Creating objects for agent installation

This section outlines the tasks for creating the objects required for agent installation.

Instead of following the process described below, you can run the Unified Agent Installer, which is a wizard that steps you through the process of creating all objects necessary to install agents on agentless devices. See Running the Unified Agent Installer.

Before you begin

Before you can perform the tasks listed below, you must perform preliminary tasks, as described in Preliminary tasks for installing agents.

To create the objects needed for agent installation

1. Create automation principals.
   An automation principal defines a set of user credentials that can be used to access an external system. To install agents from the console, the system must access agentless devices. Automation principals store the credentials needed to access those devices.
   BMC Server Automation can use several mechanisms to execute commands on agentless devices. BMC calls these mechanisms command execution protocols. Some types of command execution protocols require both an automation principal and a superuser automation principal. The superuser automation principal provides the credentials necessary to gain elevated privileges on a host.
   See Creating automation principals.
2. Create remote host authentications.
   For each type of device on which you want to install agents, provide information that is needed to access the device. See Specifying or modifying information for remote host authentication.
3. Create remote host authentication rules.
   Remote host authentication rules specify which servers use the remote host authentication information defined in the previous step. See Creating or modifying rules for remote host authentication.

4. Create an agent bundle.
   An agent bundle maps target platform types to the corresponding agent installers located in the Depot. Optionally, the agent bundle can also specify the contents of agent configuration files. See Creating an agent bundle or Modifying agent bundles.

5. Create an Agent Installer Job.
   The Agent Installer Job identifies an agent bundle and targets devices on which agents must be installed. See Creating an Agent Installer Job or Modifying Agent Installer Jobs.
   Typically, the system automatically determines the operating system of target devices. You can optionally specify the operating system for devices where agents are being installed by entering a value for the AGENT_PLATFORM* property for each target. If the system cannot automatically determine the operating system of a target device, you must specify one using the AGENT_PLATFORM* property. For more information, see Operating system detection and the AGENT_PLATFORM* property.
   You can run an Agent Installer Job by doing any of the following:
   • Schedule the job or run it immediately. See Agent Installer Job - Schedules.
   • Invoke the job by adding an agentless device. See Adding a server to the system.
   • Invoke the job by importing agentless devices. See Importing servers into the system.