Installing RSCD agents in a replicated domain controller environment

To install RSCD agents in a Windows replicated domain controller environment, you set Domain Controller Security Policies on one domain controller and then install RSCD agents in the correct sequence on all domain controllers. This topic contains the following sections:

Overview of the process

The RSCD installer will create a user named BladeLogicRSCDDC instead of the default BladeLogicRSCD when installing on a domain controller. This is to avoid the possibility that member servers could cause a lockout of the Domain level BladeLogicRSCD account. This is a known issue with certain utilities that run through the RSCD agent, as the utility first tries to authenticate to the domain with the credentials of the user that is running the utility, which in this case is the member server's BladeLogicRSCD account.

The password for the BladeLogicRSCD user or an alternate user of non-domain controller machines is generated at run time. However in the case of a domain controller, the BladeLogicRSCD user or alternate user is assigned a password from a fixed set of passwords. BMC recommends that you change the default password as per your company's password policies. For steps on changing the password, see Changing-the-BladeLogicRSCDDC-account-password-on-domain-controllers.

If you want to create a single account for each domain controller (instead of the default single account for all domain controllers), or if you want to use an alternate account name that differs from the default BladeLogicRSCDDC, you can perform the procedure described in this topic.

Before you begin

Note

This section is applicable only while you are upgrading the RSCD agent in a replicated domain controller environment.

During RSCD agent upgrade, you map a client user to a local user on the target server. Make sure that the local user to which you are mapping is a direct member of the Builtin\Administrators group and you do not map to the BladeLogicRSCD account.  

Preparing an alternate user name for the agents in the Windows system

If using an alternate user name for the RSCD agent, limit the length of the user name to a maximum of 20 characters. By design, the agent fails to create the account if you use more than 20 characters.  The account will be created during the RSCD service startup.

Installing RSCD agents in a replicated domain controller environment with the default, alternate, or per-server account name

On a domain controller, perform the following steps to set Domain Controller Security Policies for the BladelogicRSCDDC user account (or any other equivalent account that you use for running the agent in the domain):

  1. Start the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).
  2. In the GPMC console tree, right-click Default Domain Controllers Policy, and then click Edit.
  3. In the Group Policy Management Editor window, in the console tree, go to Computer Configuration/Policies/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Local Policies/User Rights Assignment.
  4. In the details pane, double-click Deny logon locally.
  5. Ensure that the Define these policy settings check box is selected, and then click Add User or Group.
  6. Type the name of the account that you want to deny the ability to log on locally (BladelogicRSCDDC or any other equivalent account that you use for running the agent in the domain). As an alternative, click Browse to locate the account with the Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box, and then click OK.
  7. After you have the account name entered, click OK in the Add User or Group dialog box, and then click OK in the Deny Log on Locally Properties dialog box.

  8. Repeat for User Right Log on as a batch job.

    Note

    If Domain Controller Security Policies are not set to defined, as described in step 1, the RSCD agent creates Local Security Policies instead. In this situation, you must manually set the Domain Controller Security Policies to continue.

  9. If you use a unique account name per domain controller, each account name must be present in the above policies.
  10. Continue with the relevant task:

Installing with the default account

  1. Install the RSCD agent on the PDC emulator.

    Click here for installation instructions

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  2. The account will be created on agent startup.  After the default account is created, force replication from Active Directory Sites and Services to the other domain controllers.
  3. Install the RSCD agent on the other domain controllers.

Installing or modifying an existing installation with an alternate or per-server account

  1. If the RSCD agent is already installed and running on the target Domain controller(s), stop the RSCD service (see Starting and stopping the RSCD agent).
  2. On the PDC emulator in the domain, add (if this is a fresh installation) or modify (pre-existing installation) the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BladeLogic\RSCD Agent\BladelogicRSCDUser. The registry value should be of type REG_SZ (string value), and be set to the desired account name.
  3. If you will be using the same account name on other domain controllers in the domain, complete the following steps:
    1. On the other domain controllers in the domain, add or modify the same registry value and use the same account name as on the PDC emulator.
    2. Install the RSCD agent or start the RSCD service on the PDC emulator.
    3. After the service has started and the service account exists, force replication to the other domain controllers from the Active Directory Sites and Services menu.
    4. Install or start the the RSCD agent on the other domain controllers.
  4. If you will use a unique account name for each domain controller, complete the following steps:
    1. On the other domain controllers in the domain, add or modify the same registry value and use the unique account name.
    2. Install or start the RSCD agent on each domain controller after making the registry change (there is no concern about replication or order here as each system gets its own account).

Notes

  • If the RSCD does not fully start, even though the User Rights have been set and allowed to replicate, you may need to reset the BladelogicRSCDDC account, as follows:
    1. Stop the TrueSight Server Automation RSCD Agent service on all domain controllers.
    2. On the PDC, delete the BladelogicRSCDDC user.
    3. Wait for (or force) replication.
    4. Start the TrueSight Server Automation RSCD Agent service on the PDC.
    5. Check the rscd.log file.
    6. If it is error free, you can start the TrueSight Server Automation RSCD Agent on the other domain controllers.
  • Windows Domain Controllers have no local users. To set up user privilege mapping on Windows Domain Controllers, map users to a member of a first-level group, such as BuiltIn\Administrators. The mapped user cannot receive administrative privileges via a group within another group. For example, if the mapped account is in Domain Admins and Domain Admins is in BuiltIn\Administrators, the mapping will not work. The default UPM mapping cannot traverse multiple groups. For details about user privilege mapping, see Impersonation-and-privilege-mapping.
  • If you change the password in a domain environment, and then subsequently need to install an RSCD agent on another domain controller in the same domain, use the agentctl utility to set the password on the new domain controller. For more information, see Changing-the-BladeLogicRSCDDC-account-password-on-domain-controllers.

 

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