12 Installing Oracle Management Agent Using Response File

This chapter describes how you can install Oracle Management Agent (Management Agent) using a response file. In particular, this section covers the following:

Overview

By default, the Management Agent software comes with a response file, additional_agent.rsp, which helps you install a Management Agent silently, without having to use the GUI screens of Enterprise Manager Grid Control. The response file captures all the information required for installing a Management Agent, and it is available in the <Software_Location>/<platform>/response directory.

For example, if you have an Oracle Management Service (OMS) running on a Linux host and if you have the Management Agent software on that host, then the response file is available at oms11g/sysman/agent_download/11.1.0.1.0/linux/response/additional_agent.rsp. And, if you do not have an OMS but if you have downloaded the Management Agent software for Linux operating system to /private/temp, then the response file is available at /private/temp/linux/response/additional_agent.rsp.

This installation type is best suited when you want to install additional Management Agents on the destination hosts, from the destination hosts itself, and without having to use the Agent Deployment Wizard in the Enterprise Manager Grid Control console.

The following are the basic differences between Agent Deployment Wizard and the additional_agent.rsp file.

  • While the Agent Deployment Wizard is GUI-based, the additional_agent.rsp file is file -based. Therefore, using the file is a silent, non-GUI way of installing Management Agents.

  • If you use the Agent Deployment Wizard, then you will have to use the interview screens and provide basic source details every time you install a Management Agent. If you use the additional_agent.rsp file, then you will update a response file with the basic source details for once and use the same response file for multiple installations.

  • While the Agent Deployment Wizard can be run from a source or destination host, the additional_agent.rsp file must be run only from a destination host. Therefore, if you want to install only a few Management Agents, then use the additional_agent.rsp file.

  • While the Agent Deployment Wizard enables you to install multiple Management Agents at a time, the additional_agent.rsp file enables you to install only one Management Agent at a time.

  • The Agent Deployment Wizard pushes the software binaries from a central source location to the destination hosts. The additional_agent.rsp file pulls the software binaries from the source host to the destination hosts.

Prerequisites

Before installing the Management Agent, ensure that you meet the following prerequisites.

If you want, you can print out this section and write 'Yes' or 'No' against each prerequisite. This will help you to track the prerequisites you have met and the prerequisites you have not met.

Table 12-1 Prerequisites for Installing Oracle Management Agent Using Response File

Requirement Description Yes/No

Hardware Requirements

Ensure that you meet the hard disk space and physical memory requirements as described in Appendix A, "Meeting Hardware Requirements".

 

Operating System Requirements

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

To access this matrix, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to My Oracle Support, and click the Certifications tab.

  2. On the Certifications page, in the Certification Search region, from the Product list, select Enterprise Manager Base Platform - Agent.

  3. From the Release list, select 11.1.0.1.0, and click Search.

 

Package Requirements

Ensure that you install all the platform-specific packages as described in Appendix B, "Meeting Package, Kernel Parameter, and Library Requirements ".

 

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 information about creating operating system groups and users, see Appendix C, "Creating Operating System Groups and Users Requirements".

 

Temporary Directory Space Requirements

Ensure that you allocate 400 MB of space for a temporary directory where the executables can be copied. For example, /tmp on UNIX hosts and c:\Temp on Microsoft Windows hosts.

 

Central Inventory Requirements

Ensure that you allocate 100 MB of space for the central inventory directory.

Also ensure that the central inventory directory is not on a shared file system. If it is already on a shared file system, then switch over to a non-shared file system by following the instructions outlined in My Oracle Support note 1092645.1.

 

Installation Base Directory Requirements

Ensure that the installation base directory you specify in the response file is empty and has write permission.

 

Software Availability Requirements

By default, the software for Oracle Management Agent 11g Release 1 is available on the host where Oracle Management Service 11g Release 1 is running. However, this Management Agent software is for the platform on which the OMS is running.

Therefore, if you have an OMS and if you want to install Oracle Management Agent 11g Release 1 on a platform that is the same as the one on which the OMS is running, then you already meet this prerequisite; you do not have to take any action.

However, if you do not have an OMS or if you want to install Oracle Management Agent 11g Release 1 on a platform that is different from the one on which the OMS is running, then ensure that you download the Management Agent software for that platform.

For more information about downloading the Management Agent software, see Procuring Oracle Management Agent Software.

 

Destination Host Requirements

Ensure that all the destination hosts have the same operating system credentials and file system structure.

