8 Installing Shared Agents

This chapter describes how you can install a Shared Agent with the help of a central, shared Oracle home location of an existing Oracle Management Agent (Management Agent) that is installed on an NFS-mounted drive.

8.1 Overview of Installing Shared Agents

Shared Agent is a Management Agent that is installed on a remote host, using the binaries of an existing Management Agent. The Management Agent that shares its software binaries, in this context, is called the Master Agent, and the one that is configured with an instance directory on the remote host is called a Shared Agent or an NFS Agent.

This feature facilitates the installation of multiple Management Agents by making use of very limited resources, and helps you carry out lifecycle operations with ease. For example, patching the Master Agent updates all its Shared Agents.

You can take advantage of this operation by installing additional Management Agents on hosts that share a mounted drive where a Management Agent is already installed. Such an operation makes use of the software binaries of the shared Oracle home present on the mounted drive, and configures the remote hosts such that they are managed by that Management Agent, thereby capitalizing on the NFS visibility and saving hard disk space on the remote hosts.

You can install a Shared Agent in graphical or silent mode. In graphical mode, you use the Add Host Targets Wizard that is accessible from within the Enterprise Manager Cloud Control console. In silent mode, you use the AgentNFS.pl script.

The wizard and the script use the software binaries from the shared Oracle home and configure an instance directory on each of the destination hosts for storing configuration files such as emd.properties, targets.xml, log files, and so on.

Note:

  • Shared Agents can be installed on Exalogic systems.

  • Installing a Shared Agent on a host running on Microsoft Windows is not supported.

  • Unlike the Add Host Target Wizard, the AgentNFS.pl script must be run only from a destination host, and at a given time, only one Management Agent can be installed. Therefore, if you want to install only a few Management Agents, then use the AgentNFS.pl script.

8.2 Before You Begin Installing Shared Agents

Before you begin installing a Shared Agent, keep these points in mind:

  • When you install a Shared Agent, you only configure an instance directory on the destination host to store configuration files; you do not actually install a Management Agent. However, a Shared Agent installed on a host behaves exactly like a Management Agent, and has all the features and capabilities of a Management Agent.

  • Only the destination host and the Shared Agent installed on it get automatically discovered and monitored in the Enterprise Manager system. The targets running on that destination host do not get automatically discovered and added to the Enterprise Manager system.

  • The source host (where the Master Agent is running) and the destination host must be running on the same operating system.

  • The Master Agent and the Shared Agent must be installed with the same user account.

  • (Only for Graphical Mode) The Add Host Targets Wizard uses SSH to establish connectivity between Oracle Management Service (OMS) and the remote hosts where you want to install the Management Agents.

  • (Only for Graphical Mode) Only SSH1 (SSH version 1) and SSH2 (SSH version 2) protocols offered by OpenSSH are supported for deploying a Management Agent.

  • (Only for Graphical Mode) The Add Host Targets Wizard supports Named Credentials that enable you to use a set of credentials registered with a particular name specifically for this operation, by your administrator. This ensures an additional layer of security for your passwords because as an operator, you can only select the named credential, which is saved and stored by an administrator, and not know the actual user name and password associated with it.

    In case the named credential you select does not have the privileges to perform the installation, then you can set the named credential to run as another user (locked user account). In this case, the wizard logs in to the hosts using the named credential you select, but performs the installation using the locked user account you set.

    For example, you can create a named credential titled User_A (the user account that has remote login access), and set it to run as User_X (the Management Agent install user account for which no direct login is set) that has the required privileges. In this case, the wizard logs in to the hosts as User_A, but installs as User_X, using the privilege delegation setting (sudo or PowerBroker) specified in the named credential.

  • (Only for Graphical Mode) Named credentials support SSH public key authentication and password based authentication. So you can use an existing SSH public key authentication without exposing your passwords.

    To set up SSH public key authentication for a named credential, follow these steps:

    Note:

    If you have already set up SSH public key authentication for a named credential and the SSH keys are already created, upload the SSH keys to Enterprise Manager, as mentioned in Step 3 of the following procedure.

    1. Navigate to the following location in the OMS home:

      $<OMS_HOME>/oui/prov/resources/scripts

      For example,

      /home/software/em/middleware/oms/oui/prov/resources/scripts

    2. If the OMS host runs on Oracle Solaris, edit the sshUserSetup.sh script to change the following:

      "SunOS") SSH="/usr/local/bin/ssh" SSH_KEYGEN="/usr/local/bin/ssh-keygen"

      to

      "SunOS") SSH="/usr/bin/ssh" SSH_KEYGEN="/usr/bin/ssh-keygen"

    3. If the OMS host runs on any Unix based operating system, run the sshUserSetup.sh script on the OMS host as the OMS user, and pass the Management Agent install user name and the fully qualified name of the target hosts:

      sshUserSetup.sh -setup -user <agent_install_user_name> -hosts <target_hosts>

      The following SSH keys are created:

      $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa
$HOME/.ssh/id_rsa_pub

      Here, $HOME refers to the home directory of the OMS install user.

