Release Notes

BMC PATROL Agent

Version: 3.8.00
February 12, 2010

BMC Software is releasing version 3.8.00 of the BMC PATROL Agent product. These
release notes supplement the product documentation and describe enhancements
and resolved problems in this version.

NOTE
Before you install the product, check the Customer Support website at
http://www.bmc.com/support for

■ updated documentation (for example, flashes and technical bulletins)

■ product downloads, patches, and fixes (PTFs)
■ product availability and compatibility (PAC) data

The following topics are provided:

BMC PATROL Agent overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.8.00. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Operating system support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using blackouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Secure store. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Streaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Compression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Redirecting error logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Redirecting debug messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.8.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
pslInstructionMax variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
pslInstructionPeriod variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
BMC PATROL Agent executable in the firewall exception list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Perform operations on the history files when the BMC PATROL Agent starts. . 18
Internationalization and localization information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Corrected problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Known issues and workarounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Unsupported PSL format options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

*118571*
*118571*
*118571*
BMC PATROL Agent overview

Installation information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
How to obtain the product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Compatibility information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Prerequisites for installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Product requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Operating system and third-party product support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Downloading the installation utility and BMC PATROL Agent files . . . . . . . . . . 25
Related information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Support information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

BMC PATROL Agent overview

The BMC PATROL Agent product is the main monitoring component of the BMC
PATROL architecture.

What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.8.00

BMC PATROL Agent has been enhanced with the following changes and new
features.

Operating system support

BMC PATROL Agent supports the following new operating systems:

■ Red Hat Enterprise Linux® 5.4 (x86, x86-64, Itanium 2, IBM® zSeries® 64-bit)
■ Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (x86-64, Itanium 2)
■ ssha256 and ssha512 algorithms on IBM® AIX® 6.1

NOTE
If you install BMC PATROL Agent on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 platform, the
following message is displayed:

The install is not currently tested for execution on this platform.

It is likely that this installation will work properly on this
platform as it appears to be compatible with other supported platforms
in the Linux (x86, ia64, x86-64) family.

2 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Using blackouts

Using blackouts
You can set blackouts for various PATROL objects such as parameters, application
instances, or application classes by using the BMC PATROL Agent configuration
interface.

You can control blackouts for PATROL objects by using options for setting types of
blackouts as described in Table 2 on page 5.

You can use the /AgentSetup/Blackout configuration branch to configure blackouts for
PATROL objects. The branch maintains the list of objects that you want to black out
and the object-specific blackout configuration such as the type of blackout, schedule
information, duration, and information message to be associated with the blackout.

You can configure a blackout by using pconfig, wpconfig (Windows), xpconfig

(UNIX®), PATROL Configuration Manager, or a PSL pconfig script, by using the
following format:

"/AgentSetup/Blackout/object" = {REPLACE = "[TYPE; START_INFO;

DURATION; INFO_MSG]"}

The preceding format contains the following options:

■ object represents the PATROL object that you want to black out. Specify the
PATROL object as described in Table 1.

Table 1 PATROL objects

PATROL object options
Application class
Application class instance
Parameter
Description
blackout is applied to the specified application class, and all
the instances and the parameters contained in the application
class instances
blackout is applied to the specified application class instance
and all its parameters
blackout is applied to the specified parameter

The object is specified in the following format:

/APP_NAME[/INST_NAME][/PARAM_NAME]

You can specify the application class ([/APP_NAME]) in an exact form, as well as in
a generic form by using the __ANYAPPL__ wildcard string, as illustrated below:

■ For exact: /AgentSetup/Blackout/FILESYSTEM

■ For generic: /AgentSetup/Blackout/__ANYAPPL__

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 3

Using blackouts

__ANYAPPL__ applies the blackout to all the application classes, instances, and
parameters contained in that application class.

NOTE
If you have set the blackout for a specific PATROL object for the same or overlapping
duration of time, the product applies the combined blackout to that PATROL object.

For example, if you have set the TYPE_COLLECTION blackout on an application class by
using __ANYAPPL__ and have set the TYPE_EVENT blackout on a parameter contained in
that application class, the resultant blackout type for that parameter is
TYPE_COLLECTION | TYPE_EVENT.

You can specify the application class instance ([/INST_NAME]) in an exact form, as
well as in a generic form by using the __ANYINST__ wildcard string, as illustrated
below:

■ For exact: /FILESYSTEM/dev-pts/FSCapacity

■ For generic: /FILESYSTEM/__ANYINST__/FSCapacity

For example,

"/AgentSetup/Blackout/PROCPRES/__ANYINST__/PROCPPCount" = {REPLACE =
"[TYPE; START_INFO; DURATION; INFO_MSG]"}

■ TYPE represents the type of blackout. Specify the name of the type of blackout
based on the PATROL object activities that you want to suppress during blackout,
as described in Table 2.

4 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Using blackouts

Table 2 Types of blackout (part 1 of 2)

Type name Type value Description
TYPE_COLLECTION 1 suppresses data collection for parameters of an application class or an
application class instance

When the TYPE_COLLECTION blackout starts for a PATROL object,

PATROL Agent sets the state of the PATROL object and any object
contained in that object, to OK. The product sends the state message
for that object to all the PATROL consoles.

