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