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NetBackup IT Analytics Help

Last Published: 2024-02-22

Product(s): NetBackup IT Analytics (11.2)

Add/Edit Data Collectors

To enable the Data Collector server to pass data to the Portal server, a corresponding Data Collector must be created in the Portal, along with Data Collector policies for each of the vendor-specific enterprise objects. Data Collector policies are specific to the type of data that is being collected; however, multiple types of policies often can be combined within one Data Collector.

The first step is to create a Data Collector. Once created, you can add policies to it. Often one Portal Data Collector is sufficient for adding Data Collector policies for a variety of enterprise objects such as backup servers, arrays, and switches.

See Upgrade Data Collectors.

To add a Data Collector

Select Admin > Data Collection > Collector Administration. The list of currently configured Portal Data Collectors is displayed. If a Data Collector has already been created, rather than creating a new Data Collector, you may want to add your collection policies to an existing Data Collector.
Click Add Collector.
See “To Edit a Data Collector”.

To Edit a Data Collector

Search for Collector by name. Search returns results at the folder level and within the folder.
See Navigating with search.
Alternatively, select Admin > Data Collection > Collector Administration to browse for a collector. A list of currently configured Portal Data Collectors is displayed.
Select a Data Collector from the list.
Click Edit.
Enter or modify fields as necessary.
Generate a key file if required.
See Data Collector security and data encryption.

Table: Field description

Field	Description
Collector Name*	The collector name cannot include a space and is case sensitive. The names should match exactly as entered in the Data Collector configuration screen and the Data Collector Installer screen. Edit the unique name assigned to this Data Collector. The Data Collector will use this value for authentication purposes. Changing the Collector ID or passcode requires manual changes to the corresponding Data Collector server. Collection will break if these corresponding changes are not made.
Passcode*	Edit the passcode assigned to this Data Collector. It can be any character sequence. Unlike other system passwords (which are encrypted and then saved) this Data Collector passcode is not encrypted prior to saving in the database and may appear as clear case in certain files. It simply is intended as a "handshake" identification between the Data Collector and the policy. Changing the Collector ID or passcode requires manual changes to the corresponding Data Collector server. Collection will break if these corresponding changes are not made. You can use the following OS-specific special characters in the passcode. Make sure the special characters you include are supported on the OS where the Data Collector is installed. Linux: !@#%^* Windows: !@#$%^&*()
Short Notes	Descriptive notes associated with this Data Collector.
Enable SSL	Both secure (SSL) and non-secure Data Collectors can send data to the same Portal. Check this box to select the secure communication protocol (https) that the Data Collector will use. This check box will not appear in the dialog box if SSL is not enabled in your environment. The Portal data receiver must be listening for https traffic; for example: https://agent.mycollector.com
Auto-upgrade aptare.jar	Indicate if you want this configuration file upgraded automatically. This part of the Data Collector is responsible for event and metadata processing threads. The .jar file contains the processing and parsing logic for data collection. The latest versions can be downloaded automatically and applied to the collector during upgrades. It is recommended that this setting be set to Yes.
Auto-upgrade Upgrade Manager	Indicate if you want this configuration bundle upgraded automatically. This Data Collector component is responsible for managing Data Collector upgrades. The latest versions can be downloaded automatically and applied to the collector during upgrades. It is recommended that this setting be set to Yes.
Generate Key	This creates a key file required for asymmetric encryption, also known as public-key cryptograph. This provides additional security when data is collected. Click to generate the key file and download it to your local system. This is required for new installations and optional for upgrade scenarios. Note: When generating a replacement key, for example a key is lost or data has been corrupted the following applies: Generating a key file disables all Data Collector policies associated with the collector and invalidates their credentials. For each policy associated with the collector, you must re-enter all credentials and re-enable the policy. See Data Collector encryption.

Edit NetBackup IT Analytics Data Collector credentials

The following table provides the steps you need to follow when you change the Data Collector credentials, such as Collector Name and Passcode. These steps are essential to establish the Data Collector connectivity with theNetBackup IT Analytics Portal and seamless data collection.

Follow the steps provided in the table after you:

Search for Collector by name on the Portal. Search returns results at the folder level and within the folder.
See Navigating with search.
Alternatively, select Admin > Data Collection > Collector Administration to browse for a collector. A list of currently configured Portal Data Collectors is displayed.
Select a Data Collector from the list.
Click Edit.
Click Change on the Edit Collector pop-up.
A warning message is displayed that indicates the impact of making edits to the Data Collector name and passcode. Click OK and proceed to the next steps.

Table: Edit NetBackup IT Analytics Data Collector credentials

Task	Procedure	Remarks
Change only Passcode	Change the Passcode value. Click OK to save the changes Update the new passcode value in `mbs/conf/collector.properties` file in plain text on the Data Collector server. Run updateconfig.bat Start the Aptare Agent.	This does not require generating a new key file.
Change only Collector Name	Change the Collector Name value. Click OK to save the changes. A new key file gets downloaded. Update the collector name and passcode value in `mbs/conf/collector.properties` file in plain text on the Data Collector server. Copy the new generated key file to `mbs/conf` directory. Run updateconfig.bat Start the Aptare Agent.	This change generates a new key file and downloads it locally.
Change both Collector Name and Passcode	Change the Collector Name and Passcode values. Click OK to save the changes. A new key file gets downloaded. Update the new collector name and passcode value in `mbs/conf/collector.properties` file in plain text on the Data Collector server. Copy the new generated key file to `mbs/conf` directory. Run updateconfig.bat Start the Aptare Agent.	This change generates a new key file and downloads it locally.