### Starting the asadmin Utility

The `asadmin` utility is a command-line tool that you can use to perform most of the same tasks as Admin Console. For example, you can use `asadmin` to start and stop domains, configure the server, and deploy applications.

Use these commands either from a command prompt in the shell, or call them from other scripts and programs. Use these commands to automate repetitive administration tasks.

To start the `asadmin` utility:

    $ asadmin

To list the commands available within `asadmin`:

    asadmin> help

It is also possible to issue an `asadmin` command at the shell's command prompt:

    $ asadmin help

To view a command's syntax and examples, type `help` followed by the command name. For example:

    asadmin> help create-jdbc-resource

The `asadmin help` information for a given command displays the UNIX man page of the command. These man pages are also available in HTML format.