Preparing the server

Before you install IBM® Intelligent Operations Center, prepare the server.

1. On the server, open a terminal window, and log on as a root user.
2. Define a fully qualified name and short host name either by using a DNS server, or by creating a definition in the /etc/hosts file.
   Note: Ensure that the server host name is not the same as either of the following database names:
   • IOCDB
   • IOCDATA
3. Ensure that the HOSTNAME value that is defined in the /etc/sysconfig/network file is set to the short host name, and that it is not set to the fully qualified host name. For example, set HOSTNAME=xyz instead of HOSTNAME=xyz.yourco.com.
4. Verify that the host name, fully qualified host name, and domain name are configured correctly on the server:
   1. Enter the following command: hostname -s. The verification is successful if the command returns the defined short host name for the server.
   2. Enter the following command: hostname -f. The verification is successful if the command returns the fully qualified domain and host name for the server.
   3. Enter the following command: hostname -d. The verification is successful if the command returns the domain name of the server.
   4. Choose the appropriate option:
      • In an IPV6 environment, enter the following command: ping6 server_short_host_name.
      • In all other environments, enter the following command: ping server_short_host_name.
      The verification is successful if the command returns a result that indicates that the server is accessible.
   5. Choose the appropriate option:
      • In an IPV6 environment, enter the following command: ping6 server_fully_qualified_host_name.
      • In all other environments, enter the following command: ping server_fully_qualified_host_name.
      The verification is successful if the command returns a result that indicates that the server is accessible.
5. To enable local loopback addressing for the server, ensure that the first line in the /etc/hosts file is edited with the following content:

   127.0.0.1 localhost localhost.localdomain localhost4 localhost4.localdomain4

   Note: This line is typically installed by default on Red Hat.
   1. For IP version 6, ensure that the following line appears in the /etc/hosts file and ensure that the line is not commented out.

      ::1 localhost localhost.localdomain localhost6 localhost6.localdomain6

6. To verify local loopback addressing, choose the appropriate option:
   • In an IPV6 environment, enter the following commands:
     1. Enter the following command: ping6 -n localhost6. The verification is successful if the command returns the address ::1.
     2. Enter the following command: ping6 -n localhost6.localdomain6. The verification is successful if the command returns the address ::1.
   • In all other environments, enter the following commands:
     1. Enter the following command: ping -n localhost. The verification is successful if the command returns the address 127.0.0.1.
     2. Enter the following command: ping -n localhost.localdomain. The verification is successful if the command returns the address 127.0.0.1.
7. In the /etc/selinux/config file, configure the SELinux setting to either permissive or disabled. For example, to configure the SELinux setting to permissive, in the /etc/selinux/config file, edit the SELinux setting as shown in the following example and then restart the server:

   SELINUX=permissive

   Note: The SELinux setting must not be enabled.
8. Reboot the operating system by using the following command to make the SELinux changes effective:

   reboot

9. Disable the server firewalls:
   • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.1, enter the following command:

     systemctl stop firewalld.service

   • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.0, enter the following commands:

     service iptables save
     service iptables stop
     chkconfig --level 123456 iptables off

10. Install the prerequisite RPM files.
    • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.1, enter the following command on one line:

      yum install -y
          audit-libs.i686           audit-libs.x86_64
          compat-libstdc++*i686     compat-libstdc++*x86_64
          dos2unix.x86_64           gettext.x86_64
          glibc.i686                glibc.x86_64
          ksh.x86_64                libaio.i686
          libaio.x86_64             libgcc.i686               
          libgcc.x86_64             libstdc++.i686           
          nss-softokn-freebl.i686   nss-softokn-freebl.x86_64
          ntp.x86_64                openssh-clients.x86_64
          pam.i686                  pam-devel.i686                             
          tcsh.x86_64               unzip.x86_64
          xorg-x11-xauth.x86_64     zlib.i686                 
          zlib.x86_64               gtk2.i686                 
          gtk2.x86_64               libXtst.i686              
          libXtst.x86_64            perl-Sys-Syslog
          nfs-utils          

    • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.0, enter the following command on one line:

      yum install -y
          audit-libs.i686           audit-libs.x86_64
          compat-libstdc++*i686     compat-libstdc++*x86_64
          dos2unix.x86_64           gettext.x86_64
          glibc.i686                glibc.x86_64
          ksh.x86_64                libaio.i686
          libaio.x86_64             libgcc.i686               
          libgcc.x86_64             libstdc++.i686           
          nss-softokn-freebl.i686   nss-softokn-freebl.x86_64
          ntp.x86_64                openssh-clients.x86_64
          pam.i686                  pam-devel.i686                             
          pam_passwdqc.x86_64                  tcsh.x86_64
          unzip.x86_64              xorg-x11-xauth.x86_64
          zlib.i686                 zlib.x86_64
          gtk2.i686                 gtk2.x86_64         
          gtk2-engines.i686                  gtk2-engines.x86_64
          libXtst.i686              libXtst.x86_64
          nfs-utils          

    Note: The nfs-utils RPM file is required only if you are using NFS to mount the installation media.
11. Install the Red Hat Enterprise Linux packages for the X Window System on the server.

    The X Window System is not required for the initial installation of IBM Intelligent Operations Center, but if you want to update the underlying IBM products by using IBM Installation Manager the X Window System is required. For example, you can update WebSphere® Application Server Liberty Profile and IBM HTTP Server. You can install either the GNU Object Model Environment (GNOME) desktop or the K Desktop Environment (KDE) desktop to use with IBM Installation Manager.

    1. Choose one of the following options:
       • To install the GNOME desktop, enter the following command:

         yum -y groupinstall "X Window System" Desktop

       • To install the KDE desktop, enter the following command:

         yum -y groupinstall "X Window System" "KDE Desktop"

    2. Enter the following command: yum -y update
    3. Start the desktop and configure the default desktop.
       • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.1, to start the desktop and to configure the GUI desktop to be the default desktop, enter the following command:

         systemctl set-default graphical.target

       • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.0:
         • To start the desktop, enter the following command: init 5
         • To configure the GUI desktop to be the default desktop, edit the /etc/inittab file and change the value of the initdefault property from 3 to 5. The following example shows the updated line: id:5:initdefault:
    4. Save the changes, and then restart the server.
12. To use the Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language version of the graphical installer, enter the appropriate commands as shown in the following example:

    yum install -y "@Chinese Support"
    yum install -y "@Japanese Support"
    yum install -y "@Korean Support" 

13. Set UMASK to 022.
14. Add the following lines to the /etc/security/limits.conf file to set the maximum number of open file descriptors to 20480:

    * soft nofile 20480
    * hard nofile 20480

    This sets the default (soft) limit on the number of open files for all users to 20480, and sets the maximum (hard) limit for all users to 20480. If other applications require more than 20480 open files, increase the hard limit as required.

    To display the configured limit for open file descriptors, enter the ulimit -n command.

15. Set the maximum number of user processes to 16384:
    • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.1, add the following lines to the /etc/security/limits.d/20-nproc.conf file:

      * soft nproc 16384
      root soft nproc unlimited
      * hard nproc 16384
      root hard nproc unlimited

    • For IBM Intelligent Operations Center V5.2.0, add the following lines to the /etc/security/limits.d/90-nproc.conf file:

      * soft nproc 16384
      root soft nproc unlimited
      * hard nproc 16384
      root hard nproc unlimited

    This sets the default (soft) limit on the number of user processes for all users to 16384, and sets the maximum (hard) limit for all users to 16384. If other applications require more than 16384 user processes, increase the hard limit as required.

    To display the configured limit for user processes, enter the ulimit -u command.

16. Run the following command to disable IP forwarding:

    echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward