Installing Intermapper on Red Hat Linux Systems

Along with the adoption of SystemD for management of Intermapper services, Intermapper for Linux has been updated to conform to the Linux File System Hierarchy Standard’s policy for packaged applications. For Intermapper 6.6 or higher, the default installation root directories are as follows:

Files New default installation root directory Previous default installation root directory
Intermapper Program files /opt/helpsystems/intermapper /usr/local
Intermapper Data files /var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper /var/local

The installer creates a link (typically in the directory /usr/local/bin) to ensure that you can start Intermapper UI by issuing the command intermapper at the shell prompt. The path /usr/local/etc/intermapperd.conf continues to be reserved – it is now a link to the actual configuration file.

Installing Intermapper

The Intermapper RPM is available in the following package: 64-bit: Intermapper-6.6.3-1.x86_64.7x.rpm, which includes the Intermapper server and Intermapper Flows server.

Installing From a Command Line

For CentOS, follow the instructions for the compatible version of Red Hat.

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cd <directory-containing-rpm>
sudo yum install "InterMapper-6.6.3-1.x86_64.7x.rpm"

A compatible Java JRE is automatically installed with each version of Intermapper server. This file runs the Intermapper client.

Installing the Intermapper Public Key

Intermapper is shipped as an RPM package (.rpm file). The Intermapper RPM is signed with gpg to verify the integrity of the downloaded file. The yum utility, referenced below, requires the public key as part of the installation process.

To install the Intermapper gpg public key, run the following commands:

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sudo rpmkeys --import \
 https://hsdownloads.helpsystems.com/intermapper/debian/helpsystems-rpm-public.asc

After you import this key, rpm remembers it for future releases and you do not need to import it again.

To check the signature on the Intermapper package before installing it, run the following command:

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sudo rpmkeys --checksig InterMapper-6.6.3-1sse.x86_64.12x.rpm

If the package signature is correct, the following line is displayed:

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InterMapper-6.6.3-1.x86_64.7x.rpm: (sha1) dsa sha1 md5 gpg OK

Upgrading Intermapper

When you upgrade an existing Intermapper installation to a newer version, data is retained in the Intermapper Settings folder. Fortra recommends that you create a backup of that folder before you upgrade. For information on which files to back up, see What is Installed and Where.

If you are upgrading from Then
version 5.7 or earlier Contact Fortra Customer Support for upgrade instructions
version 5.8 to version 6.5.1 Ensure you have upgraded Intermapper’s PostgreSQL to 10.14. (Refer to the Intermapper Database Migration Guide for instructions.) You will need to
  1. Upgrade to version 6.5.3 using the following command, which supports 64-bit PostgreSQL installation:

  2. Copy
    sudo rpm -U InterMapper-6.5.3-1.x86_64.5x.rpm
  3. Then upgrade to version 6.6.3 using the following commands:

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cd <directory-containg-rpm>
sudo rpm -e InterMapper
sudo rpm -i InterMapper-6.6.3-1.x86_64.7x.rpm
sudo systemctl stop intermapperd.service
sudo tar -czf /var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/oldimsettings.tar.gz /var/local/InterMapper_Settings/*
sudo rm -rf /var/local/InterMapper_Settings/Extensions
sudo cp -r -p /var/local/InterMapper_Settings /var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/  
sudo cp -r -p /usr/local/imdc/config /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/imdc/  
sudo systemctl start intermapperd.service
NOTE: Because Intermapper is installed in a new default location, copy the settings and folders from your previous installation location and paste to the new location when you install the new version of Intermapper. Restart the services.
  • -e erases the old installation

  • -i performs a clean install. Archive the directories in the old location after copying them to the new location.

version 6.6.1 or higher Upgrade to version 6.6.3 using the following commands:
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cd <directory-containg-rpm>
sudo rpm -e InterMapper 
sudo rpm -i InterMapper-6.6.3-1.x86_64.7x.rpm

Intermapper server will start and discover the previous license. It was also upgrade map files from Maps/Enabled/ (the folder structure of your previous installation) and place them in the new folder structure Maps/Enabled/6.6.3.

