HPOM Instrumentation: Category based deployment of files to nodes

Note: HP renamed the product called now HP operations manager way too many times. Also it is very inconsistent with using abbreviations. Here we will assume that the term "HP Operations manager" and abbreviations HPOM, OMU, and OVO  mean the same thing :-)

Categories has is a strange name that is used by HPOM for subdirectories (and associated content) that can be distributed automatically to all nodes that are signed a particular policy when you distribute policies.  They also can be assigned to individual nodes. Categories associate instrumentation files with nodes or policies. It is essentially a directory in instrumentation folder. It allows to deploy only selected files to one of several nodes (which should be assigned this category), not everything. The process is very simple and involves three steps

• First you need to define the category. That copy files into this category directory (you can use subdirectories, the whole tree will be copied to nodes)
• After that you need to assign the category to a single policy or one of the policies on a policy group (does not matter which one). This way when you distribute the policy files will be distributed too.

• Now you need to assign category to each and every node that will use it

There are two instrumentation directories in HPOM : server directory (source directory for the instrumentation directories) and agent directory.

• Agent directory:  /var/opt/OV/bin/instrumentation
• Server directory: /var/opt/OV/share/databases/OpC/mgd_node/instrumentation

Subdirectories with names corresponding to categories exist only inside server directory. On nodes the instrumentation directory has flat structure. That means that names of files should be unique. 

You can distribute policies from an individual node or a node group. You can check policies assignments from browse/all policy assignments

When you define category, e.g. Ora_archive_mon you essentially create subdirectory Ora_archive_mon with associated subdirectory structure inside it in server instrumentation directory  /var/opt/OV/share/databases/OpC/mgd_node/instrumentation

It is done automatically. After that you can manually copy related files to this directory and assign this category to either the individual policy (preferable) or node (sometimes necessary). Each time you distribute policy files for the associated category (or categories) will be distributed to each node to which this policy was assigned.  This is essentially configuration management type of operation that is built-in in HPOM.

In case of policies,  assigning category to one of the polices that constitute a group is enough and its effect is equivalent to assigning category to the policy group.

Both the ability to assign categories to nodes and to policies are useful, but the second method (assigning category to a policy) is more useful then the first.  In this case you are getting a slick mechanism of deploying necessary files to several related nodes to which policy is assigned, for example all Solaris Nodes, or all nodes with Oracle installed.  This is a basic but still very useful software distribution mechanism built in HPOM 9. No more no less. 

You can assign category to a node if you need a quick method of transferring a large group of files to specific node. Otherwise it's much better to use assignment of category to a policy. 

Possible Problems

• Categories exist in DB and file system, which creates possibility of inconsistencies, for example as a result of renaming: you need to rename category both  in database and as a physical directory for things not break.
• You can't assign categories to a policy group, only to individual policies. That's  OK, if you think about it: deployment of one policy with assigned category transfer all the files in the category to all the nodes and that's the only thing that is really required.  Assigning to policy group changes nothing and can be counterproductive, if we repeat distribution for each member policy.
• Assignment to the node group is saved as individual node assignments. If a new node is added it does not receive the category assignment but gets automatic policy assignment. That's a bug not a feature :-). That's why it is better to assign categories to individual policies.
• By assigning categories to policies new nodes automatically receive category assignment.  So the directory will be created. that requires consistent usage, for example if you rename category you need manually rename directories in all nodes to which it is distributed  – otherwise problems will occur
• You can't distribute files to the directories outside the instrumentation folder using this method. ovdeploy should be used or your script need to link the distributed files to the required target.

Note:

• In HPOM 9 Templates become Policies and Applications become Tools!
• New in HPOM 9:
  • ConfigFile
  • Node Info
  • Service Auto Discovery
  • Service Process Monitoring
  • Subagent
  • Windows Event Log
  • Windows Management Interface

You can retrieve and redistribute files from/to multiple host using technique called Slurping  and related tools

NEWS CONTENTS

• 20130502 : Categories ( May 02, 2013 )
• 20110812 : Vivit09_A03_Hubbard-Nisi_BES-HP ( Vivit09_A03_Hubbard-Nisi_BES-HP, Aug 12, 2011 )

Old News ;-)

[May 02, 2013] Categories

Categories associate instrumentation files (files that are used by scripts that are used in policies) with nodes or policies.

Each category is essentially a directory in instrumentation folder where you can put all the files that are used by particular script. For example configuration file, some scripts that are called, etc.

They allow deployment of related files

Configuration

• Define category, e.g. "AppXY_Mon"
• Create directory structure in instrumentation area (can be done automatically)
• Put scripts and files that constitute this category into that directory
• Assign category to policy
• – for policy related binaries – former actions/monitors
• Assign category to node
• – for non-policy, but application related binaries – former commands
• Deploy policy on all or selected nodes

[Aug 12, 2011] Vivit09_A03_Hubbard-Nisi_BES-HP

Concept and Configuration

Associate instrumentation files with nodes or policies

• To deploy only related files, not everything

Configuration

• Define category, e.g. "AppXY_Mon"
• Create directory structure in instrumentation area (can be done automatically)
• Put AppXY-related files into that directory
• Assign category to policy
  • for policy related binaries – former actions/monitors
• Assign category to node
  • for non-policy, but application related binaries – former commands
• Deploy policy (or to node)

Using Categories

• Categories can be assigned to policies, nodes or node groups
• Possible Problems?
  • Categories exist in DB and file system – inconsistencies
  • Can not assign to a policy group – where to assign it?
  • Assign to the node group – saved as individual node assignments
  • If a new node is added – does not receive category assignment
  • New nodes automatically receive category assignment
  • Require consistent usage – otherwise problems will occur

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Last modified: March 12, 2019