System Management Console URL

The URL for the System Management Console has this format:

https://admin.hcp-domain-name:8000

In this format, hcp-domain-name is the name of the domain associated with the [hcp_system] network.

For example, for access to the System Management Console for the HCP system with the domain name hcp‑ma.example.com, you would use this URL:

https://admin.hcp-ma.example.com:8000

If the management network is enabled, you cannot access the System Management Console with the domain name associated with the [hcp_system] network. You need to use the domain name associated with the [hcp_management] network.

Normally, you specify the HCP system domain name in the System Management Console URL and let HCP choose the node on which the Console application runs. However, in certain situations, you may need to access the Console on a specific node. To do so, you specify a System Management Console URL that includes a valid [hcp_system] network IP address for the node on which you want to access the Console.

For example, if a node has the IPv4 address 192.168.210.16 and the IPv6 address 2001:0db8::101 defined for the [hcp_system] network, you can access the System Management Console on that specific node by entering either of these URLs in your browser address field:

https://192.168.210.16:8000https://[2001:0db8::101]:8000

Regardless of whether you access the System Management Console by specifying a domain name or a node IP address, the Console provides administrative capabilities for the entire system.

Using a hosts file

Typically, the HCP system is included as a subdomain in your DNS. If this is not the case, you can specify an IP address in the System Management Console URL, as described above. Alternatively, you can specify the HCP system domain name in the URL and use a hosts file to define mappings of one or more node IP addresses to the domain name.

The location of the hosts file depends on the client operating system:

  • On Windows, by default: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
  • On Unix: /etc/hosts
  • On Mac OS® X: /private/etc/host
NoteEvery HCP system has a domain that’s associated with the [hcp_system] network. If HCP is not included in your DNS, this is a dummy domain with a name that follows the conventions for well-formed DNS names.

Hostname mappings

Each entry in a hosts file is a mapping of an IP address for a system to a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for that system.

Each hosts file entry that you create for access to the HCP System Management Console must include:

  • A valid [hcp_system] network IP address for an HCP node
  • The FQDN used to access the HCP System Management Console, which consists of the prefix admin. followed by the HCP system domain name

For example, if the [hcp_system] network domain name is hcp‑ma.example.com and one of the HCP nodes has the IPv4 address 192.168.210.16 and the IPv6 address 2001:0db8::101 defined for that network, you could add either or both of these lines to the hosts file on the client:

192.168.210.16 admin.hcp-ma.example.com
2001:0db8::101 admin.hcp-ma.example.com

You can include comments in a hosts file either on separate lines or following a mapping on the same line. Each comment must start with a number sign (#). Blank lines are ignored.

Hostname mapping considerations

In the hosts file, you can map IP addresses for any number of nodes to a single domain name. The way a client uses multiple IP address mappings for a single domain name depends on the client platform. For information about how your client handles hosts file entries that define multiple IP address mappings for a single domain name, see your client documentation.

If any of the HCP nodes listed in the hosts file are unavailable, timeouts may occur when you use a hosts file to access the System Management Console.

Sample hosts file

Here’s a sample hosts file that contains mappings for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses:

192.168.210.16     admin.hcp-ma.example.com
192.168.210.17    admin.hcp-ma.example.com
192.168.210.18    admin.hcp-ma.example.com
192.168.210.19    admin.hcp-ma.example.com
2001:0db8::101    admin.hcp-ma.example.com
2001:0db8::102    admin.hcp-ma.example.com
2001:0db8::103    admin.hcp-ma.example.com
2001:0db8::104    admin.hcp-ma.example.com