      If the OMS host runs on Microsoft Windows, install Cygwin on the OMS host (described in Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide), then run the following script on the OMS host as the OMS user, and pass the Management Agent install user name and the fully qualified name of the target hosts:

      sshUserSetupNT.sh -setup -user <agent_install_user_name> -hosts <target_hosts>

    4. Upload the SSH keys to Enterprise Manager.

      From the Setup menu, select Security, then select Named Credentials. Click Create. For Credential Name, specify the name of the credential, for Credential Type, select SSH Key Credentials, and for Scope, select Global. If you do not select the Global option, you cannot use the SSH named credential to install Management Agents using the Add Host Targets Wizard.

      To upload one of the private SSH keys created in Step 3, in the Credential Properties section, specify the location of the private SSH key as a value for the Upload Private Key field. Click Save.

      To upload one of the public SSH keys created in Step 3, in the Credential Properties section, specify the location of the public SSH key as a value for the Upload Public Key field. Click Save.

      Figure 8-1 describes how to upload SSH keys to Enterprise Manager.

      Figure 8-1 Uploading SSH Keys to Enterprise Manager

      Surrounding text describes Figure 8-1 .

    If you have already set up SSH public key authentication for a named credential, you can use the named credential while installing Management Agents using the Add Host Targets Wizard.

  • By default, the following types of plug-ins are configured on the Shared Agent:

    • All discovery plug-ins that were configured with the OMS from where the Management Agent software is being deployed.

    • Oracle Home discovery plug-in

    • Oracle Home monitoring plug-in

    • All the additional plug-ins deployed on the Master Agent

  • Upgrading a lower release of Solaris by applying a kernel patch or a patch bundle is not equivalent to installing the actual Solaris 5.10 Update 9 image. Oracle Management Agent 12c Release 5 (12.1.0.5) was built, tested, and certified on a minimum update version of Solaris 5.10 Update 9, so Oracle recommends that you install Oracle Management Agent only on Solaris 5.10 Update 9, and not on any release that was upgraded using patches.

8.3 Prerequisites for Installing Shared Agents

Before installing a Shared Agent, ensure that you meet the following prerequisites:

Table 8-1 Prerequisites for Installing Shared Agent

Requirement Description

Hardware Requirements

Ensure that you meet the hard disk space and physical memory requirements. For more information, see the chapter on hardware requirements in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

Destination Host Disk Space Requirements

Ensure that the Master Agent host has a minimum of 1 GB free hard disk space, and the Shared Agent host has a minimum of 2 MB free hard disk space.

Operating System Requirements

Ensure that you install the Management Agent only on certified operating systems as mentioned in the Enterprise Manager certification matrix available on My Oracle Support.

You cannot install a Shared Agent using a Master Agent that runs on a Microsoft Windows platform. Shared Agents are not supported on Microsoft Windows platforms.

To access the Enterprise Manager certification matrix, follow the steps outlined in Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

For information about platforms receiving future support, refer to My Oracle Support note 793512.1.

Note: If you use Oracle Solaris 10, then ensure that you have update 9 or higher installed. To verify whether it is installed, run the following command:

cat /etc/release

You should see the output similar to the following. Here, s10s_u6 indicates that update 6, which is not a supported update level for installation, is installed.

Solaris 10 10/08 s10s_u6wos_07b SPARC

File System Requirements

Ensure that the file system mounted on the destination host does not permit buffered writes.

File Descriptor Requirements

  • Ensure that the maximum user process limit is set to 13312 or greater.

    To verify the current value set, run the following command:

    ulimit -u

    If the current value is not 13312 or greater, then contact your system administrator to set it to at least 13312.

  • Ensure that you set the soft limit of file descriptor to a minimum of 4096 and hard limit less then or equal to 16384.

    To verify the current value set, run the following commands:

    For Soft Limit:

    /bin/sh -c "ulimit -n"

    For Hard Limit:

    /bin/sh -c "ulimit -Hn"

    If the current value is not 4096 or greater, then as a root user, update the /etc/security/limits.conf file with the following entries:

    <UID> soft nofile 4096

    <UID> hard nofile 16384

Package Requirements

Ensure that you install all the operating system-specific packages. For more information, see the chapter on package requirements in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

User and Operating System Group Requirement

Ensure that the destination host where you want to install the Management Agent has the appropriate users and operating system groups created.

For more information, see the chapter on creating operating system groups and users in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

Note: If your enterprise has a policy against installing Management Agents using the OMS install operating system user account, you can use a different operating system user account to install Management Agents. However, ensure that the user account you use and the OMS install user account belong to the same primary group.

Software Availability Requirements

Ensure that you already have Oracle Management Agent 12c installed as a Master Agent in a shared, mounted location.

For information on how to install a Management Agent, see Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

Software Mount Requirements

Ensure that at least one Shared Agent host has read write permissions on the mount location. To mount the Management Agent software on the Shared Agent host with read write permissions, run the following command:

mount -t nfs -o rw <master_agent_host_name>:<agent_base_dir_of_master_agent> <agent_base_dir_of_shared_agent>

For example, run the following command:

mount -t nfs -o rw abc.oracle.com:/scratch/agent /scratch/agent

To mount the Management Agent software on the Shared Agent host with read only permissions, run the following command:

mount -t nfs -o ro <master_agent_host_name>:<agent_base_dir_of_master_agent> <agent_base_dir_of_shared_agent>

For example, run the following command:

mount -t nfs -o ro abc.oracle.com:/scratch/agent /scratch/agent

Note: Before mounting the Management Agent software on the Shared Agent host, ensure that you have created the agent base directory on the Shared Agent host, such that the directory has the same path as the agent base directory on the Master Agent host.

