Walkthrough: Installing on Linux using the unified installer
This topic walks you through the process of installing BMC Server Automation on Linux, using the unified product installer and component installers. The steps in this topic apply to versions 8.6 and later, except where specifically noted.
Introduction
This topic is intended for system administrators preparing to install the BSA product. The goal of this topic is to demonstrate how to use the unified product installer to install all essential components of the BSA product in a Linux environment.
What is the unified product installer?
The unified product installer simplifies and improves the installation experience by providing a centralized UI for installing the default Application Server node. It installs a set up that consists of the following components:
- Oracle Database: The unified product installer creates a BSA schema on your database server.
- Default Application Server: This is the primary server that is installed in a BSA environment. The unified product installer configures the default Application Server to connect to your database server. It also installs an RSCD agent on the default Application server. The default Application Server is also referred to as a default Application server node, because it hosts more than one component.
- File server: You can choose to install the file server on the same machine as the default Application server (called as the local file server) or install it on a separate machine (called as a separate file server.) In the case of a separate file server, you can choose to manually install the RSCD agent or have it installed by the unified product installer.
Console and PXE/TFTP server: The unified product installer installs the console and the PXE/TFTP server on the default Application Server.
What does this walkthrough show?
In this walk through, we will:
- Use the unified product installer to install a small BSA environment (Application Server, console, file server, PXE/TFTP).
- Use the quick start page to import servers to the new environment and to add agents to those servers.
- Use individual component installers to manually install additional components such as additional Application Servers, a separate PXE/TFTP server, and a separate console server, to complete a production-level environment.
The BSA environment will have the following characteristics:
Component | Number of components | Description |
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Application Server | 2 | This BSA environment consists of two Application Servers:
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PXE/TFTP server | 2 | This BSA environment consists of two PXE/TFTP servers:
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Database | 1 | The default Application Server connects to an existing Oracle database server. Note: Although the BSA schema is created by the unified product installer, you must have access to an existing database that has been set up on an Oracle Server. For a description of that process, see Walkthrough: Creating the BladeLogic Database for Oracle. |
Console | 2 | This BSA environment consists of two instances of the BSA console:
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File server | 1 | This BSA environment uses a separate Linux file server machine that is installed by the unified product installer. |
What do I need to do before I get started?
Perform the following prerequisite steps before executing this walkthrough scenario:
- Ensure that your environment complies with the installation requirements discussed in Requirements for installing individual components on UNIX and Linux.
- Create the Oracle table space to hold the the BSA schema, database user, and database permissions required to create the BSA schema. For detailed instructions, see Walkthrough: Creating the BladeLogic Database for Oracle.
Download the unified product installer files to a temporary location. The BBSA86-LIN64.zip and BBSA86-RSCDAgents.zip files, required in this walkthrough, can be downloaded from the Electronic Product Distribution (EPD) website. For instructions on downloading the files, see Downloading the installation files.
- If you use the unified product installer, you no longer have to use the DB scripts that are shipped with the product. However, before you run the unified product installer, you must ensure that you have a SQL database server, with an empty tablespace that the unified product installer uses to create the BSA schema. You also need to create a database user to allow the unified product installer to set up your BSA schema. For a step-by-step procedure on setting up the Oracle database, see Walkthrough: Creating the BladeLogic Database for Oracle .
RSCD agents can be automatically installed on servers that are added as additional Application Servers or as target servers. However, if the server being added runs on Windows, you will need to first set up a PsExec server to install the agents automatically. To set up a PsExec server, download the Microsoft Sysinternals Suite from the Microsoft tech support site and copy the PsExec file to the %PATH% variable (typically C:\Windows\System32\) on any Windows Server. The Windows server is now configured as a PsExec server and can be used to install agents. For more information, see Setting up a PsExec server.
Note
A PsExec server is not required if you choose to manually install the RSCD agent on the Windows server that is being added.Bash UNIX shell must be the default shell on all machines on which BMC Server Automation is being installed.
The unified product installer needs to be run by a super user — root or a root-equivalent user on Linux. This enables the installer to install components on the Application Servers.
Linux platforms on which you plan to install the Application Server, Console, or Network Shell must have the appropriate version of libtermcap.so.2 and libtermcap.so.6 shared library installed. Install the shared library before installing these components. For more information, click the following link:- You must have an X Window display system installed and configured on your Linux machine.
- You must have 4 GB on disk with temp space and 4 GB on disk with installation directory.
How to install the default Application Server and separate file server using the unified installer
We start the installation process by using the unified product installer to:
- Install the default Application Server node
- Install the separate file server
- Configure the database
Install the console and the PXE/TFTP on the default Application Server
Note
This example uses BMC Server Automation version 8.7; however, the process is applicable to versions 8.6 and later.
Step | Example screen or command | |
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1 | Extract the BBSA86-LIN4.zip and BBSA86-RSCDAgents.zip files that you downloaded from the EPD website to obtain the BBSA86-LIN64 and the rscd folder. |
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2 | Ensure that you have permission or assign an executable permission to the directory in which you have extracted the packages.
