1. Engine Installation

The NEXThink V3 Install CD-ROM contains already an Operating System based on CentOS (currently version 5.3). It also includes all the necessary packages (RPM) to install automagically the Engine.

1.1. Server Minimum Requirements

1.2. Recommended Server Setup

1.3. Hardware Compatibility List

Review the server list on the following link to determine which hardware is supported by the NEXThink V3 Engine platform.

Hardware Compatibility List

NOTE: special attention must be paid to Notes (if any) that apply to some hardware on the above page. Some servers need special kernel options to be passed at boot time. For further information, see FAQ Installation section.

1.4. Installing NEXThink V3 Engine

1. Insert the NEXThink V3 Installation CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive
2. Power on the Server and enter into the BIOS settings (check with the manufacturer on how to do this).
   1. Set the current date and time to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Time precision is important to ensure consistency of data.
   2. Set 1st Boot Drive as CD-ROM
3. Exit BIOS and boot the Server. You will be presented with the following screen. To start the Installation Process, press [ENTER] or leave the default timeout of 6 seconds occuring:

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   • NOTE: If the hardware requires specific kernel boot parameters, see FAQ Installation section.

4. When prompted to do so, type Yes (respect case) to format the hard disk and to start the installation image transfer.

   • CAUTION: As indicated, this will erase all data on the hard disk.
   • NOTE: Please note that the default keyboard layout is US-Qwerty

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   • The automated installation is installing the necessary software

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5. After the installation is complete, reboot the system by pressing [ENTER]

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2. Engine Configuration

After the installation is complete and the server has rebooted the first time, the Engine is fully accessible and configurable through a web-console using a web browser.

2.1. Engine Network Parameters

1. The Engine server default IP address is 192.168.0.99 with a netmask of 255.255.255.0. To access its web-based configuration page, configure your computer to have the static IP address on the same subnet as the Engine default IP address (192.168.0.99).
2. With a cross-over cable, connect the first Ethernet port on the server to the Network Interface Port (NIC) on the client computer.
   • Note: If there is a switch between the client PC and the server, connect both these devices to the switch with a cable.

3. Test network connectivity between the client computer and the server using ping command. Execute the ping test using the default IP address of the Engine: 192.168.0.99.

   • Note: If the ping test fails with the first Ethernet port, repeat the test by connecting to each available Ethernet port on the server. By default, the first Ethernet port is used for testing the network connections, but some servers behave differently.

4. Start a web browser and type the following URL in the address field, using the HTTPS protocol: https://192.168.0.99:99

5. Click OK to accept the SSL certificate from NEXThink.

6. Enter the Login ID as admin and Password also as admin to connect to the Engine Web Console

7. On the left menu, select Network > General parameters to enter or modify the Hostname, Domain address, DNS servers (IP addresses), Default Gateway, Time zone, Time update interval, and NTP time server and then select Save

8. Go to Network > Interfaces, and configure IP address and Subnet mask as desired.

   • NOTE: DHCP type is NOT recommended

9. review the desired network settings before clicking on the Save button. Clicking on this button will save the settings, and the current connection will be lost. To reconnect to the web-console, use the Engine newly configured IP address (and make sur you have accordingly modified the client computer network parameters to match the Engine subnet).

2.2. Engine Internal Parameters: Internal/External network, LDAP

For correct data collection and processing, it is important to configure properly the Engine Internal Parameters.

1. Configuring Internal/External network perimeter:

   1. Go to Engine > Parameters and set the Internal Network (Network and Mask) to match your internal network setup by clicking on the edit network button.

   2. On this page, you can also change the default listening port for both the Collector and the Finder from 999 to another value (if you change the Collector Port, make sure it matches the Port configuration on the Collector you will be deploying inside your network).
2. Configuring information about the LDAP server

   1. Go to Engine > Active Directory and click on the add active directory button.

   2. See Active Directory.

2.3. Engine SMTP parameter for Alerting

To enable the NEXThink Alerts functionality, you need to configure the SMTP parameter on the Engine.

1. Go to Engine > SMTP, click on the icon to add a SMTP server

2. Complete the form with the relevant information.

   • To check that the SMTP chain is working and that the supplied parameters are correct, we recommend to use the test email by clicking on Send test email.

3. then Save the parameter to have them stored permanently in the Engine configuration file.

4. Lastly, to complete the SMTP configuration, back to the main page, click on Save (second time) to register the SMTP parameters with the Engine, doing so will cause the Engine to reboot, and, at next reboot, the Engine will run with the new parameters.