/etc/hosts File Requirements

Ensure that the /etc/hosts file on the host has the IP address, the fully qualified name, and the short name in the following format:

172.16.0.0 example.com mypc

Destination Host Access Requirements

Ensure that the destination hosts are accessible from the host where the OMS is running.

If the destination host and the host on which OMS is running belong to different network domains, then ensure that you update the /etc/hosts file on the destination host to add a line with the IP address of that host, the fully qualified name of that host, and the short name of the host.

For example, if the fully-qualified host name is example.com and the short name is mypc, then add the following line in the /etc/hosts file:

172.16.0.0 example.com mypc

Destination Host Credential Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Ensure that all the destination hosts running on the same operating system have the same set of credentials. For example, all the destination hosts running on Linux operating system must have the same set of credentials.

The wizard installs the Management Agent using the same user account. If you have hosts running on the same operating system but with different credentials, then have two different deployment sessions.

Destination Host Time Zone Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Ensure that the time zones of the destination hosts have been set correctly. To verify the time zone of a destination host, log in to the OMS host, and run the following command:

ssh -l <install_user> <destination_host_name> /bin/sh -c 'echo $TZ'

If the time zone displayed is incorrect, log in to the destination host, and follow these steps:

  1. Run the following commands to set the time zone on the destination host:

    • For Korn shell:

      TZ=<value>

      export TZ

    • For Bourne shell or Bash shell:

      export TZ=<value>

    • For C shell:

      setenv TZ <value>

    For example, in the Bash shell, run the following command to set the time zone to America/New_York:

    export TZ='America/New_York'

    To view a list of the time zones you can use, access the supportedtzs.lst file present in the <AGENT_HOME>/sysman/admin directory of the central agent (that is, the Management Agent installed on the OMS host).

  2. Restart the SSH daemon.

    If the destination host runs on a UNIX based operating system, run the following command:

    sudo /etc/init.d/sshd restart

    If the destination host runs on a Microsoft Windows operating system, run the following commands:

    cygrunsrv -E sshd

    cygrunsrv -S sshd

  3. Verify whether the SSH server can access the TZ environment variable by logging in to the OMS host, and running the following command:

    ssh -l <install_user> <destination_host_name> /bin/sh -c 'echo $TZ'

Note: If you had ignored a prerequisite check warning about wrong time zone settings during the Management Agent install, you must set the correct time zone on the destination hosts after installing the Management Agents. For information on setting time zones post install, refer Section 8.5.

Time Zone Requirements

(Only for Silent Mode)

Ensure that the host time zone has been set correctly. To verify the host time zone, run the following command:

echo $TZ

If the time zone displayed is incorrect, run the following commands, before running the agentDeploy.sh or agentDeploy.bat scripts, to set the correct time zone:

  • For Korn shell:

    TZ=<value>

    export TZ

  • For Bourne shell or Bash shell:

    export TZ=<value>

  • For C shell:

    setenv TZ <value>

For example, in the Bash shell, run the following command to set the time zone to America/New_York:

export TZ='America/New_York'

To view a list of the time zones you can use, access the supportedtzs.lst file present in the <AGENT_HOME>/sysman/admin directory of the central agent (that is, the Management Agent installed on the OMS host).

Note: If you had ignored a prerequisite check warning about wrong time zone settings during the Management Agent install, you must set the correct time zone on the host after installing the Management Agent. For information on setting time zones post install, refer Section 8.5.

sudo/pbrun/sesu/su SSH Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Ensure that you set the oracle.sysman.prov.agentpush.enablePty property to true in the $<OMS_HOME>/sysman/prov/agentpush/agentpush.properties file, if the privilege delegation tool you are using requires a pseudo terminal for remote command execution via SSH. Most privilege delegation tools such as pbrun, sesu, and su require a pseudo terminal for remote command execution, by default.

Note: If you are using sudo as your privilege delegation tool, and you do not want to set the oracle.sysman.prov.agentpush.enablePty property to true, do one of the following:

  • Include Defaults visiblepw in the /etc/sudoers file, or enter the sudo command with the -S option for Privileged Delegation Setting on the Installation Details page.

    For information on how to access the Installation Details page, see Section 8.4.1.

  • Comment out Defaults requiretty in the /etc/sudoers file.

sudo/pbrun/sesu/su Requirements (for Root User)

(Only for Graphical Mode)

  • Ensure that the installing user has the privileges to invoke the id command and the agentdeployroot.sh script as root. Grant the privileges in the configuration file of your privilege delegation tool.

    For example, if you are using sudo as your privilege delegation tool, include the following in the /etc/sudoers file to grant the required privileges:

    <install_user> ALL=(root) /usr/bin/id, <agent_home>/*/agentdeployroot.sh

    For example, oracle ALL=(root) /usr/bin/id, /u01/app/oracle/admin/shared/agent_home/*/agentdeployroot.sh

    Here, oracle is the installing user, and /u01/app/oracle/admin/shared/agent_home is the Shared Agent home.

  • You do not require the following entry in the /etc/sudoers file for installing a Management Agent. However, the entry is required for performing provisioning and patching operations in Enterprise Manager. Therefore, if you are removing this entry before installing a Management Agent, then ensure that you bring back the entry after installing the Management Agent.

