Server Management Software: Command Analysis, Android OS Overview

This report provides a detailed analysis of server management software, covering essential commands for both Linux and Windows operating systems, including ifconfig, ping, ipconfig, nslookup, arp, and nbtstat. The report explains the functionalities and syntax of each command, with illustrative screenshots demonstrating their usage. Furthermore, the report delves into the Android operating system, outlining its architecture, key features, and software development kit (SDK). It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the Android OS, highlighting its open-source nature, the role of the Open Handset Alliance, and the availability of various applications. The report also provides a comprehensive overview of the Android ecosystem, discussing devices running on Android, the role of developers, and the presence of pre-installed Google apps. Overall, the report offers a valuable resource for understanding server management and the Android operating system.

Running head: SERVER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 1
Server Management Software
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Server Management Software
Part A: Linux and Windows OS Commands
Linux Utilities
ifconfig. ifconfig stands for “interface configuration.” ifconfig is applied to view and
modify the network interface configuration on a system. The command displays existing data
about the network configuration to set up a netmask, IP address, and broadcast address to a
network interface.
ifconfig syntax is as follows:
ifconfig interface [address family [ address [ destination address ] ] [ parameter1, parameter 2,
parameter 3, …, parameter n]
ifconfig interface [ protocol family ] interface protocol family
ifconfig –a [-l] [ -d] [-u] [protocol family]
ifconfig interface [tcp low rto | -tcp low rto]
ifconfig command can be used to assign addresses to a network interface. Further, the
command can be used to display or configure information for an interface. It is used at startup of
a system to redefine some parameters such as the interface addresses (“ifconfig Command,”
n.d.).
The screenshots below shows some usage of the commands. The first one enables the
network interface and the second one disabled it.
Screenshot 1: using ifconfig to enable the network interface

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In the above command, the eth) is the interface name and ifup and up are the flags. The
command checks if a network interface is in its active for to activate it. As such, the network can
start receiving or sending traffic. ifup eth0 activates eth0 network interface.
Screenshot 2: using ifconfig to disable network interface
In the above command, eth0 “down” and ifdown eth0 deactivates the eth0 interface if it is
in an active state.
Ping. The ping command name is ping - send ICMP ECHO_REQUEST to network
hosts. Ping refers to Packet Internet Groper. The command test interconnections between nodes
or devices in a network. It can be used to test the connection both in wide area or local area
network (WAN and LAN). The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) in the ping command
is used to communicate from a device to others. ECHO_REQUEST is a mandatory datagram that
is employed to elicit an ICMP response from a gateway or a host. It has an ICMP and IP header
and a set of pad bytes that fills out a pocket. Haas (2017) notes that the ping command is used for
checking the connectivity between one node and another in a network, or one computer and
another.
The ping syntax is as shown below:
ping –s [ -d] [-I] [ -L] [ -n] [ -r] [ -R] [-v] [-i address] [ -I interval] [-t ttl] host [size of packet]
[ count]. In this syntax, the –d sets the SO_DEBUG option in a sock, the –I is a loose source
code used in an IP header to forward a packed to and from a particular host. –L turns off the
multitask packet loopback, -n show the addresses in form of numbers in a network (ping displays
addresses in form of host names). –r is used to bypass the common routing tables. It sends

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directly to the host. –R is a record route and –v is the verbose output that lists ICMP packets
received. –i address specifies the outgoing addresses used in multitask packets. –t ttl specifies the
IP time to live for the packets while ‘host’ is the network host. Packetsize is the size specified for
a packet size, normally set at 64. Count is the number of times a ping request is sent.
The ping command shown below is used increase the time interval before sending a
packet. In the example, the time interval has been increased by 5 seconds.
TCP/IP Related Utilities
ipconfig. This command displays the current TCP/IP network values. It refreshes the
DNS and DHCP settings. The command can be used without parameters to examine and show
details about the default gateway, IP address, and subnet mask.
The syntax of ipconfig is as show below:
ipconfig [/all] [/renew [adapter]] [/ release [adapter]] [/flushdns] [/registerdns] [showclassid
adapter] [setclassid adapter [classID]]
In the above syntax, /all displays the TCP/IP configurations, /renew renews the settings
of the DHCP, /release tells serve to discard the configurations, /flushdns refreshes and rests the
resolver cache of the DNS, displaydns shows the DNS cache contents, /registerdns activate
manual registration of DNS names and addresses, showclassid displays the DHCP class id,
setclassid configures the DHCP class id (“ipconfig,” n.d.).
The example below shows the ipconfig commands in Windows OS without any
parameters to display the subnet mast, default gateway, and IP address.

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s
nslookup. nslookup is a basic command line used for DNS queries. The Windows inbuilt
command can display message contents in DNS exchanges, simulate a zone transfer, or search
for some records in a server.
The nslookup syntax is as follows:
nslookup [-opt …] [{host| [server]}]
The –opt parameter specifies the nslookup commands. The host uses default DNS server and
checks for details about the host. Server parameter specifies the server being used as the DNS
server name.

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The example shown below queries the DNS server being used on a client.
arp. Arp command allows user to view and make changes on the ARP cache. For
instance, if two hosts on a subnet cannot connect, an admin can run the arp-a to send a command
on each device to establish if their media access control address is listed correctly, as shown on
the screenshot below.
The address resolution protocol (ARP) resolves the IP address to media access control.
The command has various usage such as removing
nbstat. This command shows the NetBIOS over TCP/IP statistics. It also displays
NetBIOS names for local and remote devices, and NetBIOS name cache. The nbstat syntax is as
follows:
nbstat [ -aremotename] [ -AIPAddress] [-c] [-n] [-r] [-R][-RR][-s][-S][Interval]
-aremotename shows the NetBIOS name of remote compute, the AIPAddress shows the
computer names using the IP address, -c shows the content of cache memory, -n shows the
names of local computers, -r shows the name resolution statistics.

