BMC Client Management Client Agent Rollout

Version 12.0

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|TOC|3

Contents

Introduction to the rollout of client agents........................................................................................................ 5

Starting and logging on to the BCM console......................................................................................................6
Starting the client agent....................................................................................................................................................................6
Starting the client agent on Windows......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Command line options for starting the agent on Windows...................................................................................................................................6

Starting the client agent on Linux.................................................................................................................................................................7

Command line options for Linux....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Starting the client agent on Mac ................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Command line options for Mac..........................................................................................................................................................................................7

Logging on to the console............................................................................................................................................................... 8

Starting the console ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Logging on to the Console for the first time.............................................................................................................................................. 8
Launching the Console with Java Web Start Support...............................................................................................................................................9
Launching the console with master on different devices........................................................................................................................................9
Launching the console from Outside the company network................................................................................................................................ 9

Preparing the BCM console.............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Specific considerations for a super master architecture....................................................................................................................... 10
Changing the console display language after the agent start-up..................................................................................................... 10
Importing the license for your system........................................................................................................................................................10
Available licenses for BMC Client Management........................................................................................................................................................ 11

Deploying your first BCM Agents......................................................................................................................14

Prerequisites for deploying first client agents........................................................................................................................14
Configuring the rollout server.......................................................................................................................................................14
Rolling out relay agents...................................................................................................................................................................15
Rolling out client agents................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Rollout alternatives............................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Rolling out client agents via the network neighborhood.....................................................................................................................18
Rolling out the Client Agent to Specific IP Address Ranges..................................................................................................................19
Executing an autodiscovery on the IP address range.............................................................................................................................................19
Rolling out to a specific IP address range................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Making agent rollout more efficient.................................................................................................................22

Scheduling the rollout at a given time and date.................................................................................................................. 22
Rollout server page parameters................................................................................................................................................... 22
Downloading and installing a rollout from the rollout server page................................................................................................. 23

Uninstalling the client agent via rollout................................................................................................................................... 23

Creating the uninstall rollout....................................................................................................................................................................... 23

Advanced using of agent rollouts...................................................................................................................... 25

Structure and intention of rollouts............................................................................................................................................. 25
Post-Install node...............................................................................................................................................................................................25
Post-Install: The Script tab.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25
Post-Install: The Files tab.....................................................................................................................................................................................................25

Rollout Server node parameters.................................................................................................................................................................. 26

Rollout servers......................................................................................................................................................................................26
Adding a rollout server to the Servers node.............................................................................................................................................26

Rollout of client agents via the rollout server........................................................................................................................ 27

The Assigned Schedule tab of a rollout..................................................................................................................................................... 27
Generating the rollout package....................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Starting a rollout after all configurations.....................................................................................................................................................................27
Scheduling the rollout at a given time and date..................................................................................................................................................... 27

The Targets tab of a rollout.......................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Filtering rollout targets........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Defining login accounts.......................................................................................................................................................................................................32

4|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|TOC

Agent Rollout wizard...................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

The Agent Rollout wizard (1): Specifying core setup configuration..................................................................................................................32
The Agent Rollout wizard (2): Defining general parameters before rolling out the agent>.................................................................... 32
The Agent Rollout wizard (3): Communication settings........................................................................................................................................ 33
The Agent Rollout wizard (4): Defining security parameters before rolling out the agent...................................................................... 33
The Agent Rollout wizard (5): Defining user interface and reboot management........................................................................................34
The Agent Rollout wizard (6): Defining logging parameters before rolling out the agent.......................................................................34
The Agent Rollout wizard (7): Available modules for target devices................................................................................................................ 34
The Agent Rollout wizard (8): Defining the rollout server for the rollout....................................................................................................... 35
The Agent Rollout wizard (9): Rollout targets and rollout accounts................................................................................................................. 35
The Agent Rollout wizard (10): Post-installation of files ....................................................................................................................................... 36
The Agent Rollout wizard (11): Scheduling the rollout.......................................................................................................................................... 36
The Agent Rollout wizard (12): Creating a task for the rollout............................................................................................................................37
The Agent Rollout wizard (13): Confirming all definitions.................................................................................................................................... 37

BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Introduction to the rollout of client agents|5

Introduction to the rollout of client agents

BMC Client Management provides you with a rollout mechanism through which you do not have to physically visit each
device on your network to manually carry out the install procedure of the BCM agent. BCM contains a node directly
accessible via the BCM Console, which will distribute the agents to any number of networked devices. This rollout also
enables reinstalling and uninstall if and when required.
The rollout functionality is accessed via the main Rollout node which is located under the Global Settings top node.

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6|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console

Starting and logging on to the BCM console

The following paragraphs will guide you through the start-up of all parts of the software and through your first logon to
the BMC Client Management Console.

Starting the client agent

The BCM agent installed on the master should start up automatically. To verify this, you must proceed as follows,
depending on your operating system. If your agent should not be running for any reason you will also find out how to start
it. This process is also valid for the start-up of the client agents, therefore you will also find a paragraph for MAC, which is
not available as a master agent.
After these agents are running they will fill in their data into the BMC Client Management database on the master.

Starting the client agent on Windows

The BCM agent icon should be displayed in the systray of your master server or client when the agent is running. It can be
one of the following colors indicating a specific status:

The icon is gray

during the agents initialization.
The icon is blue
when the agent is running.
The icon is green
or flashing green when an operation is in progress.
The icon is red
when the agent tries to carry out an unauthorized action or access.
The icon will turn yellow
when the local device is taken over through remote control.
The blue icon will show a package when packages and operational rules are advertised to the client and are
available for download and installation.

If you want to start a stopped agent you need to do so via the Services window of the Control Panel. If you double-click it,
a graphic agent interface will open giving the administrator(s) access to various modules and settings related to this agent.
The administrator may modify settings and actions via this interface. For more information about this interface, refer to
chapter Agent Configuration in the Introduction manual.

Command line options for starting the agent on Windows

The agent may also be launched from the command line with the following options:
cmd

cmd long

Description

-v

--version

Returns the version of the agent.

-i

--install

Installs the service. This option must

be used in connection with the -sn
"Service Name" option.

-r

--remove

Removes the service. This option

must be used in connection with the
-sn "Service Name" option.

-sa

--standalone

Starts the agent as standalone.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console|7

cmd

cmd long

Description

-cw

--consolewindow

Starts with pop-up menu (for output

text).

-sn

--servicename

Used to install/remove using nondefault service name.

-dn

--displayname

Used to install/remove using nondefault service display name.

Starting the client agent on Linux

The BCM agent installed on the master should start up automatically. This can be checked by typing ps -ax | grep
mtxagent and pressing the Enter key. The console or terminal window should return: /usr/local/bmc-software/
client-management/master/bin/mtxagent as one of the running processes in the process list that will now be
displayed.
To start or stop the agent type the following command into a terminal window:
service BMCClientManagementAgent start
service BMCClientManagementAgent stop

Command line options for Linux

The agent may also be launched from the command line with the following options:
cmd

cmd long

Description

-v

--version

Returns the version of the agent.

-sa

--standalone

Starts the agent as standalone.

Starting the client agent on Mac

The BCM agent installed on a Mac device should start automatically after a device reboot. This can be checked by typing
ps -eaf |grep mtxagent and pressing the Enter key. The console or terminal window should return: /usr/local/
bmc-software/client-management/client/bin/ as one of the running processes in the process list that will
now be displayed.
If the agent does not start type the following into a terminal window:

SystemStarter start BMCClientManagementClient

then press your Enter key. The agent will start now.

Command line options for Mac

The agent may also be launched from the command line with the following options:
cmd

cmd long

Description

-v

--version

Returns the version of the agent.

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8|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console

cmd

cmd long

Description

-sa

--standalone

Starts the agent as standalone.

