Installing ZENworks for Desktops Management Agents

The ZENworks for Desktops management agents must be installed on each workstation that you want to distribute applications to, remotely manage, or maintain inventory for. The following sections discuss running the install for the management agent for the first time. This agent creates an install record that you can use to distribute the management agents to your workstation through NAL or as a silent install from a central network location.

Start Management Agents Install

You can start the management agent install by running SETUP.EXE from the \AGENTINSTALL directory on the CD-ROM, or from the \\SYS\public\zenworks directory on the ZENworks for Desktops server. Use the /r parameter to instruct the install to record the settings in the SETUP.ISS file located in the \Windows or \WINNT directory of the workstation. You can also use the /f1 parameter to specify your own path and filename for the .ISS file. For example:

setup /r /f1"c:\temp\standard.iss"

The first screen you will see in the ZENworks for Desktops management agent install is the welcome screen. Read the contents and click Next to continue.

The second screen you will see is the license agreement screen. Read the license agreement and select the Accept button if you agree to the terms. Click Next to continue.

The next screen you will see is the destination screen, which enables you to specify where to install the agents. Keep in mind that if you specify a drive other than C:, workstations with only a C: drive will be unable to use the .ISS file. Browse to the path you want workstations to use and click Next to continue.

Select Management Agent Features

The next screen is the ZENworks for Desktops workstation component selection screen, shown in Figure 2.9. This screen enables you to specify which ZENworks for Desktops components you want to install on your workstations.

Figure 2.9. Component selection screen for the ZENworks for Desktops Management agent install.

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Select the following components you want to install and then click the Next button:

  • Application Management Installs the Application Launcher agent and software to the workstation, thus allowing it to receive application distributions.

  • Workstation Manager Installs the agent and files to allow administrators to import, configure, and manage the workstation using eDirectory.

  • Workstation Imaging Installs the agent and drivers necessary for ZENworks to create and maintain an image of the workstation.

  • Remote Management Tools Installs the agents and files necessary to manage the workstation from a remote console.

  • Workstation Inventory Installs the agent and scan utilities necessary to scan the workstation for hardware and software inventory data.

Set the ZENworks for Desktop Middle Tier Server

The next screen in the install is the Middle Tier server selection screen, shown in Figure 2.10. This screen enables you to specify which Middle Tier server the ZENworks for Desktops agent will use to connect to the network. Set the DNS name or the IP address of the Middle Tier server and click Next to continue.

Figure 2.10. Middle Tier server selection screen for the ZENworks for Desktops Management agent install.

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Configure Workstation Manager Settings

The next screen in the install, if you are installing on a workstation without the Novell Client, is the Workstation Manager settings screen. This screen enables you to specify how the workstation manager behaves on the workstation through the following settings:

  • Display ZENworks Middle Tier authentication dialog box Enabling this option displays the Middle Tier authentication dialog box whenever a user logs in or tries to access a resource that requires authentication. This dialog box will replace the standard Microsoft login dialog box. If you leave this check box blank, ZENworks will log in in the background and the standard Microsoft login dialog box will pop up on the workstation.

  • Let users change the ZENworks Middle Tier Server address on authentication dialog box Enabling this option allows the users to specify the IP address or DNS name of the Middle Tier server they want to authenticate to. If you are restricting access through specific Middle Tier servers, disable this option. However, if you need to give users dynamic access to resources that lie beyond different Middle Tier Servers, enable this option.

Once you have set the options correctly, click Next to continue.

Configure the NAL Windows Startup Options

The next screen in the install is the Novell Application Launcher/Windows Startup options screen, shown in Figure 2.11. This screen enables you to specify how you want Novell Application Launcher (NAL) to behave on startup:

  • Launch Application Explorer Enabling this option starts the Novell Application Launcher when the workstation is booted. Use this option if you have updates that you want to periodically install on user workstations as soon as they are booted, for example, when updating anti-virus software. Any pending applications that are associated with the workstation or user will be executed.

  • Launch Application Window Enabling this option launches the application window when a user logs in. This gives the users easy access to their applications as soon as they log in.

  • None If you do not select either of the two options, the workstation will boot normally and the users must access the Application Explorer and Application window through the Program menu. Use this option if you are trying to impact users minimally.

Figure 2.11. Novell Application Launcher/Windows Startup options selection screen for the ZENworks for Desktops Management agent install.

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Once you have set the options correctly, click Next to continue.

Complete the Install

Once you have completed the setup options, you see the summary screen. This screen shows you the settings that you have selected for the management agent install. If you need to make any changes, you can click the Back button; otherwise click Next. The ZENworks for Desktops management agent will be installed on the workstation. Once the agent has been installed on the workstation, you will be prompted to either reboot the workstation immediately or to wait. The workstation must be restarted in order to activate the agents.

Further Install Options

After you run the initial install and create an .ISS file, you can automate future installs by using the .ISS file to create an application object, or enable users to run a silent install from the network or other source. The following sections discuss how to use the ISS file to automate the Management agent install.

Application Object

The easiest and fastest way to install the ZENworks for Desktops management agent on workstations is to create an Application object and distribute it. This works only when the workstations already have the Novell Client and Application Launcher running on them.

Use the following steps to create an Application object for the management agent and to distribute it to users who are currently running Application Launcher:

  1. Create a network directory for the management agent source files.

  2. Copy \AgentInstall\SETUP.EXE and the .ISS file you created into the source file directory.

  3. Create a simple Application object (no .AOT/.AXT/.MSI file).

  4. Modify the command line of the application object to include the /s option. This option tells the install to use an .ISS file and to not display dialog boxes. For example:

    setup.exe /s /f1"E:\WAGENT\SETUP.ISS"
  5. Define the system requirements for the workstation to receive the distribution.

  6. Add the Source directory you created in step 1 to the application object.

  7. Associate the Application object with the users and workstations that you want to receive the Management agent install.

  8. Set the Run Application Once option and schedule the distribution.

  9. Save the Application object settings by clicking Finish.

NOTE

The install will run in silent mode using the /s option. Instead of displaying errors to the screen, errors will be saved to a SETUP.LOG file in the same directory as the .ISS file. You can specify a different log file by using the following option on the setup command line: /f2"<path_and_filename>".


Silent Install

If you need to install the ZENworks for Desktops management agent on workstations that do not have Application Launcher running on them, you need to make the SETUP.EXE application and the .ISS file you created available to the user from a different source. There are many ways to do this:

  • You can create a directory on the network that those workstations have access to and copy the SETUP.EXE and .ISS files to it. The workstations can then copy the files.

  • You can Zip the files up and e-mail them to users and they can extract them to their local workstations.

  • You can also create an install CD containing the files and distribute the CD to users so they can copy the files to their local workstations.

  • You can also deliver SETUP.EXE through a Web browser. For example, you can copy SETUP.EXE to the root of your Web server. You then edit the MYAPPS.HTML file that is created automatically by the Middle Tier installation so it replaces the ZFDWEBSW.EXE with SETUP.EXE.

Once the files are installed on the local workstation, the users will need to run the setup using the /s option and use the .ISS file settings. For example:

setup.exe /s /f1"c:\Zclient\setup.iss"


Novell's ZENworks for Desktops 4. Administrator's Handbook
Novell ZENworks for Desktops 4 Administrators Handbook
ISBN: 0789729857
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 198
Authors: Brad Dayley

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