Install Rudder agent on SLES

If you are working on a test system, you can use the quick install script:

curl https://repository.rudder.io/tools/rudder-setup | bash -s setup-agent 6.2 [policy server hostname or ip]

That will automatically execute the following steps.

Dependencies

If you need to use syslog reporting, which is not the general case, Rudder agent requires that a syslog server is installed on the node. This syslog server can be either syslogd, syslog-ng or rsyslog.

One of them is generally installed by default, but it may not be the case with minimal images. In this case you should install one (preferably syslog-ng or rsyslog).

You may encounter a segmentation fault in Zypper in the following cases:

  • On SLES 11 when trying to install Rudder rpm files locally with Zypper (for example with 'zypper install rudder-agent-version.release-1.SLES.11.x86_64.rpm')

  • On SLES 12 GA when installing Rudder packages, locally or from the repository

This is due to a bug (bnc#929483 on SUSE bugtracker) in Zypper’s RPM headers parsing. You can either:

  • Only for SLES 11, install the packages directly from the repository, as described below

  • Upgrade your libzypp package to a version including the fix provided by SuSE (upgrade for SLES11SP3 and for SLES12)

  • Use the rpm command to install packages locally (for example with rpm -i rudder-agent-version.release-1.SLES.11.x86_64.rpm)

Installation

Each official package is signed with our GPG signature. To ensure the packages you will install are official builds and have not been altered, import our key into rpm using the following command:

rpm --import https://repository.rudder.io/rpm/rudder_rpm_key.pub

Our key fingerprint is:

pub  1024R/6F07D355 2012-11-09 Rudder Project (RPM release key) <security@rudder-project.org>
      Key fingerprint = 1141 A947 CDA0 4E83 82C1  B9C4 ADAB 3BD3 6F07 D355

Add the Rudder packages repository:

  • on SLES 15:

zypper ar -n 'Rudder 6.2' http://repository.rudder.io/rpm/6.2/SLES_15/ Rudder

If you have an active subscription, use the following to get access to long term support (you need to replace the user name and the password by your Rudder account):

zypper ar -n 'Rudder 6.2' https://LOGIN:PASSWORD@download.rudder.io/rpm/6.2/SLES_15/ Rudder

  • on SLES 12:

zypper ar -n 'Rudder 6.2' http://repository.rudder.io/rpm/6.2/SLES_12/ Rudder

If you have an active subscription, use the following to get access to long term support (you need to replace the user name and the password by your Rudder account):

zypper ar -n 'Rudder 6.2' https://LOGIN:PASSWORD@download.rudder.io/rpm/6.2/SLES_12/ Rudder

Update your local package database to retrieve the list of packages available on our repository:

zypper refresh

Install the package:

zypper install rudder-agent

Configuration

Configure the agent

Configure the IP address or hostname of the Rudder Root Server in the following file

rudder agent policy-server <rudder server ip or hostname>

We advise you to use the IP address of the Rudder root server. The DNS name of this server can also be used if you have a trusted DNS infrastructure with proper reverse resolutions.

Add the node to the server

Several minutes after the start of the agent, the new node should be pending in the Rudder web interface. You will be able to browse its inventory, and accept it to manage its configuration with Rudder.

You may force the agent to run and send an inventory by issuing the following command:

rudder agent inventory

You may force the agent run by issuing the following command:

rudder agent run

By default, a node listens on port 5309 to allow remote agent trigger. This feature is optional and can be disabled for security reason.

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