Steps to Monitoring Success!

There are a variety of different platform-specific HQ installation packages. You should have one for the the platform where you'll install the components. For your evaluation installation, we recommend you use a "full" installer, which installs both the HQ Server and the HQ Agent. Later, when your roll out the agent to multiple platforms, an agent-only installer is convenient.

Documentation: Install Package Options

For an evaluation, you can simply use HQ's built-in database. The default installation mode will install it automatically.

Most production deployments require an external database server for the HQ database. If you're going to use an external database, you need to setup the database before you install the HQ Server.

Documentation: Set Up MySQL, Set Up Oracle, Set Up PostgreSQL

If you are using a full installer, you can install the HQ Server and HQ Agent at the same time. For an evaluation, you can accept the defaults for most installation options. Unpack and start the installer with the appropriate command:

• hyperic-hq-installer/setup.sh on Unix-based systems
• hyperic-hq-installer\setup.bat on Windows systems.
  (If you use the MSI installer, just double-click the MSI package.)

Documentation: Install HQ

Start the HQ Server:

• On Unix-based systems, run hq-server.sh start in the server's /bin directory.
• On Windows:
  • If you installed the server as a service using the MSI package, it started automatically at the end of the installation process.
  • If you installed from the .zip package, or used the MSI install but didn't install the components as services, run hq-server.bat -i, in the server's /bin directory. Henceforth, use the Windows service control panel for starting and stopping.

To log on to the server point your browser on the HQ machine to localhost:7080.  Logon as the default admin user "hqadmin".

Documentation: Configure and Run the HQ Server

Once you know the HQ Server is up, start the HQ Agent. Upon startup, the agent needs to connect to the server.

• On Unix-based systems, run hq-agent.sh start in the agent's /bin directory.
• On Windows:
  • If you installed the agent as service using the MSI package, it started automatically at the end of the installation process.
  • If you installed from the .zip package, or used the MSI install but didn't install the components as services, run hq-agent.bat -i, in the agent's /bin directory. Henceforth, use the Windows service control panel for starting and stopping.

Upon startup, the agent prompts for agent-server connection settings. For a single system evaluation, defaults are usually fine. When prompted, tell the agent to connect to the server on localhost.

For mass deployment, you can configure the agent-server connection settings in the agent properties file, so that you don't have to supply them interactively. Agent documentation includes instructions for deploying large numbers of agents. When you install agents on other machines, take into account your network configuration—if there is a firewall between the agent and server, that will affect your agent-server connection settings.

Documentation: Configure Agent Interactively, Configuring Agent in Properties File, Deploying Multiple HQ Agents

Within a few moments of agent startup, the "servers" running on the machine should appear in the "Auto-Discovery" portlet on the HQ Dashboard.

("Server" is a type in HQ's inventory model, a hierarchical classification of managed hosts and software in your environment. In the HQ model, software like web servers, app servers, database servers are all considered "servers".)

Click "Add to Inventory" to import the resources and start monitoring.

Your platform will now be listed in the "Recently Added" portlet. Click on it to go to its "Indicators" page.

Documentation: About HQ's inventory model

Soon after you add your software to inventory, metrics should start to appear in the indicator charts for the platform.

Documentation: About a resource's indicator page

Potential problems fall into these categories:

• Server startup problems: Look in ServerHome/logs/server/log
• Agent-server communications: When you start the agent the first time, it prompts for server connection info, and then tries to connect to the server. If the server wasn't up at that point, the agent will fail to connect, the connection data you supplied is saved, but the agent hasn't successfully registered itself with the server. If you then start the server, but the agent fails to connect, the easiest way to solve the problem is to shutdown the agent, delete its /data directory, restart the agent, and repeat the configuration dialog.
• External database: If you are using an external database, rather than the built-in one, it's important that you configure and start the HQ database server and instance before installing the HQ Server.
• Auto-discovery: If the agent didn't discover software on the system that you expected it to:
  • The agent will only discover software that is running. Make sure that all the software you want to manage is running.
  • The agent might not support the version of the software that you are running. Check the Hyperic Community site for supported versions.
  • There might be configuration required to enable the agent to discover a software product you're running. Check the Hyperic Community site for configuration requirements.
  • To manage software or software versions that the agent doesn't support, you can customize existing plugins or develop your own.

Documentation: QuickStart Installation Guide, Solving Service Startup Problems After MSI Install