    In Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c Release 2 (12.1.0.2), Release 3 (12.1.0.3), Release 4 (12.1.0.4), and Release 5 (12.1.0.5):

    (root) /<AGENT_BASE_DIRECTORY>/sbin/nmosudo

    In Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1) [with Bundle Patch 1]:

    (root) /<AGENT_INSTANCE_DIRECTORY>/bin/nmosudo

sudo/pbrun/sesu/su Requirements (for Locked Account User)

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Ensure that the installing user has the privileges to invoke /bin/sh as the locked account user. Grant the privileges in the configuration file of your privilege delegation tool.

For example, if you are using sudo as your privilege delegation tool, include the following in the /etc/sudoers file to grant the required privileges:

login_user1 ALL=(oracle) /bin/sh

Here, login_user1 is the SSH log in user, and oracle is the locked account and install user.

If you do not want to grant privileges to the installing user to invoke /bin/sh as the locked account user, set the oracle.sysman.prov.agentpush.pdpShellOutEnabled property to false, and ensure that the installing user has the privileges to invoke id, chmod, cp, mkdir, rm, tar, emctl, perl, runInstaller, and unzip as the locked account user. Grant the privileges in the configuration file of your privilege delegation tool.

For example, if you are using sudo as your privilege delegation tool, include the following in the /etc/sudoers file to grant the required privileges:

login_user1 ALL=(oracle) /usr/bin/id, /bin/chmod, /bin/cp, /bin/mkdir, /bin/rm, /bin/tar, /home/oracle/agentinst/bin/emctl, /home/oracle/agentibd/core/12.1.0.5.0/perl/bin/perl, /home/oracle/agentibd/core/12.1.0.5.0/oui/bin/runInstaller, /home/oracle/agentibd/core/12.1.0.5.0/bin/unzip

Here, login_user1 is the SSH log in user, oracle is the locked account and install user, /home/oracle/agentinst is the agent instance directory of the Shared Agent, and /home/oracle/agentibd is the agent base directory.

Temporary Directory Space Requirements

Ensure that you allocate 400 MB of space for a temporary directory where the executables can be copied.

By default, the temporary directory location set to the environment variable TMP or TEMP is honored. If both are set, then TEMP is honored. If none of them are set, then the following default values are honored: /tmp on UNIX hosts and c:\Temp on Microsoft Windows hosts.

Instance Directory Requirements

Ensure that the Shared Agent instance directory (the directory where you want to save the Shared Agent configuration files) you specify is empty and has write permissions for the install user. Also, ensure that the parent directory has write permissions for the install user.

Shared Oracle Home Requirements

Ensure that the Master Agent home is accessible from the destination host where you want to install the Shared Agent. Ensure that the Master Agent home is mounted with the setuid turned on.

Path Validation Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Validate the path to all command locations. For more information, see the appendix on validating command locations in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

CLASSPATH Environment Variable Requirements

If the value assigned to the CLASSPATH environment variable has white spaces in it, then ensure that you unset it. You can always reset the environment variable to the original value after the installation is complete.

Default SSH Port Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Ensure that the SSH daemon is running on the default port (that is, 22) on all the destination hosts. To verify the SSH port on a Unix host, run the following command:

netstat -anp | grep -i sshd

For example, the output of this command may be the following:

tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:22 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 3188/sshd

The above output indicates that the SSH daemon is running on port 22.

Also, on a Unix host, you can run the following command to verify the SSH port:

cat /etc/ssh/sshd_config

For a Microsoft Windows host, the SSH port value is mentioned in the C:\cygwin\etc\sshd_config file.

If the SSH port is a non-default port, that is, any port other than 22, then update the SSH_PORT property in the following file:

$<OMS_HOME>/oui/prov/resources/Paths.properties

Port Requirements

Ensure that the default ports described in Section 2.1.10.1 are free.

Installing User Requirements

  • The Master Agent and the Shared Agent must be installed with the same user account.

  • If the central inventory owner and the user installing the Management Agent are different, then ensure that they are part of the same group.

  • Ensure that the inventory owner and the group to which the owner belongs have read and write permissions on the inventory directory.

    For example, if the inventory owner is abc and the user installing the Management Agent is xyz, then ensure that abc and xyz belong to the same group, and they have read and write access to the inventory.

Central Inventory (oraInventory) Requirements

  • Ensure that you allocate 100 MB of space on all destination hosts for the Central Inventory.

  • The Shared Agent uses the inventory location mentioned in the oraInst.loc file, which is present in the <MASTER_AGENT_BASE DIR>/core/12.1.0.5.0/ directory. Ensure that the Shared Agent user has read and write permissions on this directory.

Preinstallation/Postinstallation Scripts Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

Ensure that the preinstallation and postinstallation scripts that you want to run along with the installation are available either on the OMS host, destination hosts, or on a shared location accessible to the destination hosts.

Browser Requirements

(Only for Graphical Mode)

  • Ensure that you use a certified browser as mentioned in the Enterprise Manager certification matrix available on My Oracle Support.

    To access the Enterprise Manager certification matrix, follow the steps outlined in Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

  • If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or 9, do the following:

    • Turn off the compatibility view mode. To do so, in Microsoft Internet Explorer, from the Tools menu, click Compatibility View to disable it if it is enabled. Also, click Compatibility View Settings and deregister the Enterprise Manager Cloud Control console URL.

