Installing SL1 on Hardware Appliances and Virtual Appliances

This section describes how to install SL1 on hardware appliances or virtual machines, including how to download the ISO image; install the Database Server, Administration Portal, and SL1 Collectors; and establish a connection between the new SL1 SL1 Collectors and the Database Server. An SL1 Collector can be either a Data Collector or a Message Collector.

For detailed instructions on how to upgrade existing SL1 deployments, see the section on Updating SL1.

Use the following menu options to navigate the SL1 user interface:

To view a pop-out list of menu options, click the menu icon ().
To view a page containing all of the menu options, click the Advanced menu icon ().

Prerequisites

Before installing and configuring SL1, you must:

Have already performed the prerequisites for all of the ScienceLogic Hardware Appliances or all of the Virtual Appliances in your SL1 stack.
Have a valid customer account that allows you to download the SL1 ISO image. For details, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Have access to the files for your SSL certificate.
Have a valid customer account that allows you to access the Artifactory page on the ScienceLogic Support Site. For details, contact your Customer Success Manager.

ScienceLogic does not support vmotion or VMware Snapshots for backups of data. For backup purposes, ScienceLogic supports only SL1 backups to remote storage. vmotion andVMware Snapshots can cause SL1 outages. For details on SL1 backups, see the section on Backup Management.

Workflow for Installing and Configuring an SL1 Collector

The typical workflow for installing and configuring an SL1 Collector includes the following steps:

Download the ISO image. The ISO includes the Database Server, Administration Portal, and SL1 Collectors.
Use the ISO to install the Database Server.
Use the ISO to install the Administration Portal and SL1 Collectors.
License the SL1 appliances.
Configure the new SL1 system for one of the following communication types:
- Traditional communication, in which the Database Server initiates a connection to the SL1 Collectors.
- PhoneHome communication, in which the SL1 Collectors initiate an outbound connection to the Database Server.
Use the Nodes page to manage nodes and tokens.

Downloading the ISO Image

The following ISO installation steps do not affect the performance of the SL1 system. ScienceLogic recommends that you perform these steps at least 3 days before upgrading.

To download the ISO image:

Log in to the ScienceLogic Support site at https://support.sciencelogic.com/s/ using your ScienceLogic customer account and password to access the site.
Select the Product Downloads menu and choose Platform. The Platform Downloads page appears.
Click the name of the SL1 version you want to download. The Release Version page appears.
Click the link for the "Product Image" you want to download and scroll to the bottom of the page. The Release File Details page appears.
Click the Download File button for the ISO file to download the file to your local computer.

Installing the Database Server

The Database Server should be the first node or appliance you install.

The installation options were updated in SL1 12.2.0. The following steps are intended for use in SL1 12.2.0 and later. If you are installing an earlier version, see the section on Installing the Database Server in SL1 12.1.x and Earlier.

In SL1 version 12.1.0, a new Oracle Linux 8 (OL8)-compatible installation wizard was added to the SL1 ISO file. All new SL1 installations from the ISO file for 12.1.0 and later will run on OL8 by default.

If you deploy the ISO version of SL1 12.1.0 or later, you might get an "Appliance is not licensed" message on the login page. This situation occurs only if you use another tab or browser to log in to the SL1 environment after deployment. If you use the same browser or tab that you used for the deployment, the user interface will be available.

To install the Database Server:

Boot the appliance from the SL1 ISO. The Installation window appears.

If you are using Hyper-V, check that the ScienceLogic installation ISO mounted correctly and that the Virtual Machine displays the install screen. To do this, right-click the Virtual Machine in inventory and select Connect or View and then Connect via Console.
Select Install SL1 (recommended). After the installer environment boots, the Installation Type menu appears.
Select Typical (recommended), and then select Continue. The Model Type window appears.
Select Database. Select Continue.
In the Database window, select Local Database and select Continue. After the installer for the selected appliance type is loaded, the Network Configuration window appears.
Enter the following information:

IP Address. Type the primary IP address of the node or appliance.
Netmask. Type the netmask for the primary IP address of the node or appliance.
Gateway. Type the IP address for the network gateway.
DNS Server. Type the IP address for the primary Nameserver.
Hostname. Type the hostname for the node or appliance.

Select Continue. The System Password window appears.
Type the password for the em7admin user on the operating system and select Continue.
Type the password for the em7admin user again and select Continue.
The appliance installer runs, and the virtual machine reboots automatically, and you are returned to a login prompt.
If you are using a VMware instance, after the appliance reboots, follow the instructions to install VMware tools.
Follow the instructions to license the appliance.
Repeat these steps for the remaining nodes or appliances: the Administration Portal, the Data Collectors, and the Message Collectors (if applicable).

