Walkthrough: Installing on Windows using the unified installer
This topic walks you through the process of installing BMC Server Automation (BSA) on Microsoft Windows, using the unified product installer and component installers. The steps in this topic apply to versions 8.6 and later, except where specifically noted.
This topic includes the following sections:
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 Windows 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 setup that consists of the following components:
- Microsoft SQL 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 walkthrough, 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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This BSA environment consists of two instances of the BSA console:
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Database | 1 | The default Application Server connects to an existing Microsoft SQL server database. 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 a Microsoft SQL Server. For a description of that process, see Walkthrough: Setting up a SQL Server database. |
File server | 1 | This BSA environment uses a separate Windows file server machine that is installed by the unified product installer. |
PXE/TFTP server | 2 | This BSA environment consists of two PXE/TFTP servers:
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What do I need to do before I get started?
Perform the following prerequisite steps before executing this walkthrough scenario:
- Create the MS SQL Server database and a user login that can access the database. For detailed instructions, see Walkthrough: Setting up a SQL Server database.
- Download the unified product installer files to a temporary location. The BBSA<version>-WIN64.zip and BBSA<version>-RSCDAgents.zip files required in the this walkthrough can be downloaded from the Electronic Product Distribution (EPD) website. For instructions on downloading the files, see Downloading the installation files .
You must be able to access an existing database that has been set up on Microsoft SQL Server. For a description of that process, see Walkthrough: Setting up a SQL Server database .
If you want the unified product installer to automatically install the RSCD agent on your Windows file server, you must download the Microsoft Sysinternals Suite from the Microsoft tech support site and copy the PsExec file to the %PATH% variable on the default Application Server node (typically C:\Windows\System32\). By doing so, you configure the default Application Server machine as a PsExec server.
Note
A PsExec server is not required if you choose to manually install RSCD agents on your Windows servers. For more information, see Setting up a PsExec server.
The default Application Server can also be configured as a PsExec server, to install agents automatically, while adding additional Windows Application servers or Windows target servers.
Uninstall any existing version of the RSCD Agent.
Update the Windows Terminal Services Server Settings for temporary folders. (In Windows Server 2008 R2 and later versions, Terminal Services is renamed to Remote Desktop Services).
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 server 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 | |
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1 | Run the unified product installer on the machine on which you want to install the default Application server node.
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2 | Read through the basic information about the unified product installer and the types of nodes that are installed in the environment. Click Next. | |
3 | Read the End User License Agreement (EULA) and select I agree to the terms of the license agreement. Click Next. | |
4 | Read the BSA copyright information and select I agree to the terms of the license agreement. Click Next. | |
5 | Enter the database server details.
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6 | 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. | |
7 | Click Customize Configuration. The Installation Directory tab displays the path where BSA is installed. The default path is C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\ for Windows. You can customize the Installation Directory based on your requirements. | |
8 | Click the File Server tab and enter the file server details.
Note: If the file server is on a separate machine and if it runs on Windows, ensure that you have configured the default Application Server as a PsExec server. | |
9 | 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. | |
10 | 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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11 | Click the Agent Mapping tab. Enter the name of the local super user, that is, a local Administrator or Administrator-equivalent local user, to which the RSCD Agent should map incoming connections during the installation. The default user name is Administrator. | |
12 | Click Update Configuration to apply all the configuration changes that you entered on the various tabs. | |
13 | Click Install to proceed with the installation. The unified product installer performs the following setup operations:
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14 | If you encountered any errors while installing, 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.
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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. |
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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 do this is by using the quick start page.
Step | Example screen | |
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1 | You can import multiple servers by specifying a text file that contains a list of server names and properties assigned to each server. Create a server import text file using a comma-separated values (CSV) format, use the following syntax:
Save the text file (say Servers.txt) at any location in the default Application Server node (for example, C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\appserver). For this walkthrough we will be adding two servers to the BSA environment (without properties).
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2 | Log on to the BSA Console.
