To view data from , install the SolutionPack for Network Configuration Manager in the M&R platform.

Prerequisites

  • Determine whether you need a SolutionPack license file by checking the feature names and expiration dates listed in Centralized Management > License Management. If not listed, obtain a license by completing a Support Request (SR) form, which is available on the support website https://my.vmware.com/.

  • Make sure the core modules, such as the Module-Manager, are up-to-date on all servers since not all module dependencies are validated during the SolutionPack installation. See the VMware Smart Assurance Installation and Configuration Guide for M&R for more information.
  • The Network Configuration Manager is installed and running.
  • You have root login credentials for the Network Configuration Manager.
  • The SolutionPack for Network Configuration Manager license is uploaded to the M&R platform.
  • Ensure that the M&R platform is updated to 7.7.0.3 and later.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the M&R server with root privileges.
    For example, https://Frontend-hostname:58443/APG
  2. Select Administration.
  3. Select Centralized Management in the Administration tree.
  4. Select SOLUTIONPACK CENTER.
  5. Select the Network Configuration Manager in the Browse and Install SolutionPacks screen.
  6. Read the summary information and click Install.
  7. Select the components to install.
    1. Accept the default name, vsa-ncm, in the Instance name field.
    2. Select the M&R server that will host the data collector in the Data collection list box.
    3. Select the M&R server to host the reports in the Reports list box.
    4. Click Next.
  8. Accept the default values for the Data Collection and Alerting on Data Collection panes.
  9. Select the NCM server version in the NCM Version drop-down field in the Server Configuration pane.
  10. Select Device server, Distributed Server, or Combo Server in the NCM Server Type drop-down field and complete the fields depending on your deployment:
    Deployment Provide information for the following fields
    Device Server Select Device server in the NCM Server Type drop-down field.
    • Fully qualified System IP address or host name
    • System root user account and password
    Distributed deployment Select Distributed Server for a distributed NCM server in the NCM Server Type drop-down field.

    For the Application Server,

    • Fully qualified System IP address or host name
    • System root user account and password
    • NCM System administrator user name (for example, sysadmin) and password. The NCM System credentials are required for certificate monitoring reports.

    To collect Database Server information, you also need:

    • NCM database IP address or host name
    • NCM database port number or accept the default port 5435
    • NCM database name in M&R in the NCM instance name field or accept the default name
    • NCM database password

    Use the + icon to add one or more Device, Distributed, or Combo Servers.

    Combo Server Select Combo Server in the NCM Server Type drop-down field.
    • Fully qualified System IP address or host name
    • System root user account and password
    • NCM System administrator user name (for example, sysadmin) and password. The NCM System credentials are required for certificate monitoring reports.

    To collect Database Server information, you also need:

    • NCM database port number or accept the default port 5435
    • NCM database name in M&R in the NCM instance name field or accept the default name
    • NCM database password
  11. Optional, select the Configure collector advanced settings checkbox to configure the polling interval for data collection and also to configure the collection of different types of data, or accept the defaults.
    1. For Compliance, Jobs, and Inventory data, set the polling interval from 300 to 86400 seconds in the Polling period for DB and System data collection field or accept the default 900.
      The M&R polling interval determines the frequency of data collection. For example, the default 900 means that once in every 15 minutes, polling occurs and new raw values are collected.
    2. For Historical data, set the polling interval from 604800 to 2678400 seconds in the Polling period for DB and System data collection field or accept the default 604800.
    3. If you do not want the data to be collected, clear the selected checkbox for Compliance data, Jobs data, or Inventory data. The latest data collection will not occur for or be updated in:
      • Compliance reports like Standard Compliance Reports, Device Compliance Reports
      • Jobs reports like Active Job Report and Historical Job Reports
      • All inventory-related reports like database, interface reports
    4. If you have selected Jobs Data to be collected in the above step, you have an option to use the new Elastic Search DB . Clear the Enable ElasticSearch DB checkbox, If you want to continue using the MySql DB for Jobs data.
    5. Select Reconcile Device Names, if you want to discover the common devices across Smarts SP and NCM SP.
    6. Optional, select Advanced Search Feature if you want to allow the M&R search engine to search all metrics collected by the SQL Collector.
  12. Click Next on the Data Collection pane.
    Note: In the Data Collection pane when you select the Enable ElasticSearch DB check box, you must select Use ElasticSearch DB in the Events and Reports pane also. If you clear the Enable ElasticSearch DB check box in the Data Collection pane, you must deselect Use ElasticSearch DB check box in the Events and Reports pane also.
  13. In the Events pane, select Use ElasticSearch DB, if you have used Elastic Search DB for jobs data collection.
  14. Enter the Hostname or IP address details of the Elastic Search DB.
  15. In the Reports section, select the gateway and the administration web-service instance or accept the default values.
  16. Select the Use ElasticSearch DB checkbox, if you have used Elastic Search DB for jobs data collection.
  17. Select Install to install the SolutionPack.

What to do next

Allow four to five polling cycles to pass before viewing reports.