Installing remote components to collect on-premises data

This section describes how to install the Remote ETL Engine and related components that are needed to collect data from your environment. 

Step 1: Prepare a Linux virtual machine

For information about system requirements and sizing guidelines, see Planning.

Step 2: Install the Remote ETL Engine

This topic describes how to install the Remote ETL Engine silently. A sample response file with default settings is included in the Remote ETL Engine install image. Modify the sample file instead of creating a new file. The sample file also includes instructions on how to run the installation silently.

  1. Log in as a root user to the computer where you want to install the Remote ETL Engine, and create a temporary directory. Example: HOCO_temp.
  2. Download the installation files from ftp://<customerprefix>-opt-ftp.onbmc.com/FromOnDemand/optimize-onprem.
  1. Extract the downloaded files to the temporary directory. Ensure that the temporary directory is different from the installation directory to avoid any file sharing conflict.
  2. Generate the API key from the Helix Capacity Optimization Console. You will need to specify this key while configuring the bearer authorization token in the options file. For details on generating the API key, see Generating-an-API-key-for-programmatic-access. 
  3. Open the credentials.key file in a text editor, and copy the authorization token.
    "Authorization":"<Bearer token>"
  4. At the shell prompt, change to the directory where you extracted the downloaded files. Example: HOCO_temp/BCO/Disk1.
  5. Navigate to the directory where you extracted the downloaded files and locate the sample response file. Example: HOCO_temp/BCO/Disk1/silentInstallTemplates/BCO_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_REMOTE_EE.txt.
  6. Edit the BCO_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_REMOTE_EE.txt file in a text editor.

  7. In the -J AUTH_TOKEN property, paste the token that you have copied in Step 4. Modify other properties of the file according to your preferences as listed below, and save the file.

    Property details

    Prefix tags for the silent installation properties:

    • -P: Precedes the directory properties
    • -A: Precedes the application features
    • -J: Precedes the Java properties
  8. Open a shell prompt and navigate to the directory that contains the installation files. Example: /BCO/Disk1

  9. Launch the silent installer:

    ./setup.sh -i silent -DOPTIONS_FILE=<file path>/BCO_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_REMOTE_EE.txt

    If the path contains spaces, enclose the path and options file name in quotation marks.

    After the installation is complete a confirmation message about successful installation is displayed.

  10. Verify the installation:
    1. Log in with the user credentials that you used for installation. Example: cpit.
    2. Navigate to the installation directory. Example: /opt/bmc/BCO.
    3. Run the command: ./cpit status
  11. Verify that the Scheduler service is running.

The following steps (3, 4, and 5) are required only if you plan to use the Capacity Agent for collecting data.

Step 3: Install the BMC Helix Client Gateway

Install BMC Helix Client Gateway to establish a connection between BMC Cloud and your on-premises datacenter. BMC Helix Client Gateway is a non-VPN solution to securely connect to your on-premises BMC Helix services. You must install and configure a small client in your environment to facilitate this connection. For information about downloading and installing BMC Helix Client Gateway, see BMC Helix Client Gateway connectivity.

Contact BMC Customer Support after installing BMC Helix Client Gateway. BMC will assist you in configuring BMC Helix Client Gateway and testing its connection with BMC Cloud.

Step 4: Install the Gateway Server

Preparing to install the Gateway Server

  • Install the Gateway Server on the same computer where you have installed the Remote ETL Engine.
  • Use a non-privileged and non-root user account for installing the Gateway Server. The non-privileged user must be created on the installation computer before running the installer and must have access to use cron on the computer. This user owns all the Gateway Server files and runs most of the processes. The installer does not create the installation owner.
  • KSH library must be available on the Linux system where you want to install the Gateway Server.

Installing the Gateway Server

  1. Log in as a non-root user to the computer where you want to install the Gateway Server and create a temporary directory. Example: HOCO_temp/BCO/Disk1.
  1. Download the installation files from ftp://<customerprefix>-opt-ftp.onbmc.com/FromOnDemand/optimize-onprem.
  2. Extract the Gateway Server installation files to the temporary directory by running this command:
    tar -xvf TSCO_GatewayServer_<version>_Linux.tar
  3. In the directory where you extracted the Gateway Server installation files, navigate to the ./BCO/Disk1/silent directory.

  4. Copy the GWS_ConsoleSilentInstallOptions.txt file to a new directory.
    This file contains the installation properties that are specified as name and value pairs with prefix tags. You can retain the default values or modify the properties of the file according to your preferences as listed below, and save the file. However, BMC recommends retaining the default values in the options file for the installation.

    Property details

    Prefix tags for the silent installation properties:

    • -P: Precedes the directory properties
    • -J: Precedes the Java properties
  5. Change to the directory that contains the extracted Gateway Server installation files.
  6. Start the installation process by running the following command:
    ./setup.sh -i silent -DOPTIONS_FILE=<fileLocationPath>/GWS_ConsoleSilentInstallOptions.txtThe variable <fileLocationPath> represents the location where you saved the options file. If the path contains spaces, enclose the path and options file name in quotation marks.
  7. If the installation is executed as a non-root user, the /installLocation/b1configVVVV.sh script (where vvvv is the Gateway Server version) must be executed as the root user to complete the installation.  The b1configVVVV.sh script is executed automatically when the Gateway Server install is done by the root user.

