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You can use the GUI or command line to perform platform administration tasks with the Enterprise Console, such as creating new platforms, removing existing platforms, and adding hosts and credentials. The commands described on this page can be used to create a platform and perform some of the tasks required to manage it.  

Note that some tasks may not be available through both the GUI and command line. Most of the commands on this page are based on the Linux command line and cover common tasks for managing the platform. You can run similar commands with the Windows command prompt by replacing the "platform-admin.sh" script with "platform-admin.exe cli" as shown in the example below for starting the Enterprise Console.  

Run the commands from the <Enterprise Console installation directory>/platform-admin directory. This page contains the minimum options and parameters required to run a command. Some commands may have more options and parameters. To see these additional options, run the command with -h specified.

For example, run the following command to see all the options and parameters for the create a platform command:

bin/platform-admin.sh create-platform -h

Start or Stop the Enterprise Console

The Enterprise Console must be running before you can perform other tasks or use the GUI. Use the following commands to start or stop the Enterprise Console: 

bin/platform-admin.sh start-platform-admin

bin\platform-admin.exe cli start-platform-admin

Manage Platforms

The platform is the collection of AppDynamics components and their hosts. The Enterprise Console can support up to 20 platforms at a time.

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create-platform create-platform

Create a Platform

If you want to use the Enterprise Console for end-to-end installation and management, the first step is to create a platform. The Enterprise Console creates the platform when you complete the Express or Custom installations or discover existing components in the GUI. 

To use the command line to create a platform, run the following command:

bin/platform-admin.sh create-platform --name <platform name> --installation-dir <platform installation directory>

The platform installation directory is the absolute directory where the Enterprise Console installs all AppDynamics components on all of its hosts. Once a host is added to the platform, the directory can no longer be changed. The directory cannot contain a space.  

Delete a Platform

You can use the Enterprise Console to delete a platform that is no longer in use. You may also want to consider editing the Platform's configuration instead. You can perform either action on the Platform view page of the GUI.

To use the command line to delete a platform, run the following command:

bin/platform-admin.sh delete-platform --name <platform name>

If you just deleted your current platform, don't forget to clear the value of the APPD_CURRENT_PLATFORM variable to prevent unexpected errors when running future commands.

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manage-credentials manage-credentials

Manage Credentials

Manage the credentials that the Enterprise Console can use to access hosts and perform tasks on hosts, such as adding a node to an Events Service. You can use the Credentials page in the GUI or the command line to manage credentials. Add credentials to the platform before you add hosts.

Generate an RSA Key Pair

An RSA private key file is required to add credentials to a platform. The following steps will generate an RSA key pair that consists of the public key file ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub and the private key file ~/.ssh/id_rsa.

1. Log in to the Enterprise Console host machine via SSH.

2. Switch to the user that is the owner of the Enterprise Console:

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   language bash
   sudo -i -u <user-owner of the EC>

3. Create the RSA key pair:

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   language bash
   ssh-keygen -t rsa -m RFC4716 -b 2048 -N ''

4. Accept the default location for the key pair at ~/.ssh.

5. Confirm that the RSA public and private key files have been created:

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   language bash
   ls ~/.ssh/ id_rsa id_rsa.pub

Add Credential

When you add a credential, you need the following information: a name for the credential, the username, and the private key file. The credential name is the unique identifier for a credential and is used to specify the credential when you perform tasks such as adding a host. It is recommended that you stick to naming convention for all of your credential names.

You can add a credential in the GUI by clicking Add.

bin/platform-admin.sh add-credential --credential-name <name> --type <ssh> --user-name <username> --ssh-key-file <file path to the private key file>

Where <file path to the key file> is the private key for the Enterprise Console machine. The installation process deploys the keys to the hosts.

Remove Credential

Remove a credential that is no longer used. You cannot remove a credential that is still used by a host. You can remove a credential in the GUI by selecting the credential and clicking Delete.

bin/platform-admin.sh remove-credential --credential-name <name>

List Current Credentials

bin/platform-admin.sh list-credentials

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manage-hosts manage-hosts

Manage Hosts

The hosts are the machines used to run AppDynamics components such as the Controller and Events Service. For example, the Events Service can run on the same host as the Controller, a single host, or a cluster of three or more hosts.

You must properly configure the credential you use to add a new host on a remote host. This means that for a private key that you have specified, you must add the corresponding public key to the remote host ~/.ssh/authorized_hosts file.

The Controller and Events Service must reside on the same local network and communicate by internal network. Do not deploy the cluster to nodes on different networks, whether relative to each other or to the Controller where the Enterprise Console runs. When identifying cluster hosts in the configuration, you will need to use the internal DNS name or IP address of the host, not the externally routable DNS name.

For example, in terms of an AWS deployment, use the private IP address such as 172.31.2.19 rather than public DNS hostname such as ec2-34-201-129-89.us-west-2.compute.amazonaws.com. You must then go to to the Appserver Configurations under Controler Settings in the Enterprise Console GUI, and edit the external URL so you can access the page.

The host that runs the Enterprise Console is automatically created and added to the platform as "platformadmin" if you use the GUI to install or discover components. If you do not use the GUI, you must manually add this host.

Hosts can be managed through the Enterprise Console GUI on the Hosts page or the command line.

Setting Up Remote Hosts

The following steps are required for setting up seamless Enterprise Console communications with remote hosts.

