Preparing for installation
The following topics describe the different installation methods and activities to perform before installing the product:
Understanding local and remote installation
Determining the version of the installation utility
Understanding target computers and their roles
Using architecture to determine where to install the KM
Determining the location of PATROL files
Understanding local and remote installation
You can install products on the computer on which you are running the installation utility (local installation), or you can create an installable image of products so that you can install them at a later time using the Distribution Server (remote installation functionality).
Local installation
If you install locally, you must install BMC PATROL for Citrix XenServer and a PATROL Agent on the computer used to monitor Citrix XenServer. In the PATROL 3.x environment, you must also install BMC PATROL for Citrix XenServer and a PATROL Console for Windows or UNIX on each computer from which you want to view results.
If you install locally in a PATROL 7.x environment, you must install PATROL for Citrix XenServer on the computer that hosts the PATROL Console Server.
Remote installation
If you create an installable image, the product configuration information that you enter, such as the BMC Software products installation directory, account names, passwords, PATROL Agent port number, and security options, must be the same for all computers on which the image is to be installed. If you want to specify different settings for different computers, you must either create a separate image for each set of values that you want to implement or edit the variables in the image's control file by using the ctltool utility.
For more information about creating, distributing, and installing installable images, and about using the ctltool utility, see the PATROL Installation Reference Manual.
Determining the version of the installation utility
The installation instructions contained in this topic pertain to version 9.5.00 of the installation utility. If you use a version of the installation utility other than this, the instructions in this topic might not accurately describe what you see on your screen.
To determine the installation utility version
- Open a command prompt.
- Navigate to the directory where the installation utility is located.
- Enter the setup.exe -v command and press Enter.
At the time of uninstalling the product, you can run the uninstall.exe -v command.
Understanding target computers and their roles
The installation utility prompts you to select the roles performed by the computer on which you are installing BMC Software products (the target computer). Before beginning the installation process, review the following definitions of the roles that are presented in the installation utility and decide which of these roles is performed by each computer in your environment.
Computers in the PATROL architecture perform the following roles:
- Console Systems (also referred to as console computers) host user desktop applications such as consoles, user interfaces, viewers, and browsers. If the computer to which you are installing performs any of the following roles, select this option:
- Monitor and manage on Windows by using a PATROL Central Operator - Microsoft Windows Edition console (PATROL 7.x architecture).
- Monitor, manage, and develop KMs on UNIX by using a PATROL Console for UNIX (PATROL 3.x architecture).
- Monitor, manage, and develop KMs on Windows by using a PATROL Console for Windows (PATROL 3.x architecture).
- Managed Systems (also referred to as agent computers) host software that manages the resources on the computer, such as a PATROL Agent or PATROL Knowledge Modules (KMs). If the computer to which you are installing performs any of the following roles, select this option:
- Host a PATROL Agent 3.8.x (works with both the PATROL 3.x and PATROL 7.x architecture).
- Host KMs and components that contain the knowledge that PATROL uses to monitor the resources on this computer.
- A Common Services (in only PATROL 7.x architecture) computer hosts services that are shared among managed systems and console systems. You can install each of these common services on any computer in the network. If the computer to which you are installing performs any of the following roles, select this option:
- Host the PATROL Central Operator - Web Edition (PATROL 7.x architecture) Web server
- Host the PATROL Console Servers.
- Host the RTservers.
For more information about the PATROL consoles and PATROL Console Server or RTserver, see the respective online Help systems and the following documents:
- PATROL Central Operator - Web Edition Getting Started
- PATROL Central Operator - Microsoft Windows Edition Getting Started
- PATROL Console Server and RTserver Getting Started
- PATROL Configuration Manager User Guide
- PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows User Guide - Understanding the Basics of PATROL, Volume 1
- PATROL Console for UNIX User Guide
Using architecture to determine where to install the KM
PATROL 3.x and PATROL 7.x architectures differ as to which target computers store KMs and how much KM information is required by each type of system. During installation, ensure that you select the appropriate types of systems according to the following information.
PATROL 3.x
In a PATROL 3.x environment, you must install KMs on the following computers:
- Computers hosting the PATROL Agent: Select Managed Systems as the System Role in the installation utility when installing KMs. This selection installs KM files that run on the PATROL Agent.
- Computers hosting the PATROL Console for Windows or PATROL Console for UNIX: Select Console Systems as the System Role in the installation utility when installing KMs on computers hosting the PATROL Console for Windows or PATROL Console for UNIX. This selection installs KM files for use by the console.
PATROL 7.x
In a PATROL 7.x environment, you must install KMs on the following computers:
Computers hosting the PATROL Console Server: For PATROL Central Operator - Microsoft Windows Edition, you must install the KM on the Console Server location. On Web Edition you must install the KM where the Web Console install resides. Web Edition does not pull help from Console Server but from the server where the Web Console was installed.
- Computers hosting the PATROL Agent: Select Managed Systems as the System Role in the installation utility. This selection installs KM files that run on the PATROL Agent.
When you are using PATROL Central Operator - Web Edition, install KMs on computers hosting the PATROL Console Server using the Common Services Systems role and computers hosting the PATROL Agent using the Managed Systems role.
Determining the location of PATROL files
During the installation process, the PATROL installation utility records where it installs PATROL components in environment variables. To function properly, various components of the PATROL product, such as the migration tools, require the information stored in these variables. Two important variables are PATROL_HOME and PATROL_CACHE.
Default values for PATROL location variables for Windows
If you do not specify a location for the PATROL installation, the installer uses the following preprogrammed default locations and stores these locations in environment variables.
Default values for PATROL location variables for Windows
Variable | Default value |
|---|---|
PATROL_HOME | C:\Program Files\BMC Software\PATROL_directory |
PATROL_CACHE | %HOMEDRIVE%\%HOMEPATH%\PATROL_directory |
Viewing environment variables set by PATROL for Windows
To view the value of PATROL_HOME, PATROL_CACHE, and other environment variables, perform the appropriate procedure for your operating system:
Operating system | Procedure |
|---|---|
Microsoft Windows 2003 or later | Using the Control Panel tools:
|
Using the PATROL Environment Probe:
|
Default values for PATROL location variables for UNIX
If you do not specify a location for the PATROL installation, the installer uses the following preprogrammed default locations and stores these locations in environment variables.
Default values for PATROL location variables for UNIX
Variable | Default value |
|---|---|
PATROL_HOME | /opt/bmc/ PATROL_directory |
PATROL_CACHE | $HOME/ PATROL_directory |
Viewing environment variables set by PATROL for UNIX
To view the value of PATROL_HOME, PATROL_CACHE, and other environment variables, perform the appropriate procedure for your shell type:
Type of shell | Procedure |
|---|---|
Bourne and Korn | At the shell command prompt, type export and press Enter. The shell displays a list of environment variables and their values. |
C | At the shell command prompt, type setenv and press Enter. The shell displays a list of environment variables and their values. |