Documentation forSolarWinds Platform Self-Hosted

Deploy agents on Linux/Unix-based computers through a repository

This topic applies only to the following products:

SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted

DPAIM — NAM — SAM

Use built-in package management tools, such as yum, apt-get, or zypper, to install agent software on your Linux/Unix-based computers.

To deploy agents on AIX computers, only the yum packet management tool is supported.

The SolarWinds Platform server and Additional Web Servers are Linux/Unix repositories for the agent. This method allows you to use automation tools to mass deploy agents on your Linux/Unix-based computers.

When installing the software, you may be prompted that you are using a deprecated command.

  1. Click Settings > All Settings in the menu bar.

  2. Under Product Specific Settings, click Agent & Remote Collector. Then, on the Agent Management view, click Download Agent Software.

    In Orion Platform 2020.2 and earlier, click Agent Settings to get to the Agent Management view with the Download Agent Software link.

  3. Click Unix/Linux, and Next.
  4. Click Install via Package Management Tool, and click Next.
  5. Select your distribution.
  6. Copy the repository command and paste it to a terminal open to the Linux/Unix-based computer.
  7. You may be prompted for the root password to add the repository.
  8. After the repository is registered with the computer, run the install command, according to your package management tool, for example:
    yum install swiagent
    apt-get install swiagent
    zypper install swiagent

    The agent software is downloaded from the repository and installed on the computer.
  9. In the terminal, type /opt/SolarWinds/Agent/bin/swiagentaid.sh init.
  10. Configure the agent communication mode and polling engine information.
  11. Enter 7 to save your changes.
  12. Optional: For Server-initiated communication (passive), in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console click Settings > All Settings > Node & Group Management > Manage Agents > Add Agent > Connect to a previously installed agent > Next. Enter the name, IP address, and port number for the agent and click Server-initiated communication.

    When installation is successful and communication between the agent and the SolarWinds Platform server has been established, the agent appears in the agent list on the Manage Agents page.

When the installation is successful and communication between the agent and the SolarWinds Platform server is successful, the agent is listed on the Manage Agents page.

The Orion repository

The SolarWinds Platform repository is available when you install any SolarWinds Platform platform product. To install the agent software, you must add the location of the repository to every Linux/Unix-based computer. Repositories are generally added by the root account. This can be automated by an automation tool.

Starting with 2023.1, Linux/AIX agent installation packages (rpm/deb packages) and repositories (yum/zypper/apt repositories) are signed.

SolarWinds Platform 2022.4.1 and earlier

The release of Ubuntu 18.04, and its related Debian release, includes hardened security requirements for repositories.

This security enhancement alert manifests with a similar error message to installing the Orion Agent from the repository:

The repository 
'https://{ORION_HOSTNAME}/Orion/AgentManagement/LinuxPackageRepository.ashx?path= ubuntu-14 Release' 
does not have a Release file.

To install the Orion Agent in Ubuntu 18.04 on 2022.4.1 and earlier from the repository, use the following apt command to bypass the Ubuntu security measures:

apt-get -o Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories=true update; apt-get -o
Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories=true install swiagent

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