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2.4. Installing a Production License

2.4.1. Requesting a production license from NEXThink

1. Using a web browser, connect to the Web-console

2. On the left menu, go to System > Information, this will display on the right panel general info on the system.

3. Write down the Machine ID

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4. Send an email to support@nexthink.com containing the following 3 elements (they are mandatory for requesting a License):

   • Machine ID

   • Number of sources (i.e Endpoints on which the NEXThink Collector will be deployed)

   • License Expiration Date (or unlimited if not limitation).

     • NOTE: For further details about Number of Sources an License Expiration Date, refer to your NEXThink Account Manager.

2.4.2. Installing a Production License

Once you have received by email a valid license file from NEXThink, save the file on a local directory of your computer and proceed as follow:

1. Connect to the Web-console

2. On the left menu, go to Engine > Licenses

3. Browse and upload the license file, then click on Update

4. If the license is valid and accepted, the Engine will reboot (only the Engine, not the Operating System)

3. Engine Upgrade

Software upgrades are available in RPM package format. When upgrading any NEXThink software component to a new version, make sure to review its accompanying release notes.

3.1. Upgrading the Engine using a SSH Console

1. Using a web browser, connect to the Engine web-console by HTTPS (and on port 99 if you have not changed the default web-console port)
2. Proceed to a database and configuration backup of the Engine.
3. Get from NEXThink the new version in RPM package (both nxengine-xxxx.rpm and nxengine-xxxx.rpm.md5 files), upload the RPM file to the Engine wih the SFTP client using the built-in NEXThink Support account.
4. Connect on the machine with SSH using the built-in NEXThink Support account
5. verify the RPM file's integrity by comparing the checksum, use this command:

   md5sum nxengine-xxxx.rpm

   • and compare the result with the file named nxengine-xxxx.rpm.md5
6. To install the new package, use the following command:

   sudo rpm -Uvh nxengine-xxxx.rpm

7. You will be prompted to enter the nexthink password to be allowed to use thie privilegied command.
   • NOTE: when an upgrade is performed, each new RPM first proceed to a backup of the current database version (i.e. before the new version is applied). You will find this backup file under /var/nxengine/BACKUPS ; and the backup filename is like "nxengine-backup_before-3.2.0.1.gz"

4. Collector Installation

4.1. Minimum Requirements

4.2. Install Collector in Attended Mode

The Collector MSI package can be used for installing Collector in two modes: unattended and attended operations.

4.3. Attended Installation Mode

Attended operations displays a User Interface (UI) that lets the user choose the main Collector parameters and components to be installed. To start with, double-click on the NEXThink Collector MSI file (NEXThink_Collector.msi), the Welcome Screen is displayed. Note that the Collector version can be seen in the Welcome Screen.

The next window allows the user to enter the IP address or DNS name and port number of the Engine. You can also choose to install the Control Panel extension.

The next window allows to the installation.

After the MSI has successfully installed the Collector (and the Control Panel extension if selected), you may be prompted to reboot the computer if you are upgrading the Collector.

Unattended installation mode make use of the msiexec.exe on the command-line. msiexec.exe is an executable program that interprets packages and installs products, and it comes pre-installed with a Microsoft Windows operating system.

4.3.1. Using msiexec.exe with command-line parameters

Custom parameters are provided directly on the command-line. They are not saved from one installation to another when performing an upgrade for example. Passing parameters on the command-line is simply done by appending the appropriate public properties to the calling msiexec execution.

The mandatory parameters are:

• DRV_IP: this property must be set to the Engine IP address or DNS name.

• DRV_PORT: this property must be set to the Engine port number.

Here is an example of an unattended installation:

msiexec.exe /qn /i NEXThink_Collector.msi DRV_IP=192.168.0.133 DRV_PORT=999 CPL_INSTALL=1

For a comprehensive list of available options for the NEXThink Collector, see advanced/InstallingCollector.

NOTE: this is not the recommended method, since command-lines are prone to typos errors, instead, for a single installation, use the graphical installation method, and for larger deployment, we recommend to use the MSI Transform.

See also: Windows Installer (msiexec.exe) Command-Line options Reference.

5. Finder Installation

NEXThink Finder V3 can be downloaded from NEXThink support web site. It is provided as an MSI package.

5.1. Requirements

5.1.1. System Requirements

5.1.2. Software Requirements

5.1.2.1. .NET 3.5 Framework

NEXThink Finder depends on Microsoft .NET 3.5 Framework. Consequently, it must be installed prior to the Finder. It available for download from Microsoft download site (approx. 200MB) : .NET 3.5 Download .

The .NET 3.5 Framework is only available for Windows XP and later version. The Finder can therefore only be run on these Operating Systems.

5.1.2.2. NEXThink Engine Compatibility

The communicating Engine and Finder must be compatible with each others. Please refer to the Finder Release Notes for if your current Engine is compatible with your Finder release.