For example, if you have set the TYPE_COLLECTION blackout at the

application level, PATROL agent sets the state of application class, its
instances, and the parameters to OK.
TYPE_ALARM 2 suppresses range evaluations

When the TYPE_ALARM blackout starts for a PATROL object,

PATROL Agent sets the state of the PATROL object and any object
contained in that PATROL object, to OK. The product sends the state
message for that object to all the PATROL consoles.

For example, if you have set the TYPE_ALARM blackout at the

application instance level, then PATROL Agent sets the state of
application instance and its parameters to OK.

When the TYPE_ALARM blackout is completed, PATROL Agent

evaluates thresholds for each object for which blackout rules were
applied. The product thereafter sends a state event for the PATROL
object that is in WARNING or ALARM state, and also for any object
that is contained in that PATROL object and is in the WARNING or
ALARM state.

Note: If you set the blackout type as TYPE_ALARM, recovery actions

are not executed.
TYPE_EVENT 4 suppresses event generation

You have set the TYPE_EVENT blackout on the PATROL objects.

When the blackout is completed, PATROL Agent sends a state event
for the following types of PATROL objects:

■ parameters that are in WARNING or ALARM state

■ parameters that are contained in a PATROL object (application

class or instance) and are in WARNING or ALARM state.

Note: The BlackoutStart and BlackoutStop events are not suppressed

even if you have set the TYPE_EVENT blackout type. For more
information about these events, see “Events generated” on page 11.
TYPE_RECOVERY 8 suppresses recovery action

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 5

Using blackouts

Table 2 Types of blackout (part 2 of 2)

Type name Type value Description
TYPE_SNMPTRAP 16 suppresses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps
generated by the standard event classes

Note: SNMP traps generated by using the snmp_trap_send() PSL

function are not suppressed.
TYPE_INFO 32 generates only the blackout start and stop information events
TYPE_ALL 63 executes all blackout types

The value 63 is a sum of all type values (1+2+4+8+16+32=63).

When an event is generated for a PATROL object, the event description displays
the type values described in Table 2 for various types of blackout.

NOTE
■ Do not enter the type value while specifying the type of blackout. Ensure that you use
the type name while setting a blackout.

■ TYPE is case sensitive. You need to specify values in upper case only.

You can define multiple types by separating the types by using a | as in case of
TYPE_EVENT|TYPE_RECOVERY|TYPE_COLLECTION,
TYPE_RECOVERY|TYPE_SNMPTRAP, and so on.

EXAMPLE
"/AgentSetup/Blackout/PROCPRES/__ANYINST__/PROCPPCount" = {REPLACE
= "[ TYPE_ALARM | TYPE_EVENT; START ONCE AT 12:54; 1;
\"Combination of Multiple Types of Blackout\"]"}

■ START_INFO represents the condition when you want the blackout to start for the
specified object. Specify START_INFO in the following format:

START [ONCE/DAILY/DOW/DOM] [LIST OF DAYS] AT TIME

Table 3 describes the values that you can specify for START_INFO.

Table 3 START_INFO options (part 1 of 2)

START_INFO options Description
ONCE applies the blackout once
DAILY applies the blackout daily
DOW applies the blackout on a day of the week

To specify Monday, enter 1; for Tuesday, enter 2; and so on.

6 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Using blackouts

Table 3 START_INFO options (part 2 of 2)

START_INFO options Description
DOM applies the blackout on a day of the month (1 to 31)
LIST OF DAYS applies the blackout on the list of days that you specified as a range by
using ‘-’ or as comma-separated values

This is applicable for the DOW and DOM options.

Note: The following happens when you specify a range:

■ For DOW, if you do not specify the start day in the range, the
product assumes Monday as the start day; similarly, if you do not
specify the end day in the range, the product assumes Sunday as
the end day.

■ For DOM, if you do not specify the start date in the range, the
product assumes 1st as the start date; similarly, if you do not
specify the end date in the range, the product assumes the last
date of the month as the end date.
TIME applies the blackout at the time that you specified in the Hour:Min
format (24-hour format), when you want the blackout to start

NOTE
START_INFO is case sensitive. You need to specify values in upper case only.

■ DURATION represents the duration for which you want the blackout to be
applied. Specify the duration in minutes.

If you set the duration to 0 (zero), the blackout is set for an infinite duration.

■ INFO_MSG represents the information message that you want the product to
render on the consoles, for the BlackoutStart and BlackoutStop events.

For the examples that illustrate the usage of the blackout functionality, see
“Examples” on page 9.

Configuring a blackout by using pconfig

Include the PATROL_CONFIG string at the start of the BMC PATROL Agent
Configuration File (.cfg).

NOTE
The .cfg file may contain multiple configuration variables. Ensure that the last variable does
not have a trailing comma.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 7

Using blackouts

The following tasks explain how to use the pconfig command-line utility to configure
the BMC PATROL Agent configuration branch, /AgentSetup/Blackout, on UNIX and
Windows.

