Thursday, April 26, 2012

We Don't Need No Stinking Group Policy!!



Yeah, so everyone's talking about pushing out the agent in a domain, but not every client has a domain, do they?  I mean, we've all had a Dentist office for a client.  And they're just smart enough to know that the big "wide telephone-looking cable" goes into the back of the computer and the other end goes into that  Link-gear or Net-sys box in the closet, right?

Ugh.  So while you (and all the engineers) may not want that kind of client, their money spends just as well as anyone else's, so let's get them up to (technical) speed as much as we can, OK?  But before I can do that, I need to get my agents on their machines without watching someone's root canal in living color.  So, how does that happen?



Firstly If you are looking to push the agent out via GPO, check out the big yellow HELP button in your dashboard for help with this and watch this video as well. 
Group Policy Deployment:
http://www.gfi.com/pages/GFIMAXRM RapidDeploymentScenarios.asp
[ed. -- This page/video no longer available.  We have a recorded webinar for   MAX RemoteManagement Deployment Options that goes into depth of all deployment options]

Otherwise, let's get down and dirty ...


Step 1: Create a new client by going to File -> New Client and select the first section "General."  (If you are using an existing client you can skip this step)

By creating a new client & site that is generic you can have a "landing zone" for agents going forward.  Since everything can be modified in the dashboard anyway, all that this process needs to do is get the agent under management. 

By utilizing an Automated Task within a LAN, when the dentist buys a new computer at Better Buy, the Automated task can use an output file from a simple NET VIEW command to look around for computers, then add the new ones to your dashboard automatically.

Type your new Client’s name in and click OK.
Step 2: Create a new site by going to File ->New Site.  (If you are using an existing “Site” you can skip this step)




Select which Client you would like for your new site to be associated with. If you would like to push out monitoring installation templates, you may select it here as well. If you would like to use the smart discovery template leave it as Use Parent (Off) and click OK.


Step 3: Create a new Silent installer by selecting File ->New Device ->Download Site Installation Package* 
*You will also find this command/wizard on the Agent menu.
Enter your PAK Password to proceed with creating the installation package. (This is the one sent to you in the “Welcome to GFI MAX” email.)  and click Next>.


Choose the Client & Site from above along with the Agent version you would like to create and click Next>.

The dashboard will compile two compression packages for you.  Click the Remote Worker Installer button. After the download is complete, if you are finished, you can click Close in the Download Site Installation Package window. If you like or need, click <Previous and you can create multiple packages for other Clients and Sites.

Step 4: This step varies depending on the deployment method.
If using the cloud storage or website scenario, you can rename the file or folder. This way, the customer will know which exe to click. Also, you can isolate the exe’s into separate folders that will make sense to your customer.

Deployment Scenarios

  1. Send the file by email if someone’s email account will accept an exe inside of a zip file.
  2. You can put the exe on a flash drive and install the agent on the machine while on site.
  3. You can put the agent on a website or ftp site and send the customer a link to install.
  4. You can put the exe file on a cloud storage site, such as SkyDrive or Dropbox, and send the customer a link to that folder only to download the file.
  5. Place the file Remote Worker installer EXE on a ‘central’ computer at the client site.  Using a remote process executable tool such as PsExec, run a script – an Automated Task – to install on other systems. You'll find a post in the old GFI Forums - http://forums.gfi.com/fb.ashx?m=900790000 - that speaks to this method.
This installer can be used "forevermore"  if you'd like - the version will/can be upgraded automatically in the dashboard after the fact with no problem.