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Prerequisites Overview

Before installing the EPMware Agent, certain software prerequisites must be met. This section guides you through installing and configuring the required components.

Required Software

  • Cygwin (Windows only)
    Linux-like environment for Windows systems

  • Java (All platforms)
    Java Runtime Environment 1.8 or higher

  • Compression Tools
    zip/unzip utilities for package extraction

Platform-Specific Requirements

Windows Prerequisites

For Windows servers, you need:

  1. Cygwin - Provides Unix-like environment
  2. Enables shell script execution
  3. Creates user home directories

  4. Provides command-line tools

  5. Java JRE/JDK - Runtime environment

  6. Version 1.8 or higher
  7. 64-bit recommended

  8. Added to system PATH

  9. Administrative Access - For installation

  10. Install software
  11. Configure services
  12. Modify system settings

Linux Prerequisites

For Linux servers, you need:

  1. Java JRE/JDK - Runtime environment
  2. OpenJDK or Oracle Java
  3. Version 1.8 or higher

  4. Configured in PATH

  5. Standard Tools - Usually pre-installed

  6. bash shell
  7. zip/unzip

  8. curl or wget

  9. User Account - For agent operation

  10. Home directory access
  11. Read/write permissions
  12. Network access rights

Quick Prerequisites Check

Windows Quick Check

REM Check Java
java -version

REM Check Cygwin
C:\cygwin64\bin\bash --version

REM Check zip
where zip

Linux Quick Check

# Check Java
java -version

# Check shell
echo $SHELL

# Check tools
which zip unzip curl

Installation Order

Follow this sequence for best results:

  1. Operating System Updates
  2. Apply latest patches

  3. Reboot if required

  4. Cygwin (Windows only)

  5. Download and install
  6. Configure user environment

  7. Verify terminal access

  8. Java

  9. Install JRE or JDK
  10. Set JAVA_HOME
  11. Add to PATH

  12. Verify installation

  13. Network Configuration

  14. Open required ports
  15. Configure proxy (if needed)
  16. Test connectivity

Prerequisite Validation

System Requirements Check

Verify your system meets minimum requirements:

# Check CPU
lscpu | grep "CPU(s)"  # Linux
wmic cpu get NumberOfCores  # Windows

# Check Memory
free -h  # Linux
wmic OS get TotalVisibleMemorySize  # Windows

# Check Disk Space
df -h  # Linux
wmic logicaldisk get size,freespace  # Windows

Software Version Check

Ensure correct versions are installed:

Software Minimum Version Check Command
Java 1.8 java -version
Cygwin 3.0 uname -r (in Cygwin)
bash 4.0 bash --version

Common Prerequisite Issues

Issue: Java Not Found

Symptoms: - 'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command - bash: java: command not found

Solution: 1. Install Java if missing 2. Add Java to PATH 3. Restart terminal/command prompt

Issue: Cygwin Not Working (Windows)

Symptoms: - Cannot open Cygwin terminal - Scripts fail with "bad interpreter"

Solution: 1. Reinstall Cygwin 2. Ensure proper installation path 3. Check Windows environment variables

Issue: Insufficient Permissions

Symptoms: - Cannot create directories - Permission denied errors

Solution: 1. Run as administrator (Windows) 2. Use sudo (Linux) 3. Check user permissions

Environment Preparation

Windows: 

REM Create local user
net user epmware_agent Password123! /add
net localgroup Administrators epmware_agent /add

Linux: 

# Create user with home directory
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash epmware_agent
sudo passwd epmware_agent

Set Up Directory Structure

# Create directories
mkdir -p /opt/epmware/agent
mkdir -p /var/log/epmware
mkdir -p /var/run/epmware

# Set permissions
chown -R epmware_agent:epmware_agent /opt/epmware
chmod 755 /opt/epmware/agent

Network Prerequisites

Required Connectivity

Ensure the agent can reach:

  1. EPMware Server
  2. Cloud: Port 443 (HTTPS)

  3. On-premise: Configured port

  4. Target Applications

  5. HFM: Port 19000 (typical)
  6. Planning: Port 19000
  7. Essbase: Port 1423

Firewall Configuration

Windows Firewall: 

REM Allow outbound HTTPS
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="EPMware Agent HTTPS" ^
  dir=out action=allow protocol=TCP remoteport=443

Linux iptables: 

# Allow outbound HTTPS
sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables-save

Proxy Configuration

If using a proxy server:

# Set proxy environment variables
export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080
export NO_PROXY=localhost,127.0.0.1,internal.domain

Prerequisites for Specific Applications

HFM Prerequisites

Additional requirements for HFM integration: - HFM client utilities installed - Access to HFM registry files - HFM user credentials

Planning Prerequisites

Additional requirements for Planning: - Planning utilities accessible - Ability to create encrypted password files - Planning admin credentials

Cloud EPM Prerequisites

Additional requirements for cloud: - EPM Automate utility - Cloud service URL - Identity domain information

Validation Checklist

Before proceeding to agent installation:

System Checklist

  • [ ] Operating system is supported
  • [ ] Sufficient CPU resources (2+ cores)
  • [ ] Adequate memory (16+ GB)
  • [ ] Available disk space (60+ GB)

Software Checklist

  • [ ] Cygwin installed (Windows)
  • [ ] Java 1.8+ installed
  • [ ] Java in system PATH
  • [ ] zip/unzip available
  • [ ] Network tools available

Network Checklist

  • [ ] Can reach EPMware server
  • [ ] Required ports are open
  • [ ] Proxy configured (if needed)
  • [ ] DNS resolution working

Security Checklist

  • [ ] Agent user account created
  • [ ] Appropriate permissions set
  • [ ] Firewall rules configured
  • [ ] Security policies reviewed

Troubleshooting Prerequisites

Diagnostic Commands

Run these commands to diagnose issues:

# System information
uname -a  # Linux/Cygwin
systeminfo  # Windows

# Network diagnostics
ping epmware-server.com
nslookup epmware-server.com
traceroute epmware-server.com  # Linux
tracert epmware-server.com  # Windows

# Java diagnostics
java -version
echo $JAVA_HOME
which java

# Permission check
id  # Linux
whoami /all  # Windows

Common Fixes

  1. Path Issues 

    # Add to PATH
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin
# Make permanent in .bashrc or .profile

  2. Permission Issues 

    # Fix ownership
sudo chown -R $(whoami) /path/to/directory

  3. Network Issues 

    # Test connectivity
telnet server.com 443
curl -I https://server.com

Best Practices

Documentation

Document your prerequisite configuration: - Java version and location - Cygwin installation path (Windows) - Network settings - User accounts created

Standardization

Use consistent configurations across environments: - Same Java version - Identical Cygwin setup (Windows) - Uniform directory structures - Standard user naming

Security

Follow security best practices: - Use dedicated service accounts - Apply principle of least privilege - Keep software updated - Document security exceptions

Prerequisite Script

Consider creating a script to automatically check all prerequisites. This ensures consistency and saves time during installation.

Version Compatibility

Always verify that prerequisite versions are compatible with your EPMware Agent version and target applications.

Next Steps

After prerequisites are satisfied:

  1. Install Cygwin - Windows only
  2. Configure Java - All platforms
  3. Download Agent - Get agent files
  4. Begin Installation - Deploy agent