An agent is a low-footprint, secure application that runs on managed servers. The agent runs as two (2) OS processes:

  • Agent: Runs all the instrumentation required to manage your server.
  • Agent Shield: As a watchdog process for the agent, the Agent Shield monitors agent and restarts when it stops running.

On Windows, the agent and agent shield run as Windows services. On Linux, they run as OS processes.

Data collection

After installation on the target devices, agent collects data, including:

  • OS information
  • Hardware information
  • Application Information
  • Services Information
  • Patch Information
  • AV information

Data retention

On loss of network connectivity, the agent retains alert data for the last 24 hours and retains metric data for the last one hour.

Key features

  • Discovery & Deployment: Discover devices through PING, SNMP or WMI. Deploy using one of the multiple methods available.
  • Asset Collection and Proactive Jobs: Collect data and assign jobs manually or through device management policies
  • Scripts/Automation: Assign tasks automatically
  • Monitoring templates: For Windows and Linux operating systems.
  • Applications monitor support: Map the script to a monitor output to self remediate or provide more information.
  • Patch Management: Download the patches from Microsoft and WSUS policies and apply globally across multiple sites.
  • Application Dashboards: Collect appplication-specific information and display on dashboard.

MS Visual C++ redistributable package (Windows)

Q1: What is the purpose of the MS Visual C++ redistributable package?

The MS Visual C++ redistributable package is essential for Windows patching and provides necessary runtime components for proper execution of patching processes. It will be installed by default during the agent installation.

Q2: How can I check if the MS Visual C++ redistributable package is installed on my system?

To check the installation status of the package, it is recommended to refer to the agent installation logs, which can provide detailed information about the installation process.

Q3: What should I do if the installation of the MS Visual C++ redistributable package fails?

In case of installation failure, it is advised to install VCRT version 11.0.61030 of the package. This particular version can help resolve any issues and ensure the smooth functioning of the patching process.

Agent Versioning

Windows G2 Agent versioning starts with the 6.x series. Example: 6.00.0011.

Linux G2 Agent versioning starts with the 4.x or 5.x series. Example: 5.2.1-1.

To find the agent version:

  1. Select a client from the All Clients list.
  2. Select Infrastructure
  3. Select the resource type and click the resource name.
  4. In the left panel, click Attributes.
  5. Click More Information to view the OpsRamp Agent Version.

FAQs

Why is an agent update required?

The agent update is required for updating bug fixes in the previous agent version, new features or to address critical issues.

How often are agent updates released?

The agent is updated after every major release (that occurs once a quarter) or sometimes after a minor release or any hotfixes.

What is the downtime for agent updates?

Agent update downtime is very minimal and the update process takes from one minute to a maximum of two minutes.

  • The downtime also depends on the network bandwidth that is required to download the patch.
  • During this process, the agent service is stopped and restarted after the update.

How do I find devices that have agent policies?

To find devices with agent policies:

  1. Go to Setup > Accounts and click Clients.
  2. Click the client name.
  3. Select the Client Details tab to view the list of policies that are assigned to the resources.

How do I validate if the agent is successfully configured?

To validate configuration:

  1. Go to the Infrastructure tab.
  2. On the device list, search for the device on which the agent was deployed.
  3. Check for an icon that is displayed against the resource. This icon confirms that agent is successfully installed on the device.

How long are metric and alert data retained if the Agent loses network connectivity?

On loss of network connectivity, the Agent retains alert data for the last three days and retains metric data for the last four hours.

Why does OpsRamp see a Virtual Machine as a new device when it is moved between VMware Clusters or restored from backup or cloned?

Based on reconciliation logic we will create a device at the portal.
The creation of the new device could be a change in major resource attributes such as IP address, MAC address, BIOS id, MOID (VMware object id), etc.

Due to change in resource attributes of device the new resource is created on the portal.

Yes, you can link the resources by adding the old resource UUID to our agent configuration DB (Database).

You may lose the new resource metric data if you change the resource UUID from new to old.

Does OpsRamp transfer the monitoring templates assigned on the old device to the new device?

No, monitoring templates will not be transferred to the new device if they are manually assigned on the old device.

If the monitoring template is assigned with DMP (Device Management Policy) on the old device, then the templates will be transferred from the old device to the new device.

Does the new resource keep the old metric data?

No, old metric data will not be available on the new device, because the device or resource is treated as a new resource. Hence, everything gets monitored newly on the new device and successfully onboarded to OpsRamp.

Can we map the data such as Service Maps, Notes, and Knowledge Base articles to the new devices?

No, the Notes cannot be mapped to the new devices.
However, if the Service Maps and Knowledge Base articles are created with DMP, then these will be mapped to the new devices.