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Title
How to add a VMWare Performance Agent -
Description
Foglight® for VMware uses the VMware Performance Agent to collect information from monitored environments. Creating a VMware Performance Agent instance creates the agent process on the Agent Manager host. Activating the VMware Performance Agent starts that agent process while starting an agent instance’s data collection enables the agent to start collecting data from the monitored vCenter® and to send it to Foglight for VMware.
When the VMware Performance Agent package is successfully deployed, create one or more agent instances, activate them, and start their data collection. To perform these steps in a single operation for one or more monitored hosts, use the Agents view on the Administration tab.
Each VMware Performance Agent monitors a single Virtual Center. When you create a VMware Performance Agent instance and the Agent Setup wizard determines that the Virtual Center was not previously monitored by this Foglight instance, it starts importing historical data into Foglight. This data is not immediately available as it takes some time to collect it. This process can import data collected over 30 days or less, depending on the amount of data available in the Virtual Center. This allows you to explore VMware metrics as soon as the data is imported, instead for waiting for the agent to collect some data from the Virtual Center. The Metric History column in the Agents table indicates the progress of the historical data import. Historical data is intended for charting, trending, and general presentation purposes. It does not cause any alarms to fire.
To import vCenter historical data, the minimum recommended vCenter Statistics Levels must be at least 2 in the samples that are collected for one month for the agent to populate 30 days of historic collections. The following table lists the minimum Statistics Levels for all collection frequencies. For more information about vCenter Statistics levels, see your VMware® documentation
Statistics Levels for all collection frequencies Collection interval Collection Frequency Statistics Level 1 Day 5 Minutes 1 1 Week 30 Minutes 1 1 Month 2 Hours 2 1 Year 1 Day 1
IMPORTANT: Before creating your first VMware Performance agent, you must configure a Virtual Center user with sufficient privileges. For more information, see “Enabling VMware Performance Agents to Collect Data from a Virtual Center” in the Foglight for VMware Installation Guide.
NOTE: In FIPS-compliant mode, you need to import the CA certificate or the self-signed certificate to the KeyStore of FglAM. -
Resolution
To create, activate VMware Performance Agent instances, and start their data collection:
1. Log in to the Foglight browser interface.
2. On the navigation panel, under Dashboards, choose VMware | VMware Agent Administration
3. Launch the Agent Setup Wizard. In the Agents area, click Add.
The Agent Setup Wizard appears with the Select an Agent Host page open.
4. Select the host machine running the Agent Manager that you want to manage the VMware Performance Agent you are about to create, and click Next.
The Agent Setup Wizard refreshes, showing the Select Virtual Center page.
5. Specify the Virtual Center that you want to monitor.a. In the Virtual Center box, type the fully qualified name of the host on which the Virtual Center is running.
b. In the Port box, type the port number of the host running the Virtual Center that will be used by the VMware Performance Agent to connect to the Virtual Center.
c. If you want to enable the VMware Performance Agent to collect the Foglight Storage data, select the Enable Storage Collection check box. Foglight Storage can help you optimize the VMware environment by monitoring virtual storage and its underlying physical storage components. For more information about this product, see the Managing Foglight Manager Storage User and Reference Guide.
d. If you want to import historical data, select the Enable Historical Metric Data check box. This data is not immediately available as it takes some time to collect it. This process can import data collected over 30 days or less, depending on the amount of data available in the Virtual Center. Selecting this option allows you to explore VMware metrics as soon as the data is imported, instead for waiting for the agent to collect some data from the Virtual Center.
e. Click Next.
The Agent Setup Wizard refreshes, showing the Credential Verification page.
6. Specify user credentials the VMware Performance Agent needs to log into tho Virtual Center host. Select one of the following options
IMPORTANT: The Virtual Center user account must have sufficient privileges. For more information, see “Enabling VMware Performance Agents to Collect Data from a Virtual Center” in the Foglight for VMware User and Reference Guide.- Add vCenter(s) to a new credential: Select this option if you want to create a new credential for the selected vCenter. Click Next and continue to Step 8.
- Add vCenter(s) to an existing credential: Select this option if you want to use an existing credential for the selected vCenter. This option is suitable if an existing credential has the information needed to access the vCenter. Click Next and continue to Step 9.
7. Creating a new credential only.
a. Specify the following information:- Credential Name: Type a name that uniquely identifies the credential.
- User: Type the vCenter user name.
- Password: Type the vCenter password.
- Confirm Password: Type the vCenter password.
b. Select a lockbox in which you want to keep the credential. A lockbox can be used to group credentials for access and/or security. In smaller Foglight installations, you can use the default System lockbox.
c. Click Next.
The Summary page appears.
d. Click Finish.
The Agent Setup Wizard closes, and the Agents area refreshes, showing a newly created VMware Performance agent instance.
8. Using an existing credential only.
a. Select an existing credential that you want to use to access the vCenter.
b. Click Next.
The Summary page appears.
c. Click Finish.
The Agent Setup Wizard closes, and the Agents area refreshes, showing a newly created VMware Performance agent instance