Overview

This article describes how to install the BrightGauge Agent. The BrightGauge Agent is used to connect on-prem Datasources to BrightGauge. It is used to transfer data between systems using a push methodology (meaning it does not require any inbound traffic to your network) via RSA2048 + AES256 encryption. It runs strictly as a service on the host computer and does not have a GUI.

Installing the agent consists of the following steps:

1. Selecting a host computer on which to install the agent.
2. Downloading and Installing the agent on the host computer.
3. Configuring the Datasource settings on your BrightGauge account.
   
   

Select a Host

System Requirements

• 4GB RAM Dedicated Solely for Agent Consumption (8GB+ recommended)  Note: This is a free requirement as the agent temporarily stores data in RAM after receiving it from your SQL server and before passing it to BrightGauge.
• Windows Server^® 2012 R2 or later for servers (Windows^® 10 or later for workstations)
• Consistent uptime
• Outbound Network Traffic on Port 9332 (TLS) to the following two domains (and any of their subdomains):
  • *.brightgauge.co
    • agentclient.brightgauge.co
  • *.itsupport247.net
    • https://agent-data.service.itsupport247.net/agent
    • http://update2.itsupport247.net
    • http://cdn.itsupport247.net/*)

For best results with data syncs, it is recommended to install the agent directly on the database server (given it meets all of the system requirements listed above). If this is not an option, the agent can be installed on any other machine (server or workstation) that meets the system requirements and is on the same network as the database you are trying to connect to.

For best performance, it is recommended to install one agent per Datasource, although one agent can be used for multiple Datasources as long as they are all on the same internal network. (Note: The more Datasources connected to one agent, the more chances of timeouts occurring with connections/queries).

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CW COMMAND USERS: If there is a CW Command agent installed on the machine that you have chosen to host the BrightGauge Agent, please be sure you stop the existing "ITSPlatform Service" via services.msc before installing the BrightGauge Agent. Once the installation is you can then restart the existing "ITSPlatform Service" via services.msc

Download and Install the Agent

To download and install the agent:

1. Log in as a local or domain administrator to the device you have chosen to be the host.
2. Open a web browser (preferably Chrome as it is our recommended web browser) and navigate to your BrightGauge account (https://YOURSUBDOMAIN.brightgauge.co)
   
3. Log in to your BrightGauge account as an Admin user.

4. Add the desired on-prem Datasource to your account:

   • New Accounts

   On the first login, from the Account Overview page, click on the Add a Datasource button:

   
   
   

   • Existing Accounts

   Click on the Data menu on the top righthand corner of the screen, select Datasources from the dropdown menu, and then click Add A New Datasource on the top right-hand corner:

   

   Note: Whether a new or existing account, you'll come to a list of all available Datasource connections in BrightGauge. Choose the desired on-prem Datasource you are trying to connect.

5. After you choose a Datasource, you will come to a Datasource configuration page with a header like the one below:
   

   

   • Copy the Agent Install Token as you will need it in a later step below. 
   • Click the Download link to download the agent installer.
6. This step only applies to CW Command users. Please check if the machine you have chosen to host the BrightGauge Agent has a CW Command agent installed on it. If so, please stop the existing ITSPlatform Service via services.msc. Failure to do so will interfere with the BrightGauge Agent installation and result in errors.
7. Locate the agent installer you downloaded, right-click the executable file and click Run as administrator:
   
   
   
   
8. Click Install (There is no need to select Options):
   

   

9. Click Next on the Welcome prompt:
   

   

10. After reading and accepting the "End-User License Agreement", click Next.
    

    

11. Paste the Agent Install Token that you copied earlier in Step 5 and click on Next:
    
    
    
    
12. Click Finish after the install completes.
    

    

13. Click on Close to exit the installer:
    

    

14. The agent is now officially installed and you will see two new services under the Windows Services on the host machine:
    

    

    Note: The first service listed as BrightGauge ITSPlatform Service handles the actual data syncing between the database and your BrightGauge Account. The second service listed as "BrightGauge ITSPlatformManager Service" managed updates for the agent itself.

15. Return to the Datasource configuration page in BrightGauge and click Check for new endpoints.
    

    

    Note: After the install of the Agent is complete, the Agent automatically initiates a check-in and final registration process in the background. This process may take up to 15 minutes to complete.

16. After the agent final registration process is complete, the agent hostname appears in the Agent Host drop-down menu.
    

    

    The dropdown menu lists the agent hostname along with the public IP address it uses for outbound traffic from your network. Please do not worry if a different public IP address is used for incoming traffic, as the agent uses a push methodology and does not rely on an inbound connection.

17. This step only applies to CW Command users. After your Datasoure is configured, you can restart the existing ITSPlatform Service via services.msc. 

Configure Datasource Settings

After the agent is installed, you must configure the actual database connection for the desired Datasource via the Datasource configuration page. This includes:

• Selecting the correct agent host from the drop-down menu.
• Entering the database details (e.g., Database IP/Hostname, Database name). These fields vary by Datasource, so please be sure to reference the corresponding connection document for the Datasource you are trying to connect: Available On-Prem Datasources).
  
• Testing the connection.
• Saving the connection.

If you experience any issues installing the agent please refer to the following article which lists some common issues/errors:

• Common On-Prem Datasource Connectivity Issues

For details on how to remove/uninstall the BrightGauge agent, please refer to the following article:

• Uninstalling the BrightGauge Agent

If this article does not help, please feel free to contact Support by selecting Help > Open a Ticket from the top menu bar.