Installation Best Practices
This document outlines best practices for installing and configuring dbWatch Control Center. It is intended to help system administrators, DBAs, and support personnel deploy the product reliably, securely, and efficiently in enterprise environments.
Scope and Audience
These recommendations apply to:
- Windows Server 2016 or newer
- Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Red Hat 8+)
- dbWatch Control Center latest version found in release notes
Target readers include:
- DBAs
- Infrastructure and sysadmins
- DevOps and monitoring engineers
System Requirements
Refer to:
Include:
- Minimum 4 CPU cores and 8 GB RAM
- SSD recommended for active environments
- Port 7100/TCP must be available (or configured alternate)
Pre-Installation Checklist
- Ensure connectivity on port 7100/tcp to dbWatch Control Center servers or any cloud routers if used
- Run installation with administrative privileges
- Configure antivirus to exclude dbWatch directories:
- Windows:
C:\ProgramData\dbWatchControlCenter
Installation
Follow appropriate platform guides:
Common guidelines:
- Use stable paths (avoid user home folders for multi-user setups)
- On Linux, prefer dedicated users and systemd-based services
Post-Installation Setup
Key recommendations:
- Review and configure Domain Configuration
- Approve and privilege new nodes via the Domain GUI
- Set internal firewall rules to restrict incoming IP ranges: Internal Control Center Firewall
- Enable auditing if compliance is required: Auditing
Security Hardening
- Create users for each physical user and scripting user, and avoid generic accounts like “admin”
- Link user logins to AD for password authentication and enable 2FA for all users
- Disable unused services like webserver / dashboard if not required
- Consider mirrored node setups for redundancy: Mirroring a node
- Consider placing the dbWatch Control Center server with Domain CA role in a separate and secure zone
Validation
Check:
- Logs in
logs
directory for errors - Status of web services via CCC: Start or Stop webservice with CCC
- Node approval and certificate status in the Monitor
Automation and Documentation
- Use CCC for scripted deployments: Control Center Commandline
- Store config backups, especially after major changes
- Keep version records: Find Your Version