To modify the configuration variable on UNIX

1 Go to the PatrolAgent installation directory and run the following script:

■ For Korn and Bourne shell: . ./patrolrc.sh

■ For C shell: source .patrolrc

2 Create the config_file.cfg file and edit the configuration variables as required.

To modify the value of the /AgentSetup/Blackout configuration variable, use the

following format:

PATROL_CONFIG
"/AgentSetup/Blackout/object" = {REPLACE = "[TYPE; START_INFO;
DURATION; INFO_MSG]"}

3 Save the config_file.cfg file.

4 Apply the changes made in the configuration variable to BMC PATROL Agent, as
follows:

pconfig -p port -host hostname config_file.cfg

5 Obtain the latest configuration information, as follows:

pconfig +get -p port -host hostname | grep Blackout

6 Verify that the change is made to the configuration variable.

To modify the configuration variable on Windows

1 Create the config_file.cfg file and edit the configuration variables as required.

To modify the value of the /AgentSetup/Blackout configuration variable, use the

following format:

PATROL_CONFIG
"/AgentSetup/Blackout/object" = {REPLACE = "[TYPE; START_INFO;
DURATION; \" INFO_MSG \"]" }

2 Save the config_file.cfg file.

8 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Using blackouts

3 Apply the changes made in the configuration variable to BMC PATROL Agent, as
follows:

pconfig -p port -host hostname config_file.cfg

4 Obtain the latest configuration information, as follows:

pconfig +get -p port -host hostname -save config_file.cfg

5 Verify that the change is made to the configuration variable.

Examples

The following examples illustrate the blackout configuration and settings.

EXAMPLE
■ "/AgentSetup/Blackout/CPU/CPU/CPUCpuUtil" = {REPLACE =
"[ TYPE_COLLECTION; START DOW 1,3 AT 18:03; 15; \"Day of week
Blackout \"]"}

This blackout is applied for the CPUCpuUtil parameter, on Monday and Wednesday of
every week, at 18:03 hours, for a duration of 15 minutes.

■ "/AgentSetup/Blackout/CPU/CPU" = {REPLACE =
"[ TYPE_COLLECTION; START DOM 15-21 AT 11:48; 5; \"Day of Month
Blackout \"]"}

This blackout is applied for the CPU application class instance, for the span between the
15th to the 21st of every month, at 11:48 hours, for a duration of 5 minutes.

■ "/AgentSetup/Blackout/CPU" = {REPLACE =
"[ TYPE_EVENT; START DAILY AT 17:00; 2; \"Daily Blackout will
happen \"]"}

This blackout is applied for the CPU application class, daily, at 17:00 hours, for a duration
of 2 minutes.

■ "/AgentSetup/Blackout/CPU/CPU/CPUCpuUtil" = {REPLACE =
"[ TYPE_ALL; START ONCE AT 16:15; 0; \"Start Once Blackout \"]"}

This blackout starts at 16:15 hours and is applied once for an infinite duration of time.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 9

Using blackouts

Overlapping blackouts
You can have a PATROL object under one blackout and apply a new blackout to the
same object. You can, therefore, define and apply multiple overlapping blackouts for
the same PATROL object as shown below:

"/AgentSetup/Blackout/APPL2/INST2" = {REPLACE = "[TYPE; START_INFO;

DURATION; INFO_MSG], [TYPE | TYPE; START_INFO; DURATION; INFO_MSG]"}

For blackouts with overlapping time periods, BMC PATROL Agent may display
multiple information messages for the PATROL object being blacked out.

Executing a blackout
After you define the blackout, BMC PATROL Agent validates the configuration
information for a PATROL object and executes blackout functions. The product also
generates events as described in “Events generated” on page 11.

When BMC PATROL Agent starts up

BMC PATROL Agent scans the blackout sub-tree and validates the blackout
configuration information for all specified PATROL objects. For each valid object, the
product checks the blackout configuration to determine whether the time specified in
the associated blackout configuration for an object has lapsed, or needs to be applied
now or in future. If an invalid value is specified in the blackout setting, BMC
PATROL Agent nullifies and removes the entire blackout setting.

When BMC PATROL Agent is up and running, and you modify

/AgentSetup/Blackout

BMC PATROL Agent maintains a real-time watch on the entire blackout branch for
any modifications. For each valid PATROL object defined in the blackout branch, the
product checks the blackout configuration to determine the nature of updates and
perform corresponding activities.

■ If an object is removed, BMC PATROL Agent stops the blackout activity that is
currently in progress or scheduled for the object. If the blackout for the object was
in progress, the product publishes the BlackoutStop event.

■ If an object is added, BMC PATROL Agent validates the blackout configuration for
the object and schedules the blackout activities for the object.

10 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Secure store

■ If a blackout rule is modified, BMC PATROL Agent determines the modifications

made to the blackout configuration. Any modifications to blackout configuration
rules of an object for which blackout is in progress, stops the current blackout. A
new blackout for the object is set in accordance with the updated blackout
configuration rule. For an object for which blackout is scheduled for future, the
modifications are applied immediately.

Events generated
BMC PATROL Agent generates events for PATROL objects that are blacked out. The
following new event classes are added to the Standard Event Catalog.

BlackoutStart event

When blackout for a PATROL object starts, BMC PATROL Agent generates a
BlackoutStart event. The BlackoutStart event contains the blackout type and duration,
and the information message.

BlackoutStop event

When the blackout of an object is complete, BMC PATROL Agent sends a

BlackoutStop event. The BlackoutStop event description contains the type of blackout
and the information message.

NOTE
The BMC PATROL Agent version 3.8.00 installation package includes patch version 2.8.00.02
of PATROL Knowledge Module (KM) for Event Management.

