Install the Altiris Agent using Active Directory Policies

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

How do I install the Altiris Agent using Active Directory Group Policies?

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Resolution

To install the Altiris Agent to computers and automatically configure it using a Group Policy, the Altiris Agent installation service requires parameters to specify the Notification Server to download and report to once the Altiris Agent is installed. Using the MsiExec.exe, you can create an Administrative Install containing the required public properties.

Because the software is installed according to the computers on the network and not the users of those computers , the Altiris Agent software should be assigned to the Computer Configuration section of the Group Policy Object to:

• Ensure the software is installed on all computers.
• Ensure the software installed doesn’t rely on the user interaction.

Installation using Active Directory Group Policy Objects should be performed according to your installed Microsoft Windows version documentation. We recommend creating organizational units (OUs) to contain the computers you will be deploying the Altiris Agent to.

 

For information on this process, see the following Microsoft KB Article:

Use Group Policy to remotely install software

Step 1—Create the Administrative Install

 

At \\nsserver\NSCap\Bin\Win32\X86\NS Client Installation enter the following path and your required public properties:

msiexec /a <path to AeXNSCInstSvc.msi> [MSI Public Properties]

For information on MSI Public Properties, see the following table.

MSI Public Property	Description
NS	Name of the Notification Server the Altiris Agent will report to (without leading \\). This argument is required.
NS_WEB	(Optional) Specifies the Notification Server Web the Altiris Agent connects to. http://NSName/Altiris, by default.
SOURCE_URL	URL used to download AEXNSC. By default, its retrieved from the Notification Server.
AGENT_PARAMS	Altiris Agent parameters in AexSVCInstSvc that can be passed to AEXNSC.EXE: notrayicon nostartmenu preconfig
SERVICE_PARAMS	Parameters that can be passed to AexSVCInstSvc: -d path -c chunk_size -p pause_interval -checkonly -exe

Step 2—Create a file share to distribute the Install Service

 

Put the Administrative Install on a share available to all target computers. See the following Microsoft article:

https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/278472 

Step 3—Create the AD Group Policy

1. Create an Organizational Unit for computers that will have the AeXNSCInstSvc.msi deployed to them in Active Directory Users and Computers MMC.
2. Right-click the Organizational Unit and select Properties.
3. Click the Group Policy tab and click New.
4. Enter a name, select the new group policy object, and click Edit to display the Group Policy Object Editor window.
5. Right-click the Computer Configuration\Software Settings\Software installation item and select New > Package.
6. Select the MSI from the share on the Domain Controller. In the Deploy software dialog, select Assigned, and click OK.
7. To install the software at the next logon, click the Deployment tab and click Assigned.
8. Select the Install the software at logon check box and click OK.

Step 4—Add computers to Target Organizational Unit

Add target computers to the new Organizational Unit with the Altiris Agent GPO applied. For older versions of Microsoft Windows it may be necessary to enable the Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon policy if the package deployment is required at logon. For information, see the following Microsoft KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/defhttps://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/305293ault.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305293

 

The Administrative Install is downloaded from the file share and the Altiris Agent install executable is 'trickle' downloaded from the /NScap share on the Notification Server itself.