2.0 Checklist for Installing and Updating Agents

To install and update your Windows agents on local and remote computers, complete the following steps.

 

Checklist Items

  1. Decide which types of endpoints you want the Windows agent to manage. For the most current information about supported endpoint versions, see the NetIQ Secure Configuration Manager Technical Information page.

  1. Determine whether you want to manage some endpoints by proxy or to place an agent on each computer containing one or more endpoints. For more information, see Understanding Management by Proxy.

  1. Ensure that the computers where you want to install the Windows agent can communicate with Core Services and with all endpoints that you want to manage by proxy. For more information, see Understanding Windows Agent Communication.

  1. Determine whether you want to install your Windows agents locally or use the Windows console for Secure Configuration Manager to deploy to the target computers. For more information, see Section 8.0, Installing or Updating an Agent on a Local Computer and Section 7.0, Installing or Updating Agents on Remote Computers.

  1. Start the required services on the agent computers and computers to be managed by proxy. For more information, see Understanding Management by Proxy.

  1. (Conditional) When you want to deploy to remote computers but Core Services cannot access the network or domain, use the local installation process to place a Deployment Agent in the network or domain before deploying additional agents. For more information, see Understanding the Deployment Agent and Installing or Updating Agents on Remote Computers.

  1. (Conditional) To install or update the Windows agent locally, complete the following steps:

    1. Ensure that your environment meets all specified requirements for installing the agent. For more information, see Section 4.0, -Requirements and Considerations for the Windows Agent.

    2. Ensure that you have the appropriate credentials to install or update the local agent. For more information, see Permissions Requirements.

    3. Run the setup program or use the command line for silent installation. For more information, see Section 8.0, Installing or Updating an Agent on a Local Computer.

  1. (Conditional) To install or update Windows agents on remote computers, complete the following steps:

    1. Ensure that your environment meets all specified requirements for installing or updating the agent on the target computers. For more information, see Section 4.0, -Requirements and Considerations for the Windows Agent and Deployment Requirements.

    2. Ensure that Core Services and the Deployment Agent can communicate with the target computers. For more information, see Understanding Windows Agent Communication.

    3. (Conditional) To upgrade the agents from a version older than 6.1, run the Asset Details and Discovery scheduled job to ensure that Secure Configuration Manager has the appropriate agent domain and computer names.

    4. Ensure that the Deployment Agent has appropriate permissions for deploying to the target computers. For more information, see Understanding the Deployment Agent.

    5. Ensure that you have access to the packages you want to deploy. For more information, see Identifying Agent Packages for Deployment.

    6. Install or update the agents using the deployment feature in the Windows console for Secure Configuration Manager. For more information, see Section 7.0, Installing or Updating Agents on Remote Computers.