Install this patch if you want to use BMC PATROL KM for Event Management.

This patch includes the modified standard event catalog that contains information related to
the BlackoutStart and BlackoutStop event classes.

Secure store
The secure store is an extended configuration database for BMC PATROL Agent to
store the configuration data securely. The data stored is secured in a key format. The
extended secure key store (SKS) data is stored in the
%BMC_ROOT%\common\security\SKS\sks-hostname-port.db file.

BMC PATROL Agent now enables you to configure secure store settings using
pconfig. You can modify secure store data by using pconfig and store secured
information.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 11

Secure store

BMC PATROL Agent adds a new branch, /SecureStore, to enable communication with
the secure store data.

The /SecureStore branch dispatches the SET/REPLACE requests on that branch to the
secure store, after which the pconfig interface enables you to set data in the secure
store.

You can add the /SecureStore branch by using pconfig, wpconfig (Windows), xpconfig
(UNIX), PATROL Configuration Manager, or a PSL pconfig script by using the
following format:

/SecureStore/var = { REPLACE = "context/data" }

BMC PATROL Agent enables you to configure the key database and the secure store
settings in plain text and in encrypted format, as follows:

■ The plain text interface uses the following format:

/SecureStore/MY_KM/my/secret/var =
{ REPLACE = "MY_KM1;MY_KM2;MY_KM3/mysecretdata" }

NOTE
If the secret data string contains the / character, the product does not behave as expected.

EXAMPLE
Use the following rule to set a plain text password for the Aggregator KM:

"/SecureStore/PDS_PATROL_DataStore_config/PDS_AGGREGATOR/Nodes/
hostname:portNumber"={ REPLACE =
"PDS_DATABASE;PDS_DATASTORE;PDS_AGGREGATOR/PATROLUserPassword" }

■ The encrypted data interface leverages the pwd_encrypt executable file and enables
you to encrypt the /context/data information.

The encrypted data interface uses the following format:

/SecureStore/MY_KM/my/secret/var =
{REPLACE =
"EDC10278901F8CB04CF927C82828595B62D25EC355D0AF38589CE4235A246F8C63F
24575073E4ECD" }

12 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Secure store

EXAMPLE
Use the following rule to set an encrypted password for the Aggregator KM:

"/SecureStore/PDS_PATROL_DataStore_config/PDS_AGGREGATOR/Nodes/
hostname:portNumber"={ REPLACE =
"10F39746131EF76F8616B07A2FB541F44273F33A94EF0E6FFE31E5834D23C2CB9
05419DE2966D9DAD9E29368ED303EF3916D9CD3D27D34A4" }

You can use the sec_encrypt_p3x or pwd_encrypt executable files to convert

/context/data in the Data Encryption Standard (DES) format as follows:

■ Using the sec_encrypt_p3x executable file:

C:\ >sec_encrypt_p3x MY_KM1;MY_KM2;MY_KM3/mysecretdata
4809C7BC4506B79AFEA5683B71439299788D5DBF044B1D1D6C1FBD8AB2BBA056C1C7
D14B19C46382

EXAMPLE
C:\ >sec_encrypt_p3x
PDS_DATABASE;PDS_DATASTORE;PDS_AGGREGATOR/PATROLUserPassword
10F39746131EF76F8616B07A2FB541F44273F33A94EF0E6FFE31E5834D23C2CB90
5419DE2966D9DAD9E29368ED303EF3916D9CD3D27D34A4

■ Using the pwd_encrypt executable file:

C:\ >pwd_encrypt MY_KM1;MY_KM2;MY_KM3/mysecretdata

4809C7BC4506B79AFEA5683B71439299788D5DBF044B1D1D6C1FBD8AB2BBA056C1C7
D14B19C46382

EXAMPLE
C:\ > pwd_encrypt
PDS_DATABASE;PDS_DATASTORE;PDS_AGGREGATOR/PATROLUserPassword
10F39746131EF76F8616B07A2FB541F44273F33A94EF0E6FFE31E5834D23C2CB90
5419DE2966D9DAD9E29368ED303EF3916D9CD3D27D34A4

When you set the secure store pconfig settings by using a version earlier than 3.8.00 of
BMC PATROL Agent, the settings are stored in the pconfig database. For this reason,
BMC recommends that you use encrypted data setting to ensure that an earlier
version of BMC PATROL Agent does not expose unencrypted sensitive data on the
interface.

NOTE
If the current version of BMC PATROL Agent finds a /SecureStore pconfig branch in the BMC
PATROL Agent pconfig database, it removes the old pconfig branch when the Agent starts.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 13

Streaming

BMC PATROL Agent fetches the data stored in the secure key store database through
the sec_store_get() PSL function only. This function is called from the context that
you specified in the value for the pconfig variable.

For more information about sec_store_get(), see the PATROL Script Language (PSL)
Reference Manual.

Streaming
The new functionality of streaming provides the BMC PATROL Agent client
applications (subscription applications) with real-time data. BMC PATROL Agent
collects the generated data and actively passes the data to its subscribers.

NOTE
The streaming and compression functionalities are supported only by version 8.0 of BMC
Proactivenet Analytics (PATROL Adapter).

Compression
The new feature of compression in BMC PATROL Agent provides the best
compression ratio and helps efficiently reduce the usage of network bandwidth. The
pconfig, PatrolCli, and PEMAPI application interfaces are compatible with this
feature.