The quick start page (BMC Welcome Page) appears. | |
3 | To enroll servers, click Enroll, under Server Enrollment. Alternative step: To Import Servers wizard, right-click the Servers folder and select Import Servers. The Import Servers wizard appears. | |
4 | Use the File selection tree to select the text file (Servers.txt) you created at the beginning. Ensure that the If agent does not exist, install using Agent installer job option is not selected. We will be installing agents on the servers later in the walkthrough. Click Finish. Note: For the purpose of this walkthrough, we do not need to add any additional ACL policies. However if you need to control server access with agent ACLs click Next. For more information about the UI elements on the Permissions screens, see Import Servers - Permissions. For more information about ACL policies, see Controlling server access with agent ACLs. | |
5 | The servers are successfully added to your environment. | |
6 | The next step is to install RSCD agents on the enrolled servers. From the quick start page, under Server Enrollment, click Install, on the quick start page. Alternative step: To start the unified agent installer, right-click the Servers folder and select Unified Agent Installer. The Unified Agent Installer wizard appears. | |
7 | Provide a prefix that is attached to the name of all objects that unified agent installer creates. Click Next. | |
8 | Perform the following steps:
Note: The unified agent installer uses the information you provide on this panel to create an agent bundle. For detailed information about this type of object, see Creating an agent bundle. | |
9 | Click Add | to open the Add Remote Host Authentication (non-Windows) window.|
10 | The Remote Host Authentication (non-Windows) window lets you provide the following information, which is used for authenticating to agentless devices. If you are installing on multiple platforms, typically you define at least one set of authentication information for each platform.
For more information about the different authentication protocols that you can use, see Unified Agent Installer - Remote Host Authentication (non-Windows). This page also provides information about selecting an existing automation principal. | |
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12 | The Remote Host Authentication (Windows) window lets you provide the following information, which is used for authenticating to agentless devices. If you are installing on multiple platforms, typically you define at least one set of authentication information for each platform.
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13 | Click Add to open the New Rule wizard. The unified agent installer uses the information you provide on this panel to create remote host authentication rules. These rules match remote host authentication definitions with agentless devices. For detailed information about this type of object, see Creating or modifying rules for remote host authentication. | |
14 | Click Add Property Condition. A window opens. | |
15 | Create property conditions to identify the two target servers we want to install the agents on.
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16 | Select the non-Windows remote host authentication (created earlier) that should be used to authenticate the clm-pun-016809 server. Click the right arrow to move your selection to the list on the right. Click Finish. | |
17 | Create a similar rule for clm-pun-016803, but this time using the Windows remote host authentication that we created. Click Next. | |
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20 | Click Finish. | |
21 | The RSCD agents are successfully installed on the target servers. Tip To verify the successful installation of an RSCD agent on a target server, you can execute a custom command that provides you with agent information. Perform the following steps:
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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 BBSA<version>-WIN64 folder. If you are installing either of the components on Linux operating systems you need to download the BBSA<version>-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 | ||
PXE/TFTP | 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 | ||
PXE/TFTP |
In this walkthrough we will install additional instances of the console and the PXE/TFTP on Windows servers.
Manually installing an additional instance of the console
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 | Install the remote PXE/TFTP server
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2 | The PXE/TFTP installation wizard introduces you to the installation process. Click Next. | |
3 | Read the End User License Agreement (EULA) and click Yes to proceed. The Customer Information window opens. | |
4 | Enter your name and the name of your organization, and then click Next. The Choose Destination Location window opens. | |
5 | The default installation location for the PXE is C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\PXE. Alternatively, you can click Browse to change the installation location. Click Next to use the default location. The Network Configuration window opens. | |
6 | Confirm that the host name and IP address of the computer on which you are installing the PXE server are correct. | |
7 | Specify where the DHCP is located. If a DHCP server is running on:
Click Next. The TFTP Root window opens. | |
8 | Do one of the following:
The TFTP server must reside on the same server as the PXE server. The TFTP server downloads the boot image during the provisioning process. The TFTP root directory is the location from which the files are read. Click Next. The Selected Components window opens. | |
Review the current settings to confirm that you have specified the correct installation configuration, and then click Next. | ||
9 | A progress bar indicates the progress of the installation until the Post-Configuration Options window opens. The PXE/TFTP server is installed. | |
10 | You can configure the PXE server as part of the installation by selecting the Configure the PXE server option and clicking Next. (See Configuring the PXE and TFTP servers for more information about this option.) Alternatively, you can configure the PXE/TFTP server at a later time by using the PXE/TFTP Server configuration tool. | |
11 | Click Finish to exit the wizard. |
Manually installing an agent on the PXE/TFTP server
For successful provisioning, the RSCD agent must be installed on the same host computer as the PXE server. You can install the agent before or after you install the PXE server.
Note
This example uses BMC Server Automation version 8.7; however, the process is applicable to all versions 8.6 and later.
Step | Example screen | |
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3 | Click Install to begin the RSCD agent installation. | |
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5 | You can select the Show the Windows Installer log option to view a detailed report of the installation process. Click Finish to exit the wizard. |
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 and Walkthrough: Adding multiple target servers to the environment.
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