Logging on to the console

The following paragraphs guide you through your first start-up and login of the console according to your operating
system and the first preparatory actions to take before you may execute any operations.

Starting the console

As already mentioned the console is a Java application and may thus be launched using the generally available start-up
options provided by Java, such as -Xmxn to extend the maximum size of the memory allocation (n must be a multiple
of 1024, for example: Xmx80m or Xmx81920k). By default the anti-aliasing option is used for the console. To switch it
off, open the console shortcuts Properties window and modify the -Dswing.aatext option from true to false.
To launch the console with its standard options follow the steps indicated in the following, depending on the operating
system on which your console is installed:
For information about how to start the console via the command line or Java Web Start and possible
parameters see the respective chapters in the Customizing and Integrating BCM with 3rd Party Applications
manual.

Windows
To launch your newly-installed Console, click your Start menu, select Programs -> BMC Software -> Client Management
-> Console or double-click the console desktop icon.

Linux
To start the console you need to type BMCClientManagementConsole, then press your Enter key.

Mac OS
To start the console double-click the icon for the Console Web Start on the desktop.

Logging on to the Console for the first time

When you launch the console for the first time you must use the predefined default administrator login admin as login
name. As this login has no password defined a pop-up menu is displayed on the screen in the language version of the
operating system, or in English if it is of a language not supported by BCM, requesting you to define it. After you entered
the new password in the respective text box and confirmed it, the console opens on the screen.
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware, that if you have installed master and relay agents with the SSL=0 option, you also must use the
non secure connection option here to connect the console with the master. If the master and agents are
installed with any other SSL option the console will only accept SSL connections.
N o te
If you have installed master and relay agents with the SSL=3 option, do not forget to supply the client
certificate to the console.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console|9

Launching the Console with Java Web Start Support

1. Enter the user name admin and no password into the respective boxes.
2. The line Server:Port displays the name of the database server and its port number to which the console will
connect. If the Console is installed on the master server this text box will be filled in with the default value
localhost:1610. If you are connecting via Java Web Start this text box will be filled in with the master
information (that is, either its name or its IP address).
3. Then click Logon at the bottom of the window.

Launching the console with master on different devices

If your console is on a device other than the master, no information is pre-entered.
1. Enter the user name admin and no password into the respective boxes.
2. Replace the pre-entered localhost entry with the name of the master server you want to connect to and its port
number separated by a colon (:) into the Server:Port field.
You can enter the host name either as its short or full network name such as scotty or
scotty.enterprise.com, or in form of its IP address. Be aware that when you use IPv6 you need to put
square brackets around the IP address, for example, [2001:db8:85a3:8d3:1319:8a2e:370:7348]:1611.
3. Then click Logon at the bottom of the window.

Launching the console from Outside the company network

If you need to connect to BCM via the Internet and have installed your Console via the msi file, you must provide the
public IP address of the master to be able to connect.
1. Enter the user name admin and no password into the respective boxes.
2. Replace the pre-entered localhost entry with the public IP address of the master server you want to connect to
and its port number separated by a colon (:) into the Server:Port field.
You can enter the host name either as its short or full network name such as scotty or
scotty.enterprise.com, or in form of its IP address. Be aware that when you use IPv6 you need to put
square brackets around the IP address, for example, [2001:db8:85a3:8d3:1319:8a2e:370:7348]:1611.
3. Then click Logon at the bottom of the window.

Preparing the BCM console

Before you may execute any operations in the console such as rolling out the agents across your network, you must
provide the license for your system. You can download this license from the BMC Software website. If this is not the case,
contact them to provide you with one. However, a basic temporary license will automatically be installed with the software
to be able to launch it. This license is limited to 20 managed devices and 15 days. It will be erased and replaced as soon as
you import your full license.
The license file contains all the necessary information about the purchased product options. After it is installed you may
access all of these. Licenses are imported via their files and cannot be added manually. If you have a license excluding
some features of the product, you may always acquire an additional license for these and add the license for the new
features later on. To follow the exercises in section II of this manual it is sufficient to start with the pre-installed basic
license for 20 devices. If your license is expired only the Licenses node will be shown in the console to provide you the
possibility to import a new one.

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10|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console

Specific considerations for a super master architecture

As with the regular architecture, you must first import the licenses delivered with your software into ALL your masters,
including the super master. Be careful to use the correct license for each master device as the contents reflected in the
license key will be different for each license:

Super Master

the global maximum number of all devices (for example, one site has a 50 device license a second one 30, then the
super master will have a license for 81 agents),
the global maximum number of all scans (for example, one site has a 50 scan license a second one 30, then the super
master will have a license for 80 scan inventories),
the global maximum number of all patched devices ( for example, one site has a 50 device license a second one 30,
then the super master will have a license for 80 patch inventories),
the Super Master license.

Site Masters

the total number of devices the respective site will manage (for example, for 50 agents,
the licenses for all purchased functionalities, such as software distribution, patch management, power management,
etc.

Changing the console display language after the agent start-up

You can change the language in which the console is currently displayed, if American English is not your working
language. For this, proceed as follows:
1. Select the Tools > User Preferences menu option or click the link Your Preferences in the Welcome part.
The window Preferences is displayed on the screen.
You may change to you required language via the Language option in the General tab.
2. For this select the language form the list.
3. Then click OK to confirm and to close the window.
The console will refresh and be displayed in the selected language.

Importing the license for your system

To import your license, proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Global Settings node and select from its children the Licenses node in the left window pane.
2. Select Edit > Import License

A dialog box opens displaying the directory structure in a Windows Explorer like format.
3. Select the file containing your license.
4. With the file selected click Open at the bottom of the window.
The information is then read from the file and displayed in the table in the right window pane as follows:

Name

The fields in this column display the names of the licenses.

Count

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console|11

The number in this field indicates how many agents the license contains (that is, on how many
devices you may install clients). If you have a temporary license for testing purposes this number will
be 20. For all other licenses this field displays 1, if the license is activated (that is, purchased or 0 if you
do not have this license).
Available

This column indicates the number of remaining licenses. It is applicable to all functionalities
with agent counts, such as the agents themselves, patch management, inventory, compliance
management, software distribution and so on. It displays how many licenses are still free to be used.
For all other purchased licenses this field will always display 1.
Expiry Date

This field is empty if you have an unlimited license for use in your system. If the license is temporary
and thus limited this field displays the expiry date of the license, in the default format defined in the
user preferences. A temporary license is valid 30 days.
Status
This field shows the current status of the license, which should be Valid. If you are using the test
license it will display Expiring.

Now that you have installed your license and thus validated your database and Console, you are ready to start
working with BMC Client Management and proceed to installing a relay and rolling out the agent throughout
your network, detailed in the following chapters.

Available licenses for BMC Client Management

Following you will find a table with all available licenses explaining which functionalities they include:
License

Description

Commercial License
Module

Application
Management

This license activates all the different options of application

management, that is, the monitoring and prohibiting of
applications and self-healing functionalities as well as
the software license management for Windows devices,
application monitoring, prohibiting and software license
management for Linux devices.

BMC Client Management

- Inventory

BCM Agents

This is the basic license of the product and provides

you with the maximum number of agents installed on
clients which the database will accept. For the initial
and evaluation license this number is fixed at 20. Please
note that unconnected devices of which the inventory is
integrated will not decrease this value (that is, these devices
are not counted for licensing purposes).

All Licenses

Compliance
Management

This license activates the device compliance management

of the BMC Client Management.If you want to include
software compliance you require the specific Software
Catalog license as well.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

Direct Access

The license providing the direct access features to the

remote clients of your installation.

BMC Client Management

- Remote Management

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12|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console

License

Description

Commercial License
Module

Inventory

The license activates al base inventories: software,

hardware, custom, connectivity, security, and the inventory
of unmanaged devices. All other inventory types are part of
their respective functionality.

BMC Client Management

- Inventory

Multicast

Activates the multicast transfer option for transferring

packages and other information between the BCM agents.

