Setting up backup agent: Questions

All questions related to installations, configurations and maintenance of Advanced Host Monitor (including additional tools such as RMA for Windows, RMA Manager, Web Servie, RCC).
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guibao
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Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:57 pm

Setting up backup agent: Questions

Post by guibao »

Hello

Is there a tutorial on how to create the backup agent? Could not find one.


We've been trying to install a backup agent on one of our servers. We were successful creating two active agents, but only one of them is started as a windows service. We need both of them up and running as services.


Also, when I use primary and backup agents on the same computer, does that mean I'll use 2 rma licenses?
KS-Soft
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Post by KS-Soft »

Is there a tutorial on how to create the backup agent? Could not find one.
There is absolutely no difference in the way you install primary or backup agent. Instruction is the same.
You just tell HostMonitor that agentB can be used as backup agent for agentA.
We've been trying to install a backup agent on one of our servers. We were successful creating two active agents, but only one of them is started as a windows service. We need both of them up and running as services

May be you are trying to start both agents on the same system? It does not have any sense. If there is some software or hardware problem related to this system, both agents will be effected.

Regards
Alex
guibao
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:57 pm

Post by guibao »

Hi Alex


This is our scenario: we have a server running HM on a datacenter. It has dual internet connection, from different providers. In the event of one link failure, we need to be sure monitoring is working through the backup link.

Thanks for your answer!
KS-Soft
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Post by KS-Soft »

How this can be related to 2 agents installed on the same system?

Regards
Alex
guibao
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:57 pm

Post by guibao »

We have two real internet addresses on that server:
201.x.x.x
189.x.x.x

We want to set up 2 agents, each one using one of the above addresses to the external world.

Isn't the backup agent supposed to work like this as well?
We performed a few tests and it worked, but we needed both as services, not only one.
KS-Soft
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Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 6:00 pm
Location: USA
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Post by KS-Soft »

This is our scenario: we have a server running HM on a datacenter. It has dual internet connection, from different providers. In the event of one link failure, we need to be sure monitoring is working through the backup link.
We want to set up 2 agents, each one using one of the above addresses to the external world.
I am a little bit confused because sometimes you are talking about HostMonitor sometimes about RMA.

If you install Passive RMA, then 1 agent will listen for incoming packets on both interfaces so you don't need to install 2 agents on the same system.

If you need to install 2 Active RMA agents on one system and run both copies in service mode, you may add ServiceNameSuffix=<UniqueNumber> line into [Active_Basic] section of rma.ini file, this will change name of the service.

Anyway, I think its better to install primary and backup agent on 2 different systems.

Regards
Alex
guibao
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:57 pm

Post by guibao »

Dear Alex

Our company sells monitoring services to 10 customers. For each, we’re monitoring 2 servers, one application server and one SQL server.
The following structure was built for this:
On our datacenter we have a DELL server where Hostmonitor is installed.
We have a Cisco router with Dual Links and Load Balancing. So it has 2 internet links with static ips, 189.x.x.x and 201.x.x.x. Therefore HM can accept connections either on ip 189.x.x.x or 201.x.x.x.
We have 2 static ip links to avoid instability issues at the datacenter.

For all our customers we use RMA as ACTIVE, all configured to reach the ip 201.x.x.x.

When the link 201.x.x.x. goes down, HM stops receiving information from the customers. As HM is integrated to our ServiceDesk system, every time this incident happens we get a bunch of tickets generated for all the customers

Since there's the option to use the Active RMA backup, we'd like to attempt the following scenario:

With 2 Active RMA on each of our customer's servers we could point 1 active RMA to the main link (201.x.x.x) and the other active RMA backup to the second ip address (189.x.x.x). This way if HM stops receiving information through the main link service would still be up and running through the backup link (189.x.x.x), not generating an incident alarm and neither tickets.

We think this is the best scenario for our needs and most appropriate for our business. We'd like to have your opinion on this matter.

BTW, for every agent installation we use one license, right?


Thanks a lot for your attention and prompt answers.
KS-Soft
Posts: 13012
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Location: USA
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Post by KS-Soft »

Our company sells monitoring services to 10 customers.
Then it looks like you ordered wrong license. You should purchase SPL license
http://www.ks-soft.net/hostmon.eng/license.htm#spl
Our company sells monitoring services to 10 customers.
...
We have a Cisco router with Dual Links and Load Balancing. So it has 2 internet links with static ips, 189.x.x.x and 201.x.x.x. Therefore HM can accept connections either on ip 189.x.x.x or 201.x.x.x.
We have 2 static ip links to avoid instability issues at the datacenter.
For all our customers we use RMA as ACTIVE, all configured to reach the ip 201.x.x.x
...
Aha, now I understand what you need.
Yes, in such case 2 agents on each remote network should help.
for every agent installation we use one license, right?
Yes, for each RMA 1 license will be used. You create 2 records for each system, 2 agents connect from 2 different addresses so 2 RMA licenses will be used for each customer.

Regards
Alex
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