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Install a Snaplex on Linux

This article describes the procedures for installing an on-premise Snaplex in a Linux environment. An on-premise Snaplex is also known as a Groundplex. This document uses the term Groundplex to distinguish this type of Snaplex (on-premise) from other types, such as a Clouplex or an eXtremeplexa Cloudplex, which SnapLogic manages. However, in command syntax and references to the UI, the generic term Snaplex is used.

Groundplex installation covers the following tasks:

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1. Setting up a Groundplex.

2. Importing a certificate.

For prerequisites, see Requirements for On-premises Snaplexsee Groundplex Deployment Planning. 

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Setting up a Groundplex

1. Log into SnapLogic Manager as an Org admin.

2. Navigate to the project where you want to create your Groundplex,

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1. and perform one of the following steps:

   • Click the Snaplex tab, then click 

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1. •  to display the Snaplex

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1. • dialog.
     OR

   • Click

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1. • to display the Assets drop-down list, then select Snaplex; the Snaplex

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1. • dialog appears.
     

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1. • Image Added

2. Enter the required information on the Create Snaplex form. Once completed, the Downloads tab on the Snaplex popup appears. The Downloads tab has links to the installer and configuration files.

3. Download the RPM

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1. or DEB-based installer and configuration files onto a Linux machine, where <filename> is the name of the current installer file and fontconfig and zip are the required dependencies:
   

   • For CentOS (or Redhat) 6.3 or newer, run the following

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1. • commands:
     $ sudo yum install fontconfig zip
$

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1. • sudo rpm -i <filename>.rpm
     

   • For Ubuntu 14.04 or newer, run the following command: 
     

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1. • $ sudo apt-get install fontconfig zip
$ sudo dpkg -i <filename>.deb

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1. After the software is installed, place the downloaded configuration file in the /opt/snaplogic/etc directory and make sure the file name ends with .slpropz. Change the .slpropz file so that snapuser owns it by running the following commands:

   Code Block
   $ sudo chown snapuser:snapuser /opt/snaplogic/etc/myplex.slpropz $ sudo chmod 600 /opt/snaplogic/etc/myplex.slpropz

2. To start the Snaplex service, run:
   $ sudo /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh start

3. To verify

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1. that the Snaplex has started, visit https://elastic.snaplogic.com/sl/dashboard.html#Health. The newly installed Snaplex node should

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1. appear in the list of nodes for the Snaplex.

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A FeedMaster is a type of node that you use when running tasks based on Ultra Pipelines. You can designate a Groundplex as a FeedMaster by setting the Snaplex node types on the Node Properties panel in the Update Snaplex dialog. For complete instructions, see Deploying a FeedMaster Node.

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Importing a Certificate to SnapLogic JCC nodes

To generate and import a self-signed certificate on all the JCC nodes in the Snaplex:

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Import the file by using the following command in the JCC node:

/opt/snaplogic/pkgs/jre1.8.0_45/bin/keytool -import -file <path_to_pem_file_from_step_1> -alias <alias_name_optional> -keystore /opt/snaplogic/pkgs/jre1.8.0_45/lib/security/cacerts -vEnter keystore password: changeit

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Run the following command to list certificates from the CAcerts file:

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Importing a certificate is not a requirement. However, we recommend that you import a certificate on your Groundplex nodes for any communication over TLS 1.2.

The following scenarios are two examples of where an SSL certificate is required:

• Example 1 - New Groundplex installation with an SSL proxy. Groundplex nodes must communicate with an SSL proxy, so import the proxy self-signed certificate into the Truststore once at the time of installation.

• Example 2 - Running a Pipeline where Snaps establish an SSL-encrypted JDBC connection to an endpoint where a Truststore requires the root CA’s certificate. You need to import the root CA’s certificate into the Java Truststore every time the Trustore does not include an endpoint’s CA certificate.

To generate and import a self-signed certificate on all the JCC nodes in the Snaplex:

1. Obtain the certificate (.pem) file by using SSH.

2. Import the file by using the following command in the JCC node:

   Code Block
   /opt/snaplogic/pkgs/jre1.8.0_45/bin/keytool -

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1. import -

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1. file <path_to_pem_file_from_step_1> -alias <alias_name_optional> -keystore /opt/snaplogic/pkgs/jre1.8.0_45/lib/security/cacerts -

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While configuring accounts for various Snap Packs, you might encounter the following error message:

Failed to validate account: Invalid credentials Cause: Could not send Message. (Reason: unable to find valid certification path to requested target; Resolution: Please provide valid credentials.)