All Licenses

Operating System
Deployment

This license activates the operating system deployment

module which provides you the possibility to create OS
images and deploy them to any device within your network.
This feature is only available for Windows devices.

BMC Client Management

- Deploy

Patch Knowledge Base

Update

This license is required to maintain the patch knowledge

base up to date on which the patch management
functionality is based.

BMC Client Management

- Patch Management

Patch Management

This license defines how many devices may be patched at

the same time. For the initial and evaluation license this
number is fixed at 20. This license is not available for Linux
or Mac OS devices.

BMC Client Management

- Patch Management

Power Management

Activates the Green IT / Power Management feature.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

Remote Control

Activates the remote control feature. This feature is not

available for Linux devices.

BMC Client Management

- Remote Management

Security Configuration
Updates

This license is required to maintain the Security Products

catalog up to date, which is required for the Security
Products inventory.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

Software Catalog
Updates

This license is required to maintain the Software Catalog

up to date.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

Software Catalog

Activates the Software Catalog option. It is used for

software inventory, software compliance, software license
management and application management.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

Software Distribution

This license activates all software distribution features of the

product such as package generation and scheduling the
distribution.

BMC Client Management

- Deploy

Super Master

This license is required for a super master architecture with

a super master and a number of site masters.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Starting and logging on to the BCM console|13

License

Description

Commercial License
Module

Task Management

This license provides you the possibility to create tasks to

assign and follow the evolution and execution of specific
network management tasks via the console.

All Licenses

Topology Graph

Activates the graphical display of your network topology.

All Licenses

Windows Device
Management

This license activates the peripheral device monitoring and

controlling functionalities for Windows devices.

BMC Client Management

- Compliance
Management

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14|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents

Deploying your first BCM Agents

Most management features in BCM (patch management, remote control, software distribution, etc.) require that agents
are installed on the target computers.
The agent rollout wizard facilitates installation of the BCM agent within your environment. The two main components of
this process are:
The Rollout Server, a device that generates self-extracting agent installation packages and can push them on the
target devices.
Rollouts which include agent installation files, target devices and rollout options.
A typical BCM architecture has a smaller number of relays directly under the master and a larger number of clients under
each relay. This first section therefore teaches you how to perform the two main types of rollout:
1. Rolling out relay agents (with the master server as their direct parent) and
2. Rolling out final clients (with one of the previously installed relays as their parent).

Prerequisites for deploying first client agents

Before starting a rollout make sure that the following prerequisites are fulfilled:
remote shares are accessible from the master device (for example, //ClientMachine1/C$ )
the RPC service is started
no NAT-configurations are used
the remote services are accessible
for Linux installations make sure that the SSH service is installed and running on the targets
for Linux installations the root account must be enabled on the targets
for Mac OS installations make sure that SSH and the root account are enabled on the targets

Configuring the rollout server

A Rollout Server is an BCM agent used to deploy other agents. To define a device as Rollout Server, proceed as follows:
R e m em be r
To remotely deploy agents to Windows targets the Rollout Server MUST also have a Windows operating system.
N o te
Any Rollout Server can remotely deploy BCM agents to other operating systems (such as Linux/MacOS).
N o te
If you have a very heterogeneous or distributed environment you may want to define specific Rollout Servers
for subnets or the different operating system platforms.
To define other Rollout Servers, proceed as follows.
1. Click Add Rollout Server

2. Select the new device which is to be Your Rollout Server from the list.
3. Then click OK to add it and close the window.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents|15

Rolling out relay agents

Make sure you already have a rollout server defined. If this is not the case, refer to: Add Rollout Server.

This rollout uses device groups. If you have not yet created a group, do so at first. It is also possible to find
your rollout targets via other lists, such as the Microsoft Network option or autodiscovered devices.

1. To create a relay agent rollout with the master as its direct parent (only applicable if the master was installed
with the default values), launch the rollout creation wizard by selecting the Wizards > Agent Rollout
menu
item.
The Core Setup Configuration window is displayed on the screen.
2. Check the box for Enable agent as a relay for the other agents.
If you want to schedule the rollout at a specific date and time check the box for second last question.
3. Click Next.
The General Parameters is displayed on the screen.
4. Enter the name of the new rollout (for example, Linux Relay Agents) into the Name box.
5. Enter the name for the rollout package executable that will be created into the Auto-extractible Name box (for
example, linuxrelayagent12.sh or linuxrelayagent10 for a Linux rollout, or win7relayagent12.exe for a Windows 7
installation).
6. Select the operating system group to which the agent is to be rolled out from the list of the Operating System
box, for example, Linux .
7. Click Next.
The Targets & Accounts window is displayed on the screen.
8. Click Select a device

9. Select the desired group that contains the relay rollout targets of the defined operating system type in the
Available Objects box.
10. To select individual devices instead of a group click All
appearing list.

on the left bar and select your devices from the

11. Click OK to add the group and close the window.

12. Now click Add Administrator

13. Enter the required data for the account login into the respective boxes.
14. To add a new account click Add Administrator

The Properties dialog box is displayed on the screen.

15. Enter the following data for a new account login into the respective boxes:
a) Enter the name of the domain to which the rollout is going into the Administrator Domain box. You may
use an asterisk (*) if the rollout is going to all domains.
b) Enter the login name of the admin (for when the agent deployment tries to log on to the remote target to
install the agent) into the Administrator Logon box.
For Windows XP Professional rollouts, you MUST enter a valid login and password, and it must be
the same for all devices, that is, the rollout server (the master) and targets.
If you are not sure if your local administrator login has the same passwords for all targets, use the
domain login. For domain logins to work correctly, the necessary domain trust relationships must
already have been set up between the different domain controllers.

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16|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents

c) Enter the password of the previously entered admin into the Password box. For security reasons the
passwords will only be displayed in the form of asterisks (*).
d) Confirm the previously entered the password into this text box.
e) Click OK to confirm the new account and add it.
It will now be shown in the preceding list.
16. Click Verify Rollout at the bottom to make sure the credentials are correct.
17. Click Finish.
18. In the following Confirmation pop-up menu check the Go to Rollout radio button to change the focus of the
console window to the new rollout. Click Yes to confirm the immediate activation.
19. If you have not checked the Go to Rollout box at the end of the wizard select the newly created rollout in the
left tree hierarchy and then its Servers subnode.
In the Assigned Schedule tab you can follow the general progress of the relay rollout assignment
20. After this value reads Executing, select the Targets tab to follow progress of each individual target through
the Status column (initial status is Initial and final stage should be Installed).
To continue installing your architecture with clients below the relays continue with the next task.

Rolling out client agents

Make sure you have executed the rollout in the preceding task to have at least one relay available for this client
rollout!
To rollout a client agent, proceed as follows:
1. To create a client agent rollout, launch the rollout creation wizard by selecting the > Wizards

menu item.

The Core Setup Configuration window is displayed on the screen.

2. If you want to select a specific relay for the rollout targets check the box for second option Configure the relay
selection or use master otherwise now.
3. If you want to schedule the rollout at a specific date and time check the box for last option Configure a custom
schedule for this rollout (default is one immediate execution) now.
4. Click Next.
The General Parameters is displayed on the screen.
5. Enter the name of the new rollout, for example, Windows 32 Bit Clients into the Name field.
6. Enter the name for the rollout package executable that will be created into the Auto-extractible Name field, for
example, win32clientagent12.exe for a Windows 32 bit client rollout.
7. Select the operating system group to which the agent is to be rolled out from the list of the Operating System
field, for example, Windows XP/2003 ... (32 bit)
8. Click Next.
The Communication window is displayed on the screen if you have checked the option Configure the
relay selection or use master otherwise in the first window. If not you can directly continue with step
13.
9. To find the relay click Select a device
10. Click All

next to the Parent Name field.

