In order to start using the AimBetter platform, it is necessary to install the AimBetter Agent on one server at least in your Company’s domain or computer farm, with Windows OS.
This server will be denominated the Agent Server.
Once the AimBetter Agent is installed in the Agent Server, the monitoring can be configured to the same or any other server in the same domain or computer farm.
This server will be denominated Monitored Server.
There can be more than one Monitored Server for the same AimBetter Installation. The number of Monitored Servers depends on the number of acquired licenses.
The Monitored Server can be changed in the AimBetter configuration program at any time.
Requirements
Please check the requirements for the Agent Server, where the AimBetter agent should be installed, and the Monitored Server you are interested in monitoring in the Installation Requirements Table.
Download the AimBetter Agent
This step is only necessary if you install AimBetter Agent on a new Agent Server.
Creating a new Account (only for new users that don’t have a License Key)
You should download the AimBetter Agent only after creating a new Account through the Signup form.
Please avoid using signs like (* & ^%’) if unnecessary.
After filling up this form, you should receive an “AimBetter Account Confirmation” email in which you’ll be requested to verify your email address.
After the verification email, you should receive a “Welcome to AimBetter” email with your License Key and Identifier.
If you have already signed up using your email and are having issues logging in, please contact the AimBetter team at [email protected], attaching your email or phone number.
Download the configuration program AimBetter_Agent.zip from http://update.aimbetter.com/ to the Agent Server.
Open the Installation file and click Run.
AimBetter Configuration Program
If you have this program installed, simply look for “AimBetter Configuration” and open it.
After running the “Aimbetter_Agent.zip” program, the AimBetter configuration window will be opened.
Click on Activate your account.
Enter the License Key and Identifier that you received via email.
Choose one of the following:
Local System Account – if you install the AimBetter Agent on the server you want to monitor.
This Account – in case you are installing the AimBetter Agent in a different server than the one you intend to monitor (the Agent Server and the Monitored Server are not the same). In this case, use the credentials of the Widows OS user (check Windows OS Credentials Requirements)
You can choose Local System Account and change later the AimBetter Agent Service Logon as per the following instructions.
Configuring the AimBetter Agent Service
1- Click on the Windows button and type Services
2- Open the Services window and look for the AimBetter Agent Service
3- Select this service, right-click Properties->Log On tab
4- Choose Log on as This account
5- Click on Browse -> Location and choose the right domain
6- Enter the login name of the Windows OS user (Administrator or created user with minimal permissions)
7- Enter the password and click on Apply -> OK and restart AimBetter Agent Service
The AimBetter Agent service must be running and in automatic mode.
Wait until you see the message You have completed your account activation successfully, and then click on Next.
If you don’t receive the above message, check your License Key and Identifier and make sure that Port 433 is open.
Note about License Key
In case you lost the License Key & Identifier, try searching through your mailbox again, including the Spam folder, or contact AimBetter support at [email protected].
Add Server
Click on Add New Server and choose from the available Platforms the right one for your Installation:
— Windows
Choose Windows from the available platforms
Note about License details
If you see the following message, “Your account reached the maximum number of hosts”, please contact the support team at [email protected] and check your license details.
Fill in the Server details:
Name: General display name (UI)
IP/Name: Server name or IP
Credentials type: Windows Authentication
Note about Server name
To identify the exact name of the Server, open cmd and type hostname
If all the settings are correct, you should see only green lights in the AimBetter configuration window and start seeing data on the AimBetter Platform. This data is related to the Operational System layer for now.
If any lights are red, please check the Troubleshooting session or contact our support team at [email protected].
— AWS RDS
Creating an IAM Login
Please make sure you have created an IAM Login for the AimBetter Agent.
1- To create an IAM login with read permissions only on the RDS portal, enter the AWS Management Console with a user that has management privileges
Go to IAM and select Users
Click on Users -> Add user
2- In Set user details, fill in the field User Name* (choose the user name – for ex: AimBetterUser)
3- In Select AWS access type, select: Access type* -> Programmatic access
4- Filter and select policies:
AmazonDocDBReadOnlyAccess and CloudWatchReadOnlyAccess
5- Click on Next and finish the Create user steps
6- Make sure to copy and save the access key and security key
Choose AWS RDS from the available platforms
Note about License details
If you see the following message, “Your account reached the maximum number of hosts”, please contact the support team at [email protected] and check your license details.
Fill in the RDS Server details.
Name – display name (UI)
Instance – the connection string should be in the next template: Server_name.key. For example, my-db-1.rds.amazonaws.com
Availability zone – Network’s availability zone on the RDS Database
Access key and Security key– from the details of the AimBetter user created with read permissions. To get the access key, enter the user’s settings under IAM, and refresh the access key for the updated security key also.
Clicking on the blue question marks gives you an image explaining how to locate the specific setting in the RDS platform.
— Azure SQL
Choose Azure SQL from the available platforms
Note about License details
If you see the following message, “Your account reached the maximum number of hosts”, please contact the support team at [email protected] and check your license details.