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3 | Copy the rscd folder from within the BBSA86-RSCDAgents.zip extracted package to the BBSA86-LIN64 folder.
| mv <path_to_extracted_packages>/rscd <path_to_extracted_packages>/BBSA87-LIN64/Disk1/files/installers/ mv /tmp/BBSA87-RSCDAgents/rscd /tmp/BBSA87-LIN64/Disk1/files/installers/ |
4 | Run the setup.bin file that is in the BBSA86-LIN64 folder.
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5 | Select the language in which you want to run the installer and click OK. |
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6 | Read through the basic information about the unified product installer and the types of nodes that are installed in the environment. Click Next. | |
7 | Read the End User License Agreement (EULA) and select I agree to the terms of the license agreement. Click Next. | |
8 | Read the BSA copyright information and select I agree to the terms of the license agreement. Click Next. | |
9 | Enter the database server details. TIP: You may need the help of the database administrator who set up the Oracle database server you want to connect to.
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10 | A summary of the database parameters, default installation location, Application Server base port, and file server parameters is displayed. The name of the local super user for RSCD Agent mapping is also listed. | |
11 | Click Customize Configuration. The Installation Directory tab displays the path where BSA is installed. The default path is /opt/bmc/bladelogic for Linux. You can customize the Installation Directory based on your requirements. | |
12 | Click the File Server tab and enter the file server details.
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13 | Click the Ports tab at the top of the screen. Enter the Application Server Base port. Application Server ports are normally configured from a base port, with 9800 being the default base port. Arbitrary port assignments can be made in all cases. For more information, see Application Server ports. | |
14 | Click the Passwords tab at the top of the screen. Enter new passwords in each for the fields based on the guidelines given below. Note: The default password for each entry is password. However, BMC does not recommend using the default passwords provided by the system.
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15 | Click the Agent Mapping tab. Enter the name of the local super user, either root (the default) or a root-equivalent user, to which the RSCD Agent should map incoming connections during the installation. | |
16 | Click Update Configuration to apply all the configuration changes that you entered on the various tabs. | |
17 | Click Install to proceed with the installation. The unified product installer performs the following setup operations:
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18 | In case you encountered any errors while installing you can click View Log to view a detailed report of the installation. Tip: BMC recommends that you save a copy of the log, before you contact technical support for further assistance. You can also find more information about resolving common issues in Troubleshooting the unified product installer. If all operations are completed successfully, click Done to exit the wizard. |
How to add additional Application Servers
To meet the demands of a larger data center, you can deploy additional Application Servers. The additional Application Server is used for improving the performance of BMC Server Automation. The method described here for adding additional Application Servers is relevant only if you installed your default Application Server node using the unified product installer.
Note
This example uses BMC Server Automation version 8.7; however, the process is applicable to all versions 8.6 and later.
From BMC Server Automation 8.9.02 and later, Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 is installed automatically for all Microsoft Windows RSCD agent versions, provided the platform on which you are trying to install the product is supported.
Step | Example screen | |
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1 | Start the BMC Server Automation Console and log on using your BL Admin credentials that you created here. For more information, see Starting the BMC Server Automation Console. | |
2 | Perform the following:
The PsExec Server is added to the BSA environment. | |
3 | Select the Configuration menu and then click Add BSA Application Server Machine. | |
4 | Enter the following details.
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5 | Click the Advanced Options tab at the top and enter the following details.
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7 | The additional Application Server is installed. Click OK. |
How to add servers and install agents from the quick start page
The next step in setting up the BSA environment is to import servers and add agents to those servers. An easy way to this is by using the quick start page.
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How to complete the install for a production environment
The unified product installer installs the console and the PXE/TFTP server on the default application server node to provide you with a ready-to-use test environment. However, for high-performance production environments, BMC recommends that you install and use additional instances of the console and the PXE/TFTP server on separate machines.
The individual component installers required for installing the console and the PXE/TFTP manually can be found at the following locations in the BBSA86-LIN64 folder. If you are installing either of the components on Linux operating systems you need to download the BBSA86-LIN64.zip package from EPD and extract the required individual component installers for Linux from that package.
Operating System | Component | Path | Installer file name |
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Windows | Console | /BBSA86-LIN64/files/installers/rcp | BBSACONSOLE86-LIN64 |
PXE/TFTP | /BBSA86-LIN64/files/installers/pxe_64 | PXE86-LIN32 Note: Although you have different installers for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows for most components, for installing a a PXE/TFTP server you only have a 32-bit installer that you must use in both cases. | |
Linux | Console | /BBSA86-LIN64/Disk1/files/installers/rcp | BBSACONSOLE86-LIN64 |
PXE/TFTP | /BBSA86-LIN64/Disk1/files/installers/appserver_64 | BBSA86-LIN64.sh |
In this walkthrough we will install additional instances of the console on a Windows server and the PXE/TFTP on a Linux server.