11. Select the desired parent device from the appearing list and click OK.
12. Click Next.
The Targets & Accounts window is displayed on the screen.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents|17

13. Click Select a device

14. Select the desired group that contains the client rollout targets of the defined operating system type in the
Available Objects box.
15. To select individual devices instead of a group click All
appearing list.

on the left bar and select your devices from the

16. Click OK to add the group and close the window.

17. Now click Add Administrator

18. Enter the required data for the account login into the respective boxes.
19. To add a new account click Add Administrator

The Properties dialog box is displayed on the screen.

20. Enter the following data for a new account login into the respective boxes:
a) Enter the name of the domain to which the rollout is going into the Administrator Domain field. You may
use an asterisk (*) if the rollout is going to all domains.
b) Enter the login name of the admin as which the rollout tries to log on to the remote target to install the
agent into the Logon field.
For Windows XP Professional rollouts, you MUST enter a valid login and password, and it must be
the same for all devices, that is, the rollout server (the master) and targets.
If you are not sure that your local administrator login has the same passwords for all targets, use
the domain login. For domain logins to work correctly, the necessary domain trust relationships
must already have been set up between the different domain controllers.
c) Enter the password of the previously entered admin into the Password field. For security reasons the
passwords will only be displayed in the form of asterisks (*).
d) Confirm the previously entered the password into this field.
e) Click OK to confirm the new account and add it.
It will now be shown in the preceding list.
21. Click Verify Rollout to make sure the entered account data are correct.
22. Click OK and then Finish.
The Confirmationdialog box is displayed on the screen.
23. Check the Go to Rollout radio button to change the focus of the console window to the new rollout.
24. Click Yes to confirm the immediate activation.
25. If you have not checked the Go to Rollout box at the end of the wizard select the newly created rollout in the
left tree hierarchy and then its Servers subnode.
In the Assigned Schedule tab you can follow the general progress of the client rollout assignment.
26. After this value reads Executing select the Targets tab to follow progress of each individual target through
the Status column (initial status is Initial and final stage should be Installed).
Your first rollout is now completed and your installed base is large enough to execute any other operation.

Rollout alternatives
In this section you will find alternative ways to roll out your client agent to the target population, such as via the Microsoft
Network Neighborhood or to a specific IP address range.

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18|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents

Rolling out client agents via the network neighborhood

In this example rollout we will roll out the agent to some Windows 7 devices using the Windows network neighborhood.
1. Launch the rollout creation wizard by selecting the Wizards > Agent Rollout

item menu.

The Core Setup Configuration window is displayed on the screen.

2. Check the Configure the relay selection or use master otherwise box.
If you want to schedule the rollout at a specific date and time check the box for second last question.
3. Click Next.
The General Parameters is displayed on the screen.
4. Enter the name of the new rollout (for example, Windows 7 Client Rollout) into the Name box.
5. Enter the name for the rollout package executable that will be created into the Auto-extractible Name box (for
example, win7clientagent12.exe).
6. Select the operating system group to which the agent is to be rolled out from the list of the Operating System
box (for example, Windows XP/2003... (64 bit).
7. Click Next.
The Communication window is displayed on the screen.
8. To find the relay click Import Devices from CSV File
9. Click All

next to the Parent Name box.

10. Select the desired parent device from the list and click OK.
11. Click Next.
The Targets & Accounts window is displayed on the screen.
12. Click Import Devices from CSV File

The Select Devices from the List window is displayed on the screen. It provides you with the different
methods to choose the rollout targets.
13. Select the Network

tab in the left window bar.

The box Available Devices displays now the Microsoft Windows Network Neighborhood structure on
the screen.
14. Open the tree structure under which the target device are located.
15. Select the device/devices to be added to the list by marking the different devices and moving them to the
Selected Devices list to the right via Add .
Be aware that you can select a maximum of 18 devices for your rollout with the evaluation license.
The evaluation license provides you the possibility to test with a total of 20 devices, and you already
installed the master and probably at least one relay.
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
16. Click OK to add the selected devices and close the window.
17. Now click Add Administrator

18. Enter the required data for the account login into the respective boxes.
19. Click Verify Rollout to make sure the entered account data are correct.
20. Click OK and then Finish.
21. In the following Confirmation pop-up menu check the Go to Rollout radio button to change the focus of the
console window to the new rollout. Click Yes to confirm the immediate activation.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents|19

22. If you have not checked the Go to Rollout box at the end of the wizard select the newly-created rollout in the
left tree hierarchy and then its Servers subnode.
In the Assigned Schedule tab you can follow the general progress of the client rollout assignment.
23. After this value reads Executing, select the Targets tab to follow progress of each individual target through
the Status column (initial status is Initial and final stage should be Installed).
You have now rolled out the BCM client agent to specific devices of your infrastructure that were provided by
the Microsoft Network Neighborhood.

Rolling out the Client Agent to Specific IP Address Ranges

To roll the agent out to specific IP address ranges instead of selecting the devices from the network neighborhood, an
autodiscovery must be executed before starting the actual rollout procedure.

Executing an autodiscovery on the IP address range

1. In the left window pane of the console select the device which is to execute the autodiscovery of the network;
this should be the relay under which the clients are to be located.
2. Then select the node Agent Configuration > Module Configuration > AutoDiscovery .
3. Open the modules parameters by selecting Edit > Properties

The Properties dialog box is displayed on the screen.

4. Enter the indicated values for the following parameters and leave all others as they are:
Options

Description

Timeout (sec)

Address Range ;

enter the IP address range to scan

Address Verification Interval (sec)

Use Network Neighborhood

Yes

5. Then click OK to confirm the new parameters and to close the window.
The autodiscovery will be launched immediately. You can follow its progress by going to the Device List
tab.
6. Click Refresh

from time to time and you will see the list populated with the devices found by the relay.

Rolling out to a specific IP address range

1. Launch the rollout creation wizard by selecting the Wizards > Agent Rollout item menu

The Core Setup Configuration window is displayed on the screen.

2. Check the Configure the relay selection or use master otherwise box.
If you want to schedule the rollout at a specific date and time check the Configure a custom
schedule for this rollout (default is one immediate execution) box.
3. Click Next.
The General Parameters is displayed on the screen.
4. Enter the name of the new rollout (for example, Windows 7 Client Rollout) into the Name box.

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20|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents

5. Enter the name for the rollout package executable that will be created into the Auto-extractible Name box (for
example, win7clientagent12.exe).
6. Select the operating system group to which the agent is to be rolled out from the list of the Operating System
box (for example, Windows XP/2003... (64 bit).
7. Click Next.
The Communication window is displayed on the screen.
8. To find the relay click Import Devices from CSV File
9. Click All

next to the Parent Name box.

10. Select the desired parent device from the appearing list and click OK.
11. Click Next.
The Targets & Accounts window is displayed on the screen.
12. When selecting the rollout targets from the autodiscovery you have two possibilities to do so:
You may either select the targets from a general list displaying all autodiscovered devices.
a) The tab is the preselected tab when the window is opened. It displays the list of all devices found by all
devices executing autodiscoveries in the network. Select the device/devices to be added to the list by
marking the different devices and moving them to the Selected Devices list to the right via Add .
Be aware that you can select a maximum of 18 devices for your rollout with the evaluation license.
The evaluation license provides you the possibility to test with a total of 20 devices, and you
already installed the master and probably at least one relay.
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
b) Click OK to add the selected devices and close the window.
You may make your selection from the autodiscovered list of a specific device.
a) Select the AutoDisc Device tab (

) in the left window bar.