NOTE: The Chart Data directory is populated with the chart files for each map as part of the copy specified by the previous step above. Ensure that the permissions for the directories remain the same after the move.

Starting Intermapper

The Intermapper user interface is launched by executing the command intermapper. The installation process creates a link to that command in the directory /usr/local/bin (provided that the directory exists). To start the Intermapper UI, issue the command /usr/local/bin/intermapper.

If that path does not exist, use the path at which the link has been created can be seen in the output of the installation command.

NOTE:

During installation, /usr/bin/local/intermapper is created if /usr/local/bin already exists; otherwise if /opt/local/bin exists, then /opt/local/bin/intermapper is created.

NOTE:

If you cannot run the command above, see Installing Remote Access.

Starting Intermapper Flows

Intermapper Flows Intermapper Flows is installed automatically with Intermapper. It allows you to obtain deeper insight into the traffic on your network. When Intermapper Flows first starts, it creates a 10 GB flows database. You can change the database size and location to fit your needs. Intermapper Flows does not run by default. Use the Intermapper Control Center to start it to access flows information.

Consider the following before starting Intermapper Flows:

  • If you are running a trial version, Intermapper Flows is fully operational. After your trial expires, an Intermapper Flows license is required.
  • Remove any firewalls on the selected UDP ports for NetFlow. The default port is 2055.
    NOTE: The Intermapper Flows service/daemon might not start if another program is using port 2055 (or whatever port you have designated for netflow packets). Stop or uninstall other netflow packages on the system.

Intermapper Flows does not include a graphical user interface. However, you can access flow information either through the built-in Intermapper client or through Intermapper RemoteAccess. Open the Flows window by right-clicking a device on a map. When you do this, you can see information about the traffic on the selected device.

If you purchased Intermapper with Flows, use the serial number to register your installation. If you are only trying Intermapper out, your evaluation serial number allows you to receive data from one exporter source (NetFlow or sFlow data).

See the Intermapper User Guide or online help for more information on Intermapper Flows.

What is installed and where

Intermapper components are installed as separate services. This means that after you start them, they automatically begin running when your computer starts, before any users are logged in, and continue running even when no user is logged in. For information on managing these services, see Managing Intermapper Services.

The installer creates files and folders at the following (default) locations:

File Path

Contents

/var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/InterMapper_Settings Intermapper settings
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/ Intermapper Server binaries
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperd Intermapper Server executable
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperauthd Intermapper authorization delegate
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperflows Intermapper Flows server
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/man/man1/intermapperd.1 Documentation
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/man/man1/intermapperauthd.1 Documentation
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/share/intermapper Intermapper support files
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/imdc Intermapper DataCenter folder
/var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/InterMapper_Settings/Flows Intermapper Flows folder
/var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/InterMapper_Settings/Flows/SESSIONDB Default directory for the flow database
/var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/InterMapper_Settings/Flows/flows.conf Configuration file for Intermapper Flows
/var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/InterMapper_Settings/Flows/services List of port numbers and service names
/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/share/intermapper/imflows_configure.sh The IMflows configuration script

When Intermapper first starts, the Intermapper_Settings folder is created and stored in the /var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/Intermapper_Settings folder. This folder stores preferences, maps, and data that Intermapper collects from your network. You can change the location of the InterMapper Settings folder by editing Intermapper's configuration file (intermapperd.conf) to which a link is created from the /usr/local/etc folder.

The installer also creates a new folder /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/imdc that contains the Intermapper DataCenter's files, including data and configuration files.

There are now three Intermapper services (intermapperd, imflows, and imdc), managed by systemd on all Linux systems, that have systemd active at the time Intermapper is installed. The systemd service files are located in the /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/share/intermapper/units directory. These files are copied to the appropriate run-time location during the installation process. The SystemV-style startup scripts (as used in earlier Intermapper versions) are supplied in the /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/share/intermapper/sysv.init directory. These files are only installed if systemd is not managing the Linux host when Intermapper is installed.