To disable compression, you can use the BMC_PATROL_DISABLE_COMPRESSION

operating system environment variable. You can add this variable on the clients such
as the pconfig and PatrolCli client applications, and the server such as BMC PATROL
Agent, and set it to a value of 1.

You can disable the compression by setting the

BMC_PATROL_DISABLE_COMPRESSION operating system environment variable
on any one component before starting the component. If you set the operating system
environment variable on the computer running BMC PATROL Agent and then start
the Agent, the product disables compression for all the clients that communicate with
this Agent.

If you want to disable compression for a specific client only, you can set the
BMC_PATROL_DISABLE_COMPRESSION operating system environment variable
on that client only. By doing so, you do not affect the other clients.

14 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Redirecting error logs

Redirecting error logs

The new PATROL_LOG_port operating system environment variable enables you to
redirect BMC PATROL Agent’s default error log file to a different location for virtual
agents in a clustered environment.

Redirecting debug messages

The debug log levels for the PEM applications have been enhanced to allow you to
redirect the debug messages of the communication between PEMAPI and BMC
PATROL Agent, to a file. To do so, set the BMC_PATROL_DEBUG_PEMAPI operating
system environment variable on the computer where the PEM application is running.

For example, set the variable as follows:

BMC_PATROL_DEBUG_PEMAPI=ALL,FILE=C:\\PEMAPI\\PEM_DEBUG.log

What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.40

This section describes the new configuration enhancement that was added in version
3.7.40 of BMC PATROL Agent.

You can now prevent PatrolPerf from generating the application pop-up by using the
/AgentSetup/disableApplicationPopUp configuration variable. If you do not want the
PatrolPerf application fail pop-up to appear repeatedly, set the value of this variable
to 1.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 15

What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.10

What’s new in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.10

This section describes the new configuration feature that was added in version 3.7.10
of BMC PATROL Agent. This feature enables you to secure the BMC PATROL Agent
from the pconfig clients.

A new variable, requiresconfigauthentication, has been added to the BMC PATROL

Agent. This variable is defined in the [AGENT] stanza of the patrol.conf file. You can
use this variable to restrict access to the Agent configuration database from the
following clients:

■ pconfig
■ wpconfig
■ xpconfig
■ PATROL Configuration Manager

If you set the value of requiresconfigauthentication to true, the pconfig agent

connections require a valid account. All the BMC PATROL Agents running on the
system or sharing the patrol.conf file will require authentication irrespective of the
value of the /AgentSetup/pconfigRequiresAuthentication variable. After you set or
modify this variable, restart the BMC PATROL Agent.

Valid values of this variable include:

■ true - restrict access to the agent configuration database (recommended)

■ false - no restriction on access to the agent configuration database (default value)

NOTE
When the requiresconfigauthentication variable is set to true, you can use only version 3.5.90 or
later of the wpconfig or xpconfig utility.

To use the wpconfig utility version 3.5.90, install PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows
3.5.90. To use the xpconfig utility version 3.5.90, install PATROL Console for UNIX 3.5.90. For
more information about these PATROL consoles, see the BMC Performance Manager Consoles
7.7.50 Release Notes.

16 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.8.00

What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.8.00

This section describes the changes that were made in version 3.8.00 of BMC PATROL
Agent.

pslInstructionMax variable
The /AgentSetup/AgentTuning/pslInstructionMax variable is now disabled by
default and set to a value of 0 in the config.default file. You can suppress the default
setting and enable the pslInstructionMax pconfig variable by assigning the required
positive value.

For more information, see the PATROL Agent Reference Manual.

pslInstructionPeriod variable
The /AgentSetup/AgentTuning/pslInstructionPeriod variable is now set to 0 (Zero),
by default. You can enable the pslInstructionPeriod pconfig variable by assigning the
required positive value.

For more information, see the PATROL Agent Reference Manual.

What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.30

The size of the regular expression parenthesis has been increased to 29 because
PATROL Knowledge Module for Log Management relies on the MLS library for
handling regular expressions.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 17

What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.10

What’s changed in BMC PATROL Agent 3.7.10

This section describes the configuration changes that were made in version 3.7.10 of
BMC PATROL Agent.

BMC PATROL Agent executable in the firewall exception list

When installing BMC PATROL Agent on the Microsoft Windows Vista or Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 operating system, you are prompted to add the BMC PATROL
Agent executable to the Windows firewall exception list. From the installation
wizard, you must select yes if you want to let applications outside the firewall
connect to the BMC PATROL Agent.

Perform operations on the history files when the BMC

PATROL Agent starts
You can have the BMC PATROL Agent perform operations on the history files at
initialization. Using the fix_hist command-line utility, set the /AgentSetup/fixHistFlag
configuration variable to one or more values from Table 4.

Table 4 Values for the /AgentSetup/fixHistFlag configuration variable

Option Description
always attempts to repair, pack, or both
dirtybit attempts to repair, pack, or both when the history database
indicates that the database may have been left in an
unknown or incomplete state
never never run fix_hist
no_repair_hist do not repair history
no_pack_hist_index do not pack history index files
nopackann do not pack annotation file
nobackup do not back up history file
repair_cycle=number specifies maximum number of repair cycle
force_history_cleanup=days specifies the number of days that you want to keep the
parameter history

18 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Internationalization and localization information

Internationalization and localization

information
BMC PATROL Agent has been validated in multi-byte language environments.
However, the user interface for BMC PATROL Agent is displayed in English on all
non-English platforms.

