Skip to main content

Install the agent

Snow Inventory Agent for Linux can be installed either by using a prepared RPM or DEB installation package, or manually by using copies of the binary files.

The files are one executable file named snowagent and one configuration file named snowagent.config. These two files are by default located in the /opt/snow directory. To see a command line summary of the executable, use the following command from a command prompt:

/opt/snow/snowagent -?

Prepare an installation package

As a Snow Atlas user, you can create your own installation packages by using Package Builder.

Otherwise, Snow Support will create the installation packages for you. When ordering an installation package from Snow Support, the current configuration file must be supplied. If no configuration file exists, certain information, according to the description below, must be supplied so that a new configuration file can be created.

Required information:

  • address to the Snow Inventory Server, including port number

  • site name

Optional information:

  • name of the configuration file

  • cron scan time (default is “daily”)

  • if the Snow Inventory Oracle Scanner should be included

  • if previous versions of the Snow Inventory Client for Linux should be removed

The installation package can be copied to any folder, but preferably to the root folder. The install command must be run from the folder where the package is located, while the uninstall command can be run from any folder.

During the installation of the agent an application argument will be automatically added to cron:

nice –n 10 /opt/snow/snowagent

Install the agent using a prepared RPM installation package

Run the commands with superuser privileges, which can be obtained by using for example sudo.

Install

Execute the rpm command with the argument -i, for example:

sudo rpm -i snowagent-<version>-1.i386.rpm

Uninstall

Execute the rpm command with the argument -e, for example:

sudo rpm -e snowagent

Known limitations in the RPM package

The RPM package supports the install (-i) and uninstall (-e) arguments.

To upgrade, uninstall and then perform a normal installation.

Install the agent using a prepared DEB installation package

Run the commands with superuser privileges, which can be obtained by using for example sudo.

Install

Execute the dpkg command with the argument -i, for example:

sudo dpkg -i snowagent_<version>-1_i386.deb

Uninstall

Execute the dpkg command with the argument -r, for example:

sudo dpkg -r snowagent

Known limitations in the DEB package

The DEB package supports the install (-i) and uninstall (-r) arguments.

To upgrade, uninstall and then perform a normal installation.

Install the agent manually

All directory path references reflect a default installation. Run all commands with superuser privileges, which can be obtained by using for example sudo.

Install

  1. Copy the following files to /opt/snow directory on the computer:

    • snowagent

    • snowagent.config

    • sios.jar (optionally)

    • snowcron

    • snowcron.conf

  2. Schedule snowagent by using a scheduler, or use the snowcron script to schedule with cron (see Configure the scan schedule).

  3. Update installation date and last scan date in .hst.lg with the following command line:

    echo "InstallDate=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')" > /opt/snow/data/.hst.lg

Uninstall

  1. Remove any scheduling of snowagent – use the same scheduler as it was installed with.

    For snowcron, use the following command line:

    sudo snowcron –r /opt/snow/snowagent
  2. Delete all installed files, data files, and temporary files with the following command line:

    sudo rm –fR /opt/snow