The Select a Device window is displayed on the screen.

b) Click All and then select the device that carried out the autodiscovery, that is, the parent relay in this
example).
The Available Devices box will now display the list of all devices found.
c) Select the device/devices to be added to the list by marking the different devices and moving them to the
Selected Devices list to the right via Add .
Be aware that you can select a maximum of 18 devices for your rollout with the evaluation license.
The evaluation license provides you the possibility to test with a total of 20 devices, and you
already installed the master and probably at least one relay.
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
d) Click OKto add the selected devices and close the window.
13. Now click Add Administrator

14. Enter the required data for the account login into the respective boxes.
15. Click Verify Rollout to make sure the entered account data are correct.
16. Click OK and then Finish.
17. In the following Confirmation pop-up menu check the Go to Rollout radio button to change the focus of the
console window to the new rollout. Click Yes to confirm the immediate activation.
18. If you have not checked the Go to Rollout box at the end of the wizard select the newly created rollout in the
left tree hierarchy and then its Servers subnode.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Deploying your first BCM Agents|21

In the Assigned Schedule tab you can follow the general progress of the client rollout assignment.
19. After this value reads Executing select the Targets tab to follow progress of each individual target through
the Status column (initial status is Initial and final stage should be Installed).
You have now rolled out the BCM agent to a specific subnet of your infrastructure.

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22|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Making agent rollout more efficient

Making agent rollout more efficient

Rolling out the BCM agents consists of first designing your infrastructure, rolling out the agents to the target devices,
assigning them their typology type. Beyond that BCM offers many possibilities to adapt the agent rollout to your own
needs and specifications.In the following chapters you can find out how to schedule the rollout at a given time, install via
the Rollout Server Page, and so on

Scheduling the rollout at a given time and date

In the Core Setup Configuration window, make sure the Configure a custom schedule for this rollout (default
is one immediate execution) box is checked.Then, after the Targets & Accounts window, another window will
be displayed, the Schedule window.
1. Select the Validity tab.
2. Define in the Execution Date box at what moment the rollout, is to be launched for the first time (for example,
at the next start-up of the device).
3. Define in the Termination box defines when the rollout is to be run for the last time (for example, stop after 5
executions).
4. Select the Frequency tab.
Here you can define the exact day, time or frequency at which the rollout is to be launched on the
target. To run the rollout more than once only makes sense if you expect that some rollout execution
tentatives may not succeed at the first try due to specific reasons.
5. Click Finish.
The rollout is now defined and scheduled to be executed at the specified time.

Rollout server page parameters

The agent running on the rollout server has an additional page, the Rollout Server page. This page cannot be accessed
through the regular agent interface. To log on to this page you must either have an admin login, the system login of the
master computer, or a login specifically defined by the admin. This page is only accessible via a browser through the
following address: http://<rollout server name> :<rollout server port number>/rollout, for
example scotty:1611/rollout.
N o te
You can enter the host name either as its short or full network name such as scotty or scotty.enterprise.com, or in
form of its IP address. Be aware that when you use IPv6 you need to put square brackets around the IP address,
for example, [2001:db8:85a3:8d3:1319:8a2e:370:7348]:1611.
For our first test this is the master and you may use the predefined login admin with no password.
The rollout server page provides the following information about all existing rollouts that are defined as being available on
the respective rollout server:

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Making agent rollout more efficient|23

Parameter

Description

Rollout Name

The name of the rollout as defined at its configuration in the Console.

Rollout Type

The installation operation executed by the rollout (that is, if it is an agent installation,
reinstallation, or uninstall).

Operating System

The operating system type and version of the target devices.

Auto-extractible Name

This is the name of the rollout package -- the actual installation package of the agent
as defined in the console. This entry is a direct link to the location of the package from
which you can download it or launch it through the use of your mouse buttons.

Publication Date

This field displays the date and time at which the package was made available on this
page for download.

Downloading and installing a rollout from the rollout server page

This page makes all rollout packages on the server available for download by the clients that cannot be accessed directly
by the rollout. To download and install, proceed as follows:
1. To download a package right-click its name and save it on the local client, or launch it directly for installation by
double-clicking.
2. Before the actual download or installation process starts you must provide the password for the download a
second time.

Uninstalling the client agent via rollout

Agents that were installed via a rollout may also be uninstalled by rollout. The procedure is similar to the installation. The
wizard created for this uninstallation uses the Master as the Rollout Server and the default schedule.

Creating the uninstall rollout

1. Launch the rollout creation wizard by selecting the Wizards > Agent Rollout

menu item.

The Core Setup Configuration window is displayed on the screen.

2. Select the Uninstall option from the Select the action to perform for this rollout list.
3. Click Next.
The General Parameters are displayed on the screen.
4. Define the following parameters for your new rollout all others leave with their predefined values:

Enter the name for the rollout configuration, for example, Vista 32-bit Uninstall in the Name text box.
Enter the name for the auto-extractable file into the Auto-extractible Name if the uninstallation is to be also
available for download on the Rollout Server agent interface, for example, FPAC_Vista32BitUninstall.exe.
If the installation is to be executed silently, that is, without any user input on the target, on Windows devices
check the Silent mode Installation box.
In the Operating System text box select the appropriate operating system group.
If the agent was NOT installed in the default directory enter its installation directory in the Installation
Directory text box.
If the agent was NOT installed with its default service name enter its name in the Agent Service Name text
box.

5. Click Next.

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24|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout| Making agent rollout more efficient

The Communication window is displayed on the screen. In this window the devices on which the agent
is to be uninstalled must be selected and the administrator accounts to access them. To select the target
devices there are several methods available. Since all targets have an agent installed the easiest method
is to select them from the device list.
6. For this select Select a device

above the Parent Name text box.

The Select a Device window opens on the screen.

7. Select the devices to be uninstalled from one of the tabs of the Select a Device dialog box.
8. Click OK to confirm and close the window.
The devices are now added to the list window.
9. Now click Add Administrator

10. Enter the required data for the account login into the respective boxes.
11. To add a new account click Add Administrator

The Properties dialog box is displayed on the screen.

12. Enter the following data for a new account login into the respective boxes:
a) Enter the name of the domain to which the rollout is going into the Administrator Domain text box. You
may use an asterisk (*) if the rollout is going to all domains.
b) Enter the login name of the admin as which the agent deployment tries to log on to the remote target to
install the agent into the Logon text box.
If you are not sure that your local administrator login has the same passwords for all targets, use
the domain login. For domain logins to work correctly, the necessary domain trust relationships
must already have been set up between the different domain controllers.
c) Enter the password of the previously entered admin into the Password text box. For security reasons the
passwords will only be displayed in the form of asterisks (*).
d) Confirm the previously entered the password into this text box.
e) Click OK to confirm the new account and add it.
It will now be shown in the preceding list.
13. Click Verify Rollout to make sure the entered account data are correct.
14. Click OK and then Finish.
15. In the following Confirmation pop-up menu check the Go to Rollout radio button to change the focus of the
console window to the new rollout. Click Yes to confirm the immediate activation.
16. If you have not checked the Go to Rollout box at the end of the wizard select the newly created rollout in the
left tree hierarchy and then its Servers subnode.
In the Assigned Schedule tab you can follow the general progress of the client rollout assignment.
17. After this value reads Executing select the Targets tab to follow progress of each individual target through
the Status column (initial status is Initial and final stage should be Installed).
You have now uninstalled the BCM agent from all the defined target computers.
I M P ORTA N T
Devices that may not be accessed directly by the rollout because they are in another domain or
behind a firewall or for any number of other reasons must download the uninstall package from
the Rollout Server page of the servers agent browser interface and execute it. To access the server
enter http://<rollout server name> :<rollout server port> /rollout into the browser.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Advanced using of agent rollouts|25

Advanced using of agent rollouts

The instructions in the preceding chapters enable you to efficiently use rollout. This section will give you a better
understanding of the functionalities and components of the rollout system.
The most important concepts of rollout are explained in this section, including:

answers and explanations to questions you might have

flowcharts that illustrate processes
overviews of where to find the component in the Console
examples and recommendations
references to all related tasks

