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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 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.
Step 1: Creating the license authorization file
The license authorization file contains deployment and licensing information and is used during the installation of the BigFix platform to create your license files and certificates.

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.
      - Step 1: Creating the license authorization file
        The license authorization file contains deployment and licensing information and is used during the installation of the BigFix platform to create your license files and certificates.
      - Step 2: Downloading the BigFix installer
        To obtain the BigFix installer for Linux, log in to Passport Advantage and download the required packages. If you are planning to install the BigFix platform and DB2 on a single computer, download the package that contains installers for both applications. If you are planning to install the components on separate computers, download the installers separately.
      - Step 3: Installing BigFix
        To install the BigFix platform on Linux, run the install.sh script and go through the installation of the BigFix server, DB2 database, and the first BigFix client. Then, install the BigFix console on a Windows computer.
      - Installing the BigFix clients
        Install the BigFix client on every computer in your network that you want to monitor, including the backup and recovery machines.
    - 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.
  - 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.

Creating the license authorization file

The license authorization file contains deployment and licensing information and is used during the installation of the BigFix platform to create your license files and certificates.

About this task

The license authorization file entitles you to using the BigFix platform for License Metric Tool free of charge.

Procedure

Go to the license authorization website.
Specify the required information, such as your name and email address.
Click Submit and save the file to your computer.

Results

The LicenseAuthorization_number_Create.BESLicenseAuthorization file is downloaded to your computer. The file is needed during the installation of the BigFix platform.

What to do next

Downloading the BigFix installer for Linux.