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Installation

Technical requirements​

Operating system: Windows or Windows Server

All versions of Microsoft products that were covered by Microsoft extended life cycle support at the time of Alvao's release are supported for that version of Alvao.

In an unsupported mode, the application can also be run on Windows 10 (64-bit) and Windows Server 2012. To install the application using the MSI installer, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 or later is required.

In an on-premises setup, it is still possible to perform manual scans using older versions of the Agent. For Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 8.1, use version 25.3 Patch 2. For Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP, please contact the technical support team.

Installation package​

The AM Agent application is provided as an MSI installation package (AlvaoAssetAgent.msi). Users can download it from WebApp - user menu - Settings - Install applications. In on-premises setup, the file is also available on download pages.

To install the Agent on a single computer, simply start the msi package and follow the installation wizard.

Parameters​

The Agent's MSI installer supports following parameters (MSI Properties):

  • APIURL - address of Alvao REST API, e.g., https://contoso.onalvao.com/AlvaoRestApi.
  • AUTHCODE - Agent authentication code, see Administration - Asset Management - Settings - Scan - Agent authentication code.
  • PROXYENABLE (0/1) - Enable this option if the Agent should use a proxy server to access the Alvao server over the internet.
  • PROXYADDRESS - fully qualified domain name or IP address of the proxy server, including the protocol (e.g., https://proxy.contoso.com).
  • PROXYPORT - TCP/IP port number of the proxy server.
  • PROXYAUTHTYPE - Select the type of user authentication required by the proxy server:
    • Anonymous
    • Windows - the Agent application or service will authenticate using the Windows account under which it is running.
    • UserPass
  • PROXYUSERNAME - username for PROXYAUTHTYPE=UserPass.
  • PROXYPASSWORD - user password for PROXYAUTHTYPE=UserPass.
  • PROXYDOMAIN - optional domain name for PROXYAUTHTYPE=UserPass.

For example - to install the application with APIURL and AUTHCODE parameters, use this command line:

msiexec /i AlvaoAssetAgent.msi /quiet APIURL="https://contoso.onalvao.com/AlvaoRestApi" AUTHCODE="1234"

Bulk-deployment​

To deploy the Agent on multiple computers, you need to create a MST (transform) file containing parameter values that are specific for you Alvao instance. We recommend to use the Orca.exe editor.

  1. Start Orca.

  2. Click File - Open and select the AlvaoAssetAgent.msi file.

  3. Use the Transform - New Transform command from the main menu.

  4. Select the Property table on the left side.

  5. Use the Add Row shortcut menu command (or the Ctrl+R keyboard shortcut) to add following mandatory records with respective values:

    • APIURL
    • AUTHCODE

    It is required that the property name be capitalized.

    Optionally, add other parameters.

  6. Use the Transform - Generate Transform command from the main menu to save the MST file.

Use Microsoft Intune, or Group Policy (Active Directory), or Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, or another suitable tool to install the application using the MSI file along with the MST file on computers in your company.

Choose per-computer (not per-user) installation.

Microsoft Intune​

To deploy the MSI/MST files via Microsoft Intune, you will need to create an .intunewin file.

  1. Copy the MSI and MST files to a single disk folder, e.g. C:\IntuneWin.

  2. Use the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool to create the .intunewin file:

    IntuneWinAppUtil -c "C:\IntuneWin" -s "C:\IntuneWin\AlvaoAssetAgent.msi" -o "C:\IntuneWin" -q

    This command creates the AlvaoAssetAgent.intunewin file in the same folder.

In Microsoft Intune, use the following parameter values:

  • Install command: msiexec /i "AlvaoAssetAgent.msi" TRANSFORMS="AlvaoAssetAgent.mst" /qn
  • Uninstall command: msiexec /x "AlvaoAssetAgent.msi"
  • Install behavior: System

Automatic update​

The Agents installed on computers automatically update to the newest version available for the version of you Alvao. They check for new version available on your Alvao Server when they start and then once a day.

Advanced configuration​

The Agent contacts the Alvao REST API every 2 hours to determine if it should perform a new scan by default. You can change this interval by editing the RestApiContactIntervalMinutes value in the C:\Program Data\ALVAO\Asset Management Agent\AgentData.json file. Copy the file to another location, modify it, overwrite the original file with it, and restart the ALVAO Agent Service.

The Agent automatically generates an ID for each device. You can reset it and generate a new one using the following command:

Alvao.AgentService.exe /u "AlvaoAgentDeviceId=\"\""

Diagnosing issues​

In the case of any issues, see the Windows Event Viewer - Applications and Services Logs - AlvaoAgentService log.

If a verbose log is necessary, configure logging in the NLog.json file.