    • Enable XMLHTTP. To do so, from the Tools menu, click Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab, and under the Security heading, select Enable native XMLHTTP support to enable it.

8.4 Installing Shared Agents

This section describes how to install Shared Agents using the Add Host Targets Wizard, as well as in silent mode. This section consists of the following:

Important:

If the OMS host is running on Microsoft Windows, and the OMS software was installed in a drive other than C:\, then update the SCRATCH_PATH variable in $OMS_HOME\oui\prov\resources\ssPaths_msplats.properties.

For example, if the OMS software was installed in D:\, ensure that you update the SCRATCH_PATH variable to D:\tmpada

8.4.1 Installing Shared Agents Using Add Host Targets Wizard

To install a Shared Agent in graphical mode, using Add Host Targets Wizard, follow these steps:

  1. In Cloud Control, do one of the following:

    • From the Setup menu, select Add Targets, and then, click Auto Discovery Results. On the Auto Discovery Results page, select a host you want to monitor in Enterprise Manager Cloud Control, and click Promote.

    • From the Setup menu, select Add Target, and then, click Add Targets Manually. On the Add Targets Manually page, select Add Host Targets and click Add Host.

  2. On the Host and Platform page, do the following:

    1. Accept the default name assigned for this session or enter a unique name of your choice. The custom name you enter can be any intuitive name, and need not necessarily be in the same format as the default name. For example, add_host_operation_1

      A unique deployment activity name enables you to save the installation details specified in this deployment session and reuse them in the future without having to enter all the details all over again in the new session.

    2. Click Add to enter the fully qualified name and select the platform of the host on which you want to install the Management Agent.

      Note:

      • Oracle recommends you to enter the fully qualified domain name of the host. For monitoring purpose, Enterprise Manager Cloud Control adds that host and the Management Agent with the exact name you enter here.

      • You must enter only one host name per row. Entering multiple host names separated by a comma is not supported.

      • You must ensure that the host name you enter does not have underscores.

      Alternatively, you can click either Load from File to add host names stored in a file, or Add Discovered Hosts to add host names from a list of hosts discovered by Enterprise Manager. For information on how the host name entries must appear in the host file, see Section 7.4.1.2

      Note:

      When you click Add Discovered Hosts and add hosts from a list of discovered hosts, the host's platform is automatically detected and displayed. The platform name is detected using a combination of factors, including hints received from automated discovery and the platform of the OMS host. This default platform name is a suggestion, so Oracle strongly recommends you to verify the platform details before proceeding to the next step.

      As the Shared Agent can be installed only if the source host and the destination host are running on the same platform, set the platform for the first host in the first row of the table and from the Platform list, select Same for All Hosts. This will ensure that the platform name you selected for the first host is also set for the rest of the hosts in the table.

      Note:

      If you are installing a Management Agent on a host that is running on a platform different from the OMS host platform, then ensure that the Management Agent software for that platform is available in Oracle Software Library (Software Library). If the Management Agent software for the required platform is not available in Software Library, acquire and apply the software using the Self Update console.

      To access the Self Update Console, from the Setup menu, select Extensibility, then select Self Update. To acquire the latest Management Agent software, click Agent Software, select the required software, then click Download.

      For more information on how to acquire and apply the Management Agent software for a platform using the Self Update console, see Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide.

    3. Click Next.

  3. On the Installation Details page, do the following:

    1. In the Deployment Type section, select Add Host to Shared Agent. Then, for Select Target, click the torch icon and select the Management Agent that is shared and mounted. This location must be visible on all remote hosts.

      Figure 8-2 describes this step.

      Figure 8-2 Installing a Shared Agent

      Description of Figure 8-2 follows
      Description of ''Figure 8-2 Installing a Shared Agent''

    2. From the table, select the first row that indicates the hosts grouped by their common platform name.

      Surrounding text describes add_host_wiz_inst_details_shared.jpg.

    3. In the Installation Details section, provide the installation details common to the hosts selected in Step 3 (b). For Oracle Home, validate or enter the location of the shared Management Agent home. Ensure that the Management Agent home is on a shared location, and is accessible from all the destination hosts.

    4. For Instance Directory, enter the absolute path to a directory, on the Shared Agent host, where all Management Agent-related configuration files can be stored. Ensure that the directory has write permission.

      For example, /usr/home/software/oracle/agentHome/agent_inst

      If the path you enter does not exist, the application creates a directory at the specified path, and stores all the Management Agent-related configuration files there.

    5. From Named Credential list, select an appropriate profile whose credentials can be used for setting up the SSH connectivity between the OMS and the remote hosts, and for installing a Management Agent on each of the remote hosts.

      Note:

      • If you do not have a credential profile, or if you have one but do not see it in the Named Credential list, then click the plus icon against this list. In the Create New Named Credential window, enter the credentials and store them with an appropriate profile name so that it can be selected and used for installing the Management Agents. Also set the run privilege if you want to switch over from the Named Credential you are creating, to another user who has the privileges to perform the installation.

      • If the plus icon is disabled against this list, then you do not have the privileges to create a profile with credentials. In this case, contact your administrator and either request him/her to grant you the privileges to create a new profile or request him/her to create a profile and grant you the access to view it in the Named Credential list.

