Using BMC Helix Monitor Agent to collect data
BMC Helix Monitor Agentis a light-weight containerized collector that is pre-configured and is ready to be deployed. It has the following advantages:
- No Agent configurations are required after deployment.
- Knowledge modules (KMs) are already deployed within the container.
BMC provides you the following options in BMC Helix Monitor Agent:
- BMC Helix Monitor Agent-Containerized.
Monitor multiple environments by using the same Agent - BMC Helix Self Monitor Agent
Monitor Kubernetes and OpenShift clusters
BMC Helix Monitor Agent-Containerized
You can monitor the following knowledge modules by using BMC Helix Monitor Agent-Containerized:
Multi-node deployment
This mode monitors Kubernetes and Openshift clusters. When you deploy this option of BMC Helix Monitor Agent to a Kubernetes or Openshift cluster, a BMC Helix Monitor Agent container is deployed on each node of the cluster. It facilitates metrics collection from each node and associated pods.
System requirements
Docker registry requirements
Direct access to BMC's Docker Trusted Repository (DTR) at https://containers.bmc.com is available. You can also use Local Harbor 2.1 or later synchronized with BMC's Docker Trusted Repository.
For information about installing a local Harbor repository synchronized with the BMC DTR, see Setting-up-a-Harbor-repository.
To use Helix Monitor Agent
- Download the BMC Helix Monitor Agent chart and container images.
- Deploy BMC Helix Monitor Agent.
- Verify the BMC Helix Monitor Agent deployment.
The following sections explain the steps in detail.
Downloading the BMC Helix Monitor Agent chart and container images
Log in to EPD by using your Support user ID and password. You might also be prompted to complete the Export Compliance Form. If you are accessing this site for the first time, create a new EPD profile to specify the languages and platforms that you want to download. For assistance with EPD, see EPD site help.
- Download the helix-monitor-agent-25.1.00.tar helm chart to a temporary directory.
- Download the container-token.bmc file that contains the Docker token.
Download link for the installation file
Contains of the downloaded file
Container images
BMC containers images are distributed from https://containers.bmc.com. You can access the containers for the licensed products by using your registered support account and a new password. This password is saved in a file that is downloaded with this PDF file. It is shared among all the containerized BMC software that you have access to.
Check your downloads directory for the container-token.bmc file that contains your generated password. For step-by-step instructions on using this password to obtain the BMC container images, see Setting-up-a-Harbor-repository.
Deploying BMC Helix Monitor Agent
- Copy the downloaded helix-monitor-agent-25.1.00.tar file to the controller or bastion machine from where the Kubernetes and OpenShift cluster is accessible.
- Extract the tar file.
Create image pull secret by using one of the following commands:
For Kubernetes:
kubectl create secret docker-registry <image pull secret name> --docker-server=containers.bmc.com --docker-username=<docker registry user name> --docker-password=<docker registry password> --docker-email=<docker registry email>For OpenShift:
oc create secret docker-registry <image pull secret name> --docker-server=containers.bmc.com --docker-username=<docker registry user name> --docker-password=<docker registry password> --docker-email=<docker registry email>
There are three (3) helm charts available in the downloaded file. Extract the required file from the downloaded files by running the following command:
tar -zxf <filename>The default yaml file is helix-monitor-agent/values.yaml. You must replace all values starting and ending with __. Also, replace the image pull secret name with the newly created secret name.
Open the values.yaml file in a text editor and edit the following details:
Yaml parameters
Configuration
Details
registryhost
The docker registry host contains the Helix Monitor Agent. The default value is containers.bmc.com.
replicaCount
The value to adjust the number of Pod replicas for your application in the cluster enhances its resiliency and throughput if other complementary configurations are properly set. The default value is 1.
namespace
Specify the namespace where you want to deploy the Helix Monitor Agent container.
imagePullSecrets
Secret to authenticate with a container registry to pull an image. For more information, see Pull an Image from a Private Registry.
name
The name of Secrets. Replace the image pull secret name with the newly created secret name.
enabled
Set it true when you want to enable imagePullSecrets.
nodeSelector
name
The name of the node selector.
enabled
Set it true when you want to enable nodeselector.
Image
repository
The location on the registry where the container image exists. Modify the parameter if you are using a local repository.
pullPolicy
Image pull policy for pod.
Options available:
- Always
- IfNotPresent
- Never
tag (Optional)
Container image tag. Modify the parameter only if you have created custom tags on containers.
Service
name
The service name in Kubernetes or OpenShift deployment. This name must be unique in a namespace.
ports (Optional)
port
The port used by the PATROL Agent.
name
The port name used by the PATROL Agent.
synthetickm
enabled
Set it true when you want to enable PATROL for Synthetic Monitoring KM.
Multi-node specific Kubernetes variable
enabled
Set this variable to true to enable a Kubernetes multinode deployment. If set to false, the multinode configuration remains disabled.
name
The name of the Kubernetes instance. This value is used to identify the deployment within your cluster.
enableNodeDeployment
Set this variable to true to enable the automatic deployment of additional worker nodes in the Kubernetes cluster.
enableNodeFileSystemMonitoring
Set this variable to true to enable monitoring of file system usage, storage capacity, and disk performance across all nodes.
enableNodeNetworkMonitoring
Set this variable to true to enable monitoring of network traffic, connectivity, and performance between nodes in the Kubernetes cluster.