Structure and intention of rollouts

The Rollout includes two separate modes in order to fulfil the maintenance operations. The active mode (Push) prepares
and installs BCM agents on remote devices while the passive mode (Pull) bundles the BCM software so it can be
downloaded and installed manually by end users via a specific page on the agent interface.
Rollout folders are created as organizational containers for different types of rollouts. They may contain any number of
predefined or custom-made rollouts for the management of the client system.
The BCM Rollout makes the installation, reinstallation, or uninstall of the BCM agent on your client population a quite
simple and quickly executed task. All different installation possibilities are executed through the same operation.
A rollout is configured via the parameters provided by the rollouts subnodes:

Agent Configuration
Post-Install
Servers

Post-Install node
The Post-Install node provides you the possibility to add and edit a script to be executed after the rollout of the agent
has terminated and to add files to be installed on the remote client. This may be to fine-tune agent settings for a specific
computer or to simply add some individual configuration files.
The Post-Install node has the following tabs:

Script
Files

Post-Install: The Script tab

The Script tab allows the administrator to write and edit a script in the Chilli language to be executed after the termination
of the rollout process of the agent on the managed device. This script defines the actions to execute after a rollout has
successfully taken place and what is to be done with the files that were added with the script. The default location of the
script is [Installation Directory]/data/CoreUtils on the client device, and it will be created and stored on
the master when you leave the Post-Install node.

Post-Install: The Files tab

The Files tab provides you with the possibility to add files to the rollout package which will be installed or added on the
local client after the actual rollout procedure. In which way they are to be treated is defined through the script explained in
the preceding tab.

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26|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Advanced using of agent rollouts

By default the list is empty, however, as soon as the script has been created it will be automatically added to the list. The
table displays the following information about the added files:
Parameter

Description

Name

Displays the name of the file to be installed or added on the client computer.

Define the destination

path on the client for the
selected files:

Shows the path, either full or relative to the agent, where the file is to be installed on
the client device.

Rollout Server node parameters

The actual rollout is managed and executed by a rollout server. This node provides access to all rollout servers to which
the current rollout is assigned to. A rollout may be assigned to more than one server. The table displays the following
information about the servers:
Parameter

Description

Name

The name of the rollout server.

IP Address

The IP address of the rollout server.

Operating System

The operating system running on the rollout server.

Rollout servers
Rollouts are managed by authorized BCM administrators through the console. When using Push Rollouts, the underlying
maintenance operations are delegated to elected BCM agents, the Rollout Servers. Hence, any already deployed BCM
agent may be considered as a possible management point about the BCM deployment task.
N o te
Rollout servers are not limited to executing rollouts to clients of their own operating system family. They may
roll out the BCM agent to clients of any supported operating system, with the exception of Windows systems: A
Windows rollout can only be managed by a Windows Rollout Server.

Adding a rollout server to the Servers node

You may directly add a device as a Rollout Server under the Servers node. Any device that fulfils the predefined
requirements can be a Server in BCM . The master is a rollout server by default. To define a device as a rollout server,
proceed as follows:
1. Go to the Servers node in the left window pane.
2. Then select Edit > Add Rollout Server

The Add a new rollout server pop-up menu will be displayed on the screen displaying the list of all
devices, that may be a server due to their operating system.
3. Select the device to be added from one of the list boxes.
4. Click OK to confirm and close the window.
The device will be added to the table of Servers and its configuration parameter will be updated.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Advanced using of agent rollouts|27

Rollout of client agents via the rollout server

The actual providing and sending of installation files and scripts will be managed by the rollout server. The prerequisite for
a computer being used as a rollout server is that Windows Installer version 2.0 or later is installed. If the rollout server is on
the master, this version will automatically have been installed via the master installation. If Windows XP or later is installed
the client will have the correct version.

The Assigned Schedule tab of a rollout

The Assigned Schedule tab displays the execution schedule defined for the selected rollout. It provides you the possibility
to modify this schedule an/or to reassign the rollout to its targets.

Generating the rollout package

If the rollout is to be available on the Rollout Server page of the HTML agent interface for 'pulling' the rollout to the device
and then installing it (formerly Pull Rollout), a specific self-extracting installation package must be generated.
Select Edit > Generate Rollout Package

The package is immediately generated and made available on the Rollout Server and its browser page.

Starting a rollout after all configurations

After all the configuration of a rollout is defined and it is assigned to its targets and its schedule specified, it can be
launched:
Select Edit > Start Rollout.
The rollout will be launched immediately ignoring any schedule that may be defined for it.

Scheduling the rollout at a given time and date

In the Core Setup Configuration window, make sure the Configure a custom schedule for this rollout (default
is one immediate execution) box is checked.Then, after the Targets & Accounts window, another window will
be displayed, the Schedule window.
1. Select the Validity tab.
2. Define in the Execution Date box at what moment the rollout, is to be launched for the first time (for example,
at the next start-up of the device).
3. Define in the Termination box defines when the rollout is to be run for the last time (for example, stop after 5
executions).
4. Select the Frequency tab.
Here you can define the exact day, time or frequency at which the rollout is to be launched on the
target. To run the rollout more than once only makes sense if you expect that some rollout execution
tentatives may not succeed at the first try due to specific reasons.
5. Click Finish.
The rollout is now defined and scheduled to be executed at the specified time.

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28|BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Advanced using of agent rollouts

The Targets tab of a rollout

The Targets tab provides access to all devices which are defined as rollout targets. This list may be filtered according to the
device rollout status.

Filtering rollout targets

To display only a reduced number of target devices assigned to this rollout, you may filter these via their different status
values. To do so, proceed as follows:
1. Click the View list above the table.
This list provides you with the following status values according to which you can sort the assigned
devices:
Status

Description

All Status

to display the assigned devices of all different types

of status

Initial

the rollout was not yet launched

Successful

the rollout was successfully terminated on the

device

Failed

the rollout failed to execute successfully on the

device

Processing

the rollout is still being executed

2. Select the desired status value.

The table will update its contents and display only those devices, which status value corresponds to the one
you selected.
Adding a device from the list of autodiscovered devices
Devices may be added to the list of rollout targets through a number of different ways. One is through different types of
lists.
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
One of these lists is the list of autodiscovered devices:
The AutoDiscovery module provides a list of all devices of any type found in the network, such as printers or devices with
and without the agent installed. This list is also available for the rollout functionality to facilitate the selection of the rollout
targets. However, the list displayed in this case will only show all clients of type device and only those with a status of
Verified or Learned, which means that all devices in this list have been verified for existence either by the local client
or a neighbor client and exist on the network. To add a device from the list of all autodiscovered devices known to the
database, proceed as follows:
1. Select Edit > Import Devices from CSV File

The Select Devices from the List window opens which provides you with its different methods, with the
AutoDisc Object tab preselected in the left window bar.

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Advanced using of agent rollouts|29

On the top of the Available Devices box there are two drop-down lists which provide you the possibility
to filter the autodiscovered objects thus reducing the list to your needs. The following filters are
available:

You may filter for the type of the autodiscovered object, that is, if all found devices are to be shown,
or only PCs, printers, switches, and so on and you may limit the list to either devices with or without
the BCM agent already installed.
The box Available Devices displays the list of all available devices.
Below, the Use IP Address option allows you to select the device by IP address. By default this option
is not activated, meaning that the device is selected by its name.

2. Select the device/devices to be added as targets from the list

3. Then click Add

to move the selected devices to the list of Selected Devices.

4. Click OK to confirm the selections and close the window.

The selected device(s) will now be added to the list of targets with the initial status Initial.
Adding a device from the list of devices discovered by another device
Devices may be added to the list of rollout targets through a number of different ways. One is through different types of
lists.
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
One of these lists is the list devices discovered by another device:
The tab AutoDisc Device allows you to select your target devices from a list of autodiscovered devices by one specific
network device.
1. Select the Edit > Import Devices from CSV File

icon.