      • If you have manually set up SSH public key authentication between the OMS and the remote hosts, then you may not have a password for your user account. In this case, create a named credential with a dummy password. Do NOT leave the password field blank.

    6. For Privileged Delegation Setting, validate the Privilege Delegation setting to be used for running the root scripts. By default, it is set to the Privilege Delegation setting configured in Enterprise Manager Cloud Control.

      For example, you can specify one of the following for the Privileged Delegation Setting field:

      /usr/bin/sudo -u %RUNAS% %COMMAND%
/usr/bin/sudo -u -S %RUNAS% %COMMAND% (if a pseudo terminal is required for remote command execution via SSH)
/usr/bin/sesu - %RUNAS% -c "%COMMAND%"
/usr/bin/pbrun %PROFILE% -u %RUNAS% %COMMAND%
/usr/bin/su - %RUNAS% -c "%COMMAND%"

      If you leave the Privileged Delegation Setting field blank, the root scripts will not be run by the wizard; you will have to run them manually after the installation. For information about running them manually, see Section 8.5.

      This setting will also be used for performing the installation as the user set in the Run As attribute of the selected Named Credential if you had set the user while creating that Named Credential.

      Note:

      In the Privilege Delegation setting, the %RUNAS% is honored as the root user for running the root scripts and as the user set in the Run As attribute of the Named Credential for performing the installation.

    7. For Port, accept the default port (3872) that is assigned for the Management Agent to communicate, or enter a port of your choice.

      The custom port you enter must not be busy. If you are not sure, you can leave it blank. Enterprise Manager Cloud Control automatically assigns the first available free port within the range of 1830 - 1849.

    8. (Optional) In the Optional Details section, enter the absolute path to an accessible location where the preinstallation and postinstallation scripts you want to run are available. Note that only one preinstallation or one postinstallation script can be specified.

      If you want to run the script as root, then select Run as Root. If the script is on the host where OMS is running and is not on the host where you want to install the Management Agent, then select Script on OMS. In this case, the script will be copied from the OMS host to the destination hosts, and then run on the destination hosts.

    9. (Optional) For Additional Parameters, enter a whitespace-separate list of additional parameters that you want to pass during the installation. For a complete list of supported additional parameters, see Table 8-2.

      For example, if you want to provide the inventory pointer location file, then enter -invPtrLoc followed by the absolute path to the file location. However, this parameter is supported only on UNIX platforms, and not on Microsoft Windows platforms.

    10. Repeat Step 3 (b) to Step 3 (h) for every other row you have in the table.

    11. Click Next.

  4. On the Review page, review the details you have provided and if you are satisfied with the details, then click Deploy Agent to install the Management Agent.

    If you want to modify the details, then click Back repeatedly to reach the page where you want to make the changes.

    When you click Deploy Agent and submit the deployment session, you are automatically taken to the Add Host Status page that enables you to monitor the progress of the deployment session.

Note:

If you restart the destination host after installing a Shared Agent, and the Shared Agent does not start up automatically, restore the mount with the original permissions, then start the Shared Agent manually.

8.4.2 Additional Parameters Supported for Installing Shared Agents Using Add Host Targets Wizard

Table 8-2 lists the additional parameters supported for installing a Shared Agent in graphical mode.

Table 8-2 Supported Additional Parameters

Parameter Description

EM_STAGE_DIR

Enter the absolute path to a custom location that can be created as a temporary Provisioning Advisor Framework (PAF) staging directory.

By default, every time you install a Management Agent, a PAF staging directory is created for copying the Software Library entities related to the deployment procedures. By default, this location is the scratch path location (/tmp). The location is used only for provisioning activities—entities are copied for a deployment procedure, and then, deleted once the deployment procedure ends.

If you want to override this location with a custom location, you can pass this option and enter a custom location.

For example,

EM_STAGE_DIR=/home/john/software/oracle/pafdir

b_startAgent=false

Specify this parameter if you do not want the Management Agent to start automatically once it is installed and configured.

If you do not specify this parameter, the Management Agent starts automatically once it is installed and configured.

b_secureAgent=false

Specify this parameter if you do not want the Management Agent to be secured after the install.

If you specify this parameter, ensure that you also specify the OMS HTTP port, using the EM_UPLOAD_PORT parameter.

For example, b_secureAgent=false EM_UPLOAD_PORT=4899

If you do not specify this parameter, the Management Agent is secured automatically after the install.

8.4.3 Installing Shared Agents in Silent Mode

To install a Shared Agent in silent mode, follow these steps:

On the Master Agent Host:

  1. Run the create_plugin_list.pl script from the Master Agent host:

    $AGENT_HOME/perl/bin/perl $AGENT_HOME/sysman/install/create_plugin_list.pl -instancehome <AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>

On the Shared Agent Host:

  1. Create a response file titled AgentNFS.rsp as described in Table 8-3.

    Note:

    The response file you create can have any name, and not necessarily AgentNFS.rsp. For easy understanding, this chapter uses the name AgentNFS.rsp. Also, instead of creating a response file, you can choose to pass the arguments explicitly while invoking the script. However, Oracle recommends that you create a response file and capture the information there.

