The following chapter describes the tasks you must complete before installing the Configuration Change Console.
The ideal Configuration Change Console server utilizes two Network Interface Cards (NIC); one NIC attaches to the external network to allow agents and web browsers to connect to the server. The second NIC attaches to a private network connecting directly to the database. Each physical device in a cluster that has a primary or server installed must be able to connect to the database.
This configuration allows the server to have a dedicated network interface for database traffic. Typically the interface will also extend across a faster networking medium than the external network. Typically the external network is 100 MBpS and the Private connection is 1 GBpS for database traffic. The Configuration Change Console server is a database intensive product.
Warning:
It is very important that the Configuration Change Console server is connected through the external network NIC. If the server is connected through the private NIC, the agents will not connect to the Server.If the device on which you installed the Configuration Change Console Server has multiple NIC cards, you must ensure that the primary NIC card for external connections is the one you will use for agent configuration. When you install an agent, you will provide an IP/hostname for the server. The NIC card with which this IP is associated must have higher priority than other NIC cards, otherwise the agent will receive a different IP than what is set at installation.
Note:
If you configure a specific IP for the server when installing an agent, but then notice in the agent's logs that during start up it attempts to connect to a different IP, this is because the NIC card priority discussed in this section is not set properly.See the operating system instructions for equivalent configurations on UNIX operating systems.
Configure the Configuration Change Console server to expose the external NIC properly by using the following procedure for Windows:
Go to Start --> Settings --> Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.
From the menu bar, click Advanced --> Advanced Settings.
Select the second NIC, for example, Local Area Connection 2, and click the Up Arrow. The NIC is now configured as the private NIC. Click Ok.
Note:
It is recommended that you rename the Local Area Connections to a more descriptive name to ease troubleshooting efforts. For example, rename NIC 1 as External Connection and NIC 2 as Private Connection.To verify that the Configuration Change Console server connects to the external NIC, from the server ping the host name of the server, not the Configuration Change Console Server IP address. If the ping resolves the hostname to the private NIC, the agents will not be able to connect to the server.
Follow the recommendations below to synchronize the server and database clock. For completely proper operation of the Configuration Change Console, all of the system clocks for the agents, jms brokers, and servers should have their clocks synchronized. Failure to use synchronized times will result in events appearing to be stamped with the wrong time, failed change management reconciliation, failed notifications and possibly missed events.
Synchronizing the Configuration Change Console server clock to your network depends on what best suits your environment. For instance, if you have a dedicated server that serves network time, you may want to install that client on the Configuration Change Console server.
An offset between the clock on the Configuration Change Console server and the clocks on the managed devices may affect notifications and file configuration updates as described below:
If the clock on the managed device is ahead of the clock on the Configuration Change Console server, notifications and updates to file configurations will be delayed by the deviation time.
If the clock on the Configuration Change Console server is ahead of the clock on the managed device, the result is contingent on the deviation time. The servers can tolerate a deviation of less than two minutes between the clocks. Note that a deviation greater than seven minutes may cause notifications and file configurations to be lost.
To synchronize the Oracle Database server clock with the Configuration Change Console server clock on Windows, follow these steps:
On the database server, from the Network and Dial-up Connections panel, right-mouse click on the Local Area Connection link. When the next screen appears, verify that the following components are selected:
Client for Microsoft Networks
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Click Ok.
On the database server, go to Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Scheduled Tasks and double-click on Add Scheduled Task.
Click Next when the Scheduled Task Wizard screen appears.
Select the Command Prompt option.
Enter a descriptive title. Select the option Daily for this task to be performed daily. Click Next.
Select 12:00 AM as the Start Time. Select the option Every Day and enter the current date as the Start Date. Click Next.
Enter an account name and password. This account must have administrative privileges on this server. Click Next.
Select the option Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish. Click Finish.
When you click Finish in the previous step, the next screen will appear. From the Task tab, in the Run field verify that the path matches the following path where you replace cccserver with the hostname of the Configuration Change Console server.:
C:\WINNT\system32\net.exe time \\cccserver /set /yes
Click Ok.
From the Schedule tab, click the Advanced button.
Verify that the End Date option is not selected.
Verify that the Repeat Task option is selected and enter the value as it suits your environment; this is typically every 10 minutes.
Select the Duration option and enter 24 in the Hour field. Click Ok.
From the Settings tab, verify that the option Stop the task if it runs is selected, and enter 5 in the Minutes field. Verify that all options under Power Management are unchecked.
Click Ok. A summary message will indicate the settings for the task.
See the operating system instructions for equivalent configurations on UNIX operating systems.
If you want to receive notifications on an SNMP Server when a configured event is triggered, you must configure your SNMP servers.
To receive SNMP notifications from the Configuration Change Console server, use two MIB files in conjunction with your SNMP/MIB software. These files, AR-SMI.mib and AR-NOTIF.mib can be found in the appendix of this document.
Compile both of these files using your SNMP/MIB manager software so that your SNMP server will be able to handle and interpret them correctly. Because each SMNP Management client is unique in the way it handles the implementation of these files, consult the documentation for your SNMP management software for the necessary process.
Note:
The MIB files have been tested using FineConnection to verify correct syntax and successful compilation. The source for both files is also available under the Appendix section of this document.When setting up your mail server for use with the Configuration Change Console, you must specify an email account to be used for receiving and acknowledging notifications from the product via email. This account will automatically have its Inbox purged every few minutes, so be sure to not use an account that is used for any other purpose.
The server can connect to a POP3 or IMAP mail account to receive mail. It sends mail using SMTP.