 

/etc/hosts File Requirements

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 mypc.cn.company.com and the short name is mypc, then add the following line in the /etc/hosts file:

12.123.123.12 mypc.cn.company.com mypc

 

Installing User Requirements

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

Also 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 user1, and user installing the Management Agent is user2, then ensure that user1 and user2 belong to the same group, and they have read and write access to the inventory.

 

Permission Requirements

  • Ensure that you have read, write, and execute permissions on oraInventory on all remote hosts. If you do not have these permissions on the default inventory (typically at /etc/oraInst.loc) on any remote host, then you can specify the path to an alternative inventory location by using the -i <location> option in the Additional Parameters section.

    For information about oraInventory permissions, see What Is Oracle Inventory Directory?.

  • Ensure that you have write permission on the Installation Base Directory and the temporary directory where the executables will be copied. For example, /tmp or c:\Temp.

 

Oracle Inventory Location Requirements

Ensure that the Oracle Inventory (oraInventory) is not in a shared location. When you use the oraInst.loc file, ensure that the inventory location specified there is not pointing to a shared location. If it is, change it to a non-shared location.

 

SUDO Privilege Requirement

Ensure that you have SUDO privileges to run root.sh and /bin/sh (UNIX platforms only). You must specify the invoking user's password here.

To verify whether you have SUDO privileges to run these files, access the /etc/sudoers file and check whether you have a similar entry as shown below. If you do not see a similar entry, then add one.

<user> <hostname>=PASSWD: /home/em/agent11010/agent11g/root.sh, /bin/sh

 

SUDOERS File Configuration Requirements

Ensure that you configure /etc/sudoers file so that while running a command using SUDO, you are always prompted for a password.

If /etc/sudoers file is configured in such a way that SUDO never prompts for a password, then a directory with the host password as the title gets created in the invoking users home directory.

 

Installation Procedure

To install a Management Agent using the response file, follow these steps:

  1. (Only for the Solaris 11 x86-64 and Solaris 11 SPARC 64-bit platforms) Download Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.6.026 or higher to the Oracle base directory (that is, the location where you download all Oracle software), on the destination host where you want to install the Management Agent, from the following URL:

    http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk-6u26-download-400750.html

  2. Navigate to the location where the Management Agent software is available.

    For example, oms11g/sysman/agent_download/11.1.0.1.0/linux if the Management Agent software is available in the Oracle home of the OMS.

    Alternatively, /private/temp/11.1.0.1.0/linux if you have downloaded the Management Agent software to /private/temp on your local system.

  3. Compress the files from the <platform> directory using the WinZIP utility, and transfer the compressed file to the destination host where you want to install the Management Agent. For example, linux.zip.

  4. On the destination host, do the following:

    1. Extract the contents of the compressed file you just transferred.

    2. Navigate to the following location and edit the additional_agent.rsp file as described in Table 12-2.

      <Software_Extracted_Location>/<platform>/response/ additional_agent.rsp

      For example:

      /scratch/john/linux/response/ additional_agent.rsp

    3. Navigate to the following location and invoke the installer:

      If this is the first Oracle product you are installing on the host, then run the following command:

      <Software_Extracted_Location>/<platform>/agent/runInstaller -silent -responseFile <absolute_path_to_location>/additional_agent.rsp [-invPtrLoc <absolute_path_to_inventory_directory>]

      For example,

      /scratch/john/linux/agent/runInstaller -silent -responseFile /scratch/john/linux/response/additional_agent.rsp -invPtrLoc /scratch/OracleHomes/oraInst.loc

      Otherwise, run the following command:

      <Software_Extracted_Location>/<platform>/agent/runInstaller -silent -responseFile <absolute_path_to_location>/additional_agent.rsp

      For example,

      /scratch/john/linux/agent/runInstaller -silent -responseFile /scratch/john/linux/response/additional_agent.rsp


Note:

  • For Microsoft Windows platforms, run setup.exe instead of runInstaller.

  • After the installation ends successfully, the Management Agent starts automatically. If you do not want it to start automatically, then invoke the installer with the b_startAgent=false argument.

  • If the installation fails, then review the log files described in Appendix L, "Installation and Configuration Log Files".