2. Select the AutoDisc Device tab in the left window bar.

The Select a Device window opens on the screen.
3. Select the device of which the autodiscovered list is to be used from one of the tabs of the Select a Device
dialog box.
The list of groups and devices provided in this window includes groups and members of synchronized directory
servers.
4. Click OK to confirm the selections and close the window.
The box Available Devices displays now the list of all devices which were discovered by the selected
network device.
5. Select the device/devices to be added as targets from this list
6. Then click Add

to move the selected devices to the list of Selected Devices.

7. Click OK to confirm the selections and close the window.

The selected device(s) will now be added to the list of targets with the initial status Initial.
Adding a device from the Microsoft network neighborhood
Devices may be added to the list of rollout targets through a number of different ways. One is through different types of
lists.
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
One of these lists is the Microsoft Network Neighborhood:
1. Select Edit > Import Devices from CSV File

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2. Select the Network tab in the left window bar.

The box Available Devices displays now the Microsoft Windows Network Neighborhood structure on
the screen
3. Select the device/devices to be added to the list from one of its groups.
4. Click OK to confirm the selections and close the window.
The selected device(s) will now be added to the list of targets with the initial status Initial.
Adding a device from a CSV list
Devices may be added to the list of rollout targets through a number of different ways. One is through different types of
lists.
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
One of these lists is a CSV list that contains the respective devices.
1. Select Edit > Import Devices from CSV File

2. Select the CSV List tab in the left window bar.

A window opens, in which you may select the file containing the device list.
3. Click Open at the bottom of the window to open the list.
The box Available Devices displays now the list of all devices contained in the selected CSV list.
4. Check the Header box, if your CSV file has a title line which is to be removed.
5. Select the device to be added to the rollout from the list in the window.
You may also select all devices in the list by using Select All.
6. Click OK to confirm the selections and close the window.
The selected device(s) will now be added to the list of targets with the initial status Initial.
Manually adding targets
You may also add a device by directly entering its name. To do so, proceed as follows:
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
1. Select Edit > Add Device

The Select a Device window opens on the screen.

2. Select the device to be added from one of the tabs of the Select a Device dialog box.
The list of groups and devices provided in this window includes groups and members of
synchronized directory servers.
3. Click OK to confirm the addition and close the window.
Adding an existing device
You may also add one or more devices by typing their name or address. To do so, proceed as follows:
AT T E N T I ON
Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
1. Select Edit > Add Existing Device

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BMC Client Management - Client Agent Rollout|Advanced using of agent rollouts|31

The Add a Device dialog box is displayed on the screen.

2. Enter the name of the device to be added to the list into the respective field. The name may be entered

Either as its short or long network name, for example, scotty or scotty.enterprise.com or as its
IP address, for example, 159.124.5.10,
Or as a comma separated list of names or ranges, for example, scotty;
192.168.4.45-192.168.4.47 which includes machines scotty.enterprise.com,
192.168.4.45, 192.168.4.46 and 192.168.4.47.
A range may also be entered as CIDR notation in the form of 192.9.205.22/18.

3. Click OK to add the device and close the window.

Verifiying the rollout
The Verify Rollout action verifies the validity of domain/username/password on the rollout server and on the target
devices before launching a rollout. If no targets have been defined yet, the server account only will be verified. If one or
more devices are specifically selected in the table only those are verified. To verify the rollout, proceed as follows:
1. Select the target device(s) if specific devices are to be verified or do not make any selection to verify all targets
in the table in the right window pane.
2. Then select Edit > Verify Rollout

A message box will appear on the screen with the result of the verification for each device.
Displaying the rollout log file
Logging of rollout is not included in the general logging in the mtxagent.log file, it is written in its own specific log file,
the mtxsetup.log, which is located in the [Installation Directory]/master/data/rollout directory. It is possible to directly
access the log file of a specific client assigned to the currently selected rollout. Be aware, that this option is only available
for devices with an established connection, it is never available for unconnected, retired or unknown devices. To do so,
proceed as follows:
1. Select the target device in the right window pane.
2. Select Edit > Display Log

A new window will appear on the screen, displaying the contents of the log file of the rollout on the
selected client.
The log displays the date and time at which the action occurred, the name of the operational rule the
action executed, a letter(s) that indicates of which type the explanation following is, such as ERR for error
or T for trace, and so on and the description itself.
3. Click Close to close the window.
Reassigning a rollout
If targets failed to install during a rollout, they may be reassigned and thus re-executed.
1. Select the devices to which the rollout is to be reassigned, or do not assign any device in the table if the rollout
is to be reassigned to all targets shown in the table to the right.
2. Select Edit > Reassign Rollout

A confirmation window is displayed on the screen.

3. Click Yes to confirm the reassignment and launch it according to its schedule.
Generating the rollout package for a target
If the rollout is to be available on the Rollout Server for "pulling" the rollout to the device and then installing it (formerly
Pull Rollout), a specific package must be generated
Select Edit Generate Rollout Package.
The package is immediately generated and made available on the Rollout Server.

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Defining login accounts

Specific login accounts may be defined to be used for the rollouts. These logins will then try to log on to the device to
execute the rollout in the order in which they are defined. The logins are tried in the order they are defined in the table,
and once a login is successful all further accounts will be ignored
Adding an account to the rollout deployment
To add an account to the rollout deployment, proceed as follows:
1. In the User Accounts tab select Edit > Add Account

The Properties dialog is displayed on the screen.

2. Enter the required data for the new account login.
3. Click OK to confirm the new account and to close the window.

Agent Rollout wizard

The definition and execution of the different rollouts to be executed in the network may be done manually by creating
the rollout and then defining all options, or they may be created via the Agent Rollout wizard. This wizard creates a
new rollout from scratch with all the required settings and sends it to the list of targets. The preentered values are those
defined during the installation of the master.
The wizard is available directly on the main Wizards menu from anywhere in the Console, or it may be called from specific
locations in the console.
1. Select the Wizards > Agent Rollout menu item from the menu bar.
2. The first wizard window is displayed on the screen.

The Agent Rollout wizard (1): Specifying core setup configuration

The first step provides you the possibility to specify which aspects of an agent rollout require specific configuration and for
which the default values may be used.
1. For the first question select the type of rollout to be executed from the list. Depending on your choice a number
of the following questions may be dimmed.
2. Answer the following questions by checking or leaving unchecked the box. Checking the box will add the
respective step to the wizard in which you will need to provide information.
3. If you have selected to create a task for this operation, the Create Task box is displayed in the following and, if
tasks of type Agent Rollout exist, you may also select to add this rollout to one of the existing tasks by checking
the Use Existing Task box and selecting it from the list.
4. After you have answered all questions click Next to start the rollout configuration.

The Agent Rollout wizard (2): Defining general parameters before rolling out the agent>
This window is one of the two mandatory wizard steps that will always be part of the rollout configuration, because it
defines is basic parameters. The following parameters must be defined for a rollout to work:
1. Enter a name into the respective field.
2. Enter a name for the auto-extractable file, if the rollout is to be made available on the browser interface page of
the Rollout Server.
This may be necessary if the rollout is assigned to devices that may not be accessed directly by the
rollout. This may be the case if they are in another domain or behind a firewall or for any number of
other reasons. For these cases the install package must be downloaded from the Rollout Server page
of the servers agent browser interface and executed locally.
3. Select the operating system for which the rollout is to be created.

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4. Define the installation directory if another than the default directory is to be used.
5. Define the agent service name if another than the default name is to be used and define its start-up type.
6. Click Nextto go to the following wizard page.

The Agent Rollout wizard (3): Communication settings

This window defines the communication settings between the agent to be installed and its parent, such as the parent
name and port, the port for inter-agent communication, connection timeout values. and tunnel definitions. The
predefined values in this window are the parameter values defined for the master; therefore, if the agents to be rolled out
have the master as their parent, no changes are required here.
For any other cases, you have the following options to define the relay:

Define another static relay,

Use the automatic relay selection and one or more of its proposed methods to find the relays.