If this error occurs, update the CAcert trust store in the SnapLogic JCC nodes to enable a successful SSL handshake to the target endpoint.

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1. vEnter keystore password: changeit

   Note
   This example is an excerpt from 1.8.0_45; the directory path might vary based on the Java installation directory.

2. Restart the JCC node process to confirm the import.

3. Run the following command to list certificates from the CAcerts file:

   Code Block
   /opt/snaplogic/pkgs/jre1.8.0_45/bin/keytool -list --keystore /opt/snaplogic/pkgs/

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1. jre1.8.0_45/lib/security/cacerts

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Automatically Start and Stop a Groundplex on Linux

You can use either the systemd or init.d utility to start and stop the Snaplex. Procedures for both are included below. The procedures vary depending on which Linux distribution is installed on the Snaplex host.

Starting and Stopping the Groundplex by Using the Linux Systems Call

Use this procedure for Red Hat-like Linux distributions such as Red Hat, Fedora CoreOS, CentOS, and SuSE.

To add the Groundplex as a Service:

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Create the startup service file:

touch /etc/systemd/system/snaplogic.service

Change the permissions on the file:

chmod 664 /etc/systemd/system/snaplogic.service

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Open the file with a text editor. For example, the using a vim editor:

 vim /etc/systemd/system/snaplogic.service

Add the following text to the file:

[Unit]
Description=SnapLogic JVM
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
ExecStart=/opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh start
ExecReload=/opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh restart
ExecStop=/opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh stop

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

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Enable the service by running the following command:

 systemctl enable snaplogic.service

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Start the service:

systemctl start snaplogic.service

To stop the Snaplex as a service, run the following command:

 systemctl disable snaplogic.service

Starting and Stopping the Groundplex by Using the init.d Utility

Use this procedure for Red Hat-like Linux distributions such as Red Hat, Fedora CoreOS, CentOS, and SuSE.

To add the Groundplex as a service:

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Change directories:

cd /etc/init.d/

Create a softlink to the jcc.sh file: 

ln -s /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh snaplex

Add the softlink to chkconfig management:

chkconfig --add snaplex

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We recommend that you reboot the machine to verify if the Snaplex service is restarting automatically on machine reboot. Under some conditions, the symlink resolution might fail when the machine is starting up. In this case, you can change the Snaplex startup script to be a file instead of a symlink. Run the following commands a root user:

rm /etc/init.d/snaplex
cp /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh /etc/init.d/snaplex
echo "export SL_ROOT=/opt/snaplogic" >> /etc/sysconfig/jcc

To delete the Snaplex as a service, remove the service from the chkconfig management:

chkconfig --del snaplex

Debian-like Distribution (Debian and Ubuntu)

To add the Snaplex as a Service:

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Change directories:

cd /etc/init.d/

Create a soft-link to the jcc.sh file: 

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1. -v+

Automatically Start and Stop a Groundplex on Linux

You can use either the systemd or init.d utility to start and stop the Snaplex. Procedures for both are included below. The procedures vary depending on which Linux distribution is installed on the Snaplex host.

Starting and Stopping the Groundplex by Using the Linux Systems Call

Use this procedure for Red Hat-like Linux distributions such as Red Hat, Fedora CoreOS, CentOS, and SuSE.

To add the Snaplex as a Service:

1. Log in to the host as a root or sudo user.

2. Create the startup service file:

   Code Block
   touch /etc/systemd/system/snaplogic.service

3. Change the permissions on the file:

   Code Block
   chmod 664 /etc/systemd/system/snaplogic.service

   This change provides read and write permissions for the owner and group, and read permission for others.

4. Open the file with a text editor. For example, using a vim editor:

   Code Block
   vim /etc/systemd/system/snaplogic.service

5. Add the following text to the file:

   Paste code macro
   [Unit] Description=SnapLogic JVM After=network.target [Service] Type=forking ExecStart=/opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh start ExecReload=/opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh restart ExecStop=/opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh stop [Install] WantedBy=default.target

6. Save and exit the file.

7. Enable the service by running the following command:

   Code Block
   systemctl enable snaplogic.service

   The service will start automatically when the host reboots.

8. Start the service:

   Code Block
   systemctl start snaplogic.service

9. To stop the Snaplex as a service, run the following command:

   Code Block
   systemctl disable snaplogic.service

Starting and Stopping the Groundplex by Using the init.d Utility

Use this procedure for Red Hat-like Linux distributions such as Red Hat, Fedora CoreOS, CentOS, and SuSE.

