Installation Tasks

Before you begin the installation tasks make sure you open the firewall ports. For more information on the lists of all the ports in a deployment, see the Network Architecture and Ports topic in the Deployment Guide for NetWitness Platform 12.3.

Caution: Do not proceed with the installation until the ports on your firewall are configured.

Tasks - Install 12.3 on the NetWitness Server (NW Server) Host and Component Hosts

Complete the following steps to install 12.3 on NW Server host and other component hosts. Steps that are specific to the NW Server host or to component hosts are noted.

Caution: If you want to install the Endpoint Relay Server, do not run the nwsetup-tui script. Follow the instructions in (Optional) Installing and Configuring Relay Server in the Endpoint Configuration Guide for NetWitness Platform 12.3.

  1. Log in to the host with the root credentials and run the nwsetup-tui command to set up the host.

    This initiates the nwsetup-tui (Setup program) and the EULA is displayed.

    Note: Use the following options to navigate the Setup prompts.
    1.) When you navigate through the Setup program prompts, use the down and up arrows to move among fields, and use the Tab key to move to and from commands (such as <Yes>, <No>, <OK>, and <Cancel>). Press Enter to register your command response and move to the next prompt.
    2.) The Setup program adopts the color scheme of the desktop or console you use to access the host.
    3.) If you specify DNS servers during the Setup program (nwsetup-tui) execution, they MUST be valid (valid in this context means valid during setup) and accessible for the nwsetup-tui script to proceed. Any misconfigured DNS servers cause the Setup program to fail. If you need to reach a DNS server after setup that is unreachable during setup, (for example, to relocate a host after setup that would have a different set of DNS Servers), see "(Optional) Task 1 - Re-Configure DNS Servers Post 12.3" in the "Post Installation Tasks" section in this guide.
    If you do not specify DNS Servers during setup (nwsetup-tui), you must select 1 The Local Repo (on the NW Server) in the NetWitness Update Repository prompt in step 10 (the DNS servers are not defined so the system cannot access the external repo).

    netwitness_1-licenseagreement.png_1690x512.png

  2. Tab to Accept and press Enter.

    The Is this the host you want for your 12.3 NW Server prompt is displayed.

    NWserverinstall123.png

  3. Tab to Yes and press Enter to install NW Server.

    Tab to No and press Enter to install Component Hosts.

    Caution: If you choose the wrong host for the NW Server and complete the setup, you must restart the setup program (step 2) and complete all the subsequent steps to correct this error.

  4. The Install or Recover prompt is displayed.

    NetWitness Server Host prompt

    fresh_install123.png

    Component Hosts prompt

    InstallPrompt_componenthosts1.png

    Press Enter. By default, the Install (Fresh Install) option is selected.

  5. The System Host Name prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_4-syshostname.png

    Press Enter if you want to keep this name. If not, edit the host name, tab to OK, and press Enter to change it.

  6. The Master Password prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_5-masterpwd_413x159.png

    Type in the Password, down arrow to Verify, retype the password, tab to OK, and press Enter.

    The following list of characters are supported for Master Password and Deployment Password:

    • Symbols : ! @ # % ^ + ,
    • Numbers :0-9
    • Lowercase Characters : a-z
    • Uppercase Characters : A-Z

    No ambiguous characters are supported for Master Password and Deployment Password (for example: space { } [ ] ( ) / \ ' " ` ~ ; : . < > -.

    Caution: This step 6 is applicable only for NW Server Host.

  7. The Deployment Password prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_6-deploypwd_462x185.png

    Type in the Password, down arrow to Verify, retype the password, tab to OK, and press Enter.

    Caution: This step 7 is applicable for both NW Server and Component Hosts.

  8. The setup program finds a valid IP address for this host and the following prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_7-ipaddress.png

    Tab to No and press Enter, if you want to use this IP and avoid changing your network settings.

  9. The Use Network Address Translation (NAT) prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_nat1_304x132.png

    • For the NW Server, tab to No and press Enter.
    • For Component Hosts, if this host requires the use of NAT-based addresses to communicate with the NW Server, tab to Yes. Otherwise, tab to No and press Enter.
  10. The NetWitness Platform Update Repository prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_externalrepo_335x147.png

    • For NW Server Host: Select 2 An External Repo (on an externally-managed server). Tab to OK and press Enter.
    • For Component Hosts: Select 1 The Local Repo (on the NW Server). Tab to OK and press Enter.
  11. The NetWitness Platform 12.3 External Update Repo URL prompt is displayed.

    external_repo123.png

    Enter the base URL of the NetWitness Platform external repo, tab to OK and press Enter.

    Caution: This step 11 is applicable only for NW Server Host.

  12. The NW Server IP Address prompt is displayed.

    nw_server_IP123.png

    Enter the IP address of 12.3 NW Server host, tab to OK and press Enter.

    Caution: This step 12 is applicable only for Component Hosts.

  13. The Disable Firewall prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_10-disablefirewall-no_261x113.png

    Tab to No and press Enter.

  14. Press Enter to install 12.1 on the NW Server.

    The Start Install/Upgrade prompt is displayed.

    netwitness_11-installnowrestart.png

  15. When Installation complete is displayed, you have installed the 12.3 NW Server on this host.

    Note: Ignore the hash code errors similar to the errors shown in the following screen shot that are displayed when you initiate the nwsetup-tui command. Yum does not use MD5 for any security operations so they do not affect the system security.

    netwitness_hasherrors.png

    Note: If you want to perform a silent installation using CLI, see the Silent Installation Using CLI topic in the Physical Host Installation Guide.

    Storage Configurations

    For storage allocations of all host types, see the Prepare Virtual or Cloud Storage topic in the Storage Guide for NetWitness® Platform 12.3.

    Create a Disk

    To understand which volumes are required to support the instance, see the Storage Requirements topic in the Storage Guide for NetWitness® Platform 12.3.

    To create a disk

    1. Go to Google Cloud Platform > Compute Engine > VM Instance to identify the VM instance.

    2. Click the instance name, for example rsa-nw-12-3-0-0-full-concentrator.
      netwitness_121_fullimage-concentrator_1122_482x243.png

    3. Click netwitness_edit_51x25.png to make the required changes.
      The VM instance details view is displayed.
      netwitness_121_gcp_image1_1122_491x276.png
    4. Under Additional disks (Optional), click netwitness_adddisk_135x16.png to add a new disk.
      netwitness_121_add_disk12_1122_512x278.png
    5. The New disk dialog is displayed.
      netwitness_gc4_365x626.png
      Enter values in the following fields:
      1. Name: Enter a unique name.
      2. (Optional) Description: Enter the required additional information.
      3. Type: Select Standard persistent disk from the drop-down menu.
      4. Snapshot schedule: By default, No schedule option is selected.
      5. Under Source type > Blank disk.
        • Mode: By default, Read/write option is selected.
        • Deletion rule: By default, Keep disk option is selected.
      6. Size (GB): Enter the required size.
      7. Under Encryption: By default, Google-managed key is selected.
      8. Device name: By default, Based on disk name (default) is selected.
      9. Click Done.
    6. Click Save.

    Note: To add another disk to the instance type, repeat steps 1 to 6.