Administration Guide > Installation > New Installation > Installing the Agent for Windows

Installing the Agent for Windows

This document guides you through the new installation of a Windows agent.

The Windows agent can be used for 32-bit and 64-bit. Each version is identified using a three-digit abbreviations. These abbreviations are used in the agents' file names, and are described in theTerminology. In this document, the specific abbreviation is replaced by "???."

64-bit Windows platforms: Automic recommends installing a 64-bit agent if you intend to start 64-bit programs and applications through it. Using a 32-bit agent for this purpose may cause problems.

The following guide describes how to install an agent in an AE system in which authentication is not used. Additional installation steps are required before the agent can be started and used, if you intend to use one of the available authentication methods. More detailed information is provided in the document Advanced Security.

Automic strongly recommends installing the agent in a separate directory (such as C:\AUTOMIC\AGENT\WINDOWS).

Supplied Installation Files

You find the files of the Windows agent in the directory IMAGE:AGENTS\WINDOWS.

Other files from this subdirectory are components of the installation program and the AE runtime system. See: Knowledge Base.

The CallAPI files and CallAPI implementation are described in a separate document.

Potential Problems

Uppercase and lowercase letters used in the host name.
IP address with leading zeros.

Windows Agent for System-Wide E-mail Connection

Automic's system-wide email connection can be implemented using a Windows agent. Detailed information about setting up this email connection is provided in the Knowledge Base.

Procedure

	1.	Installing the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package

This installation step can be ignored if the package is already available in the required version. Refer to the Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs to see if the package is installed, and if so, which version.

Host (32-bit)
Install the package from the IMAGE:CRTS\WINDOWS\X86 directory.

Host (64-bit)
Install the package from the IMAGE:CRTS\WINDOWS\X64 or IMAGE:CRTS\WINDOWS\IA64 directory.

	2.	Installing the Agent

Host (32-bit)
Start the program SETUP.EXE in the directory IMAGE:AGENTS\WINDOWS\X86.
Select a separate directory for the agent (such as C:\AUTOMIC\AGENT\WINDOWS). Click the large button (computer, packing and disc) to start the installation.
The AE program group is automatically created and the agent specified.

Host (64-bit)
Start the program SETUP.EXE in the directory IMAGE:AGENTS\WINDOWS\X64 or IMAGE:AGENTS\WINDOWS\IA64.
Select a separate directory for the agent (such as C:\AUTOMIC\AGENT\WINDOWS). Click the large button (computer, packing and disc) to start the installation.
The AE program group is automatically created and the agent specified.

	3.	Setting up the system environment

Host
Adjust the INI file UCXJ???.INI to your system environment.
The user who starts the agent must have the following rights if the INI-file parameter logon= has been set to "1":

Act as part of the operating system
Adjust memory quotas for a process
Allow log on locally
Back up files and directories **)
Logon as batch job *)
Logon as service
Replace a process level tokenA token is used for authentication within a session between a client and a server. A (soft) token is a unique identifier which is generated and sent from a central server to a client software. The client uses the token to authenticate each request.
Restore files and directories

*) This right is only required if you start jobs by using the start option "logon as batch user".

**) This right is necessary for the execution of job objects.
For the extended FileTransfer object (as of v9) this right is usually optional. It is necessary, however, when the agent transfers encrypted files with a file transfer because the agent uses the WinAPI "LoadUserProfile".

In Windows, the Local Security Policy can be called via the Control Panel -> Administrative Tools. Rights are defined in User Rights Assignment in the Local Security settings.

All Windows users that should execute "BAT"-type jobs required the right "Read & Execute" for the agent's "bin" and "temp" directory. Otherwise, an error message occurs when the job starts (Access denied). Doing so is only necessary if the agent's INI-file parameter LOGON=1 or the UC_HOSTCHAR_*'s setting ANONYMOUS_JOB is set to "N"..

Admin computer or Server computer
Adjust HEADER.WINDOWS, TRAILER.WINDOWS and RESTART.WINDOWS if necessary. See: Job - Execution.

	4.	Starting the Agent

Server computer
The AE system must be running.
Host
Start the agent from the AE program group.
An agent object is automatically created in system client 0000 and stored in the folder HOST.
Admin computer or Server computer
Verify that the agent is logged on to the AE system.
- Start the UserInterface for client 0000. Information about agents is available in the System Overview. Newly logged-on agents have not yet been assigned to a client, so they are only shown in client 0000. The newly installed agent can now be assigned to clients including the required rights via the Agent object.

Use the ServiceManager to start or end the agent as a service.

	5.	Shutting down the Agent

Host
Shut down the agent.
Right-click the agent in the task bar. Click Exit.

Comments

Below you will find more detailed information about additional rights that are required when you install the Windows agent as described above in the section "Setting up the system environment".

The Windows agent requires certain additional rights on Windows in order to be able to use the Windows APIs that are listed below.

The agent requires these rights in order to process file transfers and start jobs in different user contexts. Although users are defined in the Automation Engine jobs, the agent must still be able to log on with the privileges of the particular user, read user profiles and start Jobs, for example. Therefore, Automic recommends starting the agent via the Service ManagerThe Service Manager serves to start, stop and access components such as the Automation Engine processes or agents from a central point. as a SYSTEM user.

When you start the agent as a regular user, however, you should install it with the recommended additional authorizations in order to make sure that it can process the above tasks:

act as part of the operating system
log on as a service
restore files and directories
create backups of files and directories
adjust memory quotas for a process
replace a process level token.

The right 'log on as a batch job' is required when the option "log on as a batch user" has been activated in the Windows Jobs of the AE system's Job objects.

Powershell configuration - File Backup or Rollback

In order to be able to execute Powershell commands for file backup or rollback refer to the settings in the Windows agent's INI file, keys ECPEXE= and ECPEXT=.