This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Communications
Operations Manager 2007 uses a variety of communications methods that are optimized for security and efficiency. Communication with the three OpsMgr database backend components—the Operations database (DB), the Data Warehouse DB, and the Audit Collection Services DB—is always via standard SQL client/server protocols, specifically OLE DB (Object Linking and Embedding Database).
Between agents, as well as management and gateway servers, the primary Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port used by OpsMgr is 5723, which is the only outbound firewall hole needed to manage a computer in a minimal configuration (after the agent is installed or preinstalled). Additional outbound ports are used when enabling ACS and AEM. A complete list of communications protocols and default ports used in an OpsMgr management group is provided in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1. Communication Paths and Ports
|
From Component |
To Component |
Bidirectional |
TCP Port |
|
Root Management Server (RMS) or Management Server (MS) |
Operational Database (Ops DB) and Data Warehouse Database (DW DB) |
No |
OLE DB 1433 (SQL); in a cluster the second node requires a unique port number. |
|
RMS |
MS or Gateway Server |
Yes |
5723. |
|
Operations console |
RMS |
No |
5723. |
|
Agent |
RMS, MS, or Gateway |
No |
5723. |
|
Reporting Server, Web Console Server |
RMS |
No |
5724. |
|
Connector Framework Source |
RMS |
No |
51905. |
|
Agentless Exception Monitoring (AEM) Client |
AEM file share on RMS or MS |
No |
SMB 445, 51906. |
|
Software Quality Metrics (SQM) Client |
SQM Endpoint |
No |
51907. |
|
Web console |
Web Console Server |
No |
HTTP 51908. |
|
Audit Collection Services (ACS) Agent |
ACS Collector |
Yes |
59109. |
|
ACS Collector |
ACS DB |
No |
OLE DB 1433 (SQL). |
|
Reporting Server |
DW DB |
No |
OLE DB 1433 (SQL); in a cluster the second node requires a unique port number. |
|
Operations console |
Reporting Server |
No |
HTTP 80. |
The logic in Table 3.1 is diagrammed in Figure 3.5. A quick study of the communication paths verifies the criticality of the RMS in an OpsMgr 2007 management group. The RMS is clearly the communications nexus for the monitoring organization, with most features of OpsMgr unavailable if the RMS is down or inaccessible. Of course, the RMS depends completely on its connection to the Operations database to function.
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Figure 3.5 Communication channels between computers in a management group.
In effect, both the RMS and the Operations database need to be continuously available to provide uninterrupted continuity of management functions. That makes clustering the Ops DB and the RMS top considerations when seeking to architect a highly available management solution for the enterprise. For computers managed via the Gateway Server Component, additional gateway servers can be deployed to the same remote domain or site, providing failover coverage to one another.
The diagram in Figure 3.5 does not illustrate the need for RPC/DCOM communication between a management server and a managed computer in order to push the agent to a managed computer. Details on this, as well as how to configure the Windows Firewall on a managed computer to perform "push" installation of the agent from a management server, are covered in Chapter 9, "Installing and Configuring Agents."