  8. Verify that the installation is successful.

    To verify that the GatewayManagerServer process is running
    1. Run this command to verify that port 10129 is enabled on the Gateway Server:
      netstat -an |grep 10129
    2. Run one of the following commands to verify that the General Manager service is running:
      1. For computers that have telnet:
        telnet <GW_server_hostname> 10129
      2. For computers that do not have telnet:
        export BEST1_HOME=/usr/adm/best1_V.V.VV (V.V.VV is the Gateway Server version)
        $BEST1_HOME/bgs/bin/GeneralManagerClient -s localhost:10129 getConsoleVersion
    3. Run this command to verify that the GeneralManagerServer process is up and running:
      ps -ef |grep GeneralManagerServer
    To verify data collection
    1. To configure the BEST1_HOME environment variable, run the following commands:
      1. Change to the non-root user.
      2. Run the following commands:
        • For the Korn or Bourne shell:
          1. BEST1_HOME=usr/adm/best1_<version>
          2. export BEST1_HOME
        • For the C shell:
          setenv BEST1_HOME usr/adm/best1_<version>where version indicates the version of the installed product component.

    2. To test the connection to the Agent, run the following command:
      $BEST1_HOME/bgs/scripts/best1collect -n <targetHostName> -q
      The following example shows the result of running this command on the clm-pun-015565 system:


      [perform@clm-pun-032515 ~]$ $BEST1_HOME/bgs/scripts/best1collect -n clm-pun-015565 -q
      best1collect on clm-pun-032515: requesting Update Status on clm-pun-032515 ...
      Wed Mar 15 00:06:00 2017
      Agent Query Request Starting(/usr/adm/best1_10.7.00/bgs/monitor/log/clm-pun-032515-bgsagent_6767.als) Collect Instance Node Started Started Name Name Name By On
      ------------ -------------- ---------- ---------- ----------------- ------------ -------------- ---------- ---------- -----------------
      *Node: clm-pun-032515 has acknowledged Query request successfully.

    3. To initiate a data collection request, run the following command. Replace <nodeName> with the name of the system where you want to initiate the collection request.
      $BEST1_HOME/bgs/scripts/best1collect -n <nodeName> -e +15 -d /tmp -w 1

      The following example shows the result of running this command on the clm-pun-015565 system:

      [perform@clm-pun-032515 scripts]$ $BEST1_HOME/bgs/scripts/best1collect -n clm-pun-015565 -e +15 -d /tmp -w 1
      best1collect on clm-pun-032515: requesting Start Collect on clm-pun-015565 ...
      best1collect requesting bgscollect start on clm-pun-015565...
      Tue Mar 14 22:30:04 2017
      best1collect: Collect process with instance noInstance will be started on node clm-pun-015565. Specified data repository: /tmp.
      *Node: clm-pun-015565 has acknowledged Start request successfully.

    4. To verify the status of data collection, run the following command:

      $BEST1_HOME/bgs/scripts/best1collect -n <nodeName> -Q

      The following example shows the result of running this command on the clm-pun-015565.bmc.com system:

      [perform@clm-pun-032515 scripts]$ $BEST1_HOME/bgs/scripts/best1collect -n clm-pun-015565.bmc.com -Q
      best1collect on clm-pun-032515: requesting Update Status on clm-pun-015565.bmc.com ...
      Tue Mar 14 22:35:50 2017
      Agent Query Request Starting(/usr/adm/best1_10.7.00/bgs/monitor/log/clm-pun-015565-bgsagent_6767.als) Collect Instance Node Started Started Data Length Spill SampleState Config Active Active Term Term LagTime Name Name Name By On Repository HH:MM (Min) (Sec) Groups Data No Data Data No Data (Min)
      ------------ -------------- ---------- --------------------------- ----------------------------- ------ ----- ------------------------ ------ ------ ------- ---- ------- ------- SYSTEM noInstance clm-pun-015565 perform Mar-14-2017.22.30/tmp 0:15 15 10 UDR_WRITE_ACTIVE 46 19 2 0 25 0
      ------------ -------------- ---------- --------------------------- ----------------------------- ------ ----- ------------------------ ------ ------ ------- ---- ------- -----
      *Node: clm-pun-015565.bmc.com has acknowledged Query request successfully.
    5. Verify that the Active Data parameter shows a value greater than 0, which indicates that the data collector is functioning as expected.


Step 5: Install the Capacity Agent

If you have installed the Gateway Server to collect data, you must install the Capacity Agent on the infrastructure that you want to monitor.

The Capacity Agent collects data from the managed systems in your environment. After collecting data, the Agent transfers it to the Gateway Server. You can install the Capacity Agent using a Shell script or a Docker container. For instructions, see Installing-the-Capacity-Agent.

 

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