During the initial configuration, you create a License Metric Tool database and the application
administrator. You also set up a connection to the BigFix® server and database.
Before you begin
- Ensure that the DB2 user has the
DBAUTH
permission for the BigFix database (BFENT). The
permission applies only if the database was installed with default settings, and all customizations
and hardening configurations were consulted with IBM support.
Procedure
-
Create the License Metric Tool
database.
- If the DB2 server is installed on the same computer as the License Metric Tool server, perform the following steps.
- Select The application and the database are on the same computer. The
host name, port number, and the default name of the database are filled in automatically. If you
want to specify a different name of the database, you can choose any name that meets the DB2 naming requirements.
Restriction: Do not
use the same name as the name of the BigFix
database.
- Provide credentials of the operating systems user that will be used for connecting to the
database. The user can be an instance owner.
Tip: Create a dedicated user for connecting
to DB2.
- To create the database, click Create.
- If the DB2 server is installed on a different computer than the License Metric Tool server, perform the following steps.
- Clear The application and the database are on the same computer check
box.
- Provide the host name and port number of the computer where the DB2 server is installed, and
specify the name for the application database. You can use the default name or choose any name that
meets the DB2 naming requirements.
Restriction: Do not use
the same name as the name of the BigFix
database.
- Provide credentials of the operating systems user that will be used for connecting to the
database. The user can be an instance owner.
Tip: Create a dedicated user for connecting
to DB2.
- To download a script that is used for creating the database, click Download
Script.
- Move the script to the computer where the DB2 server is installed and run it. The script creates
a database that can be accessed by the user that you specified in substep c.
Important: The user who runs the script must have the SYSADM
authority. You can use the DB2
instance owner.
- When the database is created, return to the computer on which you are configuring License Metric Tool, and click
Create.
-
Create the administrator of License Metric Tool.
Tip: Avoid using admin, administrator, root or a similar name for the
administrative account. Such an account might be prone to hacker attacks and locked out if an
attacker exceeds the specified number of failed login attempts. For more information about the
account lockout, see:
Configuring user account lockout.
- Select BigFix as the type of the data source, and click
Next.
- From the Data Source Type list, choose BigFix on DB2 or
BigFix on SQL Server. Then, provide the name of the data source.
- Optional:
The Enable default scan schedule for this
data source check box is selected by default. Clear this check box if you want to
manually configure the scans.
If you enable the default scan schedule, actions that are needed to collect
data from the computers in your infrastructure are automatically started on the BigFix server. This option is advised for environments
with up to a few thousand computers. For larger environments, finish the installation, divide the
computers into groups, and then manually set up scan schedule for each group to avoid performance
issues. For more information about the default and manual scan schedule, see: Setting up data collection (BigFix scenario).
- Configure the connection to the database for the BigFix server. The database stores information about the
computers and data that was discovered on these computers. Specify the host, port, database name,
and credentials of the user that can access the BigFix database.
If you selected
BigFix on SQL Server, the format of the host name depends
on whether you are connecting to a default instance of the MS SQL Server and use the default
port.
|
Default instance of MS SQL Server |
Non-default instance of MS SQL Server |
Default port |
hostname |
hostname\instance_name:port |
Non-default port |
hostname:port |
hostname\instance_name:port
|
-
Configure the connection to the BigFix
server. The host name or IP address, and the API port number are automatically retrieved from the
database. Specify only the administrative user that you created during the installation of BigFix.
Note: If you do not want to provide the Master Operator, you can create a dedicated
BigFix user that fulfills the following requirements:
- Is assigned the IBM License
Reporting (ILMT) v9 site
- Is assigned computers that you are going to monitor, and the computer where the BigFix server is installed
- Has the following permissions: Can use REST API, Can use Console, Custom
Content, Can Create Actions
The option is supported starting from
BigFix
9.5.
- Optional:
If the BigFix and License Metric Tool servers are in separated networks,
the automatic address lookup might return incorrect address. To disable the lookup, select
Disable automatic address lookup, and specify the address manually. Then,
configure additional environment variables on the License Metric Tool server. For more information, see:
Configuring servers in separate networks (BigFix scenario).
-
To create connections to the databases, click Create.
What to do next
Wait for the initial setup to complete. Then, set up data
collection.
To increase security of the transferred data, it is recommended to enable encrypted
connection to the License Metric Tool database. For more information, see: Enabling encrypted connection to the database.