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Installing
Learn about the requirements and available installation scenarios to ensure that the deployment of BigFix Inventory goes smoothly in your environment.
Installing on Linux
A complete deployment of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux requires the installation of three components: the BigFix platform, the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool server, and DB2 database. Additionally, a BigFix client must be installed on every computer from which you want to collect software inventory data. Depending on the environment size, you can install all components on a single computer, or distribute them among multiple computers.
Installing the components with separate installers
This option distributes the components among one, two or more servers. Components that must be installed are BigFix and License Metric Tool, each of them requiring a database. In a typical environment, BigFix and its database reside on one server, while License Metric Tool and its database on another. However, for small environments, you can install all components on one server.
Installing BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool
Before you start the installation of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux, ensure that DB2 is installed in your infrastructure. Then, enable a dedicated fixlet site in the BigFix console and download the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool installer. Next, run the installation in interactive or silent mode.

Installing
Learn about the requirements and available installation scenarios to ensure that the deployment of BigFix Inventory goes smoothly in your environment.
- Planning the installation
  Before you start the installation, review information about hardware and software requirements and other considerations to ensure that the installation completes successfully.
- Detailed System requirements
  The tables in this section provide detailed information about the system requirements for BigFix Inventory 10.
- Software requirements
  Ensure that all prerequisite software is installed on the computers in your infrastructure.
- Hardware requirements
  During setup, match your optimum deployment size to your hardware specifications. Use the recommendations as a general guidance.
- Port requirements
  When planning the infrastructure, ensure that port numbers used by License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory, BigFix, and the database are free to enable communication between those components.
- Firewall exceptions
  Some of the fixlets require that the BigFix server connects to the Internet and downloads necessary files and updates. To ensure that they can be downloaded, relevant web addresses must be accessible from the computer where the server is installed. Add those addresses as firewall exceptions and ensure that they are accessible to the proxy server if you are using it.
- Proxy exceptions
  If the BigFix server uses a proxy for Internet connection to access fixlet sites or prefetch downloads, the License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory server must be added to an exception list to ensure that the catalog propagation works properly.
- Installation accounts
  You can install all the infrastructure components as the administrative user. You can also install some components as a non-administrative user but some limitations apply.
- Coexistence scenarios
  This topic describes supported scenarios for the coexistence of BigFix Inventory and License Metric Tool.
- Installing on Windows
  A complete deployment of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Windows requires the installation of three components: the BigFix platform, the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool server, and an MS SQL database. Additionally, a BigFix client must be installed on every computer from which you want to collect software inventory data. You can install all components from scratch or add the License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory server to the existing BigFix infrastructure. Depending on the environment size, you can install all components on a single computer, or distribute them among multiple computers.
- Installing on Linux
  A complete deployment of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux requires the installation of three components: the BigFix platform, the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool server, and DB2 database. Additionally, a BigFix client must be installed on every computer from which you want to collect software inventory data. Depending on the environment size, you can install all components on a single computer, or distribute them among multiple computers.
- Installing on Linux
  A complete deployment of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux requires the installation of three components: the BigFix platform, the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool server, and DB2 database. Additionally, a BigFix client must be installed on every computer from which you want to collect software inventory data. Depending on the environment size, you can install all components on a single computer, or distribute them among multiple computers.
  - Step-by-step installation guide (one installer)
    Use the step-by-step installation guide to ensure that you complete all steps necessary to successfully install License Metric Tool on Linux by using the All-in-One installer.
  - Step-by-step installation guide (separate installers)
    Use the step-by-step installation guide to ensure that you complete all steps necessary to successfully install BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux.
  - Installing the components on a single computer with one installer
    This option is intended for environments with up to 5000 computers. Instead of installing each component separately, you can use the streamlined installer (also known as the All-in-One installer) to automatically deploy all components on one computer. You can either install the BigFix platform, the License Metric Tool server, and DB2 database, or reuse the existing BigFix platform and install the License Metric Tool server and DB2 only.
  - Installing the components with separate installers
    This option distributes the components among one, two or more servers. Components that must be installed are BigFix and License Metric Tool, each of them requiring a database. In a typical environment, BigFix and its database reside on one server, while License Metric Tool and its database on another. However, for small environments, you can install all components on one server.
    - Installing the BigFix platform
      The BigFix platform is the core of the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool infrastructure. It consists of a server that coordinates the flow of data to and from the monitored computers, an administrative console, and clients that collect data from the computers in your infrastructure. Before you can install BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool, install all components of the BigFix platform.
    - Installing BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool
      Before you start the installation of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux, ensure that DB2 is installed in your infrastructure. Then, enable a dedicated fixlet site in the BigFix console and download the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool installer. Next, run the installation in interactive or silent mode.
      - Step 1: Installing DB2
        License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory that is installed on Linux requires DB2 database. You can install the database on the same computer as the License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory server or on a separate one. You can also reuse the instance of DB2 that you installed for the BigFix platform. DB2 installation package is delivered together with License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory.
      - Step 2: Enabling the fixlet site
        A fixlet site is a collection of fixlets, tasks, and analyses that are related to a particular BigFix application. To get access to the content that is specific to BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool, enable the application fixlet site. The procedure differs depending on whether the computer where the BigFix server is installed has the Internet access or not.
      - Step 3: Installing the server
        After you enable the fixlet site, download the License Metric ToolBigFix Inventory installer, and proceed with the installation. You can install the server in interactive or silent mode.
      - Step 4: Performing initial configuration
        During the initial configuration, you create a BigFix Inventory database and the application administrator. You also set up a connection to the BigFix server and database. Optionally, you can configure a connection to the Web Reports database to give the Web Reports users access to BigFix Inventory.
  - Uninstalling
    To remove BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool from your infrastructure, stop the application-specific actions and analyses that are running on the computers and uninstall the scanner. Then, remove the VM Manager tool. Finally, uninstall the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool server. You can also remove the related database.
- Configuring secure communication
  To ensure secure communication, BigFix Inventory uses public key cryptography, which is based on algorithms that use two separate keys, a private key and a public key. This key pair is used to encrypt and decrypt communication
- Installation-related tasks
  If you encounter problems during the installation, you can check details related to the problem, fix it, and then resume the installation. If the BigFix and BigFix Inventory License Metric Tool servers are in separated networks, you can disable the automatic address lookup to avoid problems with initial configuration. Learn how to check the current application and catalog version to make sure that your installation and initial configuration were successful.

Installing BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux

Before you start the installation of BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool on Linux, ensure that DB2 is installed in your infrastructure. Then, enable a dedicated fixlet site in the BigFix console and download the BigFix InventoryLicense Metric Tool installer. Next, run the installation in interactive or silent mode.