Preparing for the Installation

This chapter covers any tasks that you have to perform before installing Cisco Prime Network Registrar.

Installation Checklist

This section explains the procedures you must follow to install Cisco Prime Network Registrar.

Before you perform the installation or upgrade, ensure that you are prepared by reviewing this checklist:

Table 1. Installation Checklist
Task Checkoff

Does my operating system meet the minimum requirements to support Cisco Prime Network Registrar 10.0? (See the System Requirements section.)

Does my hardware meet the minimum requirements? (See the System Requirements section.)

If necessary, have I excluded Cisco Prime Network Registrar directories and subdirectories from virus scanning? (See the Backup Software and Virus Scanning Guidelines section.)

On Windows, are other applications closed, including any virus-scanning or automatic-backup software programs? Is the Debugger Users group included in the Local Users and Groups?

Do I have the proper software license? (See the License Files section.)

Am I authorized for the administrative privileges needed to install the software?

Does the target installation server have enough disk space?

Is this a new installation or an upgrade?

Is the cluster mode of operation regional or local?

Is this a full or client-only installation?

Is the 64-bit JRE/JDK installed on the system? If so, where?

Should the web UI use an HTTP or HTTPS connection, or both?

Am I upgrading from an earlier version of Cisco Prime Network Registrar? If so:

Are there any active user interface sessions?

Is my database backed up?

Am I upgrading from a supported version (Cisco Prime Network Registrar 7.2 and later)?

Before You Begin

Verify that you are running a supported operating system and that your environment meets all other current system requirements (see System Requirements).

To upgrade the operating system:

  1. Use the currently installed Cisco Prime Network Registrar release to complete any configuration changes in progress, so that the existing database is consistent before you perform the upgrade.
  2. Back up your database. The installation program tries to detect configuration data from an earlier installation and will upgrade the data.
  3. Upgrade your operating system.

Obtaining Cisco Prime Network Registrar License Files

When you purchase Cisco Prime Network Registrar 10.0, you receive a FLEXlm license file in an e-mail attachment from Cisco, after you register the software.

You must copy the license file to a location which will be accessible during the regional cluster installation before you attempt to install the software. The installation process will ask you for the location of the license file.

To obtain a license file:

  1. Read the Software License Claim Certificate document packaged with the software.

  2. Note the Product Authorization Key (PAK) number printed on the certificate.

  3. Log into one of the websites described on the certificate, and follow the registration instructions. The PAK number is required for the registration process.

    You should receive the license file through e-mail within one hour of registration.

A typical license file might look like:



INCREMENT base-system cisco 10.0 permanent uncounted \

	VENDOR_STRING=<Count>1</Count> HOSTID=ANY \

	NOTICE="<LicFileID>20110919130037832</LicFileID><LicLineID>4</LicLineID> \

	<PAK></PAK><CompanyName></CompanyName>" SIGN=521EA9F0925C

Running Other Protocol Servers

You cannot run the Cisco Prime Network Registrar DNS, CDNS, DHCP, or TFTP servers concurrently with any other DNS, DHCP, or TFTP servers. If the Cisco Prime Network Registrar installation process detects that a conflict exists, it displays a warning message.

On Windows systems, use one of the following methods to change the configuration from the Service Control Manager:
  • Stop the Cisco Prime Network Registrar protocol server that conflicts with the Microsoft protocol server by using the Stop function in one of the user interfaces.

  • Change the Microsoft servers from a Startup Type of Automatic to Manual or Disabled.

If you want to disable a protocol server and prevent the Cisco Prime Network Registrar server from starting automatically after a system reboot, use the server {dns | cdns | dhcp | tftp} disable start-on-reboot command in the CLI.

Backup Software and Virus Scanning Guidelines

If you have automatic backup or virus scanning software enabled on your system, exclude the Cisco Prime Network Registrar directories and their subdirectories from being scanned. If they are not excluded, file locking issues can corrupt the databases or make them unavailable to the Cisco Prime Network Registrar processes. If you are installing in the default locations, exclude the following directories and their subdirectories:


Note

In this documentation set, when install-path is used, it refers to all or part of the installation paths that were specified when installing Cisco Prime Network Registrar. As an example using the Linux default local cluster paths of /opt/nwreg2/local and /var/nwreg2/local, the install-path may represent these paths.


  • Windows—

    install-path\data (for example, C:\NetworkRegistrar\Local\data and C:\Network Registrar\Regional\data)

    install-path\logs (for example, C:\NetworkRegistrar\Local\logs and C:\Network Registrar\Regional\logs)

  • Linux—

    install-path/data (for example, /var/nwreg2/local/data and /var/nwreg2/regional/data)

    install-path/logs (for example, /var/nwreg2/local/logs and /var/nwreg2/regional/logs)

Server Event Logging

System activity begins logging when you start Cisco Prime Network Registrar. The server maintains all the logs by default in the following directories:

  • Windows—Local cluster: C:\NetworkRegistrar\Local\logs;

    Regional cluster: C:\NetworkRegistrar\Regional\logs

  • Regional cluster: /var/nwreg2/regional/logs

    To monitor the logs, use the tail -f command.


Caution

In Windows, to avoid losing the most recent system Application Event Log entries if the Event Log fills up, use the Event Viewer system application and check the Overwrite Events as Needed check box in Event Log Settings for the Application Log. If the installation process detects that this option is not set properly, it displays a warning message advising corrective action.


Modifying ACLs in Windows Installations

The Cisco Prime Network Registrar installation program for Windows does not try to modify ACLs to restrict access to the installed files and directories. If you want to restrict access to these files and directories, use the native Microsoft utilities—cacls and icacls—to manually change file and directory permissions.

If you decide to manually change ACLs, we recommend that you control the settings so that the contents of the entire installation area are read-only to everyone except those in the Administrators system group.

The following files and sub directories contain data that you may want only the Administrators system group to access:

  • installdir\conf\cnr.conf

  • installdir\tomcat\conf\server.xml

  • installdir\conf\priv\

  • installdir\data\

Modifying the ACLs is strictly optional, and Cisco Prime Network Registrar will function normally without making any changes to them. See the documentation supplied by Microsoft for information about how to use the cacls and icacls utilities.