Adding hosts and installing plug-in packages on remote hosts

You must use the SnapCenter Add Host wizard to add hosts, and then install the plug-ins packages. The plug-ins are automatically installed on the remote hosts. You can add a host and install the plug-in packages either for an individual host or for a cluster.

1. In the left navigation pane, click Hosts.
2. Verify that the Managed Hosts tab is selected at the top.
3. Click Add.
4. On the Hosts page, perform the following actions:

   For this field…	Do this…
   Host OS	Select the type of host: Windows Linux Note: The custom plug-ins can be used in both Windows and Linux environments.
   Host name	Enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or the IP address of the host. SnapCenter depends on the proper configuration of the DNS. Therefore, the best practice is to enter the FQDN. For Windows environments, the IP address is supported for untrusted domain hosts only if it resolves to the FQDN. You can enter the IP addresses or FQDN of a stand-alone host. If you are adding a host by using SnapCenter and the host is part of a subdomain, you must provide the FQDN.
   Run As name	Either select the Run As name that you created or create new Run As credentials. The Run As credentials must have administrative rights on the remote host. For details, see the information about creating Run As credentials. You can view details about the Run As credentials by positioning your cursor over the Run As credential name that you specified. Note: The Run As credentials authentication mode is determined by the host type that you specify in the Add Host wizard.
   Port	Either retain the default port number or specify the port number. The default port number is 8145. If the SnapCenter Server was installed on a custom port, that port number will be displayed as the default port. Note: If you manually installed the plug-ins by using a custom port, you must specify the same custom port or else the operation fails.
   Check Fingerprint	Click Check Fingerprint to retrieve the fingerprint value. Verify the fingerprint, and then click Confirm Fingerprint. Note: Fingerprint verification is mandatory even if the same host was added earlier to SnapCenter and the fingerprint was confirmed.
   Skip prechecks	Select this checkbox if you already installed the plug-ins manually and you do not want to validate whether the host meets the requirements for installing the plug-in.

5. On the Installed plug-ins page, review the plug-in packages that are installed on the host.
   For new deployments, no plug-in packages are listed.
6. On the Plug-ins to install page, perform the following actions:

   For plug-in packages...	Do this…
   SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Windows SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Linux	On the Plug-ins page, select the plug-in package and specify the plug-in ports and installation path. For the SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Windows, the default path is C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapCenter. Optionally, you can customize the path. For SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Linux, the default path is /opt/NetApp/snapcenter. Optionally, you can customize the path. Note: The custom plug-ins can be used in both Windows and Linux environments.
   SnapCenter Custom Plug-ins	In the Custom Plug-ins section, click Browse, and then select the zipped custom plug-in folder. The zipped folder contains the custom plug-in code and the descriptor .xml file. Click Upload. The descriptor .xml file in the zipped custom plug-in folder is validated before the package is uploaded. The custom plug-ins that are uploaded to the SnapCenter Server are listed. If you want to manage MySQL or DB2 applications, you can use the MySQL and DB2 custom plug-ins that are provided by NetApp. The MySQL and DB2 custom plug-ins are available at the NetApp Tool Chest. NetApp Tool Chest

7. Click Next.
   If you have not selected the Skip prechecks checkbox, the host is validated to verify whether the host meets the requirements for installing the plug-in. The disk space, RAM, PowerShell version, .NET version, location (for Windows plug-ins), and Java version (for Linux plug-ins) are validated against the minimum requirements. If the minimum requirements are not met, appropriate error or warning messages are displayed.

   If the error is related to disk space or RAM, you can update either the web.config file located at C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapCenter WebApp or the PowerShell config files located at C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\SnapCenter\ to modify the default values. If the error is related to other parameters, you must fix the issue.

   Note: In an NLB setup, if you are updating the web.config file, you must update the file on both of the nodes.
8. After fixing any validation errors, click Validate.
9. Review the summary, and then click Finish.
10. Monitor the installation progress.
    You should refresh the Hosts page after a few minutes to view the newly added host.
    The installation-specific log files are located at /custom_location/snapcenter/logs.

    Note: If a firewall is enabled on the Linux host, the host status is displayed as "down" and the overall status is displayed as "stopped" on the Managed Hosts page. However, the SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Linux is installed successfully.