Using the BrightGauge Agent

If you are connecting with BrightGauge using an on-premise datasource, you will need to download the BrightGauge agent and install it on your network in order to provide connectivity. The agent runs as a service and only passes the queries needed by BrightGauge to your systems. The connection between both system transfer data using a 2048 bit SSL encryption.  The agent can be installed on any Windows server or workstation that has access to the databases you'd like to connect to BrightGauge.

Step 1 - Choose A Host and Download the Agent

(You can have just ONE agent for all datasources, if they are on same internal network)

Select a machine (windows server or workstation) that has access to the database servers with your databases installed. This machine is where you install the BrightGauge Agent and where BrightGauge securely connects in from the Internet.

Of course, you can also install the agent on the database server, as long we are able to connect from our External IP address.

Agent System Requirements

• .Net 4.0
• 500 mb RAM free (2 gb+ recommended).  Please note this is a "free" requirement as the agent temporarily stores data in the ram after getting it from your SQL server and before passing it to our servers
• Consistent uptime, as anything less will affect syncs

You can download the agent by going to https://YOURSUBDOMAIN.brightgauge.co . If this is the first time connecting a datasource, you'll see the available options immediately, otherwise head to the "Data" on the top right hand corner and select "Datasources". Select the "Add A New Datasource" button on the top right. Then select the appropriate datasource from the list provided. At the top, you'll see a link titled "BrightGauge Agent" which you can click on to download the agent.

Step 2 - Firewall Rules

You will need to open up your firewall to allow communication from BrightGauge through a specific port to the machine you identified above. We recommend Port 2666. You can find the BrightGauge IP Addresses when connecting the datasource in your BrightGauge portal right next to the link to download the agent.
Otherwise, please email us at support@brightgauge.com and we will provide you with our IP Addresses.

We have also seen that even when the Windows Firewall is turned off, it is blocking traffic. Please create an advanced port exception in the firewall on the machine you choose to install the agent on. Instructions on that can be found here. 

Step 3 - Install Agent

To install on Windows Server 2008 and later (Windows Vista and later for desktops), make sure to run the install as an administrator:

Right click on the installer -> run as administrator
OR
Right click on the installer -> properties -> compatibility -> run as administrator

Step 4 - Configure Agent

If running on Windows Server 2008 and later (Windows Vista and later for desktops), make sure to run the BrightGauge Manager as an administrator:

Right click on the Manager Desktop Shortcut -> properties -> compatibility -> run as administrator

You'll need:

• Your BrightGauge portal, username, and password, all of which were emailed to you when you first signed up.
• IP Address: Refers to the IP address that BrightGauge will hit when connecting to your network (Public IP)
• Local IP is either the local IP of the box behind a NAT, or if your box is exposed to the internet it is the public IP of that machine again.

Once all information is filled out on the gent, click on "Test Connection".

If your test is successful, proceed to click on "Save & Start Service" and refer to the corresponding article for your datasource from the following page:

Connecting To Your Data Source

If you're having issues connecting or have questions here are a few documents that can help:

Common Agent Connectivity Issues
Windows Firewall Inbound Rule for the Agent
Multiple Databases, how many agents are needed?

Of course if those links don't help, feel free to drop us a line using this link or email us at support@brightgauge.com