  • If you are installing a Management Agent on the Solaris 11 x86-64 or Solaris 11 SPARC 64-bit platforms, ensure that you specify the -jreLoc parameter when you invoke the installer:

    <Software_Extracted_Location>/<platform>/agent/runInstaller -jreLoc <location_of_jdk6-u26> -silent -responseFile <absolute_path_to_location>/additional_agent.rsp

Table 12-2 Modifying Parameters for Installing Additional Oracle Management Agent

Parameter Description

SECURITY_UPDATES_VIA_MYORACLESUPPORT

  • Specify TRUE if you want to download and install security updates. Then, specify the credentials for the following parameters:

    MYORACLESUPPORT_USERNAME

    MYORACLESUPPORT_PASSWORD

  • Specify FALSE if you do not want to download and install security updates:

DECLINE_SECURITY_UPDATES

  • Specify TRUE if you want to decline the security updates. In this case, you should have specified FALSE for SECURITY_UPDATES_VIA_MYORACLESUPPORT.

  • Specify FALSE if you do not want to decline the security updates. In this case, you should have specified TRUE for SECURITY_UPDATES_VIA_MYORACLESUPPORT.

ORACLE_AGENT_HOME_LOCATION

Specify the full path to the installation base directory where you want to install the Management Agent. The Oracle home of the Management Agent is created inside this installation base directory.

For example, if you specify the installation base directory as /home/john/, then the Oracle home is created as /home/john/agent11g.

For information about installation base directory, see What Is Installation Base Directory?.

OMS_HOST

Specify the name of the host on which the OMS is running.

OMS_PORT

Specify the port used by the OMS.

AGENT_REGISTRATION_PASSWORD

To secure the communication between the OMS and the Management Agents, specify a password. Note that you have to provide the same registration password for securing your Management Agents.


After You Install

After you install the Management Agent, do these:

  1. Verify the installation:

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

      $<ORACLE_HOME>/bin/emctl status agent

      Note:

      If the status of the Management Agent is down for some reason, then manually start the Management Agent by running the following command from its Oracle home:

      $<ORACLE_HOME>/bin/emctl start agent

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

      $<ORACLE_HOME>/bin/emctl upload

    Note:

    (For UNIX operating systems) Before running the emctl command to start the Management Agent, ensure that the environment variable NLS_LANG is set with a value that is compatible with the operating system default locale setting and the character set of the Oracle Database, which houses the Management Repository.
  2. (Only for UNIX Operating Systems) Run the following scripts as a root user on each of the hosts where the installation was done:

    • If you have not specified the inventory location while invoking the installer and if this is the first Oracle product you just installed on the host, then run the oraInstRoot.sh script from the Central Inventory:

      $HOME/oraInventory/oraInstRoot.sh

      For example, if you are using SUDO to change to a root user, then you will run the following command:

      /usr/local/bin/sudo $Home/oraInventory/oraInstRoot.sh
      
    • Run the root.sh script from the Oracle home of the Management Agent (agent11g):

      <ORACLE_HOME>/root.sh

      For example, if you are using SUDO to change to a root user, then you will run the following command:

      /usr/local/bin/sudo /scratch/OracleHomes/agent11g/root.sh
      
  3. (Optional) If you have not secured the communications between the Management Agent and the OMS, then secure it by running the following command from the Oracle home of the Management Agent:

    <ORACLE_HOME>/bin/emctl secure agent

    Note:

    Even after securing the Management Agent, some data might still be transferred over the network without being encrypted.
  4. (Optional) If you want to discover the newly installed targets, if you want to convert the standalone Management Agent to a cluster-based Management Agent, if you want to discover the targets on the new nodes of the cluster, or if you want to reconfigure the cluster-based Management Agent, you must run the agentca script to reconfigure and discover all new targets.

    For information about the agentca script, see What Is Agent Configuration Assistant Used For?.

    For information about reconfiguring the Management Agent and discovering all new targets, see Appendix I, "Reconfiguring Oracle Management Agent and Discovering New Targets".

  5. (Optional) If you want to enable the Request Monitoring feature for tracing transaction requests in WLS, you need JVM Diagnostics as well as Application Dependency and Performance (ADP) managers and agents configured against the target to be monitored.

    For information about installing JVM Diagnostics and enabling the Request Monitoring feature, refer to the Oracle Enterprise Manager Administration Guide.

    For information about enabling the ADP feature in Enterprise Manager Grid Control, refer to the Oracle Enterprise Manager Getting Started with Management Pack Plus for SOA.

    Both these guides are available at:

    http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/oem.html