Multi-node specific Openshift variable
enabled
Set this variable to true to enable an OpenShift multinode deployment. If set to false, the multinode configuration remains disabled.
name
The name of the Openshift instance. This value helps identify the deployment within your OpenShift cluster.
enableNodeDeployment
Set this variable to true to enable the automatic provisioning of additional worker nodes in the OpenShift cluster.
enableNodeFileSystemMonitoring
Set this variable to true to enable monitoring of file system health, storage usage, and disk performance across OpenShift nodes.
enableNodeNetworkMonitoring
Set this variable to true to enable monitoring of network connectivity, traffic patterns, and overall network health within the OpenShift cluster.
containers
maxlogsize (optional)
The maximum amount of ephemeral storage container is consumed on Kubernetes or OpenShift for the logs folder.
nodeJVMMaxHeapSize
Specifies the maximum heap size (in megabytes) allocated to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for a PATROL Agent node.
resources
Limits (CPU, memory)
The upper limit of CPU and memory resources allotted for the container. For more information, see Resource Management.
Requests (CPU, memory)
The minimum CPU and memory resources allotted for the container. For more information, see Resource Management.
nodeResources
Limits (CPU, memory)
The upper limit of CPU and memory resources allotted for the container. For more information, see Resource Management.
Requests (CPU, memory)
The minimum CPU and memory resources allotted for the container. For more information, see Resource Management.
secrets
API Key
- In BMC Helix Operations Management, navigate to Administration > Repository.
Click Copy API key and paste it into the values.yaml file.
If you have configured a rotation interval for the API key in BMC Helix Portal, make sure that you use the latest API key each time the key rotates. For instructions about configuring a rotation interval, see Using API keys for external integrations.
Certificate
Chrome browser
- Click the lock sign before the BMC Helix Operations Management URL.
- Click Connection is secure and then click Certificate is valid.
- Click the Certificate Path tab.
- Select the root certificate path (for example, DigiCert Global Root CA) and then click View Certifiate.
- Click the Details tab and then click Copy to File.
- On the Certificate Export Wizard, click Next.
- On the Export File Format page, select Base 64 encoded X.509 (.CER) and then click Next.
- In the File Name field, enter the file name to save the certificate and browse a folder to save the file.
- Open the file where you saved the certificate and copy the certificate.
Do not copy the BEGIN CERTIFICATE and END CERTIFICATE lines. - Back in the configuration file, paste the certifiate enclosed in single quotes ('').
The following image shows the process to download and copy the certificate:
Firefox browser
- Click the lock sign before the BMC Helix Operations Management URL.
- Click Connect secure and then click More information.
- Click View Certificate.
- Click the root certificate tab (for example, DigiCert Global Root CA).
- In the Miscellaneous section, click PEM (cert) and save the file.
- Open the downloaded file and copy the certificaate.
Do not copy the BEGIN CERTIFICATE and END CERTIFICATE lines. - Back in the configuration file, paste the certifiate enclosed in single quotes ('').
The following image shows the process to download and copy the certificate:
envMap
BHOM tenant URL
Enter https:< BMC Helix Operations Management tenant URL>:443.
For example, https:example-hostname.bmc.com:443 .Tags
Tags with which PATROL Agent identifies in the server. (Use tag name in agent selection criteria while creating monitor policy)
FORWARDPROXYSERVER
If you have configured the forward proxy server, enter the forward proxy URL.
FORWARDPROXYUSER
If you have configured the forward proxy server, enter the username.
FORWARDPROXYPASSWD
If you have configured the forward proxy server, enter the password.
BMC_VE3_KM_INCLUDE_CLUSTER_NAME
1 => include cluster name and project name (Default)
2 => include only cluster name
0 => not include cluster nameBMC_VE3_KM_ENVIRONMENT_NAME
BMC_VE3_KM_CLUSTER_NAMEWhen configuring a monitoring policy for multiple clusters, set the following variables if you don’t want to use values mentioned in the monitoring policy. For example:
BMC_VE3_KM_ENVIRONMENT_NAME: "bmc-env"
BMC_VE3_KM_CLUSTER_NAME: "bmc-cluster"
You have the option to either leave both values empty, which represents the default setting, or to specify both values. Using only one of these values is not allowed.BMC_K8S_KM_NODE_LABEL_NAME
Set the name of the field you want to use from the label information of the API response. Remove to unset. For example:
BMC_K8S_KM_NODE_LABEL_NAME=name
BMC_K8S_KM_NODE_LABEL_NAME=kubernetes.io/hostnameBMC_K8S_KM_NODE_LABEL_IN_SID
Set to 1 if you want to use the selected label value in the instance id (SID) of the node instance or 0 to unset.
Publishhostname
The hostname by which PATROL Agent is displayed in BMC Helix Operation Management. There should not be any other existing Agent with the same host name.
addPublishHostNameInNodeName
Determines whether the published host name is appended to the node name of the PATROL Agent.
Run the following command:
helm3 install -f <values.yaml path> <service_name> <directory path> -n <namespace>For example, helm3 install -f helix-monitor-agent/values.yaml k8s-agent helix-monitor-agent-25.1.00.tgz -n itom-agent
Verifying the deployment
Run the following command to check the helm chart deployment status:
helm3 list- In BMC Helix Operations Management, navigate to Configuration > Agents.
- Search for BMC Helix Monitor Agent by entering its name in the search box.
For a BMC Helix Monitor Agent, the version ends with letter c.
To uninstall BMC Helix Monitor Agent
- Run the following command:
helm3 uninstall <deployment name> -n <namespace>
To verify the uninstallation, run the following command:
helm3 list
FAQs