Installing the Database Server in SL1 12.1.x and Earlier

The Database Server should be the first node or appliance you install.

The installation options were updated in SL1 12.2.0. The following steps are intended for use in SL1 12.1.x and earlier. If you are installing version 12.2.0 or later, see the section on Installing the Database Server.

To do so:

Boot the appliance from the SL1 ISO. The Installation window appears.

If you are using Hyper-V, check that the ScienceLogic installation ISO mounted correctly and that the Virtual Machine displays the install screen. To do this, right-click the Virtual Machine in inventory and select Connect or View and then Connect via Console.
Select Install EM7. The Model Type window appears.
Select Database. Select Continue.
In the Database window, select Local Database and select Continue. After the installer for the selected appliance type is loaded, the Network Configuration window appears.
Enter the following information:

IP Address. Type the primary IP address of the node or appliance.
Netmask. Type the netmask for the primary IP address of the node or appliance.
Gateway. Type the IP address for the network gateway.
DNS Server. Type the IP address for the primary Nameserver.
Hostname. Type the hostname for the node or appliance.

Select Continue. The System Password window appears.
Type the password for the em7admin user on the operating system and select Continue.
Type the password for the em7admin user again and select Continue.
The appliance installer runs, and the virtual machine reboots automatically, and you are returned to a login prompt.
If you are using a VMware instance, after the appliance reboots, follow the instructions to install VMware tools.
Follow the instructions to license the appliance.
Repeat these steps for the remaining nodes or appliances: the Administration Portal, the Data Collectors, and the Message Collectors (if applicable).

Installing an Administration Portal or SL1 Collector

Before you can install an SL1 Collector, you will need to use the ISO to install the SL1 Database Server, if it is not already installed.

After installing the Database Server, you can then install:

The Administration Portal (if applicable)
The Data Collectors
The Message Collectors (if applicable)

Installing an Administration Portal or SL1 Collector in SL1 12.2.0 and Later

You can use the following instructions to build the Administration Portal and one or more Data Collectors and Message Collectors in SL1 12.2.0 and later.

To install an Administration Portal or an SL1 Collector in SL1 12.2.0 and later:

Boot the collector from the SL1 ISO. The Installation window appears.
Select Install SL1 (recommended). After the installer environment boots, the Installation Type menu appears.
Select Typical (recommended), and then select Continue. The Model Type window appears.
Select the appropriate appliance type and then select Continue.
After the installer for the collector is loaded, the Network Configuration window appears.
Enter the following information:

IP Address. Type the primary IP address of the collector.
Netmask. Type the netmask for the primary IP address of the collector.
Gateway. Type the IP address for the network gateway.
DNS Server. Type the IP address for the primary Nameserver.
Hostname. Type the hostname for the collector.

Select Continue. The System Password window appears.
Type the password for the em7admin user on the operating system and select Continue.
Type the password for the em7admin user again and select Continue.
If you are using a VMware instance, after the collector reboots, follow the instructions to install VMware tools.
After you install the SL1 Collector, upgrade the collector if needed to make sure the collector is running the same version of SL1 that the Database Server is running. Then you can connect the new collector with the SL1 Database Server.

Installing an Administration Portal or SL1 Collector in SL1 12.1.x and Earlier

You can use the following instructions to build the Administration Portal and one or more Data Collectors and Message Collectors in SL1 12.1.x and earlier.

To install an Administration Portal or an SL1 Collector in SL1 12.1.x and earlier:

Boot the collector from the SL1 ISO.
Select Install EM7. The Model Type window appears.
Select Collector or Message Collector and then select Continue.
After the installer for the collector is loaded, the Network Configuration window appears.
Enter the following information:

IP Address. Type the primary IP address of the collector.
Netmask. Type the netmask for the primary IP address of the collector.
Gateway. Type the IP address for the network gateway.
DNS Server. Type the IP address for the primary Nameserver.
Hostname. Type the hostname for the collector.

Select Continue. The System Password window appears.
Type the password for the em7admin user on the operating system and select Continue.
Type the password for the em7admin user again and select Continue.
If you are using a VMware instance, after the collector reboots, follow the instructions to install VMware tools.
After you install the SL1 Collector, upgrade the collector if needed to make sure the collector is running the same version of SL1 that the Database Server is running. Then you can connect the new collector with the SL1 Database Server.

Licensing New SL1 Appliances

After you have installed new SL1 appliances, you must then license them. The method for doing so varies by appliance type.