BMC PATROL Agent supports the languages indicated in the following table:

Simplified Traditional
Type of support French German Chinese Chinese Korean Japanese
Runs in the + + + +
languagea
Viewable in the +
languageb
a
The product runs on supported operating systems for the indicated languages and can
accept input, process, and display data in those languages.
b
The user interface for the product is translated into the indicated languages.

Corrected problems
The following problems were reported earlier and were corrected in this version.

Tracking ID Description
QM001622825 BMC PATROL Agent did not support the native loadable password
algorithms such as md5,smd5, blowfish,ssha1, ssha256, and ssha512 on the
IBM AIX 6.1 operating system.
QM001634369 Because of performance counter discrepancy, BMC PATROL Agent failed to
respond on Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Core,
and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 19

Known issues and workarounds

Known issues and workarounds

Table 5 describes the issues that remain open and workarounds (if any) in BMC
PATROL Agent.

Table 5 Open issues in BMC PATROL Agent

Tracking ID Issue
QM001542120 When you uninstall the BMC PATROL Agent using the Distribution Server
in a Microsoft Windows Vista or Microsoft Windows Server 2008
environment, the BMC PATROL Agent entry is not removed from the
firewall exception list.

Workaround: Manually remove BMC PATROL Agent from the firewall

exception list.
QM001534196 On a PATROL Central Operator – Microsoft Windows Edition console, the
tooltip and the Property dialog box display an incorrect Microsoft Windows
Vista or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 operating system for the managed
system.
QM000492062 If you are installing the BMC PATROL Agent over the top of an existing
installation, any manual modifications that you made to the agent.plc file
(on UNIX and Linux) or the agent.reg file (on Microsoft Windows) are not
applied to the new installation.

Workaround: Manually reapply the modifications after the new installation.

Unsupported PSL format options

The convert_locale_date() PSL function does not generate output for the following
format options:

■ ‘%Od, %Oe, %OH, %OI, %Om, %OM, %OS, %OU, %Ow, %OW, %Oy’ on the
UNIX, Linux®, and Microsoft Windows operating systems

■ ‘%Ec, %Ex, %EX’ on UNIX, Linux, and Microsoft Windows operating systems

■ ‘%U’ on the Microsoft Windows operating system

20 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Installation information

Installation information
This section contains installation information that supplements or supersedes the
information mentioned in the following documents:

■ PATROL Agent Reference Manual

■ BMC PATROL for Microsoft Windows Servers Release Notes
■ BMC PATROL for UNIX and Linux Release Notes
■ BMC PATROL for Microsoft Windows Servers Getting Started
■ BMC PATROL for UNIX and Linux Getting Started

How to obtain the product

If you want to obtain version 3.8.00 of BMC PATROL Agent, and you are in the
United States or Canada, contact BMC Customer Support at 800 537 1813. Outside the
United States or Canada, contact your local BMC office or agent.

Compatibility information
Compatibility matrixes for BMC products, which identify the hardware and software
requirements for installing this version, are available on the Customer Support
website at http://www.bmc.com/support.

BMC recommends that you check the websites of your site’s platform vendors to
verify that those platforms are still supported. BMC does not support platforms that
are no longer supported by the vendor.

Prerequisites for installation

This section contains software, hardware, or other requirements for BMC PATROL
Agent that are not discussed in the PATROL Agent Reference Manual.

Installing BMC PATROL Agent on top of an existing

installation
If you are installing the BMC PATROL Agent on top of an existing installation, any
manual modifications that you make to the agent.plc file (on UNIX and Linux) or the
agent.reg file (on Windows) are not applied to the new installation. You must
manually reapply the modifications after the new installation.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 21

Product requirements

Product requirements
The following table lists the minimum product requirements specific to this release of
BMC PATROL Agent. Any additional requirements are listed in the PATROL Agent
Reference Manual.

Table 6 Supported BMC PATROL Components

BMC PATROL component Versions supported
BMC PATROL Security 3.0.13a
BMC PATROL Console for Microsoft Windowsb 3.5.2x and later
BMC PATROL Console for UNIXc 3.5.2x and later
BMC PATROL Central Operator – Microsoft Windows Edition 7.5.x and later
BMC PATROL Central Operator – Web Edition 7.5.x and later
BMC PATROL Console Server 7.5.x and later
Distribution Server 7.5.x and later
a
Version 3.8.00 of the BMC PATROL Agent uses version 3.0.13 of the PATROL Security
libraries and utilities. To prevent conflicts with PATROL components that are using earlier
versions of PATROL Security, the binary files, policy files, and log files associated with
PATROL Security 3.0.13 are located in separate folders with _v3.0 appended to the folder
name. For more information, see PATROL Security Release Notes version 3.0.13.
b
PATROL for Microsoft Windows Servers is supported on all Windows platforms that are
supported by PATROL consoles.
c
PATROL for Microsoft Windows Servers is supported on all UNIX platforms that are
supported by PATROL Console for UNIX.

