1.1.2 Manually installing agents on computers

To manually install agents on computers, first create an agent installation set. Then, using the installation set, install agents on computers.

For details about how to create an installation set, see 6.2 Creating an installation set.

There are several approaches to installing agents on computers by using the installation set. You might prefer one approach over the others in terms of installation conditions that are important to you. Check each approach and use the one that is appropriate for your environment.

If you want to allow users to perform the installation task:

Set up the environment so that users can activate the installation set. In this way, users can install an agent on their computers without having to perform the setup task. Using one of the following approaches, you can allow users to perform the installation task:

(3) Uploading an agent to a Web server
(4) Uploading an agent to a file server
(5) Distributing the agent installation media (CD-R or USB memory) to users
(6) Distributing agents to users as a file attached to an email

If you do not want to allow users to perform the installation task:

Store the installation set on a file server. Then, register a logon script in a domain controller so that when a user logs on to Windows, an agent is automatically installed on the user's computer. Using the following approach, you can have an agent installed on a user's computer without having the user perform the installation task:

(7) Installing an agent on the computer by using a logon script

If you want to install agents on computers before distributing the computers to users:

Before distributing computers to users, install an agent on a model computer by using an installation set. Then, copy the entire contents of a hard drive of the model computer to a hard drive of each computer to be distributed, by using a tool or software specially designed for this purpose. Using the following approach, you can install agents on computers before distributing the computers to users:

(8) Installing an agent on the computer by using the disk copy feature

You can also allow users to manually install an agent on their computers from the provided medium. This approach requires a setup task.

Note that you need to use the installation set to install an agent on the Citrix XenApp and Microsoft RDS server.

Organization of this subsection

(1) Creating an installation set
(2) Installing agents on computers
(3) Uploading an agent to a Web server
(4) Uploading an agent to a file server
(5) Distributing the agent installation media (CD-R or USB memory) to users
(6) Distributing agents to users as a file attached to an email
(7) Installing an agent on the computer by using a logon script
(8) Installing an agent on the computer by using the disk copy feature

(1) Creating an installation set

To manage computers in your organization by installing agents on the computers, you need to create an installation set. You can upload the created installation set to a Web portal so that users can download it to their computers. You can also record the installation set on CDs or DVDs and distribute them to users. In this way, the users can install agents on their computers by simply running the installation set on their computers.

Create an installation set as described below.

To create an installation set:

In the top of the view, select the Go menu, and then Getting Started Wizard.
In the displayed wizard, click the Next button.
Create the installation set you want to apply to each computer by following the instructions in the wizard.

Configure the following items. Click the Next button when you set the item:

Selecting agent settings

From Agent Configuration Name, select the agent configuration you want to apply to the computer.

An agent configuration defines the actions of each agent. You can add a new agent configuration in the Agent Configurations view. To display the Agent Configurations view, in the Settings module, select Agent and then Windows Agent Configurations and Create Agent Installers.

When you select an agent configuration, you can change the folder in which the agent is installed.

To change the installation folder, enter the new installation folder for an agent in Installation Folder.

In addition, when you install agents on shared VDI-based virtual computers, you have to specify Settings when generating the host ID.

Account settings

Allows you to select whether to specify an account with Administrator privileges to allow users to install agents on their computers. This setting is enabled only when you install agents on computers running Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

The users need to have Administrator privileges on their computers in order to install agents on the computers.

If you specify an account that has Administrator privileges, users who do not have Administrator privileges can use the specified account to install agents. The use of the Administrator privileges is restricted to the task of installing an agent. This setting is therefore useful when you want to allow users with restricted privileges to install agents on their computers.

Settings for the components to be installed

Specify the type of components to be installed (select whether to install them as agents or relay systems), and whether to install remote control agents, which are subcomponents.

Settings for the registration-destination ID

Specify the ID (ID group used for receiving jobs from the managing server) to which the agent is to be registered.

Settings for the file to be deployed

Specify the file that is deployed when the agent is installed and the folder in which the file is to be deployed.

Settings for the file to be automatically executed

Specify the files that are automatically executed after the agent is installed, and the files and arguments necessary for the automatic execution.

