Installing Intermapper on Red Hat Linux Systems

Along with the adoption of SystemD for management of Intermapper services, Intermapper for Linux now conforms 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:

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-6.6.4-1.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.

cd <directory-containing-rpm>
sudo yum install "InterMapper-6.6.4-1.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:

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:

sudo rpmkeys --checksig InterMapper-6.6.4-1sse.x86_64.12x.rpm

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

InterMapper-6.6.4-1.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.

cd <directory-containg-rpm>
sudo rpm -e InterMapper
sudo rpm -i InterMapper-6.5.1-1.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

cd <directory-containg-rpm>
sudo rpm -e InterMapper 
sudo rpm -i InterMapper-6.6.4-1.x86_64.7x.rpm

Intermapper server starts and discovers the previous license. It also upgraded map files from Maps/Enabled/ (the folder structure of your previous installation) and places them in the new folder structure Maps/Enabled/6.6.4.

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, run the /usr/local/bin/intermapper command.

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

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:

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 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 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 when 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 runtime 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 already exist. 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:

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:

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:

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

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

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:

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:

• https://localhost:8182/settings.html

• https://IPaddress:8182/settings.html

• https://domain name:8182/settings.html

Uninstalling Intermapper

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

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 running the following commands:

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 attempts 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:

$ sh ./Install_InterMapper_RemoteAccess_.bin

To launch Intermapper RemoteAccess, run the following commands:

$ cd InterMapper_RemoteAccess_
$ ./intermapper_remoteaccess.sh

How to configure a remote user on a headless server

If your Intermapper server is running without a graphical interface (meaning you cannot click items from an application directly on that server), you need to use Intermapper Remote Access from another computer to manage it.

To make this connection possible, the Intermapper server that lacks a graphical interface needs to accept remote connections. This is done by running specific commands.

To configure an Intermapper serve to accept remote connections:

1. Stop the Intermapper Server process.

   Temporarily halt the main Intermapper service on the headless server. This is typically done using a sudo systemctl stop intermapperd.service command.

2. Grant remote access to the server.

   This involves launching the Intermapper daemon (intermapperd) with a special command-line argument. This argument tells the server to allow administrative connections from any IP address (*.*.*.*) using a specific temporary username (remote) and password (password).

   The command is similar to sudo /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperd -f /usr/local/etc/intermapperd.conf --setenv 'Admin=remote:password@*.*.*.*'.

   • Explanation of the command:

     • sudo - You need super-user (administrator) privileges to run this command.

     • /opt/helpsystems/intermapper/bin/intermapperd - This is the full path to the Intermapper server main executable.

     • -f /usr/local/etc/intermapperd.conf - Specifies the configuration file for Intermapper.

     • --setenv 'Admin=remote:password@*.*.*.*' - This is the crucial part that sets an environment variable. It creates a temporary administrator account named remote with the password password that can connects from any IP address (*.*.*.*).

3. Restart the Intermapper Server process.

   After setting up the remote access, restart the Intermapper service to apply the changes. This is done with sudo systemctl start intermapperd.service command.

For subsequent installations

Run the following command:

@set NOLAUNCHIM=1
InterMapper_RemoteAccess_Setup_664.exe /s /a /SMS /f1"c:\temp\imra_setup.iss"

Uninstalling Remote Access

Delete the Intermapper_Remote Access_6.6.4 directory and the Intermapper RemoteAccess icon from your desktop.