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Copy BI config to remote site

Copy BI config to remote site

This guide explains how to correctly copy BI configurations between Checkmk 2.0 sites and ensure that aggregates appear properly.

LAST TESTED ON CHECKMK 2.3.0P1

Table of Contents

Overview

In Checkmk 2.0 and above, simply copying the bi_config.bi file does not fully transfer BI data. Although the BI Pack may appear under WATO on the target site, the All Aggregations view can remain empty. This happens because the BI configuration file contains only part of the necessary information, and the remaining data is generated dynamically on each site.

If only the configuration file is copied, the target system may still rely on outdated BI cache content. Since cached timestamps and internal metadata no longer match the newly imported configuration, the system cannot display aggregates until the cache is cleared, or the user manually saves the aggregations, which forces Checkmk to regenerate missing values. Clearing the BI cache avoids this problem entirely.


Steps for Checkmk 2.0 and above

  1. SCP the BI config from the central site to the remote site

    OMD[centralsite]:~$ scp /omd/sites/centralsite/etc/check_mk/multisite.d/wato/bi_config.bi siteuser@remotesite:/omd/sites/remotesite/etc/check_mk/multisite.d/wato/

    The bi_config.bi file contains the definition of rule packs and aggregation logic. It must be present on the remote site for BI structures to appear.

  2. Change ownership of the file.

    OMD[remotesite]:~$ chown remotesite:remotesite ~/etc/check_mk/multisite.d/wato/bi_config.bi

    Checkmk only reads configuration files owned by the site user. Incorrect ownership can prevent the BI configuration from being loaded.

  3. Remove the BI Cache directory.

    OMD[remotesite]:~$ rm -r ~/tmp/check_mk/bi_cache

    The BI cache contains precomputed data that may not match the newly copied configuration. Removing it forces Checkmk to regenerate all BI structures, so aggregates are displayed correctly.

  4. Reload the site

    OMD[remotesite]:~$ cmk -O

    After clearing the cache and copying the file, the site must reload its configuration so Checkmk can rebuild the BI tree using the fresh data.

 

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