Tip

To automatically install Hibun (Hibun DC or Hibun DE) or some other related product on an agent, first prepare (create) installation media containing the related product in a folder in C:\DATA on the administrator's computer. Compress the entire folder or all of the files in the folder to a ZIP file. Then, to automatically install the related product on an agent, specify this ZIP file as a file to be automatically executed after agent installation. For details about how to create installation media for Hibun, see the JP1/HIBUN Installation and Setup (for Administrators).

Settings for an overwrite installation

Specify whether to perform an overwrite installation if the agent has already been installed.
Check the settings, and then click the Create button.

The Create Agent Installer dialog box appears.
In the Create Agent Installer dialog box, click the Save button.

The default file name of the saved installation set is ITDM2Agt.exe.
The Completed screen is displayed, click the Close button and exit the wizard.

The installation set is created, and then downloading of the installation set begins.

Tip: You can also create an installation set in the Windows Agent Configurations and Create Agent Installers view. To display this view, in the Settings module, select Agent and then Windows Agent Configurations and Create Agent Installers. Click the Create Agent Installer button for the agent configuration you want to apply to computers. In the displayed dialog box, enter the necessary information, and then click the Create button. The installation set is created, and then downloading of the installation set begins.

Tip: You can create the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf) or the information file for higher connection destinations (dmhost.txt) and store it in the JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 - Manager data folder. When you create the installation data set, the file you created is incorporated into the installation data set. For details about the file for connection destinations (itdmhost.conf), see the description about automatically setting the connection destinations of agents in the JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 Configuration Guide. For details about the information file for higher connection destinations, see the description of automatic change of connection destinations for agents in the JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 Distribution Function Administration Guide.

Important: You cannot use an installation set to install an agent on UNIX computers or Mac OS computers.

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(2) Installing agents on computers

After creating an installation set, use it to install agents on computers.

Note that you can use an installation set to install agents only on computers that are directly managed by the management server on which you created the installation set.

The following are examples of how to use the installation set:

Upload an agent to a Web server.: Store the installation set on a Web server and take measures to make sure that users can download it from any sites within your organization. The computer users access the Web server from any sites within your organization, download the installation set, and then install an agent on their computers.
Upload an agent to a file server.: Store the installation set on a file server and take measures to make sure that users can access the file server and download the installation set. The computer users access the file server, download the installation set, and then install an agent on their computers.
Distribute the agent installation media to users.: Store the installation set on media (CD-R or USB memory) and distribute the media to the computer users. The computer users install an agent on their computers from the provided medium.
Distribute agents to users as a file attached to an email.: Attach the installation set to an email and send it to the computer users. The computer users run the file attached to the received email to install an agent on their computers.
Install an agent on the computer by using a logon script.: Create an installation set, prepare a batch file for the logon script that runs the installation set, and then store the batch file on a domain controller. When the computer users log on to the OS, an agent is automatically installed on their computers.
Install an agent on the computer by using the disk copy feature.: Install an agent on a model computer. Create a backup of the entire contents of a hard drive of the model computer, and then restore the backup data to the computers on which you want to install agents.

Related Topics:

(3) Uploading an agent to a Web server
(4) Uploading an agent to a file server
(5) Distributing the agent installation media (CD-R or USB memory) to users
(6) Distributing agents to users as a file attached to an email
(7) Installing an agent on the computer by using a logon script
(8) Installing an agent on the computer by using the disk copy feature

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(3) Uploading an agent to a Web server

Create and store the installation set on a Web server located within your organization. Then, take measures to make sure that users can download the installation set from any sites within your organization, and inform users that the installation set has been uploaded.

The users then access the applicable page to install an agent on their computers.

Tip: An alternative to this approach would be to provide a URL that enables the users to directly navigate to the file stored on the Web server and download it to their computers.

Advantage:: Informing all applicable users of the URL of the applicable site is a quick way of having agents installed on a large number of computers. In addition, because a Web system is used in this approach, the server side remains secure even without access control.
Disadvantage:: This approach requires an environment that allows you to build a Web server and enables users to access the Web server.

The following figure shows an overview of how an agent is installed from the Web server:

[Figure]

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(4) Uploading an agent to a file server

Store the installation set on the file server (file sharing server). Users then access the file server to install an agent on their computers.

