Introduction

July 2014: This article consolidates the information on Diagnostics Agent Maintenance Procedures, that was previously accessible via several Diagnostics Agent related SAP Notes and Guides.

General Information on Diagnostics Agents

See to the "General Information" section here: Diagnostics Agents.

The "Hosts file" format on the Host can severely impact the Diagnostics Agent, the SAP Host Agent and the connectivity between Managed Systems and Solution Manager.. See https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/x/i4IjIQ

Diagnostics Agent Installations

Finding Previously Installed Diagnostics Agents

To double check if a Diagnostics Agent is installed you should have a look at all existing / installed SAP systems that are operational at (logical) host level.

The Diagnostics Agents are in general identifiable by a System ID, as follows:

• For agents shipped with / for SAP NetWeaver 7.1 EhP1 and higher, the Diagnostics Agent System ID is usually: DA? (DAA, DAB, etc.)
• For agents based on older versions, the Diagnostics Agent System ID is usually: SMD

Diagnostics Agent Installer

Use the latest SWPM 1.0 Support Package (and associated Patch Level), when installing a new or an additional Diagnostics Agent. See SAP note 1833501 for the latest Diagnostics Agent Installation & Setup Guide.

SAP NetWeaver System Rename

SWPM based System Rename is not supported for the Diagnostics Agent. Instead, the below described Diagnostics Agent Replacement procedure must be used.

SAP NetWeaver System Copy

SWPM based System Copy is not supported and not relevant for the Diagnostics Agent. Instead, perform a fresh Diagnostics Agent installation on the target system.

Have Up-To-Date SAP Host Agents

Checking the SAP Host Agent Version

• Solution Manager 7.1 currently requires to have at least SAP Host Agents 7.20 SP147 in the Managed system landscape.
• However, when using Solution Manager 7.1 SP10 or higher and Agents On-the-fly, deploy SAP Host Agents 7.20 SP163, at least on High Available/Fail-Over hosts. With this version the logical hostname switches are detected faster.
• Consider using the SAP Host Agents 7.20 SP179, in case you encounter errors related to the connectivity with the SAP Host Agent. See also: SAP Host Agent troubleshooting.
• Further below you find more details, including hints to find out the version of existing SAP Host Agents or how to upgrade a SAP Host Agent.

Installing SAP Host Agent

• Verify the "Hosts File" format has correctly been define following the Mandatory Standard. See https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/x/i4IjIQ
• Install one SAP Host Agent, per physical host, if not yet installed. See SAP note 1031096.

Upgrading SAP Host Agent

• Upgrading the SAP Host Agent according to SAP note 1031096, if the version is not sufficient
  • Check the version at OS level (search in the output for "SAPHOSTAGENT information"):
    • For Windows: "%ProgramFiles%"\SAP\hostctrl\exe\saphostctrl -function ExecuteOperation -name versioninfo
    • For Unix: /usr/sap/hostctrl/exe/saphostctrl -function ExecuteOperation -name versioninfo
  • The currently installed SAP Host Agent version is also visible under the host details, if “Managed System Configuration” has been performed with solman_setup
    • Navigate to Solution Manager Administration work center → Landscape → Hosts → <search for your host> → Host Operations → <expand "More Details" section> → Status
• Implement automatic upgrade process (especially if you plan SAP Host Agent related changes)
  • SAP note 1473974 describes ways to centrally and automatically upgrade running SAP Host Agents

Diagnostics Agent Upgrade

• There is no need to upgrade Diagnostics Agents (business logic) explicitly.
• Diagnostics Agents update their business logic (coding) from the SAP Solution Manager system to which they are connected. All connected Diagnostics Agents that are running in the landscape, are centrally patched, when deploying an LM-SERVICE Java Software Component Archive (SCA) on the SAP Solution Manager system.
  • Diagnostics Agents installed with Software Provisioning Manager 1.0 SP3, SP4, SP5 and SP6, initially have a version like 7.10.8.xxxxxx
  • When connecting to a SAP Solution Manager system 7.10 SP5, the freshly installed agent will downgrade to a version like 7.10.5.xxxxxx
  • When connecting to a SAP Solution Manager system 7.10 SP10, the freshly installed agent will upgrade to a version like 7.10.10.xxxxxx
• Diagnostics Agent installation SAP notes document procedures to resolve known issues. Alternatively, you can use the below Diagnostics Agent Replacement procedure.

SAP Solution Manager 7.2:

• Diagnostics Agents which were previously connected against a SAP Solution Manager 7.1 system, and which have been migrated/reconnected to a SAP Solution Manager 7.2 system, will also automatically update their business logic (coding) from the SAP Solution Manager system to which they are connected.

Diagnostics Agent Kernel Patch

If you have problems with the SAP Kernel which is used by the Diagostics Agent, you may need to apply a SAP Kernel patch for the Diagnostics Agent. The procedure for Linux/Unix and for Windows is described in SAP note 2147092.

Diagnostics Agent Kernel Upgrade

In rare cases you may be asked to upgrade the SAP Kernel used by the Diagnostics Agent (see SAP note 1707141).

The same can be achieved, by applying the below Diagnostics Agent Replacement procedure.

