Installing BMC Helix Platform Common services 24.1.00

The following video (3:23) provides a summary of installing BMC Helix Platform Common Services:

https://youtu.be/Vd5HG7txsdg

Before you begin

• Make sure that you have created a namespace to install BMC Helix Platform Common Services services.

• Verify that nothing is installed in the namespace by using the following command:

  kubectl get all -n <namespace>
• Make sure that you have configured the nginx-configuration configmap.
  For information about the nginx-configuration configmap parameter value requirements, see System-requirements.
• Make sure that you have permission to create ServiceAccount, Role, and RoleBinding in the BMC Helix Platform namespace.
  If you do not have permission, create a Service account, Role, and RoleBinding.

To create ServiceAccount, Role, and RoleBinding

To install BMC Helix Platform Common Services, you must have permission to create ServiceAccount, Role, and RoleBinding in the BMC Helix Platform namespace.

If you do not have permission, an administrator must perform the following steps to create a Service account, Role, and RoleBinding to enable you to install BMC Helix Platform Common Services:

1. In the commons/yaml_files/serviceAccount.yaml and commons/yaml_files/role_rolebinding.yaml file replace the following values:
   
   1. __SERVICE_ACCOUNT__ with the name of the service account that you want to create.
      
   2. __NAMESPACE__ with the BMC Helix Platform namespace.
      

2. To create a service account, run the following command:

   kubectl apply -f serviceAccount.yaml

3. To create role and rolebinding, run the following command:

   kubectl apply -f role_rolebinding.yaml
4. When you set the CUSTOM_SERVICEACCOUNT_NAME parameter in the infra.config file, replace helix-onprem-sa value with the service account name that you created.

Task 1: To download and extract the deployment manager

1. Log in to the controller or bastion machine from where the Kubernetes cluster is accessible.
2. Download the installation files from BMC Electronic Product Distribution (EPD) and extract it to a temporary directory, if you haven't already.
   1. Download the deployment manager helix-on-prem-deployment-manager-24.1.00-103.sh by selecting the BMC Helix Platform Services for Service Management Version 24.1.00 option.

1. 1. Download the hotfix itom-predeploy-hotfix-24.1.00.001-11.tar.gz. by selecting the BMC Helix Platform Services for Service Management Performance Hotfix Version 24.1.00 option.
      This hotfix addresses the following issues:
      • DRJ71-10089
      • DRRE3-5316
      • DRRE3-5278
      • DRRE3-5353
        For more information about the issues, see Known-and-corrected-issues.
   2. If you have configured disaster recovery, download the hotfix-24.1.00.004-12-Post.tar.gz hotfix file by selecting the BMC Helix Platform Services for Service Management Disaster Recovery Hotfix Version 24.1.00 option.
      The file contains disaster recovery deployment security and performance enhancements.
      To download the files from EPD, see Downloading-the-installation-files.

1. Run the following command to change the permission of the downloaded file:

   chmod a+x helix-on-prem-deployment-manager-<release_version>.sh

   
   

2. Self-extract the deployment manager. Run the following command:

   ./helix-on-prem-deployment-manager-24.1.00-103.sh
    cd helix-on-prem-deployment-manager

3. To extract the hotfix, run the following command:

   tar -xvf itom-predeploy-hotfix-24.1.00.001-11.tar.gz 

   The updated files will replace the affected files in the workspace directory.

Task 2: To prepare for password encryption

1. Go to the commons/certs directory and open the secrets.txt file.

   Important

   Use the secrets.txt file that you downloaded along with the deployment manager.
   

2. Add the following passwords to this file and then save it:

   Best practice
   The secrets.txt file is deleted after installation. You will need the values set in the secrets.txt file for future upgrades. Hence, save the secrets.txt in a secure location. The [confluence_table-plus] macro is a standalone macro and it cannot be used inline. Click on this message for details.
   This macro generates standalone content. As a consequence you need to make sure to use a syntax that separates your macro from the content before and after it so that it's on a line by itself. For example in XWiki Syntax 2.0+ this means having 2 newline characters (a.k.a line breaks) separating your macro from the content before and after it.

   Important

   Make sure that you provide all passwords in the secrets.txt file. If you fail to add any password in the secrets.txt file, the deployment fails with the following error:
   

   Sample secrets.txt file

   # cat commons/certs/secrets.txt
   #Please put the passwords in this file
   IMAGE_REGISTRY_PASSWORD=password123
   SMTP_PASSWORD=test123
   SMART_SYSTEM_PASSWORD=password123
   PG_PASSWD=pGTest2020
   KIBANA_PASSWORD=kibana123
   MINIO_ACCESS_KEY=admin
   MINIO_SECRET_KEY=admin123
   # ES_JKS_PASSWORD is required only when you are using Custom CA certificate, else keep value as ES_JKS_PASSWORD=""
   ES_JKS_PASSWORD=test@12
   
   ################## End OF THE FILE ####################
   

Task 3: To install BMC Helix Platform Common Services

1. In the helix-on-prem-deployment-manager/configs/infra.config file, modify the following parameters that are environment-specific.