Advantage:: Informing all applicable users of the location where the installation set is stored is a quick way of having agents installed on a large number of computers.
Disadvantage:: This approach requires an environment that allows for file sharing. In addition, because users are accessing a file sharing server, the server side must have access control capabilities to prevent users from accessing files for which they do not have permissions.

The following figure shows an overview of how an agent is installed from the file server:

[Figure]

Tip: If you execute an offline installation media on a network drive, you're required to log on with administrator permissions.

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(5) Distributing the agent installation media (CD-R or USB memory) to users

Record the installation set data to a medium (CD-R or USB memory), and then distribute it to each user. Users then use the distributed medium to install an agent on their computers.

Advantage:: This approach does not require you to create a security control page on a Web site, or to create an environment that allows for shared folder. This approach is useful when there are relatively small number of computers on which to install agents. In addition, even when the network speed is slow, users can install an agent without affecting network performance. This approach also makes an agent program available to each user who has the privileges to configure user computers.
Disadvantage:: This approach is time-consuming because it requires you to copy data to a required number of media and then distribute them to users.

The following figure shows an overview of how an agent is installed from a distributed CD-R medium:

[Figure]

Tip

If you create Autorun.inf and then record it to a CD-R medium along with the installation set, installation starts automatically when a user inserts the medium into the user's computer. The following example shows how to create Autorun.inf, where ITDM2Agt.exe is the name of the file storing the installation set:

[Autorun]
open=ITDM2Agt.exe

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(6) Distributing agents to users as a file attached to an email

Attach the installation set to emails, and then send them to users. Users then double-click the attached file to install an agent on their computers.

Advantage:: Sending emails to all applicable users is a quick way of having agents installed on a large number of computers.
Disadvantage:: The minimum size of an installation set is approximately 80 MB, which varies according to the settings. Sending an email with the installation set attached to a large number of destinations can increase the burden on the mail server. In addition, if there is a limit on the size of files that can be attached to an email, email transmission might fail.

The following figure shows an overview of how an agent is installed from the file attached to an email:

[Figure]

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(7) Installing an agent on the computer by using a logon script

Store the installation set on a file server. Then, create a batch file for the logon script that runs the installation set, and store it on the Active Directory server. When users log on to Windows, an agent is automatically installed on their computers. If an agent is already installed on a computer, the agent is not reinstalled.

The following example shows how to create a batch file for the logon script:

if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%==AMD64 (

if not exist "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Hitachi\jp1itdma\bin\jdnglogon.exe" (

start /w \\server-name\shared-folder-name\ITDM2Agt.exe

)

) else (

if not exist "%ProgramFiles%\Hitachi\jp1itdma\bin\jdnglogon.exe" (

start /w \\server-name\shared-folder-name\ITDM2Agt.exe)

)

Advantage:: By using the logon script, you can have agents automatically installed on computers without having users perform the installation task. This eliminates the risk of errors caused by operational mistakes made by users.
Disadvantage:: This approach requires a file server and the environment that allows users to access the file server. In addition, the users' computers must be controlled by a domain controller, and there must be an environment that allows the logon script to run.

The following figure shows an overview of how an agent is automatically installed by the logon script:

[Figure]

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(8) Installing an agent on the computer by using the disk copy feature

Before distributing computers to users, install an agent on a model computer by using an installation set. After the installation is complete, execute the resetnid.vbs command on the model computer to reset the unique ID (host identifier) assigned to the model computer. Then, copy the entire contents of a hard drive of the model computer to a hard drive of each computer to be distributed, by using a tool or software specially designed for this purpose. After completing this task, distribute the computers to users.

Important

Before using the disk copy feature, make sure that you execute the resetnid.vbs command on the model computer (source computer). If you do not execute this command, the target computers become indistinguishable from the source computer.

If you duplicate an agent-installed virtual environment such as a VMWare environment, execute the resetnid.vbs command.

Advantage:: Because computers are distributed with agents installed and set up, users do not have to perform the installation task. This eliminates the risk of errors caused by operational mistakes made by users.
Disadvantage:: You can use this approach only for computers that are not distributed to users yet. When computers are already distributed to users, you cannot use this approach to install agents on them.

The following figure shows an overview of how an agent is installed through the disk copy feature:

[Figure]

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