Add a WatchMyDC® Collector

Introduction

WatchMyDC® users can add a new collector to their WatchMyDC® Dashboard once they’ve created an account and imported Import a Collector. Follow this instruction manual to add a WatchMyDC® Collector to the WatchMyDC® Dashboard.

A video guide:

A WatchMyDC® Collector is a process that sits in a customer private network. Since the Collector has various roles in a WatchMyDC environment, so understanding the WatchMyDC® Collector is important.

• It listens for logs such as event logs, and activity logs from systems and applications in a private network.
• It sends and receives required information such as metadata, task execution requests, etc from the WatchMyDC® cloud services.
• It stores the credentials for systems and networks in case customers chose not to store them in the cloud

The Collector needs internet access to establish TCP connections with the WatchMyDC Dashboard using port 443 in both inbound and outbound directions.

Note: Please issue the command ‘wmdc upgrade’ as soon as the Collector is online and registered. Since the WatchMyDC® team is always working to get the best features for its customers, an upgrade is necessary to ensure the latest build is in operation.

Specifications

Build

The WatchMyDC® Collector is run on the Ubuntu Server 20.04.

System Specification (VM)

• A minimum of 2 Core CPU (2 vCPU)
• A minimum of 2GB Memory. However, memory requirements will increase with the number of nodes.
• A minimum of 20GB Disk Space. Preferred SSD.

Supported Platforms

Since WatchMyDC® releases the Collector image as virtual machines (VM), it is ready to deploy on any of the platforms below:

• VMware vSphere (v5.5 or higher)
• Linux KVM
• Microsoft HyperV (Gen 1)
• Also tested on Oracle VirtualBox (v6.0 or higher)

WatchMyDC® Collector Download Links

• VMware Compatible: https://wmdc-dev-collector-vm.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/v1.57/wmdc-collector-v1.57.ova
• HyperV Compatible: https://wmdc-dev-collector-vm.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/v1.57/wmdc-collector-v1.57.vhdx

Instructions For the Initial Configuration

01 – CLI from Console

1. Import the virtual appliance on a supported platform
2. Initial Login – A console user can login using the credentials below once the Collector boot process is completed
   • Username: admin
   • Password: admin
3. Set an IP Address: The Collector sets a DHCP IP address automatically if available. Otherwise please enter a manual IP address. Please follow the commands below –
   • Initiate IP Address set wizard – ’wmdc netconfig wizard’
   • ‘What interface should be used?:’ 
     • For most systems, this is ‘eth0’
   • ‘Is DHCP enabled for the VM? [y/N]:’ 
     • Enter ‘y’ if DHCP needs to be enabled, else ’N’
   • If ’N’ is entered then ‘VM IP Address:’
     • Enter the IP Address to be assigned
   • ‘Subnet prefix length (eg. 16,24):’
     • Enter 16 if the subnet mask is 255.255.0.0
     • Enter 24 if the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
   • ‘Gateway IP Address:’
     • Add the gateway IP Address
   • ‘DNS Server IP Address:’
     • Add the DNS server IP Address
4. Hit ‘ENTER’ to accept the changes. The configuration reverts back to its original settings if ‘ENTER’ is not hit within 120 seconds.

02 – Create a Collector Connection String in the dashboard

1. Register and create an account using: https://dashboard-dev.watchmydc.com
2. Create a new Site & Data Center by following the on-screen instructions
3. Navigate to ‘Configure > Collectors > Create’. The Collector status will show as ‘Offline’
4. Copy the ‘Connection String’

03 – Set the Connection String for the Collector

1. Enter this URL in your browser – https://<collector ip address>
2. Paste the Connection String & click ‘Submit’

04 – Upgrade

1. Please issue the command ‘wmdc upgrade’ to upgrade the Collector to its latest version

05 – Verify The Collector Status

1. The Collector status in the dashboard should now reflect ‘Online’. (Note – The Collector may take a few minutes to update its status)