  2. Invoke the script from the Shared Agent host, and pass the response file.

    $<AGENT_HOME>/perl/bin/perl <AGENT_HOME>/sysman/install/AgentNFS.pl -responseFile <absolute_path_to_response_file>

    For example,

    /scratch/agent_base_dir/core/12.1.0.5.0/perl/bin/perl /scratch/agent_base_dir/core/12.1.0.5.0/sysman/install/AgentNFS.pl -responseFile /home/john/AgentNFS.rsp

    Ensure that <AGENT_HOME> is a shared location, and is accessible from all the destination hosts.

    Note:

    • Instead of creating a response file, you can choose to pass all the arguments explicitly while invoking the script. In this case, invoke the script in the following way:

      $<AGENT_HOME>/perl/bin/perl <AGENT_HOME>/sysman/install/AgentNFS.pl AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME=<absolute_path_to_instance_dir> ORACLE_HOME=<absolute_path_to_master_agent_oracle_home> <parameter1>=<value1> <parameter2>=<value2> <parameter3>=<value3>...

      For example,

      /scratch/agent_base_dir/core/12.1.0.5.0/perl/bin/perl /scratch/agent_base_dir/core/12.1.0.5.0/sysman/install/AgentNFS.pl AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME=/<local_location>/agent_inst ORACLE_HOME=/scratch/agent_base_dir/core/12.1.0.5.0 AGENT_PORT=1832 AGENT_REGISTRATION_PASSWORD=welcome b_startAgent=TRUE

      While specifying AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME, ensure that the location you specify is local to the host and is not reused by any other host.

    • If the Master Agent was installed using the Add Host Targets Wizard, then ensure that you pass the following arguments with these values:

      AGENT_REGISTRATION_PASSWORD=<password>

      b_startAgent=TRUE

    • Do NOT pass the -invPtrLoc argument because, by default, the location <AGENT_HOME>/oraInst.loc is honored, where <AGENT_HOME> is the Master Agent. Also ensure that the Oracle Inventory directory, to which the inventory file points, is not in a shared location.

    • If you restart the destination host after installing a Shared Agent, and the Shared Agent does not start up automatically, restore the mount with the original permissions, then start the Shared Agent manually.

  3. When prompted to run the root.sh script, run it from the instance directory of the Shared Agent:

    <AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>/root.sh

    If you are not a root user, then use SUDO to change to a root user. For example, run the following command:

    /usr/local/bin/sudo /scratch/OracleHomes/agent_inst/root.sh

  4. Repeat Step (2) to Step (4) on the remaining hosts where you want to install the Shared Agent.

8.4.4 Response File Parameters for Installing Shared Agents in Silent Mode

To install a Shared Agent in silent mode, you must invoke the AgentNFS.pl script and pass a response file that captures all the required information. Table 8-3 describes the various parameters you must include in the response file.

Table 8-3 Creating a Response File for Installing Oracle Management Agent Using the AgentNFS.pl Script

Parameter Description

ORACLE_HOME

Specify the absolute path to the Master Agent home, which is shared and visible on the destination host.

For example, /scratch/agent_base_dir/core/12.1.0.5.0

AGENT_PORT

(Optional) Enter the port on which the Shared Agent process should be started. You can enter any free port between 1830 and 1849. The same port is used for both HTTP and HTTPS.

For example, 1832

AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME

Specify the absolute path to a location on the destination host where you want to store all Management Agent-related configuration files.

For example, /<local_location>/agent_inst

Ensure that this location is local to the host and is not reused by any other host.

AGENT_REGISTRATION_PASSWORD

Enter a password for registering new Management Agents that join the Enterprise Manager system.

By default, the communication between the OMS and the Management Agents is secured and locked. Any new Management Agents that join the Enterprise Manager system must be authenticated before they become part of the system. The password you enter here will be used for authenticating those new Management Agents.

For example, Wel456come

Note: If the Master Agent was installed using the Add Host Targets Wizard, then you must pass this parameter.

b_startAgent

Set it to TRUE so that the Shared Agent is started automatically once it is installed and configured.

Note: If the Master Agent was installed using the Add Host Targets Wizard, then you must pass this parameter.

ORACLE_HOSTNAME

(Optional) (Only for Installation on Virtual Hosts) Specify the virtual host name where you are installing the Shared Agent.

ALLOW_IPADDRESS

(Optional) Enter TRUE if you want to specify an IP address for ORACLE_HOSTNAME. If ALLOW_IPADDRESS is set to FALSE, a prerequisite check fails when you specify an IP address for ORACLE_HOSTNAME while installing a Management Agent.

For example, ALLOW_IPADDRESS=TRUE

If you do not include this parameter, it defaults to FALSE.

START_PRIORITY_LEVEL

(For Unix based hosts only)

(Optional) Use this parameter to specify the priority level of the Management Agent service when the host is started. This parameter accepts values between 0 and 99. However, Oracle recommends that you provide a value between 91 and 99 for this parameter.

For example, START_PRIORITY_LEVEL=95

If you do not include this parameter, it defaults to 98.

SHUT_PRIORITY_LEVEL

(For Unix based hosts only)

(Optional) Use this parameter to specify the priority level of the Management Agent service when the host is shut down. This parameter accepts values between 0 and 99.

For example, SHUT_PRIORITY_LEVEL=25

If you do not include this parameter, it defaults to 19.