Select SQL Server Type. Choose one of the following SQL Database or SQL Managed and click Next.
Note about Secondary Database
If the Azure SQL Database is a Secondary one, check how to create a login with the Primary Database login SID
If Adding an Azure SQL Database Instance, fill in the following details:
Name – Name to be displayed on the UI
Server Name – Instance address: Full address + Domain + Port
Database – Database name (usually is the Instance address without Domain and Port)
User name and Password – MSSQL login and password (for creating a user with minimum requirement check Azure MSSQL Database – Create secured monitor user script)
If Adding an Azure SQL Managed Instance, fill in the following details:
Name – Name to be displayed on the UI
Server Name – Instance address
User name and Password – MSSQL login and password (for creating a user with minimum requirement, check MSSQL On Prime / Azure Managed – Create monitor user script)
— Linux
Creating a Linux User
Please ensure you create a new Linux user for the AimBetter Agent.
1- To create a Linux User with a home directory, which will be used by the AimBetter Agent, enter the Linux terminal with a user that has admin-level access and run the following script.:
sudo useradd -m aimbetter
We’ve named the username “aimbetter” but you can choose any username.
This user doesn’t need any special permissions.
2- Check that the user was created with the chosen username through this script:
ls -la /home/aimbetter/
3- After creating the aimbetter user, please select a password for the user by entering the next command (aimbetter is the created username):
sudo passwd aimbetter
Following this command, an empty box will be displayed with an option to insert the password.
Please insert your password and press enter.
If the password is not accepted according to the requirements, you will receive an error message and be requested to enter a new password.
If the password is accepted, you should receive a confirmation message.
Note: The created Linux user must run any commands from his Login shell. To check if you are using the Login shell, run the following command: ” $ echo $0 ” . If the result is “-bash” or “-su”, you are on the Login shell. Be sure that it has a hyphen (-) as a prefix.
Choose Linux from the available Platforms.
Fill in the Linux Server details.
Name – display name (UI)
IP/Name – the correct server name or IP
User name – the created Linux user
Password– the correct password for the created Linux user
Note about License details
If you see the following message, “Your account reached the maximum number of hosts”, please contact the support team at [email protected] and check your license details.
Add Database Server
Click on Add New DB to add the SQL Server instance to be monitored and choose the right Database type for your installation:
— Microsoft SQL Server
In Database type, choose Microsoft SQL and continue.
Fill in the MSSQL instance details and click on Save:
Name: General display name (UI)
Endpoint: Choose the correct instance from the list
Authentication: choose Windows or SQL Server Authentication
Notes about Authentication
Windows Authentication:
– The user should have Administrator permissions or
– The user should be a Windows OS user created with minimum permissions.
SQL Server Authentication:
– Use the credentials of a new MSSQL user created with sysadmin permissions (recommended), or
– Use the credentials of a sysadmin MSSQL user, or
– Use the credentials of an MSSQL user created with minimal permissions.
If the connection still doesn’t work, check how many instances there are and if you are connected to the right one.
Clustered Instances
In the case of Clustered Instances, instead of choosing the instance name from the list, you have to write the unique instance name only, for example, UNIQUE_INSTANCE_NAME and not the complete name SERVER_NAME/UNIQUE_INSTANCE_NAME.
If all the settings are correct, you should see only green lights in the AimBetter Configuration window.
If any of the lights are red, please check the Troubleshooting Installation cases or contact our support team at [email protected].
— Oracle Database
In Database type, choose Oracle and continue.
Fill in the Oracle instance details:
Name: General display name (UI)
Endpoint: Type the Oracle Host name or Server IP
Port: Enter the correct port number (default is 1521)
SID or Service Name: Enter the Oracle Database SID or Service Name
Username: aimbetter (check below how to create this user)
Password: the aimbetter user’s password
Create an Oracle Login for AimBetter
Create a new Oracle login with one of the following scripts.
Oracle on Windows OS: Oracle on Windows OS – Create monitor user script
Oracle on Amazon RDS: Oracle on AWS RDS – Create monitor user script.
These scripts must be run with a sysdba privileges.
If all the settings are correct, you should see only green lights in the AimBetter Configuration window.
If any of the lights are red, please check the Troubleshooting session or contact our support team at [email protected].
Add Web Server
— IIS
Click on Add IIS:
This step will configure the WEB monitoring.
If there is no IIS program running on the server, then you will see the following message:
“Didn’t find IIS”
Final Step
Click on Reload to ensure that all servers are in an operational state
Check that all the lights are green
If any of the lights are red, please check the Troubleshooting section or contact our support team at [email protected].
Finish the Installation by closing the AimBetter configuration window.
Note about the Active button.
To keep the settings of a specific server in the AimBetter configuration yet stop it from sending data, click on the Active button and turn it off. This server will not be counted in the license count.
Login to AimBetter
Open the following link, https://app.aimbetter.com
Fill in the AimBetter user details:
Username– Registration email
Password– If this is your first time logging in, click on “Forgot Password” and create a new password
For any questions or assistance, please contact us at [email protected].