An agent is a low-footprint, secure application that runs on managed servers. The agent runs as two (2) OS processes:

  • Agent: Runs all the instrumentation required to manage your server.
  • Agent Shield: As a watchdog process for the agent, the Agent Shield monitors agent and restarts when it stops running.

On Windows, the agent and agent shield run as Windows services. On Linux, they run as OS processes.

Data collection

After installation on the target devices, agent collects data, including:

  • OS information
  • Hardware information
  • Application Information
  • Services Information
  • Patch Information
  • AV information

Data retention

On loss of network connectivity, the agent retains alert data for the last 24 hours and retains metric data for the last one hour.

Key features

  • Discovery & Deployment: Discover devices through PING, SNMP or WMI. Deploy using one of the multiple methods available.
  • Asset Collection and Proactive Jobs: Collect data and assign jobs manually or through device management policies
  • Scripts/Automation: Assign tasks automatically
  • Monitoring templates: For Windows and Linux operating systems.
  • Applications monitor support: Map the script to a monitor output to self remediate or provide more information.
  • Patch Management: Download the patches from Microsoft and WSUS policies and apply globally across multiple sites.
  • Application Dashboards: Collect appplication-specific information and display on dashboard.

Agent Versioning

Windows G2 Agent versioning starts with the 6.x series. Example: 6.00.0011.

Linux G2 Agent versioning starts with the 4.x or 5.x series. Example: 5.2.1-1.

To find the agent version:

  1. Select a client from the All Clients list.
  2. Select Infrastructure
  3. Select the resource type and click the resource name.
  4. In the left panel, click Attributes.
  5. Click More Information to view the OpsRamp Agent Version.

FAQs

Why is an agent update required?

The agent update is required for updating bug fixes in the previous agent version, new features or to address critical issues.

How often are agent updates released?

The agent is updated after every major release (that occurs once a quarter) or sometimes after a minor release or any hotfixes.

What is the downtime for agent updates?

Agent update downtime is very minimal and the update process takes from one minute to a maximum of two minutes.

  • The downtime also depends on the network bandwidth that is required to download the patch.
  • During this process, the agent service is stopped and restarted after the update.

How do I find devices that have agent policies?

To find devices with agent policies:

  1. Go to Setup > Accounts and click Clients.
  2. Click the client name.
  3. Select the Client Details tab to view the list of policies that are assigned to the resources.

How do I validate if the agent is successfully configured?

To validate configuration:

  1. Go to the Infrastructure tab.
  2. On the device list, search for the device on which the agent was deployed.
  3. Check for an icon that is displayed against the resource. This icon confirms that agent is successfully installed on the device.

How long are metric and alert data retained if the Agent loses network connectivity?

On loss of network connectivity, the Agent retains alert data for the last three days and retains metric data for the last four hours.