# Configuration file overview

Once you have determined the internal layout of the system, create NMS OAM configuration files describing the layout. Then run oamsys to initialize the NMS OAM database based on the information in the file.

To set up NMS OAM, create a system configuration file. Refer to Creating a system configuration file for more information. This file contains:

- A list of boards in the system.

- For each board, the name of one or more board keyword files containing keywords and values to configure the board. These settings are expressed as keyword name and value pairs. Refer to Using board keyword files and Specifying keywords and values for more information.

You can also include sections to configure non-board components, such as an EMC or the Supervisor. Refer to Configuring non-board objects for more information.

When oamsys runs, a record is created for each object in the NMS OAM database, containing default parameter settings. Then the settings in the configuration files are added to the record. The following illustration shows how NMS OAM configuration files interact through oamsys:

If your system contains more than one board with the same configuration, you can use the same keyword file for each of these boards.

Several sample keyword files are supplied with the hardware installation. Each of these files configures the board to use a different protocol (for example, wink start or off-premises station). You can reference these files in the system configuration file or modify them. For more information about the sample files supplied for the hardware, refer to the board documentation.

## System configuration files in multiple-host configurations

If you have a multiple-host NMS OAM configuration, create a separate system configuration file for each resource host, containing configuration information for that host only. Store all system configuration files and board keyword files on the host system. To configure and start up resource hosts, run oamsys multiple times, each time specifying a different resource host and system configuration file. The system configuration files can share keyword files, if necessary. The following illustration shows using oamsys in a multiple-host configuration:

If the resource hosts have identical configurations, you can use the same system configuration file for each resource host. However, having boards with the same board name on more than one resource host can lead to confusion.