Installing and configuring RSCD Agents for PXE-based provisioning

This topic describes how to install and configure RSCD agents for PXE-based provisioning. The following components require an RSCD agent on their host computer:

  • File server
  • PXE data store
  • TFTP server (if you are generating WinPE preboot images)

The following sections provide details.

Notes

  • If you are configuring some of these components on the same host, only one RSCD agent is required per host computer.
  • If you are configuring the Application Server and file server on the same system and that system has a UNIX or Linux OS, you do not need to perform a separate RSCD agent installation. (The RSCD agent is bundled with the Application Server for UNIX and Linux.)

Installing an RSCD Agent

An RSCD agent installer that matches the operating system of the host (for example, RSCDversion-W32.msi) is required.

Complete the following steps:

  1. Launch the RSCD agent installer.
  2. For installation type, choose Typical.
  3. Accept the default installation directory.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Click Finish.
  6. Verify that the RSCD agent is installed:
    • (Microsoft Windows) — Start Task Manager and verify that the RSCDSVC.exe process is running. Alternatively, you can:
      • Select Start > Administrative Tools > Services.
      • Locate the BladeLogic RSCD Agent service.
      • Verify that the status is Started. If not, start the service.
    • (UNIX or Linux) — Type ps -ef | grep rscd

The following example shows the RSCD agent as a service on a Windows system.
worddav65dfead24db4db8634deedb1899555a6.png

Configuring ACLs for an RSCD Agent

Although the exports file is not case-sensitive on Windows platforms, it is case-sensitive on other operating system platforms. For consistency, always consider case when you are configuring access control lists (ACLs).

Complete the following steps for configuring ACLs on UNIX and Linux hosts:

  1. In an editor, open the following file: /usr/lib/rsc/exports

  2. Change the following line:

    * rw

    to:

    <host> rw,user=root

    where <host> is the comma separated list of host names or IP addresses of the application servers.

  3. Save and close the file.

Complete the following steps for configuring ACLs on Windows hosts:

  1. Navigate to the local Users folder and identify the name of the local administrator account. The following example shows the default value Administrator as the name for the local administrator account.
    worddavc197c06d8583508a2c1e308b69479ffe.png
  2. In an editor, open the following file: %<WINDIR>%\rsc\exports
     where %WINDIR% is WINDOWS for Windows 2003 or later or WINNT for Windows 2000.

  3. Change the following line:

    * rw

    to:

    <host> rw,user=local_administrator_account_name

    where <host> is the comma separated list of host names or IP addresses of the application servers.

    For example:

    appserverhost.company.com rw,user=Administrator

    worddavc81552c3834b2d7304797baaa47974aa.png

  4. Save and close the file.

Using * as described in the example in Step 3 is not a best practice. When your system is configured and running, replace the * with the name of your Application Server.

License entitlements

RSCD licenses are not required in BMC Server Automation version 8.2.

 

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