PROPERTIES_FILE

(Optional) Use this parameter to specify the absolute location of the properties file.

For example, PROPERTIES_FILE=/tmp/agent.properties

In the properties file, specify the parameters that you want to use for the Management Agent deployment. The list of parameters that you can specify in the properties file is present in $<AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>/sysman/config/emd.properties. In the properties file, you must specify the parameters in name value pairs, for example:

REPOSITORY_PROXYHOST=abc.example.com

REPOSITORY_PROXYPORT=1532

The properties file does not support parameter values that have spaces. If the value of a particular parameter contains a space, then run the following command after deploying the Management Agent:

$<AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>/bin/emctl setproperty agent -name <parameter_name> -value <parameter_value>

8.5 After Installing Shared Agents

After you install a Shared Agent, follow these steps:

  1. (Only for Graphical Mode) Verify the installation on the Add Host Status page. Review the progress made on each of the phases of the deployment operation — Initialization, Remote Prerequisite Check, and Agent Deployment.

    Note:

    In the Add Host Targets Wizard, after you click Deploy Agent to install one or more Management Agents, you are automatically taken to the Add Host Status page.

    If you want to view the details or track the progress of all the deployment sessions, then from the Setup menu, select Add Target, and then, click Add Targets Manually. On the Add Targets Manually page, select Add Host Targets and click Add Host Results.

    If a particular phase fails or ends up with a warning, then review the details provided for each phase in the Agent Deployment Details section, and do one of the following:

    • Ignore the warning or failure, and continue with the session if you prefer.

      • You can choose to proceed with the deployment of Management Agents only on those remote hosts that have successfully cleared the checks, and you can ignore the ones that have Warning or Failed status. To do so, click Continue and select Continue, Ignoring Failed Hosts.

      • You can choose to proceed with the deployment of Management Agents on all the hosts, including the ones that have Warning or Failed status. To do so, click Continue and select Continue, All Hosts.

    • Fix the problem by reviewing the error description carefully, understanding its cause, and taking action as recommended by Oracle.

      • You can choose to retry the deployment of Management Agents with the same installation details. To do so, click Retry and select Retry Using Same Inputs.

      • You can retry the deployment of Management Agents with modified installation details. To do so, click Retry and select Update Inputs and Retry.

  2. Verify the installation:

    1. Navigate to the Shared Agent instance home and run the following command to see a message that confirms that the Management Agent is up and running:

      $<AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>/bin/emctl status agent

    2. Navigate to the Shared Agent home and run the following command to see a message that confirms that EMD upload completed successfully:

      $<AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>/bin/emctl upload agent

  3. (Only for Graphical Mode) If you have restrictive Privilege Delegation Provider (PDP) configuration settings, enter the location of nmosudo in your PDP configuration file.

    Enterprise Manager supports PDPs such as SUDO and PowerBroker that enable administrators to restrict certain users from running certain commands.

    In Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c Release 2 (12.1.0.2), Release 3 (12.1.0.3), Release 4 (12.1.0.4), and Release 5 (12.1.0.5), nmosudo is located in the sbin directory, which is in the agent base directory. For example, <AGENT_BASE_DIRECTORY>/sbin/nmosudo. In Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1) [with or without Bundle Patch 1], nmosudo is located in the agent instance directory. For example, <AGENT_INSTANCE_DIRECTORY>/bin/nmosudo.

    Therefore, when you install a 12.1.0.5 Management Agent, you must modify your PDP configuration file to update the new location of nmosudo.

    For example, if you use SUDO as your PDP, the configuration file for SUDO is typically /etc/sudoers. In this file, update the following entry with the new location to nmosudo.

    sudouser ALL : oracle /eminstall/basedir/sbin/nmosudo *

  4. (Only for UNIX Operating Systems) Manually run the following scripts as a root user:

    • If this is the first Oracle product you installed on the host, then run the orainstRoot.sh script from the inventory location specified in the oraInst.loc file that is available in the Shared Agent home.

      For example, if the inventory location specified in the oraInst.loc file is $HOME/oraInventory, then run the following command:

      $HOME/oraInventory/orainstRoot.sh

    • Run the root.sh script from the Shared Agent home:

      $<AGENT_HOME>/root.sh

  5. If you had ignored a prerequisite check warning about wrong time zone settings, run the following command and follow the steps it displays:

    $<AGENT_INSTANCE_HOME>/bin/emctl resetTZ agent

  6. By default, the host and the Shared Agent get automatically added to the Enterprise Manager Cloud Control console for monitoring. None of the targets running on that host get automatically discovered and monitored.

    To monitor the other targets, you need to add them to Enterprise Manager Cloud Control either using the Auto Discovery Results page, the Add Targets Manually page, or the discovery wizards offered for the targets you want to monitor.

    To add the host targets and the oracle_emd targets to the Shared Agent, run the following command:

    $<SHARED_AGENT_HOME>/bin/emctl config agent addinternaltargets

    For information about discovering targets in Enterprise Manager Cloud Control, refer to the chapter on adding targets in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Administrator's Guide.

Note:

If Oracle Management Agents 12c (12.1.0.x) hang frequently or do not respond on Solaris 9ux and 10ux operating systems, then refer to document ID 1427773.1 on My Oracle Support.