To add the Snaplex as a service:

1. Login to the Linux machine as root.

2. Change directories:

   Code Block
   cd /etc/init.d/

3. Create a softlink to the jcc.sh file: 

   Code Block
   ln -s /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh snaplex

4. Add the softlink to chkconfig management:

   Code Block
   chkconfig --add snaplex

rm /etc/init.d/snaplex
cp /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh /etc/init.d/snaplex
echo "export SL_ROOT=/opt/snaplogic" >> /etc/sysconfig/jcc

To delete the Snaplex as a service, remove the service from the chkconfig management:

chkconfig --del snaplex

Debian-like Distribution (Debian and Ubuntu)

To add the Snaplex as a Service:

1. Log in to the Linux machine as root.

2. Change directories:

   Code Block
   cd /etc/init.d/

3. Create a soft-link to the jcc.sh file: 

   Code Block
   ln -s /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh snaplex

4. Install the service using update-rc.d. For example: 

   Code Block
   sudo update-rc.d snaplex defaults 98 02

   Note
   title Troubleshooting if the machine reboot fails
   We recommend that you reboot the machine to verify whether the Snaplex service is restarting automatically on machine reboot. Under some conditions, the symlink resolution might fail when the machine is starting up. In this case, you can change the Snaplex startup script to be a file instead of a symlink. Run the following commands a root user: Code Block rm /etc/init.d/snaplex cp /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh /etc/init.d/snaplex echo "export SL_ROOT=/opt/snaplogic" >> /etc/sysconfig/jcc On a Debian system, the /etc/sysconfig directory would need to be created if not already present.

5. To stop the Snaplex as a Service, remove the service from update-rc.d management:

   Code Block
   update-rc.d -f snaplex remove

Manage disk volumes for Groundplex nodes

To address issues that cause disk full errors and to ensure smoother operations of the systems that affect the stability of the Groundplex, you need to have separate mounts on Groundplex nodes. Follow the steps suggested below to create two separate disk volumes on the JCC nodes.

• The JCC nodes are equipped with two separate disk volumes to ensure that the operating system and pipeline execution workspace remain segregated.

  • The JCC is installed in /(root) volume, and the workspace is separated in the bind mounts.

  • The second disk volume is mounted on /workspace, and bind mount directories are created.

    Code Block
    sudo su mkdir /workspace

• Create subdirectories in /workspace and /opt/snaplogic/run directories using the commands specified below:

mount /dev/nvme2n1 /dev/workspace  #(replace nvme2n1 with the device name)
mkdir -p /workspace/{fs,broker,tmp}
mkdir -p /opt/snaplogic/run/{fs, broker}
chown -R snapuser:snapuser /workspace && chmod -R 0755 /workspace

• Create the bind mounts using the commands specified below:

mount --bind /workspace/fs /opt/snaplogic/run/fs
mount --bind /workspace/broker /opt/snaplogic/run/broker
mount --bind /workspace/tmp /tmp   

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For Example:             

/dev/nvme1n1 /workspace xfs noatime 0 0
/workspace/fs /opt/snaplogic/run/fs none bind 0 0
/workspace/broker /opt/snaplogic/run/broker none bind 0 0
/workspace/tmp /tmp none bind 0 0 

Configure Java 11 on Linux

The JRE is bundled with the Snaplex installer. While a Snaplex auto upgrade updates the SnapLogic binaries in the installed Snaplex, the JRE version is not automatically updated. You must manage the JRE versions of your Snaplex.

To update your JCC nodes to OpenJDK Java 11:

1. Stop the existing JCC node by running the following command:
   $ sudo /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh stop
   

2. Download the new Snaplex installer and install the Groundplex, running the RPM, DEB, or Docker installers as appropriate.

   • For RPM systems, run the following command:
     $ rpm -U snaplogic-snaplex.rpm

   • For DEB systems, run  the following command:
     $ dpkg -i snaplogic-snaplex.deb

   • For Docker, stop the existing container and start a new container using the latest image.
     

