriate non-reverse zone, and click Add Item. For more information on the bind formula, see Bind Formula.

  8. In the Hostname field, type the hostname of the branch server.

  9. In the IP Address field, type the static IP address you assigned to the terminal in the DHCP formula settings.

  10. OPTIONAL: For multiple terminals, click Add Item and fill in the details for each terminal.

  11. Click Save Formula to save the changes.

  12. Apply the highstate on the branch server to apply the changes.

If the terminal was previously registered using a name based on the hardware type instead of the hostname, you will need to delete the previous registration. When you re-register the terminal, use the new terminal name.
Procedure: Assigning IP Address and Hostname with YAML

  1. At the command prompt on the branch server, export a YAML configuration file:

    retail_yaml --to-yaml retail.yaml

  2. Open the YAML file and navigate to the end of the branch server section. Add a new terminals section if it does not already exist.

  3. Add the IP address, MAC address, and hardware type for the terminal, using this format:

    $hostname:
        IP: <IP_Address>
        hwAddress: <MAC_Address>
        hwtype: <HWTYPE_Group_name_without_HWTYPE:_prefix>

  4. Import the modified YAML file:

    retail_yaml --from-yaml retail.yaml

  5. Apply the highstate on the branch server to apply the changes.

If the terminal was previously registered using a name based on the hardware type instead of the hostname, you will need to delete the previous registration. When you re-register the terminal, use the new terminal name.

For more information about using YAML configuration files, see Mass Configuration.