Preparing for installation

BMC recommends that you install the product on a limited number of development or test computers first, configure and test the BMC product, and then install it onto production computers.

The PATROL installation program shipped installs only to a local computer. The install program cannot perform remote installations. You must install BMC PATROL for Oracle e-Business Suite and a BMC PATROL Agent locally on each computer that you want to monitor. You also must install BMC PATROL for Oracle e-Business Suite and a PATROL Console locally on each computer from which you want to view results.

Note

The installation program does provide you with the ability to export the installation package after you have made all of the installation selections. If you place that installation package in a shared directory, you can use that same installation package to install BMC products on all computers that share the same BMC products directory, PATROL default logon, BMC PATROL Agent port number, PATROL 3.x and 7.x product directories, and security option.

This topic contains the following information:

Checking for product patches or fixes before installing

BMC provides product fixes or patches. Patches correct issues that are found after a product is released. BMC recommends that you check the product page for version 3.4.10 of BMC PATROL for Oracle e-Business Suite on the BMC Customer Support web page to determine whether a patch is available before you begin installing a product.

Determining how to install products

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). An installable image is a fully configured product image that you can use to install products to multiple computers. With an installable image, you can create one product image with one pass through the installation utility and then use that image to install to remote computers in your environment.

Local installation

If you install locally, you must install BMC PATROL for Oracle e-Business Suite and a BMC PATROL Agent on each computer that you want to monitor, and BMC PATROL for Oracle e-Business Suite 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 BMC PATROL for Oracle e-Business Suite 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 products installation directory, account names, passwords, BMC 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. For more information about creating, distributing, and installing installable images, and about using the ctltool, see the PATROL Installation Reference Manual. A summary of the required procedures can be found in Installing-with-the-Distribution-Server.

Target computers and their roles

The PATROL installation program prompts you to select the roles performed by the computer that you are installing BMC products on. Before beginning the installation process, review the following definitions of the roles presented in the installation program and decide which of these describes the roles that each computer in your system performs. During installation, select one or all of the following options:

Console Systems (also referred to as console computers) host user desktop applications such as consoles, user interfaces, viewers, and browsers. Select this option if the computer to which you are installing will perform any of the following roles:
- 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 Microsoft 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 BMC PATROL Agent, PATROL Knowledge Modules, and Service Reporting Retrievers. Select this option if the computer to which you are installing will perform any of the following roles:
- Host a BMC PATROL Agent 3.6 (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 (new with PATROL 7.xarchitecture) 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. Select this option if the computer to which you are installing will perform any of the following roles:
- Host the PATROL Central Operator – Web Edition (PATROL 7.x architecture) Web server
- Host the PATROL Console Servers
- Host the RTserver

For more information about these products, see the BMC PATROL Console Server and RTserver online documentation, BMC PATROL Central Operator – Web Edition online documentation, and BMC PATROL Central Operator – Web Edition online documentation.

Determining where to install KMs based on architecture

PATROL 3.x and PATROL 7.x architectures differ as to which target computers store Knowledge Modules 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

Install KM packages to Managed Systems and Console Systems.

PATROL 7.x

For PATROL Central Operator – Microsoft Windows Edition or PATROL Central Operator – Web Edition, install KM packages to Common Services Systems and Managed Systems.