Support for the User Account Control (UAC)

If all of the following conditions are true, and you are running a Microsoft Windows
Vista or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 operating system, the BMC PATROL Agent
channel from which the external command is fired is blocked:

■ The PSL channel trying to launch any external binary will be in an IOWAIT state if
the owner of the channel does not belong to the Administrator’s group and that
external binary is manifested with the requireAdministrator token into it.

■ UAC is enabled.

These channels are displayed in an IOWAIT state. To get the SOW to its normal state,
enter the exit command in SOW. This is applicable for all the psl functions available
for launching the external binary, such as open, system, PslExecute, execute, and so
on.

22 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Operating system and third-party product support

Operating system and third-party product support

All components of version 3.8.00 of BMC PATROL Agent work with the operating
systems shown in the Table 7 on page 23. These operating systems are supported in
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and German
languages (CTKJFG) unless otherwise specified.

Table 7 Supported operating systems (part 1 of 3)

Supported operating system Comments
HP-UX 11i v3 (B11.31), 64-bit, Itanium 2 Install the C++ run-time patch (PHSS_24627) on
HP-UX 11i v3 (B11.31), 64-bit, PA-RISC the HP-UX 11i platforms.

HP-UX 11i v2 (B11.23), 64-bit, PA-RISC

HP-UX 11i v2 (B11.23), 64-bit, Itanium 2
HP-UX 11.11i (B11.11), 64-bit, PA-RISC
IBM AIX 6.1, 64-bit hardware, 64-bit kernel, 64-bit ABI PATROL executables on AIX 32-bit OSs require at
IBM AIX 5.3, 32-bit hardware, 32-bit kernel, 32-bit ABI least the following maintenance levels:
■ AIX 5.3-oslevel 5300-01
IBM AIX 5.3, 64-bit hardware, 32-bit kernel, 32-bit ABI ■ AIX 5.2-oslevel 5200-05
IBM AIX 5.3, 64-bit hardware, 32-bit kernel, 64-bit ABI
IBM AIX 5.3, 64-bit hardware, 64-bit kernel, 64-bit ABI
IBM AIX 5.2, 32-bit hardware, 32-bit kernel, 32-bit ABI
IBM AIX 5.2, 64-bit hardware, 32-bit kernel, 32-bit ABI
IBM AIX 5.2, 64-bit hardware, 32-bit kernel, 64-bit ABI
IBM AIX 5.2, 64-bit hardware, 64-bit kernel, 64-bit ABI
Sun™ Solaris™ 10, 64-bit, Sparc The preferred patch level of Solaris 10 for the
Sun Solaris 10, x86 current release of the BMC PATROL Agent
product is s10u4 (08/07) KU 120011-14 or later.
Sun Solaris 10, x86-64
Sun Solaris 9, 32-bit, Sparc
Sun Solaris 9, 64-bit, Sparc
Sun Solaris 8, 64-bit, Sparc

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 23

Operating system and third-party product support

Table 7 Supported operating systems (part 2 of 3)

Supported operating system Comments
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4, x86 ■ The zSeries system is not supported in
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4, x86-64 CTKJFG.
■ x86 refers to Intel PII, PIII, P4, and Xeon 32-bit
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4, Itanium processor systems.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4, zSeries, 64-bit ■ x86-64 refers to Opteron (AMD 64) and Intel
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3, x86 EM64T systems that support 64-bit libraries
and executables.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3, x86-64 ■ 32-bit run-time environments are required on
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3, Itanium x86-64 OSs.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3, zSeries, 64-bit ■ Red Hat Enterprise Linux is supported up to
version 5.4.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, x86
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, x86-64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, Itanium
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, zSeries, 64-bit
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 4, x86
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 4, Itanium
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 4, x86-64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 4, zSeries, 31-bit
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 4, zSeries, 64-bit
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 3, x86
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 3, Itanium
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 3, x86-64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 3, zSeries, 31-bit
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS and ES 3, zSeries, 64-bit
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, x86 ■ This OS is not supported in CTJKFG.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, x86-64 ■ x86 refers to Intel PII, PIII, P4, and Xeon 32-bit
processor systems.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, Itanium ■ x86-64 refers to Opteron (AMD 64) and Intel
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, zSeries, 64-bit EM64T systems that support 64-bit libraries
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, x86 and executables.
■ Service Pack 2 for version 10 supports all the
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, x86-64 variations of the hardware.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, zSeries, 64-bit
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, Itanium
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, x86
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, x86-64
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, zSeries, 31-bit
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, zSeries, 64-bit
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, Itanium
VMware ESX Server 2.5.x, 3.0, and 3.5, x86 x86 refers to Intel PII, PIII, P4, and Xeon 32-bit
VMware ESX Server 2.5.x, 3.0, and 3.5, x86-64 processor systems.

