1.2 Installation

We strongly recommend that you check and ensure that you meet the minimum systems requirements outlined below, and understand the server requirements. If you are already familiar with the Installation process, you can skip ahead to Getting Started.


Installation

The Indeni .OVA file is preconfigured to launch with 8 GB of RAM, 4 Cores and 146.5 GB of hard drive space. A new install of the Indeni Virtual Lab will use ~3.19 GB. For a live production environment, we recommend the use of 5 – 8GB of RAM.

Please Note: As you continue to use the Indeni server memory on the volume will start to increase, so it is best to monitor memory usage as you go. If you run a virtualized Indeni environment and max out your system resources, you may encounter severe performance issues.

To check your hardware settings on Windows:

  1. Go to Start > right click on Computer and go to Properties.
  2. You will see system settings under the performance rating. Look for System > Processor and Installed Memory.
  3. Go to Window Explorer > Computer > Look under your Main Drive to find the amount of free storage.

To check your hardware settings on Mac OS X:

  1. Click on the Apple Icon (top left corner) > About this Mac > Systems Report

Software Options:

  • Virtual Machine: VMware Workstation, ESX or other VM offering such as Virtual Box. VMware Workstation 12.5 was used in this documentation. It is free to use for home, or educational purposes, when you register with a valid email address.

    Please Note: production certification has been done exclusively on VMware’s ESXi releases 6.0, 6.5 and 6.7.

  • Network Monitoring: Wireshark
  • CLI (command-line-interface): Putty for PC users, Terminal for Mac OS X users.
  • File Transfer: WinSCP for PC users and Cyberduck for Mac users.

Loading the .OVA

Indeni can be installed on most virtual machines, including freeware versions. However, VMware Workstation was preferred for this exercise due to the ease of DHCP assignment to the Indeni server and connectivity to devices over a VPN.

To Load the OVA, do the following:

  1. Launch VMware Workstation Player, or preferred virtual machine, and select Open a virtual machine.

    Please Note: Typically the default file type VMware looks for is .ISO. You might need to change the file type from .ISO to All Support File Types to find and load the .OVA. Also, if you load multiple images of the .OVA for testing purposes, be sure to delete them in VMware and then check that they have also been removed from the directory.

  1. Before launching the OVA click on Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings > Network Adapter. Make sure that NAT is selected, then load/play the instance.

Installing Indeni on a Virtual Instance

When you launch the the Indeni Server, you should see the service highlighted in red start:

Once the instance launches, login with User: indeni Password: indeni4it:

Please Note: It is good to get in the habit of changing default passwords after you have logged in. But do not forget it because Indeni support cannot reset or recover your password after it has been changed. If this happens, please see the following thread on how to reset your admin password in askubuntu.com.

Once you have logged in, it will ask you to continue with the Configuration Wizard. To access the configuration after initial setup, type inisetup:Once the Configuration Wizard continues, you can configure the following:

1) Configure Network Interface
2) Configure NTP servers
3) Configure Proxy
4) Change Timezone
5) Change HostName
0) Quit

Network Interface: configure the static IP network settings by providing the following values:  address, netmask, gateway. dns-nameservers 

NTP: change the server’s NTP server.

Proxy: If you manage your own network, then input the appropriate settings for Proxy, if necessary, and open the following ports (8181, 443, 8080) on any firewalls you may have running.

Timezone: change the server’s timezone.

Host Name is optional, but you will need to adjust the time zone and make sure the virtual machine clock is correct. Once you have your preferred settings, select (6) Quit to exit the setup.

Please Note: It is best practice to also check the system time on Ubuntu since issues may occur if times are not in sync. To check, type in date +’%:z %Z’. To reset the timezone, type in sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata.

After you exit the Configuration Wizard, you should see the currently installed versions. It is okay if the versions differ on your system, the process is still the same:

Please Note: Indeni will not work properly if the collector and server versions do not match.

Typing ‘imanage’ [enter] will take you to Indeni tools, where you can perform the following functions:

The most common option will be [6] Send logs to Indeni technical support. It is not recommended to Restart Indeni services without being directed to; doing so can disrupt device interrogation.

Next, in the command line, type in ‘ifconfig’ to find the IP address that was assigned to the virtual machine. It should be assigned to eth0. Once you have the IP address, make sure and take note of it.

Launch a browser and enter in the following into the address bar: ’https://[YOUR-eht0-IP]/‘.

If you’re using Chrome, go to advance and Proceed. You should be presented with the login page. The default login is Username: admin and Password: admin123!

After you login, accept the License Agreement.

Enter an Email for Indeni Insights and SAVE.

Congratulations! You have now successfully set up your Indeni Virtual Lab!

You are now ready to add devices to monitor.

BlueCat acquires Indeni to boost its industry-leading DNS, DHCP and IP address management platform to help customers proactively assess network health and prevent outages.