3. Add the following entry to the /etc/sysconfig/jcc directory. You must create this directory and file if neither are present. 
   export SL_JAVA_HOME=/opt/snaplogic/pkgs/jdk-11.0.12+7-jre/

4. Start the JCC node by running the following command:
   $ sudo /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh

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Install the service using update-rc.d. For example: 

sudo update-rc.d snaplex defaults 98 02

rm /etc/init.d/snaplex
cp /opt/snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh /etc/init.d/snaplex
echo "export SL_ROOT=/opt/snaplogic" >> /etc/sysconfig/jcc

To stop the Snaplex as a Service, remove the service from update-rc.d management:

update-rc.d -f snaplex remove

Configuring Java 11 on Linux

To update your JCC nodes to OpenJDK Java 11:

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Changing the installation folder

If you want to use the/myopt/myroot instead of the /opt/snaplogicas the installation folder and myuser instead of snapuser, do the following steps:

1. Run the following commands after installing the RPM/DEB package:
   1. $ sudo mv /opt/snaplogic /myopt/myroot
   2. $ sudo chown -R myuser /myopt/myroot
2. Add the following properties in the /etc/sysconfig/jcc file. If this file does not exist, create it.
   1. export SL_USER=myuser
   2. export SL_ROOT=/myopt/myroot
3. Restart the service with the following command: 
   $ sudo /myopt/myroot/bin/jcc.sh restart
4. To make a service using init.d, make the /etc/init.d/snaplex file a symlink to the /myopt/myroot/bin/jcc.sh file.

Groundplex on Azure

When running a Linux Groundplex on Azure, the default TCP keepalive settings on Azure might cause connectivity issues between the Groundplex and the SnapLogic control plane. The workaround is to disable the keep alive settings in the JCC configuration. 

Add the following properties in the global.properties file:


jcc.jvm_options = -Dhttp.keepAlive=False -Dcom.ning.http.client.AsyncHttpClientConfig.allowPoolingConnection=false -Dcom.ning.http.client.AsyncHttpClientConfig.allowSslConnectionPool=false

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System Limits

Some Linux installations have system ulimit settings that are set to low values. This low setting can cause errors when running higher Pipeline loads on the Grounplex JCC node, such as, java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: unable to create new native thread. To fix this issue, you need to increase the system limits for the Snapuser user. You can add the following in the /etc/security/limits.conf folder to increase the file and process limits.

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1. start.

Older Versions of JRE and TLS

JRE versions prior to 11.0.8 have issues connecting to TLS 1.3 endpoints. We recommend using a newer JRE version.

Renabling Support for Older Versions

If updating the TLS endpoint is not possible, then the Snaplex JRE can be updated to re-enable support for older TLS versions by doing these steps:

1. Open the jre/conf/security/java.security file in the JRE installation /opt/snaplogic/pkgs folder.

2. Change the jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms configuration property by removing TLSv1, TLSv1.1.

3. Restart the Snaplex to re-enable support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1.

Changing the Installation Folder

If you want to use the/myopt/myroot instead of the /opt/snaplogic as the installation folder and myuser instead of snapuser, perform the following steps:

1. Run the following commands after installing the RPM/DEB package:

   1. $ sudo mv /opt/snaplogic /myopt/myroot

   2. $ sudo chown -R myuser /myopt/myroot

2. Add the following properties in the /etc/sysconfig/jcc file. If this file does not exist, create it.

   1. export SL_USER=myuser

   2. export SL_ROOT=/myopt/myroot

3. Restart the service with the following command: 
   $ sudo /myopt/myroot/bin/jcc.sh restart

4. To make a service using init.d, make the /etc/init.d/snaplex file a symlink to the /myopt/myroot/bin/jcc.sh file.

Uninstalling the SnapLogic RPM from your environment

To uninstall the SnapLogic Linux-based package from your environment:

1. Remove all content from the /etc/snaplogic and /opt/snaplogic folders by running the following commands:

   1. $ rpm -qa | grep snaplogic

   2. $ sudo rpm -e snaplogic-sidekick-4.main_9292-1.x86_64

   3. $ sudo rm -rf /opt/snaplogic

   4. $ sudo rm -rf /etc/snaplogic

2. Verify that the packages were deleted from the /etc/snaplogic and /opt/snaplogic folders.

System Limits

Some Linux installations have system ulimit settings that are set to lower values. This low setting can cause errors when running higher pipeline loads on the Groundplex JCC node, such as, java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: unable to create new native thread.

To fix this issue, you need to increase the system limits for the Snapuser user. You can add the following in the /etc/security/limits.conf folder to increase the file and process limits.

snapuser soft nproc 8192
snapuser hard nproc 65536
snapuser soft nofile 8192
snapuser hard nofile 65536

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Video: Installing a Groundplex through a Debian-based Linux Distribution