24 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Downloading the installation utility and BMC PATROL Agent files

Table 7 Supported operating systems (part 3 of 3)

Supported operating system Comments
Oracle® Enterprise Linux 5, x86 none
Oracle Enterprise Linux 5, x86-64
Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, x86
Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, x86-64
Microsoft Windows XP Professional, SP 3, x86 none
a
Microsoft Windows XP Professional, SP 3, x86-64
Microsoft Windows Server 2003b, SP 2, x86
Microsoft Windows Server 2003b, SP 2, x86-64a
Microsoft Windows Server 2003b, SP 2, Itanium 2
Microsoft Windows Server 2000, SP 4, x86c
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, SP 4, x86c
Microsoft Windows Vistab, SP 1, x86
Microsoft Windows Vistab, SP 1, x86-64a
Microsoft Windows Server 2008b, x86
Microsoft Windows Server 2008b, x86-64a
Microsoft Windows Server 2008b, Itanium 2
Microsoft Windows Server 2008b Core, x86
Microsoft Windows Server 2008b Core, x86-64a
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2b, x86-64a
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2b,
Itanium 2
a
References to x86-64 include AMD64 (which includes Opteron) and Intel 64 architecture (formerly known as
Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology, or Intel EM64T).
b
References to Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (which includes Windows
Server 2003 R2), Microsoft Windows Vista, and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (which includes Windows
Server 2008 R2) include all editions of these platform families and their service packs, except where service
packs are specifically listed in the table.
c
Microsoft provides an extended Support Period until 13 July 2010 for Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, SP 4,
x86 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, SP 4, x86. BMC Software will continue to verify PATROL for
Windows on these platforms and will be providing best effort support during this period.

Downloading the installation utility and BMC PATROL Agent

files
To install BMC PATROL Agent, you must also download the installation utility. If
you have previously downloaded other products, you may have an older version of
the installation utility on your hard drive. To ensure that you are using the latest
version, download the installation utility from the location that is provided to you by
the BMC Customer Support.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 25

Downloading the installation utility and BMC PATROL Agent files

To download the installation utility and the BMC PATROL Agent file on the
UNIX operating system

1 Create a temporary directory on your computer.

2 From the location that you obtained from the BMC Customer Support, download
the files as described in Table 8:

Table 8 Files to download while installing on the UNIX operating system

File Purpose
ins_ALL_7557.tar You can download the installation utility file that is
compatible with all UNIX operating systems supported by
the installation utility.
PIA_ALL_3800.tar You can download the BMC PATROL Agent for UNIX and
Linux.

This enables you to do the following:

■ import BMC PATROL Agent for UNIX and Linux in the

Distribution Server residing on all the supported UNIX
platforms
■ install BMC PATROL Agent for UNIX and Linux on all
the supported UNIX platforms
PIA_ALL_3800.zip This enables you to import the BMC PATROL Agent for
UNIX and Linux in the Distribution Server residing on
supported Microsoft Windows platforms.

3 Untar the installation utility to extract its files. This will create the bmc_products
directory in the temporary directory.

4 Extract the contents of the corresponding .tar and .zip files to the bmc_products
directory.

5 Complete the installation procedure as described in the BMC PATROL for UNIX
and Linux Getting Started guide.

6 After you complete the installation, delete the temporary directory and its
contents.

To download the installation utility and product files on the Microsoft

Windows operating system

1 Create a temporary directory on your computer.

2 From the location that you obtained from the BMC Customer Support, download
the files as described in Table 8:

26 Release Notes February 12, 2010

 Related information

Table 9 Files to download while installing on the Windows operating system

File
ins_WINDOWS_7557.zip
PIA_WINDOWS_3800.tar
PIA_WINDOWS_3800.zip
Purpose
You can download the installation utility file that is
compatible with all the Microsoft Windows operating
systems supported by the installation utility.
This enables you to import the BMC PATROL Agent for
Windows in the Distribution Server residing on all the
supported UNIX platforms.
You can download the BMC PATROL Agent for Windows to
install BMC PATROL Agent on all the supported Windows
platforms.

3 Unzip the installation utility to extract its files. This will create the bmc_products
directory in the temporary directory.

4 Extract the contents of the corresponding .tar and .zip files to the bmc_products
directory.

5 Complete the installation procedure as described in the BMC PATROL for Microsoft
Windows Servers Getting Started guide.

6 After you complete the installation, delete the temporary directory and its
contents.

Related information
The PATROL Agent Reference Manual supports the product.

Individual product documents (books and notices) are available on the Customer
Support website. You can order hardcopy documentation from your BMC sales
representative or from the website. You can also subscribe to proactive alerts to
receive e-mail messages when notices are issued or updated.

Support information
If you have problems with or questions about a BMC product, or for the latest
support policies, see the Customer Support website at
http://www.bmc.com/support. You can view or download product documents,
search the Knowledge Base for help with an issue, and download products and
maintenance. If you do not have access to the web and you are in the United States or
Canada, contact Customer Support at 800 537 1813. Outside the United States or
Canada, contact your local BMC office or agent.

BMC PATROL Agent Version 3.8.00 27

Support information

© Copyright 2010 BMC Software, Inc.

BMC, BMC Software, and the BMC Software logo are the exclusive properties of BMC Software, Inc., are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other BMC trademarks, service marks, and logos may be registered or pending
registration in the U.S. or in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

AIX, IBM, and zSeries are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation.

Solaris and Sun are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries.

UNIX is the registered trademark of The Open Group in the US and other countries.

The information included in this documentation is the proprietary and confidential information of BMC Software, Inc., its affiliates, or licensors. Your use of
this information is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable End User License agreement for the product and to the proprietary and restricted
rights notices included in the product documentation.

BMC SOFTWARE INC

2101 CITYWEST BLVD, HOUSTON TX 77042-2827, USA• 713 918 8800
Customer Support: 800 537 1813 (United States and Canada) or contact your local support center

28 Release Notes February 12, 2010