Diagnostics Agent JVM Upgrade

In rare cases you may be asked to upgrade the SAP JVM used by the Diagnostics Agent

When upgrading a SAP JVM 6.1 or SAP JVM 8.1, refer to Upgrade the Diagnostics Agent's JVM.

When upgrading a SAP JVM 4 or SAP JVM 5, refer to SAP note 1774669.

The same can be achieved, by applying the below Diagnostics Agent Replacement procedure.

Diagnostics Agent Replacement

To replace a Diagnostics Agent, install a new Diagnostics Agent, and uninstall the previous Diagnostics Agent. This procedure can be relevant in the following scenarios:

• Replace a Diagnostics Agent, which has problems that cannot be easily resolved.
• “Upgrade” a Diagnostics Agent system, e.g.
• install a new Diagnostics Agent using a newer installer and a newer kernel, and get a Diagnostics Agent that has a new SAP JVM and a new SAP Kernel.
• uninstall the previous Diagnostics Agent

Follow procedure:

• Section "B) Re-Install Diagnostics Agent" from SAP note 3065987
• Using either SAP JVM 8.1 or SAP JVM 6.1, depending on your requirements and your SAP Solution Manager version

This procedure will:

• Provide you with a newly installed Diagnostics Agent
• The Diagnostics Agent SAP Kernel will have been upgraded to the version that you have provided
• The Diagnostics Agent SAP JVM will have been upgraded to the version that you have provided
• The SAP Host Agent on your system will have been upgraded to the version that you have provided

Diagnostics Agent Replacement in the context of a Java Managed System

This procedure updates the Managed System JVM parameters so that the Introscope Byte Code Adapter binaries are no longer taken from the previous Diagnostics Agent directory structure.

• In case the “Deploy Byte Code Adapter under Managed System Instance(s)” option was not used in the past (before 7.1 SP12 this option was called "Ensure HA virtualization compatibility"):
  • • Again configure the Wily Introscope Agent (Byte Code Adapter Installation) via transaction solman_setup → Managed System Configuration → Configure Automatically
      • • Pre-requisite since Solution Manager 7.1 SP05:
          • • Additionally mark the option "Deploy Byte Code Adapter under Managed System Instance(s)" within step "Enter System Parameters". SAP recommends to provide a relative path name like ByteCodeAdapter for the "Introscope BC Adapter deployment path" field, in order to locate the Byte Code Adapter binaries and configuration files inside the Managed system directory structure (/usr/sap/<ManagedSID>/<InstanceID>).
            • The Diagnostics Agent OS user must have write permissions for this Managed System path location. For details see SAP note 1163751.
    • Restart the Java Managed System

If you experience problems with the Byte Code Adapter (Managed System does not restart), please check Introscope Troubleshooting (search for "uninstall").

Diagnostics Agent Removal

To remove a Diagnostics Agent instance installed for a specific host name:

• In case the solman_setup “Deploy Byte Code Adapter under Managed System Instance(s)” option was used in the past to set up the Byte Code Adapter of the Java Managed System(s) running on the host (before 7.1 SP12 this option was called "Ensure HA virtualization compatibility"):
• • Optionally: Also uninstall the Byte Code Adapter by removing the JVM parameters listed in the relevant Instroscope Setup Guide from Introscope Home → Documentation.
• Else, take the following actions (in case the solman_setup “Deploy Byte Code Adapter under Managed System Instance(s)” option was not used in the past during the Managed System Configuration):
• • IMPORTANT: Remove the JVM parameters used to start/run the Introscope Byte Code Adapter from the Java Managed System. These parameters listed in the relevant Instroscope Setup Guide from Introscope Home → Documentation.
  • NOTE: The Managed System JVM parameters (to be removed) show that the Introscope Byte Code Adapter executed by the Java Managed System uses files from the Diagnostics Agent directory structure, e.g.:
    • • Xbootclasspath/p:D:/usr/sap/DAA/SMDA98/SMDAgent/applications.config/com.sap.smd.agent.application.wily/BytecodeAgent/ISAGENT.xxxxxxxxxx/wily/connectors/AutoProbeConnector.jar; D:/usr/sap/DAA/SMDA98/SMDAgent/applications.config/com.sap.smd.agent.application.wily/BytecodeAgent/ISAGENT.xxxxxxxxxx/wily/Agent.jar 
  • Restart the Java Managed system to no longer run the Introscope Byte Code Agent.

• Run the Diagnostics Agent installer SWPM, to uninstall the Diagnostics Agent

If you experience problems with the Byte Code Adapter (Managed System does not restart), please check Introscope Troubleshooting (search for "uninstall").

After the Diagnostics Agent has been uninstalled, apply the option "Delete Offline Agent Entry" in the Agent Administration.

Related Information

• Diagnostics Agent and HA Support SCN Wiki Article
• Managed System Decommissioning Information (see Delete Managed System)

Reporting an Incident

• If you must report an incident related to the here described procedures, first check for a relevent component in the respecitve SAP Notes or Guides that you are working with.
• If those documents should not provide an appropriate componet for reporting the incident, you may report an incident at SV-SMG-DIA-SRV-AGT.