The Agent Deployment wizard in ELM Enterprise Manager provides a simple, centralized solution for deploying agents in your environment, but there are times when this centralized approach may not always be the best. What about if you have several remote sites? Maybe your server count is in the hundreds instead of dozens. Perhaps your security or domain is configured in a way that pushing out agent installs across the wire is not feasible.
Regardless of the situation, in this article we’ll highlight a solution for deploying agents directly from a Single Agent installer package, rather than from the ELM Console.
First introduced with the release of ELM Enterprise Manager 6.5, the Single Agent Installer MSI is a scaled down installation package that is roughly 50% of the size of the full ELM Enterprise Manager MSI installation package. This Single Agent Installer provides a streamlined approach for installing only the agent to your systems either near or far without the need to push them out from within the ELM Console.
Launched from a local system, the installation wizard walks through some basic setup procedures, including the EULA, selecting the Agent install, identifying the ELM Server and Ports to use, authenticating to the ELM server, selecting the License for this Agent, the Category or Categories the Agent belongs to, and final completion of setup. (see screens below)
Utilizing Scripting for Silent Installs
The Single Agent Installation package is ideally suited for silent installs using batch files or scripts. Using a Microsoft SMS (Systems Management Server) is also a great option to provide customization and automation of agent installs for large deployments.
You first create a customized script specifying command line switches to the MSI install package. All switches must be provided as a single line and will typically wrap in a command prompt window. Below is an example of a TNT Agent install with the corresponding description of switches.
The name of the MSI install package and the TNT_AGENT_SILENT_SERVER field in red below will need to be changed to match what you are using.
EAM65_148.msi /qn TNT_INSTALL_MODE="Install" ADDLOCAL="ELMAgentFeature" INSTALL_DIR="C:Program FilesELM Enterprise Manager" TNT_WEB_VIEWER_INSTALLED="0" TNT_SERVER_INSTALLED="0" TNT_AGENT_INSTALLED="0" TNT_INSTALL_AGENT="1" TNT_INSTALL_SERVER="0" TNT_INSTALL_WEB_VIEWER="0" TNT_AGENT_SILENT_SERVER="tokyo" TNT_AGENT_SILENT_SERVER_PORT="1251" TNT_AGENT_SILENT_PORT="1253" TNT_AGENT_SILENT_PRODUCT_CODES="6510" TNT_UNINSTALL_ADVISOR="0" TNT_UNINSTALL_AGENT="0" TNT_UNINSTALL_CONSOLE="0" TNT_UNINSTALL_SERVER="0"
Description of the switches
Switch: EAM65_148.msi
Explanation: The ELM install package for build 148.
Switch: /qn
Explanation: MSI operation with no user interface
Switch: TNT_INSTALL_MODE=”Install”
Explanation: Perform an installation of features.
Switch: ADDLOCAL=”ELMAgentFeature”
Explanation: Install a Service Agent. This feature must match-up with a TNT_INSTALL_AGENT=”1″ switch.
Switch: INSTALL_DIR=”C:Program FilesELM Enterprise Manager”
Explanation: Install the Agent to a folder under Program Files. If the folder doesn’t exist, it will be created.
Switch: TNT_AGENT_INSTALLED=”0″
TNT_SERVER_INSTALLED=”0″
TNT_WEB_VIEWER_INSTALLED=”0″
Explanation: Think of these as a set. There is no Agent, Server or Web Viewer currently installed.
Switch: TNT_INSTALL_AGENT=”1″
TNT_INSTALL_SERVER=”0″
TNT_INSTALL_WEB_VIEWER=”0″
Explanation: Think of these as a set. Install a Service Agent, but do not install a Server nor a Web Viewer. These must match-up with the list of features in the ADDLOCAL switch.
Switch: TNT_AGENT_SILENT_SERVER=”tokyo”
Explanation: ELM Server is installed on the computer named TOKYO.
Switch: TNT_AGENT_SILENT_SERVER_PORT=”1251″
TNT_AGENT_SILENT_PORT=”1253″
Explanation: Think of these as a set. The ELM Server is listening on port 1251 and the Service Agent will listen on port 1253.
Switch: TNT_AGENT_SILENT_PRODUCT_CODES=”6510″
Explanation: Assign product code 6510 to the Agent. This needs to be an appropriate License for the Agent, and there needs to be an available license in the ELM Server.
Product Codes for Licenses in ELM:
6510 = System Class I
6511 = System Class II
6512 = Log Class I
6513 = Log Class II
6514 = Performance Class I
6515 = Performance Class II
6516 = Event Class I
6517 = Event Class II
6518 = Core Class I
6519 = Core Class II
6521 = Network Class II
Switch: TNT_UNINSTALL_ADVISOR=”0″
TNT_UNINSTALL_AGENT=”0″
TNT_UNINSTALL_CONSOLE=”0″
TNT_UNINSTALL_SERVER=”0″
Explanation: Think of these as a set. Do not uninstall the Advisor, Agent, Console, nor Server.
For more details on the Silent Install option, please refer to the ELM Help Files.
After the Single Agent Install(s) completes you will want to open the ELM Console and verify all new Agents are appearing in their respective categories and reporting correctly.
Notes:
- Even though the Single Agent Install MSI package does not include the other components (ELM Server, Console, Web Viewer, etc.) the command script and necessary switches is the same as if you were using the full ELM MSI installation package.
- For an agent installed with the MSI package, it must also be uninstalled using the same MSI package, or via Add or Remove Programs, or Programs and Features.
- If you were to use the full ELM MSI installation package (instead of the Single Agent Install package) for installing just Agents on other systems, you may encounter a “SQL Native Client Missing” type of error.
How do I get it?
The Single Agent Installation MSI package is available for download by contacting TNT Software Support.
We hope that you found this article on How to Install Agents on Servers or Workstations Without Using the ELM Console informative and useful and wish you continued success with ELM.