For details on licensing the SL1 appliance types, see the following sections:

For additional details about licensing SL1 appliances, including details about using the Classic Web Configuration Utility or Node Configuration Utility, defining syslog servers, defining proxy servers, and more, see the section on Licensing and Configuring an Appliance.

Configuring a New SL1 System for Traditional Communication

After you have installed your SL1 appliances from the ISO image and licensed those appliances, you must configure the new SL1 system for one of the following communication types:

Traditional communication, in which the Database Server initiates communication with each SL1 Collector. This configuration method is described in the sections below.
PhoneHome communication, in which the SL1 Collectors initiate communication with the Database Server, either through the use of tokens or with passwords and secret keys. This configuration method is described in the section on Configuring SL1 for PhoneHome Communication.

What is Traditional Communication?

SL1 supports two methods for communication between a Database Server (an SL1 Central Database or an SL1 Data Engine) and the SL1 Collectors:

Traditional
PhoneHome

In the Traditional method, the SL1 services on the Database Server initiate a new connection to the MariaDB port on the collector to read and write data. The connection request traverses the network, including the Internet if necessary, eventually reaching the collector. For this approach to work, the collector administrator must allow ingress communication from the Database Server on TCP port 7707, which is the MariaDB port on the collector. The communication is encrypted using SSL whenever possible.

The benefit of the traditional method is that communication to the Database Server is extremely limited, so the Database Server remains as secure as possible.

In the PhoneHome method, the collectors initiate an outbound connection to the Database Server over SSH. The connection requests originate from edge to core via TCP, using port 7705 by default.

After authenticating, the client forwards the local MariaDB port onto the Database Server using a loopback remote IP address. A corresponding SL1 appliance is added using the loopback IP. When the SL1 services on the database try to make a connection to the collector's MariaDB, they connect locally to the loopback IP address, in contrast to reaching out to the collector's IP or DNS name. The communication is encrypted.

The benefits of this method are that no ingress firewall rules need to be added, as the collector initiates an outbound connection, and no new TCP ports are opened on the network that contains the Data Collectors.

While you do not need to add any ingress firewall rules, a best practice is to add an egress firewall rule that allows SSH traffic from the collector on the server's port to either all available destination addresses on the DB or to the specific address on the DB that you know the collector will be able to reach. Starting with SL1 12.1.0, custom firewall rules must use the rich rules syntax and added to /etc/siteconfig/firewalld-rich-rules.siteconfig.

The PhoneHome configuration uses public key/private key authentication to maintain the security of the Database Server. Each Data Collector is aligned with an SSH account on the Database Server and uses SSH to communicate with the Database Server. Each SSH account on the Database Server is highly restricted, has no login access, and cannot access a shell or execute commands on the Database Server.

Configuring a New SL1 Collector for Traditional Communication

After you install an SL1 Collector, use the Add Node wizard on the Nodes page (Manage > Nodes > Add Nodes) to configure your new SL1 Collector. This configuration process:

Registers the SL1 Collector in SL1
Connects the SL1 Collector to the Database Server so it can share its collected data
Aligns the SL1 Collector to a new or existing Collector Group.

While navigating through the Add Node wizard, the Choose Connection Type window appears. This window enables you to determine the method in which the SL1 Collector and Database Server will communicate. The options are:

Connection Type	Used For
Collector Initiates \| System Accepts	Token-based PhoneHome Communication
Collector Initiates \| User Accepts	Password/secret-based PhoneHome Communication
Database Initiates \| System Accepts	Traditional Communication

Part of the setup for SL1 Collectors takes place in the Node Configuration Utility, which has its own user interface separate from the SL1 user interface. The Nodes page and the Node Configuration Utility replace some of the functionality previously found in the Web Configuration Utility in earlier versions of SL1.

All connection types require a token that SL1 generates as part of the wizard. A token is a JSON web token (JWT) that contains a set of secure data that SL1 uses to establish communication between the SL1 Collector and the Database Server. This token expires after a predefined time from the time of generation; by default, this expiration time is 30 minutes, but it can be extended to a maximum of 2 hours. The token encodes all destination addresses.

Configuring Traditional Database Initiates | System Accepts Communication

This section describes how to register and connect an SL1 Collector to the Database Server using the Database Initiates | System Accepts option. This is a "traditional" or non-PhoneHome collector connection type.