   Important

   • The following load balancer hosts are required. You do not need any subdomains.
     • LB_HOST
       Ensure that the LB_HOST value is not the same as the tenant URL.

   • • TMS_LB_HOST
     • MINIO_LB_HOST
     • MINIO_API_LB_HOST
     • KIBANA_LB_HOST
     • Tenant URL that is derived based on the following parameters from the infra.config file:
       $COMPANY_NAME-$TENANT_TYPE-$ENVIRONMENT.$DOMAIN

   • Make sure that you have created a storage class.
     BMC supports a Bring-Your-Own-Storage-Class model, for any block storage supporting high performance IOPS. NFS is not supported for persistent volumes. CephRBD is certified by BMC.

2. In the helix-on-prem-deployment-manager/configs/deployment.config file, modify the following parameters:

   Parameter	Required value
   Infra services options
   DEPLOYMENT_SIZE	itsmcompact, itsmsmall, or itsmxlarge If you are installing BMC Helix Platform Common Service in a nonproduction environment, specify the value as itsmcompact. If you are installing BMC Helix Platform Common Service in a production environment, specify the value as itsmsmall. If you are installing BMC Helix Service Management extra large size, specify the value as itsmlarge. BMC Helix Service Managementdoes not require BMC Helix Platform Common Services resources with deployment sizes such as medium or large. To optimize resources, the deployment sizes, itsmcompact and itsmsmall, are provided for BMC Helix Service Management installation. The itsmcompact size does not support high availability. Use itsmcompact for nonproduction environments. The itsmsmall size supports high availability, so use this size for production environments.
   INFRA	yes
   _PTPOSTGRESS	yes
   _KAFKA	yes
   _REDIS	yes
   _RSSO	yes
   _ELASTICSEARCH	yes
   _VICTORIAMETRICS	yes Important: If you are not using BMC Helix ITSM Insights, set this parameter to No.
   _MINIO	yes
   BMC Helix Dashboard services
   HELIX_DASHBOARD_SERVICES	yes
   BMC Helix ITSM Insights
   (Optional)ITSMINSIGHT_SERVICES	yes  If you are not using BMC Helix ITSM Insights, set the ITSMINSIGHT_SERVICES and _VICTORIAMETRICS parameter values to No.
   AR System services
   ARSERVICES	yes Important: Make sure that you specify the value as yes. This option registers the BMC Helix Innovation Suite services in BMC Helix Platform.
   BMC Helix Logging
   BMC_HELIX_LOGGING	yes

3. Install the product by running the following command:

   ./deployment-manager.sh

After the BMC Helix Platform Common Service are deployed, the tenant administrator receives the following emails:

• An email with details about the BMC Helix Platform account
• An email to change the BMC Helix Platform account password at the first login

All installation logs are located in the following directory:

helix-on-prem-deployment-manager/logs

To apply the Disaster Recovery hotfix

The BMC Helix Platform Services for Service Management Disaster Recovery Hotfix Version 24.1.00 provides enhanced security and performance for disaster recovery deployment.
Apply the hotfix only if you have configured disaster recovery.

Perform the following steps:

1. If you have already enabled disaster recovery, disable it:
   1. Go to /helix-on-prem-deployment-manager/utilities/disaster-recovery.

   2. Run the following command:

      ./disaster-recovery.sh disable 
2. Make sure you have downloaded the hotfix-24.1.00.004-12-Post.tar.gz file from EPD.

3. To extract the hotfix file, run the following command:

   tar xvf hotfix-24.1.00.004-12-Post.tar.gz

   The new-image-list.txt file present in the extracted hotfix folder contains the following container images:
   

   • 2410004-v1-victoriametrics-vmbackupmanager-v1.100.1   
     
   • 2410004-v1-bitnami-minio-2024.03.21-rockylinux-9   
     
   • 2410004-v1-victoriametrics-vmrestore-v1.99.0-enterprise
4. Synchronize your local repository with BMC Docker Trusted Registry (DTR).
   See Setting-up-a-Harbor-repository-to-synchronize-container-images.
   

5. To execute the sh file, run the following command:

   bash hf_script.sh /<path to 24.1 deployment manager directory>/helix-on-prem-deployment-manager

   Replace <path to 24.1 deployment manager directory> with the full path of the directory where you have saved the 24.1 deployment manager.
   Example:

   bash hf_script.sh /data/24.1.00/helix-on-prem-deployment-manager

A copy of the directory helix-on-prem-deployment-manager gets created in the path specified in the command.

In the example, a new directory helix-on-prem-deployment-manager_HF1 gets created at /data/24.1.00.
No changes are made to the original directory specified in the command.

Sample configuration files

Where to go from here