Architecture

This topic describes the following elements of the BMC Database Automation product architecture:

• • BMC Database Automation Managers and Agents
    • Manager in a Standalone configuration
    • Managers in a Multi-Manager configuration
  • Data warehouse

BMC Database Automation Managers and Agents

The BMC Database Automation Manager (Manager) is one or more hosts that run the BMC Database Automation Manager software. The Manager connects to a set of BMC Database Automation Agents (Agents) that are installed on the hosts in your database environment. The Manager creates jobs such as patching, and sends the workflows over the network to the desired Agents, who then execute the commands and report back to the Manager. The Manager also provides storage for the automation content you create.

Manager in a Standalone configuration

The Manager software is installed on a single host when the Manager function is implemented in a Standalone configuration. This Manager provides all management functions for your environment and is the sole interface to the Agents.

Managers in a Multi-Manager configuration

The Manager software is installed on multiple hosts when the Manager function is implemented in a Multi-Manager configuration. Control of the Multi-Manager environment is provided by the Content Manager, which communicates and synchronizes with one or more Satellite Managers. This group of Managers is referred to as a mesh. The Satellite Managers connect to the Agents. The nodes, clusters, and databases are displayed on the associated Satellite Manager. The Satellite Manager that an Agent connects to is called the Primary Manager. Any content to be acted on by a Satellite Manager, such as Actions, templates, or patch packages, is created and stored in the Content Manager.

The Multi-Manager mesh provides the following:

• Synchronization of content across Satellite Managers, including Actions, patch packages, templates, and user information.
• Central management of domains. The Content Manager is used to create, move, and remove domains in your environment. Any changes to the structure of your domains are replicated across all Satellite Managers.

• System high-availability. If a Satellite Manager should go down or stop responding to Agents, its Agents can be configured to temporarily report to another Satellite Manager in the mesh. An Agent that is reporting to a Satellite Manager other than its Primary Manager is called an Alien Agent.
  
  

  Note

  Hosts that are pending approval on a Primary Manager do not transfer to another Satellite Manager if the Primary Manager should fail. These hosts continue to attempt to connect to their Primary Manager.

Data warehouse

An optional part of the architecture is the data warehouse. The data warehouse is a database used to store configuration data historically for reporting purposes. The data itself is also used in integration scenarios for consolidation into an enterprise CMDB or other asset tracking/management systems. This database must be an Oracle database, version 10.2 and up. When the reporting function is provided by BMC Database Automation, the data warehouse is referred to as the BMC Database Automation data warehouse. If the reporting function is provided by BMC Decision Support – Database Automation, the data warehouse is referred to as the BMC Decision Support – Database Automation data warehouse.