To connect an SL1 Collector to the Database Server for traditional communication:

On the Registered tab on the Nodes page (Manage > Nodes), click Add Nodes. The Choose Connection Type window of the Add Node wizard appears.
Select Database Initiates | System Accepts and click Next. The Define Collector Properties window appears.
Complete the following fields as needed:

Collector Name. Type the name the collector used when registering the collector. SL1 will update this value with the collector hostname.
Collector IP Address or Hostname. Type the IP address in this field so the Database Server can connect to the collector. Required.
Collector Description. Type a description of the collector. This field is optional.
Collector Group. The new collector must be aligned to an SL1 Collector Group. You have the following options for this field:
- Select an existing Collector Group from the drop-down.
- Create a new Collector Group for the collector by clicking the plus icon (+). On the Add Collector Group modal, you can name the new group and choose to make that Collector Group available to all current and future organizations. You can also limit the Collector Group to specific organizations.
  
  The All current and future organizations toggle is enabled by default. If you want to limit Organization access to the new Collector Group, disable this toggle and select the organization or organizations from the drop-down.
Collector Type. Your options include:
- Data Collector. This is the most commonly used type. A Data Collector retrieves a specific set of information from monitored devices. A Data Collector can also work as a Message Collector.
- Message Collector. A Message Collector receives and processes inbound, asynchronous syslog and trap messages from monitored devices.

Click Generate Token. The Configure Collector window appears.

You can go back to a previous step at any point in the wizard, but when you click the Generate Token button, SL1 always generates a new token. You cannot retrieve this particular token if you close the Add Node wizard. The generated token expires after 30 minutes.
Click the Copy icon () to copy the token in the Token field.
Open the Node Configuration Utility by clicking the Open icon () in the Node Configuration Utility field. The login page for the Node Configuration Utility opens in a new browser window.

If you did not specify an IP address or a hostname in step 2 of this wizard, you will need to open a new browser window and type the IP address or hostname for the collector, followed by ":7700/node-config", such as "https://10.1.1.100:7700/node-config".

If the node type is not a collector, the Node Configuration Utility will display the following message: "This page will only be visible if you are on a collector."
Log in to the Node Configuration Utility using the same username and password that you used when you installed the collector. After you log in, the collector and the SL1 Database Server attempt to connect. The connection will fail, which is expected. The Connect Collector page appears with an empty Paste token text field.
Paste the token you copied in step 5 in the Paste token field.

If the collector and Database Server are not able to connect, make sure that port 7707 is open between the Database Server and the collector.
Alternately, instead of pasting the token here, you can save time with additional configuration that you will need to do later by clicking Manual Entry, selecting Database Initiated Connection, and adding the IP addresses for the Database Servers (CMDBs) in the text box.

Using this option lets you add all IP addresses for your Database Servers (CMDBs), including primary, High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) servers.
After pasting the token or manually adding the IP adresses, click Register or Register Database, based on your choices in the two previous steps. When the connection is made, a Success dialog states that the collector was configured to accept a connection from the Database Server, and that you need to register the collector in SL1 if you have not already done so. Click the link in the Status dialog to get more information about registering a collector.
Click OK on the Success dialog. The Connect Collector page appears, with a message stating that the collector can receive inbound connection requests.
After you connect the new collector, you will need to manually register the collector in SL1 by navigating to the Appliance Manager page (System > Settings > Appliances).
At the top of the Appliance Manager page, complete the following fields:
1. Host Name. Type the host name of the collector.
2. IP Address. Type the IP address of the collector.
3. Model Type. Select the type of appliance (Data Collector or Message Collector) you are registering.
  
  When you select either type of collector, the DB User and DB Password fields appear. If the Database Server has different credentials from the collector, type the credentials for MariaDB on the Collector. This credential was entered when the ISO was deployed.
4. Description. Type a description for the Data Collector or Message Collector. This field is optional.
5. DB User. Type a user name that can access the MariaDB database on the Data Collector or Message Collector.
  
  For SL1 version 11.3.0 and later, this user is the default database user for MariaDB. This user has the same password as the admin and root user, and the password is set during the initial installation. If you upgraded to SL1 version 11.3.0 or later from an earlier version, the DB user name is "root". If you installed SL1 version 11.3.0 from the ISO, the DB user name will be "clientdbuser".
6. DB Password. Type a password that allows access to the MariaDB database on the Data Collector or Message Collector.
  