Manually installing an additional instance of the console
Note that in this walkthrough we are installing the console on a Windows operating system and not a Linux operating system. However, if you need to install the console on a Linux or UNIX operating system, see Installing the BMC Server Automation Console (Linux and UNIX).
Step | Example screen | |
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1 | Navigate to the directory containing the installation files that you copied from the Application Server and run the installation program for the console. Different installers are provided for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. In this example, we are running the BBSACONSOLE87-WIN64 file on the Windows machine on which you plan to install the console. Select a language to use for the installation and click OK. The installer extracts the installation files, and the Introduction window opens. | |
2 | Ensure that you have closed all applications before you proceed. Click Next. The Review License Agreement window opens. | |
3 | Read the End User License Agreement (EULA) and select I agree to the terms of the license agreement if you wish to proceed. Click Next. The Directory Selection window opens. | |
4 | The default installation location for the console is C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic. Click Next to use the default location. Alternatively, you can click Browse to change the installation location. | |
5 | A window opens in which you can select components to install. By default, all components are selected. The Network Shell is automatically installed when you install the console. Note: If you clear the BMC Server Automation Console Upgrade Service check box, the BMC Server Automation Console Upgrade Service is not installed. This service is required for automatically upgrading the BMC Server Automation Console when you upgrade the Application Server. Click Next. | |
6 | The window displays your selections. Click Install. The window displays installation progress, then displays a message when installation is complete. The console and Network Shell are installed on your machine. If all operations are completed successfully, click Done to exit the wizard. | |
7 | In case you encountered any errors while installing you can click View Log to view a detailed report of the installation. Tip: BMC recommends that you save a copy of the log, before you contact technical support for further assistance. You can also find more information about resolving common issues in Troubleshooting the unified product installer. If all operations are completed successfully, click Done to exit the wizard. | |
8 | Start the console. To configure the console so that it connects to the default Application Server, click Options. | |
9 | Click on the Authentication Profiles tab and click Add. BSA clients use authentication profiles to facilitate single sign-on feature. You must create an Authentication profile before you start using the Console. For more information about why we use Authentication Profiles, see System capabilities related to security. | |
10 | Enter the following information.
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11 | You can now log on the the Console using the BLAdmin user that is created while installing the default Application Server node, see step 10. The quick start page is the first page that is displayed once you log on the the BSA Console. It introduces you to the main use cases of BMC Server Automation and allows you to execute them from a centralized UI immediately after installing the BSA set up. For information about using the quick start page, see Quick start page. For general information about the UI of the BSA Console, see Navigating the interface. |
Manually installing an additional instance of the PXE/TFTP server
Step | Example screen | |
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1 | Copy the installer to the machine where you want to install the PXE/TFTP server. Extract the BBSA87-LIN4.zip file that you downloaded from the EPD website to obtain the BBSA87-LIN64 folder. | unzip BBSA87-LIN64.zip -d <path_to_extracted_packages> |
2 | Navigate to the directory that contains the installation file (for example, BBSA87-LIN64.sh). You use this same file to install a standalone version of PXE/TFTP. | cd
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3 | Run the installation script for BMC Server Automation, which in this case is BBSA87-LIN64.sh. Script names typically follow the convention: BBSAversion-platform.sh Note: Do not execute the installation script from a non-root account. |
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4 | To install BMC Server Automation in /opt/bmc/bladelogic, press Enter, or enter another directory path. | |
5 | A message prompts you to choose a language for the installation program. Enter the number representing the language that you want to use for the installation. | |
6 | Read through the acknowledgments, third-party software license agreements, and terms and conditions, as follows:
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7 | Perform the following:
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8 | Enter a password for a self-signed certificate, so that the Application Server can use the TLS protocol. The password must be 6 characters. Confirm the password by entering it again. | |
9 | Specify the max heap size for the Application Server JVM. Specify a size between 512 - 2048 megabytes. Note: If you are installing on Linux and one of the following conditions is not satisfied, the installer warns that some BMC Server Automation components do not function until the appropriate RPM is installed.
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10 | Enter y (yes) or n (no) for the following series of questions:
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11 | Enter y (yes) or n (no) for the following series of questions:
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12 | Specify whether you want to manually start the RSCD agent or have it automatically started by the system on reboot. Enter the directories in which you want to save the RSCD log files and the temp files. To accept the default values provided by the system, press enter. | |
13 | Installation of PXE/TFTP server and RSCD agent is now complete. The PXE/TFTP Server Post-Install Configuration wizard automatically starts. |
Wrapping it up
Congratulations! You have successfully set up a small BSA environment.
Where to go from here
- During installation, default security settings are applied to the Application Server and file server. BMC recommends that you adjust the security level on the Application Server host computer and the file server host computer after completing the installation. For more information, see Security planning.
- If you wish to manually install additional components to your environment, see Installing individual components.
To add servers to your new environment, see Walkthrough: Adding a Windows managed server.
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