The intermapperauthd file is a setuid-root program. The intermapperd service (running as a non-privileged user) makes requests to intermapperauthd to access low-level network services, such as ICMP ping and low-numbered network ports.

The installer creates user and group entries named "intermapper" on your system, if they do not exist already. The new user and group configuration and log files are stored in the InterMapper Settings and Intermapper DataCenter folders. These log and configuration files are not granted public read access. If you want to read these files, add yourself to the intermapper group or use sudo in your commands.

Managing Intermapper Services

To start individual services, run the following service management commands:

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sudo systemctl start intermapperd.service
sudo systemctl start imdc.service
sudo systemctl start imflows.service    

To stop individual services, run the following service management commands:

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sudo systemctl stop intermapperd.service
sudo systemctl stop imdc.service
sudo systemctl stop imflows.service

To verify the version of Intermapper that is installed, run the following command:

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/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperd -v

To check if Intermapper services are currently running, run the following commands:

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systemctl status intermapperd.service
systemctl status imflows.service
systemctl status imdc.service

Intermapper Data Center

You do not need to configure Intermapper DataCenter if you access it from the local machine. To enable external access and more advanced configuration, go to https://localhost:8182.

Intermapper DataCenter ships with a self-signed SSL certificate. Your browser displays a certificate warning when you visit the DataCenter web interface. You can select the certificate and safely continue to navigate to the page. The Intermapper DataCenter Settings page allows you to upload your own certificate rather than relying on the less secure certificate shipped with Intermapper.

Setting a password for Intermapper Data Center

The Intermapper DataCenter configuration page, accessed from a browser, requires its own password.

Run the following commands:

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sudo systemctl stop imdc.service
sudo /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/imdc/sbin/imdc --password=[password]
sudo systemctl start imdc.service

Now you can connect to Intermapper using one of the following URLs:

Uninstalling Intermapper

To uninstall Intermapper from your system, use the system's graphical package manager, or run the following command:

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sudo rpm -ev InterMapper

When you uninstall Intermapper, the settings and data files are not removed. If you do not plan on reinstalling Intermapper and want to remove it completely, manually remove the InterMapper Settings, Intermapper Flows, and Intermapper DataCenter folders by using the following commands:

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sudo rm -rf /var/opt/helpsystems/intermapper/InterMapper_Settings
sudo rm -rf /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/imdc
sudo userdel intermapper

Installing Remote Access

The Linux Intermpper RemoteAccess package (a self-extracting installer) does not deliver a Java JRE: it will attempt to use the JRE supplied with an Intermapper Server installation on the same host, or, failing that, a Java Runtime from the host environment.

To start the Intermapper RemoteAccess installer, run the following command:

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$ sh ./Install_InterMapper_RemoteAccess_.bin

To launch Intermapper RemoteAccess, run the following commands:

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$ cd InterMapper_RemoteAccess_
$ ./intermapper_remoteaccess.sh

If your Intermapper server does not have a graphical interface, use Intermapper RemoteAccess to administer the Intermapper server. Before the Intermapper server can accept connections from Remote Access, launch the server with a command line argument, telling it where to connect from. Run the following commands to manually stop the intermapperd process, grant remote access to the server, and restart the intermapperd process:

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sudo systemctl stop intermapperd.service
sudo /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperd -f /usr/local/etc/intermapperd.conf --setenv 'Admin=remote:password@*.*.*.*'
sudo systemctl start intermapperd.service

For subsequent installations

Run the following command:

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@set NOLAUNCHIM=1
InterMapper_RemoteAccess_Setup_663.exe /s /a /SMS /f1"c:\temp\imra_setup.iss"
NOTE: Ensure you run the command from where the exe was initially downloaded or call from the full directory path.

Uninstalling Remote Access

Delete the Intermapper_Remote Access_6.6.3 directory and the Intermapper RemoteAccess icon from your desktop.