5.2. Installing NEXThink Finder

5.2.1. Upgrade considerations

Any older version of NEXThink Finder V3 will be uninstalled prior to a new installation.

However, previously installed NEXThink Finder V2 [was reflexExplore] will be kept.

5.2.2. Installation procedure

The Finder installation procedure using its MSI package is straightforward:

1. Launch the installation by double-clicking NEXThink_Finder.msi

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2. Read and acknowledge with NEXThink Finder’s End-User License Agreement.
3. Provide a destination location where to install the Finder.

   • Note: if you do not have Administrator privileges, you have to specify a user-writable directory.

4. Confirm the installation by clicking INSTALL. The Finder will be installed and you will be informed of the installation completion.

5.3. Using the Finder

For starting your newly installed Finder, select the following entry in the start menu:

• Start > All Programs > NEXThink Finder > NEXThink Finder

The Finder executable will be launched. You can now connect to your engine by providing its IP address, port number and the following default credentials:

You should change this password for a more secure one at first logging in.

5.4. Uninstallation

For uninstalling NEXThink Finder, select the following entry in the Start menu:

• Start > All Programs > NEXThink Finder > Uninstall NEXThink Finder

Alternatively, you can uninstall this product by using the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet.

6. Portal Installation

The Portal packages are not included in the NEXThink V3 Engine Install CD-ROM. You will need to get them separately from NEXThink, they are are available in RPM package format. Assume you have the latest versions of the Portal, follow these steps to install them.

(In the following instructions, the Portal is installed on the same server as the Engine. Though convenient this setup may be maintenance wise, it is not optimal regarding the server physical resources sharing between the Engine and the Portal. Thus, our recommendation is to install the Portal on a dedicated server [Linux OS])

6.1. Installing the NEXThink Portal RPMs

1. Get from NEXThink the Portal RPM packages, verify the RPM md5 checksum. You will need the following packages:

   1. jdk-6u1-linux-i586.rpm (If the Portal is installed on the same server as the Engine, there is already a JDK RPM package installed which came with the Operating System. In that case, you do not need to install this jdk package)

   2. nxt-apache-tomcat-5.5.xx-x.noarch.rpm
   3. portal-3.2.1.x-x.noarch.rpm
2. Upload the RPMs to the Engine with the SFTP client using the built-in NEXThink Support account.
3. Connect to the server with a SSH client using the built-in NEXThink Support account
4. To install the new packages, use the following command:

     sudo rpm -ivh nxt-apache-tomcat-5.5.xx-x.noarch.rpm portal-3.2.1.x-x.noarch.rpm

   or if you install it on a dedicated server, add the JDK package on the same command-line:

     sudo rpm -ivh jdk-6u1-linux-i586.rpm nxt-apache-tomcat-5.5.xx-x.noarch.rpm portal-3.2.1.x-x.noarch.rpm

   You will be prompted to enter the nexthink password to gain access to the rpm privilegied command.

5. Once the RPMs installed, you can check the Portal logfile using the following command:

   tail -f /var/nexthink/portal/log/portal.log

   and look for:

   2009-01-12 08:38:02,227 [PortalServletThread] INFO  com.nexthink.portal.Portal : Connecting to configured engines (1)...
   2009-01-12 08:38:02,227 [PortalServletThread] INFO  c.n.p.d.session.EngineSession : Connecting to [127.0.0.1:999]...
   2009-01-12 08:38:02,932 [PortalServletThread] INFO  c.n.p.d.session.EngineSession : Engine '[127.0.0.1:999]' is connected.
   2009-01-12 08:38:02,935 [PortalServletThread] INFO  com.nexthink.portal.Portal : Portal is up and running

6.2. Testing the Portal with a web browser

1. Open a web browser and connect to the port 80 using the IP Address of the server where the Portal is installed.
2. You should be presented with this login page where you can log in using the default credentials.

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7. Portal Update

Please follow the same steps as in the § "Portal Installation" above, but, instead of the -ivh rpm options, use -Uvh, like this:

  sudo rpm -Uvh nxt-apache-tomcat-5.5.xx-x.noarch.rpm portal-3.2.1.x-x.noarch.rpm

8. Portal Configuration

8.1. Portal: Configure an Engine to connect the Portal to

On the left menu, go to NEXThink Portal Management > NEXThink Engines and click on Add Engine

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Give a name to the Engine, define its IP address (the example shows an Engine installed on the same server as the Portal, in that case use the Localhost IP address: 127.0.0.1) and the used port. Select the Timezone of the location where the Portal is installed

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Then click on the Connect engine icon

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The Engines Management page also display information about the Engine version and its number of authorized sources as defined in the License. You will notice that if the setting is correct and the Portal is able to connect to the Engine, the status light has turned green.

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