| SysOrb Network Monitoring System Administrator's Guide: For version 3.4.0 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prev | Chapter 3. Installing SysOrb | Next |
Both the SysOrb Server and SysOrb Agent installation packages have built-in support for unattended installation. This support makes it possible to install either the SysOrb Server or the SysOrb Agent without human intervention. The choices made during an installation are simply recorded into a file (called the response file), which is then used during the unattended installation. The process works the same way for both the Server and Agent packages.
The installation package for both the Agent and the Server is compressed into a single executable. In order to perform an unattended installation, you will have to decompress this installation package. This can be done with WinZIP available from http://www.winzip.com.
All the files in the installation package will be located in a subdirectory called Disk1. All the files in this directory need to be kept together, and none of the can be renamed.
In order to perform an unattended installation, a response file is needed. This file contains information about the choices the installation program should make. The file is a plain text file, so it can be edited by hand. However, the easiest way to obtain a working response file, is to let the installation program record one, and then edit it if necessary.
In order to record a response file, you will need to start a command line. In this you must change the directory to the place where the setup files are located. If you unpacked the installation package in C:\TEMP\SysOrb, you must issue the command:
cd C:\TEMP\SysOrb\Disk1
When this is done you are ready to start the installation. This is done by issuing the command:
Setup.exe -r -f1c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt
The -r part of the command line tells the installation program that it should create a response file, based on the choices made by the user during the installation process. The -f1c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt part tells it that the name of the response file should be c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt
When this command is executed, the normal installation will start. The choices made during the installation will be reflected in the response file. When the installation finishes, the file c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt has been created. This file has to be copied somewhere safe, so it can be located again, when the the unattended installation is needed.
When a response file for the installation has been created, the installation can use this file to install SysOrb with the same choices that where made during the installation that created the response file.
In order to do this, start by copy the response file to the system that SysOrb should be installed on. Then start a command line. In this you must change the directory to the place where the setup files are located. If you unpacked the installation package in C:\TEMP\SysOrb, you must issue the command:
cd C:\TEMP\SysOrb\Disk1
When this is done you are ready to start the unattended installation. This is done by issuing the command:
Setup.exe -s -f1c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt
The -s part of the command line tells the installation program that it should perform a silent installation. The -f1c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt part, tells it that the installation must be performed with the response file placed in c:\TEMP\SysOrb\Response.txt as a template.
When performing an unattended installation of a SysOrb Agent that already is installed on a SysOrb Server, a little more work is needed to allow the agent to checkin without releasing its key on the SysOrb Server.
The Agent keeps some state in the Windows Registry, including the Agents key which is to identify the Agent for the SysOrb Server. If this key is lost, the Agent will not be able to communicate with the SysOrb Server before the Agents key is released on the server.
In order to avoid having to release the key on the server, you must perform the following steps, on the machine where the SysOrb Agent is running:
Stop the SysOrb Agent service
Start up the Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
Click through the tree until you reach the folder \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SysOrb\SOAgent\Variables.
Choose Export Registry File from the menu, and choose to only export the Selected branch. Save this in a place where you can find it again.
Locate the saved file, and right click it. Choose Edit from the menu.
In the window that appears, delete all lines containing an equal sign, except for the one called hostkey. The file should now look something like:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SysOrb\SOAgent\Variables]
"hostkey"="12345678901234567890...."
This registry file must then be merged on the server where you wish to perform the unattended installation, before the SysOrb Agent is started. So either before the unattended installation begins, or after the installation has finished, but before the Agent service is started.