  In SL1 version 11.2.0, SL1 automatically set the default database credentials when adding an SL1 collector to the stack. Starting with SL1 version 11.3.0, SL1 no longer specifies the credentials. As a result, you will need to specify the credentials for the collector on the Appliances page (System > Settings > Appliances), in the DB User and DB Password fields.
Click Save. If the save is successful, the message "Appliance Registered" displays.
If all information is valid and the Database Server can communicate with the Data Collector or Message Collector, the Appliance Manager page displays the SL1 version installed on the collector in the Build column. If the Build column remains blank for longer than five minutes, double-check your settings and network connection.
Perform steps 13-15 for each Data Collector and Message Collector in yourconfiguration.
Finally, align the new collector with the relevant Collector Group by going to the Collector Groups page (Manage > Collector Groups, or System > Settings > Collector Groups in the classic user interface).
Select the Collector Group you want to use, select the new collector from the Message Collector Selection field or the Message Collector Selection field, and click Save. (If you are using the classic user interface, click the edit icon () next to the Collector Group you want to use, select the new collector from the Collector Selection field, and click Save.)
Go to the Registered tab on the Nodes page (Manage > Nodes), where you can now see the new collector in the list, aligned with the Collector Group you specified.

Managing the Nodes Page

The following topics describe how to use and add information on the Nodes page.

Viewing the List of Registered Nodes

The Registered tab of the Nodes page lets you manage the nodes used for installing SL1 collectors, SL1 instances, and other related appliances. You can also click the Add Node button to connect an SL1 collector to an SL1 Database Server.

The Pending tab displays a list of pending requests for establishing a connection between a collector and an SL1 Database Server. The Tokens tab displays a list of existing and expired tokens used for connecting collectors.

The Pending tab and the Tokens tab do not display on an All-In-One SL1 system.

The Nodes page replaces some of the functionality previously found in the Web Configuration utility and the Appliance Manager page.

You can filter the items on this inventory page by typing filter text or selecting filter options in one or more of the filters found above the columns on the page. For more information, see Filtering Inventory Pages.

You can adjust the size of the rows and the size of the row text on this inventory page. For more information, see the section on Adjusting the Row Density.

By default, the Nodes page displays the following about each node:

Name. Name of the node.
IP. Primary IP address for the node.
Status. The node status types include:

Available
Unavailable
Failed Over
Available Failed Over
Unconfigured
Unlicensed

Node Type. The node types include:

All-In-One Appliance
Application Server (Administration Portal)
Compute Node
Collector Unit (Data Collector)
Database Server
Message Collector
Storage Node

Database Version. Version number of the Database Server for an All-In-One Appliance or a Database Server node.
Collector Groups. For Data Collectors and All-In-One Appliances, specifies the Collector Group name associated with the node.

In addition, you can click the Grid Settings button and select Column Preferences to add the following columns to the Nodes page:

Node ID. Unique numeric ID, automatically assigned by SL1 to each node on the Nodes page.
Capacity. For Database Servers, specifies the licensed capacity of the node.
Description. Description of the node.
Patch Level. Most recent patch version number for the node, where applicable.
Release Version. SL1 version running on the node.
Version ID. Unique numeric ID, automatically assigned by the platform to each SL1 version.
Created. Date and time the node was registered and licensed.
Edit User. User who last edited the node's information.
Last Edited. Date the node's information was discovered or last edited.
Task Manager Paused. Specifies whether the task manager service is paused. This value is updated every two minutes.
Needs Reboot. Specifies whether the node requires reboot to add latest kernel or security updates.
Allocation. For Data Collectors, specifies the number of devices aligned with the node.
Endpoint. SL1 Agent endpoint for the Gen 1 Agent.
Collector Group ID. For Data Collectors and All-In-One Appliances, specifies the Collector Group ID associated with the node.

Viewing the Tokens on the Nodes Page

The Tokens tab on the Nodes page lists the existing and expired tokens that get used when connecting a collector. A token is a JSON web token (JWT) that contains a set of secure data that SL1 uses to establish communication between the new SL1 Collector and the SL1 Database Server.

By default, tokens for a "Collector Initiates | System Accepts" connection type have a 30-minute expiration period.

The Tokens tab lists the following:

Collector registration details entered by the user at the time of token creation (collector hostname, description)
Collector type (Data Collector or Message Collector) and aligned Collector Group
Details about the token (including its type, date of creation, and expiration date)

A token inherits organization membership from the Collector Group to which it is aligned to allow multi-tenancy.

Recreating a Token

Expired tokens cannot be recovered on the Tokens tab, but you can recreate an expired token, which lets you generate a new token with the same collector details. Recreating the token actually deletes the existing token, but retains the user-supplied collector registration details to use in the new token.

To recreate an expired token:

Go to the Tokens tab on the Nodes page (Manage > Nodes).
Click the Actions menu () and select Recreate for the expired token. The Recreated Token window appears.
Click the Copy button to copy the token, and then paste the copied token into the Node Configuration Utility.