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The nbtstat –S command shown in the example above is used to list the NetBIOS
sessions and the statistics.
Part B: Android Operating System
Introduction
Android is a Linux-based operating system that run in mobile devices to power phones,
watches, and some car stereos (Lengure & Rojatkar, 2015). The operating system is designed,
developed, and maintained by Google. Android is run as an open-source project, with the main
development tasks being run by Google while some portions have been assigned to phone
carriers and manufacturers free (Narmatha & KrishnaKumar, 2016).
Features
Android was founded in 2003 as Android, Inc. Company that was later bought by Google
two years later (Lengure & Rojatkar, 2015). Android platform is composed of a Linux-based OS,
a graphical user interface, end user applications that can be downloaded and installed, and a Web

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browser. The platform also supports other technologies such as Bluetooth, 3G and EDGE
communication protocols, SMS messaging, Wi-Fi, still images, video, GPS, touchscreens, and
other accelerated graphics. Android OS kernel is Linux-based, with some customization to meet
Google’s requirements. The kernel is composed of drivers used for Wi-Fi, memory, camera, and
display. It offers abstraction between mobile applications and underlying hardware as shown in
the figure below (Bhardwaj, et al., 2013). The kernel is also responsible for other crucial services
such as memory and process management and system security.
Figure 1: The android architecture showing Kernel as an abstraction between hardware and
applications
Devices running on Android
Android OS commonly powers both phones and tablets (Bhardwaj, et al., 2013).
However, apart from the two devices, other manufacturers such as Samsung have tested the

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operating system on other devices such as refrigerators and cameras. Today, the vendor produces
and distributes Android TV streaming and gaming platform that uses the OS.
Developers
Google created the Open Handset Alliance that brings together various stakeholders such
as hardware manufacturers, software developers, and telecommunication service providers to
collaborate and contribute towards developing Android operating system (Bhardwaj, et al.,
2013). Apart from creating a reliable and usable operating system, the group also aims at
creating revenue through selling devices, services, and other applications powered by Android
OS. More than 30 organizations have contributed towards the Open Handset Alliance objectives.
They include HTC, Intel, Broadcom, DoCoMo, Motorola, and Qualcomm among others. The
Open Handset Alliance releases a version of the OS with various names similar to the ones used
for desserts. For instance, version 1.5 is called Cupcake, 2.2 is called Froyo, and 2.3 is known as
Gingerbread (Bhardwaj, et al., 2013). A version is released together with its source code.
Software Development Kit
Developers can download the software development kit (SDK) and develop Android
phone that can be uploaded to Google Play Store for users to download and install. Software
vendors that list and sell their products on Google Play market are deducted about 30% of the
sale price. The fee is used to maintain Google Play market. However, not all Android apps are
listed in Google Play. Some developers can design their apps and place them in other locations
for their clients. For instance, Kindle application is accessed from Amazon app market. Android
SDK features an emulator, libraries, debugger, examples of code, and training material.
Developers can also use integrated development environments (IDEs) such as Eclipse to easily
develop applications.

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Providers and Content Developers
As stated earlier, android is an open-source platform. As such, many carriers and
providers can offer android OS powered devices. However, the phone manufacturer can have an
agreement with a carrier to allow growth of the service. Since android is developed by Google,
the devices running on this OS comes with several preinstalled Google apps such as Gmail,
maps, and calendar. However, the OS allows modification whereby some providers decide to
make changes and eliminate the Google apps. For instance, Verizon wireless has made some
modification on the default search engine by replacing Google.com with Bing.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Android Operating System is beneficial to both developers and end users. It is open to
many groups of users, unlike iOS that aims to achieve improved user experience through
hardware and software standards restrictions (Narmatha & KrishnaKumar, 2016). Android offers
a reliable SDK with sample codes and training materials for other developers to use while
creating their applications. The SDK is offered free from the Android Web and only requires a
developer to agree to the terms of agreement. Android applications are cost effective since
developers do not require licenses or fees. Moreover, Android platform offers application
developers a large choice of IDEs. Due to these features that encourage more developers to
design applications for android devices, users have access to thousands of software solutions and
there is a healthy competition among developers.
However, Android OS has some drawbacks. Firstly, the platform has many applications
running in the background. It increases RAM usage that limits the performance of the device’s
battery. As such, it becomes common that most android device users complain about short
battery life on their phones. Secondly, the OS is not safe as compared to other platforms such as

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iOS. It has become easy for hackers to target android devices to steal private data. Further, the
platforms require a Gmail ID to access it. Loss of the credentials can make it a challenge to
access user data.

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References
“Address resolution protocol.” (n.d.). Microsoft TechNet. Retrieved from
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc940021.aspx
“Arp.” (n.d.). Microsoft TechNet. Retrieved from
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc940107.aspx
Bhardwaj, S., et al. (2013). Android operating systems. International Journal of Engineering
Technology and Management Research, 1(1).
“ifconfig command.” (n.d.). IBM Knowledge Center. Retrieved from
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/ssw_aix_61/com.ibm.aix.cmds3/
ifconfig.htm
“Ipconfig.” (n.d.). Microsoft TechNet. Retrieved from
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490921.aspx
Haas, J. (2017). Example uses of the command “ping.” Lifewire. Retrieved from
https://www.lifewire.com/uses-of-command-ping-2201076
Lengure, S. A., Rojatkar, D. (2015). Android operating systems and contemporary, a brief
comparison. International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Research, 3(4), 94-99.
Narmatha, M., & KrishnaKumar, S. V. (2016). Study on android operating system and its
versions. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS),
2(2).