From the command line:

      1. Set up the following passwordless SSH:

1. • from the Enterprise Console to the Controller.
   • If HA then:
     
     • from the Enterprise Console to the primary Controller.
     • from the Enterprise Console to the secondary Controller.
     • from the primary Controller to the secondary Controller.
     • from the secondary Controller to the primary Controller.

From the Enterprise Console UI:

      2. Identify the Enterprise Console Linux AppDynamics user's public/private key pair (usually in ~/.ssh).

      3. Add the Enterprise Console Linux AppDynamics user's public key (/.ssh/id_rsa.pub) into the remote Controller server Linux user's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.

      4. Then chmod 600 /.ssh/authorized_keys.

      5. Test the SSH connection from the Enterprise Console server with the following:

          ssh <remote user>@<remote-server> hostname

      6. Verify that the remote hostname is printed. You may have to first answer yes to trust the server fingerprint.

      7. Access the Enterprise Console UI Credential page, and add or edit the existing credentials.

      8. Create a single credential, which will likely be the same for all remote hosts, with a name like: EC-<ec linux user name>-<remote appd user name> e.g. EC-ecappduser-appduser, or EC-appdyn if the username is the same on the Enterprise Console and remote server.

      9. Enter the remote server Linux username. It might be the same as the local Enterprise Console AppDynamics user.

      10. Supply the Enterprise Console Linux user's ~/.ssh/id_rsa contents as the private key as chosen in step 2.

Add Hosts

Before you add hosts to the platform, ensure that the required credentials are added to the platform.

You can add a host in the GUI by clicking Add.

bin/platform-admin.sh add-hosts --hosts host_1 host_2 host_3 --credential <credential name>

Instead of listing the hosts with --hosts, you can specify a text file with a line-separated list using the following command:

bin/platform-admin.sh add-hosts --host-file <file path to host file> --credential <credential name>

If you do not use the GUI, you must add the host for the Enterprise Console. This is also the host used by the Controller and embedded Events Service. The host is named "platformadmin" and does not require credentials. For example, run the following command:

bin/platform-admin.sh add-hosts --hosts platformadmin

Remove Hosts

Before you remove a host, ensure that all AppDynamics components are removed from the host. You can remove a host in the GUI by selecting the host and clicking Remove.

bin/platform-admin.sh remove-hosts --hosts host_1 host_2 host_3

Instead of listing the hosts with --hosts, you can specify a text file with a line-separated list using the following command:

bin/platform-admin.sh remove-hosts --host-file <file path to host file> 

(New in 4.4.3) If a host becomes unreachable, you can use the following command to remove it:

bin/platform-admin.sh remove-dead-hosts --hosts <host name>

This removes the host and all of its associated metadata from the Enterprise Console database.

List Current Hosts

bin/platform-admin.sh list-hosts

Update Host Credentials

Change the credential that the Enterprise Console uses to access hosts. You can change the host credential in the GUI by selecting the host and clicking Change Credentials.

bin/platform-admin.sh update-host-credential --hosts host_1 host_2 host_3 --credential <credential name>

Like the add and remove host commands, you can specify a text file instead of providing a list of hosts within the command.

Manage the Enterprise Console Admin User Password

Change the Admin User Password

You can change the password for the admin user with the following command: 

bin/platform-admin.sh change-password --user-name <username> --password <current password> --new-password <new password>

Reset the Admin User Password

You can reset the password for the Enterprise Console's root user with the following command: 

bin/platform-admin.sh reset-password 

Resetting the password sets it to "admin".

Manage the Enterprise Console Database root User Password

Change the Database root User Password

You can change the platformAdmin.databaseRootPassword using the steps below:

1. Stop the Enterprise Console by running the following command in <EC_home>/Platform/platform-admin/bin:

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   bin/platform-admin.sh stop-platform-admin

2. Run the following command in <EC_home>/Platform/mysql/bin:

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   bin/mysqld --defaults-file="/<EC_home>/Platform/mysql/db.cnf" --skip-grant-tables

   Replace <EC_home> before running the command.

3. Open a new command prompt window.

4. Connect to the database without using a password by running the following command in <EC_home>/Platform/mysql/bin:

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   bin/mysql --user=root --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3377 --protocol=TCP

5. Execute the following queries:

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   update mysql.user set authentication_string=password('<new_password_here>') where user like 'root%'; flush privileges; quit;

   Replace <new_password_here> before executing the queries.

6. Quit the command prompt.

7. Start the Enterprise Console by running the following command in <EC_home>/Platform/platform-admin/bin:

   No Format
   bin/platform-admin.sh start-platform-admin

8. Verify the login by running the following command in <EC_home>/Platform/mysql/bin:

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   bin/mysql -u root -p -P 3377 -h 127.0.0.1

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change-install-path change-install-path

Change the Installation Directory

The installation directory you specify when creating the platform is used to install all AppDynamics components. This directory can be changed but requires that you uninstall all AppDynamics components.

1. Uninstall all AppDynamics components that you installed.

2. Remove all hosts from the platform, including the platformadmin host. For example, run the following command to remove the platformadmin host: 

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   bin/platform-admin.sh remove-hosts --hosts platformadmin

3. Change the installation directory: 

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   bin/platform-admin.sh update-platform --installation-dir <directory>

   Note that the installation directory cannot contain a space.

After you change the installation directory, you must go through the process of adding hosts and reinstalling AppDynamics components.

Troubleshooting Administration Tasks

Error While Adding Hosts

While adding hosts to your platform, you may run into a "Enterprise Console host expansion failed" error. If you do, you should ensure that SFTP is enabled in your sshd_config, and restart the SSH service.