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Deploy Agents

Agent > Deploy Agents

The Deploy Agent page creates and distributes an agent install package to multiple machines.

Note: Use Agent > Create to create a machine ID account and agent install package in two separate steps and apply them to a single machine. Use Create to re-install an agent for an existing machine ID.

Note: Use Install Agent to install agents on remote systems.

Machine IDs vs. Agents

When discussing agents it is helpful to distinguish between the machine ID / group ID and the agent. The machine ID / group ID is the KServer's user account name for a managed machine in its database. The agent is the client software installed on the managed machine. A one-to-one relationship exists between the client agent on a managed machine and its machine ID / group ID account name on the KServer. Tasks assigned to a machine ID by a KServer administrator direct the agent's actions on the managed machine.

Using the Wizard

The Deploy Agents install package is created using a Configure Automatic Account Creation wizard. The wizard copies agent settings from an existing machine ID and generates an install package called KcsSetup.exe. All settings and pending scripts from the machine ID you copy from—except the machine ID and group ID—are applied to every new machine ID created with the package.

Automatic Account Creation

You must have automatic account creation enabled using System > Check-in Policy to automatically create a machine ID account when a Deploy Agents package is installed.

Machine ID Templates

Agent install packages can be based on machine ID templates. A machine ID template is a machine ID record without an agent. Since an agent never checks into a machine IT template account, it is not counted against your total license count. When an agent install package is created, the package's settings are copied from the machine ID template. Typically machine ID templates are created and configured for certain types of machine. Machine type examples include desktops, Autocad, Quickbooks, small business servers, Exchange servers, SQL Servers, etc. A corresponding install package is created based on each machine ID template you define.

Including Credentials in Agent Install Packages

If necessary, an agent install package can be created that includes an administrator credential to access a customer network. Credentials are only necessary if users are installing packages on machines and do not have administrator access to their network. The administrator credential is encrypted, never available in clear text form, and bound to the install package.

Editing Existing Install Packages

Typically an existing Deploy Agents install package is edited just before re-distribution. The most common changes made to an install package are:

  • Pre-selecting a group ID and sub-group ID. A group ID usually represents a single customer. A sub-group ID is sometimes used to represent a specific customer location.
  • Assigning a credential, if necessary.

Once edited the install package can be re-created and distributed to the specific customer and location it is intended for.

Distribution Methods

Once created, you can use the following methods to distribute an agent install package:

  • Logon Scripts - Set up an NT logon script to run the install package every time a user logs into the network. The installer skips installation if it detects an agent is already on a machine.
    1. Create the deployment package using the Agent > Deploy Agents wizard.
      • You will probably want to select the silent install option.
      • It may be necessary to bind an administrator credential if users running the login script don't have administrator rights.
    2. Download the KcsSetup.exe using the dl.asp page and copy it to a network share which users can execute programs from.
    3. Add KcsSetup.exe with its network path to the login script.
  • Email - Email KcsSetup.exe to all users on the network. Download the install package from the Deploy Agents page, then attach it to an email on your local machine. You can also copy and paste the link of the default install package into an email message.
  • LAN Watch - Administrators can discover newly added machines during a LAN Watch and subsequently install agents remotely using the Agent > Install Agents page.
  • Manually - You can instruct users to download an install package agent from the http://your.Kserver.com/dl.asp website to their target machines. If more than one install package is displayed on the website, instruct them which package should be selected. Users can execute the KcsSetup.exe using any of the following three methods:
    • Double click KcsSetup.exe within Windows to launch it.
    • Open a command line window and type KcsSetup.exe followed by any desired command line switches.
    • Select Run... from the Windows Start menu and type KcsSetup.exe followed by any desired command line switches.

Default Install Packages

Each administrator can specify their own default install package by selecting the Set Default radio button to the left of the package name. Administrators can download their own default agent immediately by selecting the Click to download default Agent link on the Deploy Agents page.

Unique ID Number

You can tell users which install package to download by referencing the install package's unique ID number. Example: http://your.Kserver.com/dl.asp?id=123. The default install package is displayed with its unique ID number in the header of the Deploy Agents page.

Assigning New Machine IDs to Machine Group by IP Address

Using Deploy Agents, you may choose to create a generic install package that adds all new machine accounts to the unnamed group ID. When the agent checks in the first time, a System > Naming Policy assigns it to the correct group ID and/or sub-group ID.

Create Package

Click Create Package to start a Configure Automatic Account Creation wizard where you can specify all configuration parameters for the install package. The wizard is a 6 step process.

  1. Define rules for naming the machine ID.
    • Prompt the user to enter a machine ID.
    • Use the computer name as the machine ID.
    • Specify the machine ID for this install package.
    • Set the user name of the currently logged on user as the machine ID.
  2. Define rules for naming the group ID.
    • Prompt User - Asks user to enter a group ID.
    • Domain Name - Uses the user's domain name.
    • Existing Group - Select an existing group ID from a drop down list.
    • New Group - Specify a new group ID.
  3. Specify agent install package command line switches including the ability to install silently without any task bars or dialog boxes.
  4. Specify the machine ID to copy settings and pending scripts from. All settings and pending scripts from the machine ID you copy from—except the machine ID and group ID—are applied to every new machine ID created with the package.
  5. Optionally bind an administrator logon credential to the install package. Fill in the Administrator Credential form to securely bind administrator rights to the install package.
    • Users without administrator rights can install the package successfully without having to enter an administrator credential.
    • If the administrator credential is left blank and the user does not have administrator rights to install software, the install package prompts the user to enter an administrator credential during the install.

      Note: Credentials are only necessary if users are installing packages on machines and do not have administrator access to their network.

  6. Name the install package for easy reference later. This name displays on the Deploy Agents page and the dl.asp download page.

    Note: The filename of the agent install package is always KcsSetup.exe.

Click to download default Agent

Click this link to download the current administrator's default package directly from this page.

Users can download agents from

Right click the displayed link and select the Copy Shortcut option, then paste this shortcut into an email message. The unique ID number ensures that when the link is clicked in the email message, the default install package is selected and downloaded. Set a different install package as the default to display the link for that install package.

Set Default

Specify your own administrator default install package by selecting the radio button to the left of the package name in the Set Default column.

Delete Icon

Click the delete icon to remove a package from the paging area. If you created the package, then this also deletes the package from the system and removes it for all administrator's lists.

Edit Icon

Click the edit icon next to a package to change parameters for that package using the Configure Automatic Account Creation wizard.

Package Name

Lists the name of the package.

Public Package

Public package rows display with a brown background. Private package rows display with a gray background.

Share

Click Share to share a private package with other administrators, administrator roles or to make the package public. If a package is public, click Share to take ownership of the public package and make changes to it. Only master administrators can make a package public and available to all administrators.

List on dl.asp

Click the dl.asp link in the column header to display the web page users see when they install an agent on their machine. Check a box in this column to include its package in the list of available download packages on the dl.asp page.

Description

Displays the description of the package.

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