The Agent Rollout wizard (3): Defining a static relay

To define a static relay for the agent targets:
1. Enter the range of ports on which the HTTP server will listen for and send data from into the Port box.
2. Enter the number of the port the Console uses for its communication into the Console Port box.
3. Enter the name of the direct parent directly into the Parent Name box or select it from the list of available
devices. The displayed list is pre-filtered to show only those devices for which the Relay option is activated. If no
value is entered, the master is used by default.
4. Enter the number of the port on which the new agent connects to its parent into the Parent Port box.
5. Click Next to continue.
The Agent Rollout wizard (3): Defining an automatic relay selection
Automatic relay selection allows the clients to try to find their relay using one ore more specifically selected methods in
the order that they are defined. If one method cannot find a relay it returns and the next method in the list will be tried.
1. Select the Auto-Select Relay radio button.
2. In the Available Relay Selection Methods box select the first method to be used to find the relay.
3. Click Add

4. Enter the required parameter values in the Properties window.

5. The method will move to theSelected Methods box to the right.
6. Repeat these steps for all methods that are to be used for finding a relay.
7. If you want to make changes to the order, select the method to move in the Selected Methods box and click
Move Up
or Move Down
above the box until the method is at the desired place.
8. Click Next.
The Agent Rollout wizard (3): Defining communication specific parameters
If you require specific settings for the agent communication with the relays, you can define these:
1. Select the Advanced tab.
2. Make the required changes in the available parameters.
3. Click Next.

The Agent Rollout wizard (4): Defining security parameters before rolling out the agent
The parameters in this window define the settings on how the communication between the agents is secured. The preentered default values are those defined for the master. To use those no modifications are required. Otherwise make the
necessary changes to the boxes of the window.

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N o te
Dont forget to define the certificates and authorities if you are using secured communication with mutual
authentication, otherwise the agents will not be able to communicate.
Click Next to continue.

The Agent Rollout wizard (5): Defining user interface and reboot management
The parameters defined in this window concern the user interface, that is, the information, if any, displayed in the systray
and the way rebooting the device is managed by the BCM agent. The default settings are:

User interface

The BCM agent icon is displayed in the systray dynamically with all its different possible status and colour changes.
Reboot Management
A message box is displayed on target device for a reboot request and the reboot waits for a maximum of 5 minutes
before executing.

Make any changes as required and then click Next to continue.

The Agent Rollout wizard (6): Defining logging parameters before rolling out the agent
The logging parameters define the basic settings for the main agent log file (that is, the values specify the granularity of
the contents of the main agent log file, and their output location, the amount of information to keep, and the displayed
types, for example.)
Make any changes as required and then click Next to continue.

The Agent Rollout wizard (7): Available modules for target devices
This window provides the list of all available modules that may be installed on the target device and loaded at start-up
for the selected operating systems according to your licences. The default modules are pre-checked. Modules which are
required for the basic functioning of the agent are listed with the mandatory icon ( ) and cannot be unloaded.
1. To load or unload a module for the target device select it in the table.
2. Then either select the Edit > Load Modules or Edit > Unload Modules

icon.

The icon of the selected modules will be automatically changed to indicate its modified loading status
via the Yes/No icon ( / ).
The Agent Rollout wizard (7): Configuring modules for target devices
It is also possible to directly configure a number of the modules from here. Be aware that not all modules may be
preconfigured by the rollout; modules such as OsDeployment may only be configured directly on the device. If a module
is specifically configured, the Customized
icon is displayed in the respective column. The relay module will always be
shown as configured, because it was automatically adapted with the parent information.To configure a module proceed as
follows:
1. Select the respective module in the table.
2. Then either select the Edit > Properties

icon.

The Properties window is displayed on the screen.

It displays all module parameters which are configurable.
3. Make the necessary modifications
4. Click OK at the bottom of the window to confirm the modifications or click Cancel to abandon without
modifications and to close the window
5. Click Next to continue.

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The Agent Rollout wizard (8): Defining the rollout server for the rollout
This window defines the Rollout Server to use for this rollout. By default the Master is defined as Rollout Server. You can
either use another already existing server by selecting it in the table or add another one in this step.
1. Click the Add Device

icon on top of the table.

The Add a new rollout server pop-up window will appear on the screen displaying the list of all devices,
that may be a server due to their operating system.
2. Select the device to be added from one of the list boxes.
3. Click OK to confirm and close the window.
4. The device will be added to the table of available servers and selected.
5. Click Next to continue.

The Agent Rollout wizard (9): Rollout targets and rollout accounts
This window is the second obligatory step of the rollout wizard, because it defines the target devices and the credentials
to access them.
The Agent Rollout wizard (9): Defining rollout targets
In the first part of the window the rollout targets are defined. Be aware that you cannot add the master as a target device.
Devices may be added to the list of rollout targets through a number of different ways:
After all devices are added click Next to continue.
The Agent Rollout wizard (9): Defining rollout accounts
Specific login accounts may be defined to be used for the rollouts. These logins will then try to log on to the device to
execute the rollout in the order in which they are defined. The logins are tried in the order they are defined in the table,
and once a login is successful all further accounts will be ignored.
1. Now click Add Administrator

2. Enter the required data for the account login into the respective boxes.
The access to the devices must be defined in the same way as for the installation before
you can schedule the rollout.
3. To add a new account click Add Administrator

The Propertiesdialog box is displayed on the screen.

4. Enter the following data for a new account login into the respective boxes:
a) Enter the name of the domain to which the rollout is going into the Administrator Domain field. You may
use an asterisk (*) if the rollout is going to all domains.
b) Enter the login name of the admin as which the agent deployment tries to log on to the remote target to
install the agent into the Administrator Logon field.
as the "simple" login name of a local user of the remote computer, such as Administrator
as .\login for a local login, or
as domain\login for a domain login of the administrator, such as LAB\TEST. The domain
part may be set to a dot (.) to indicate the local computer.
If you are not sure that your local administrator login has the same passwords for
all targets, use the domain login. For domain logins to work correctly, the necessary
domain trust relationships must already have been set up between the different
domain controllers.

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c) Enter the password of the previously entered admin into the Password field. For security reasons the
passwords will only be displayed in the form of asterisks (*).
d) Confirm the previously entered the password into this field.
e) Click OK to confirm the new account and add it.
It will now be shown in the preceding list.
5. Click Verify Rollout at the bottom to make sure the credentials are correct.
6. Click Finish.
7. Click Next to continue with the wizard.

The Agent Rollout wizard (10): Post-installation of files

This window provides you the possibility to create a script in the BMC Software proprietary Chilli language after the
installation of the agent has finished or to add files to the rollout package.
The Agent Rollout wizard (10): Creating a post-installation script
In this box you add and edit a script to be executed after the rollout of the agent has terminated, and add files to be
installed on the remote client. This may be to fine-tune agent settings for a specific computer or to simply add some
individual configuration files.
AT T E N T I ON
The script must be in the BMC Software proprietary Chilli language and follow all its rules. You can find
Information about the Chilli programming language in the Chilli manual which is delivered with the BCM
software.
1. To create a post-installation script enter it into the following box.
2. After you finish the script and click Next button, the agent will try to compile the script to verify it is correct. If it
is not correct, an error message will appear on the screen.
The Agent Rollout wizard (10): Adding post-installation files
The Files box provides you the possibility to add files to the rollout package which will be installed or added on the
local client after the actual rollout procedure. The way they are to be treated is defined through the script previously
defined.You may define one file to be copied to several different locations on the device by repeating the following
procedure for the file and each target location:
1. Click the Add Postinstall File

icon above the list box.

The Add a Postinstall File window is displayed on the screen.

2. Select the required file from the file hierarchy displayed in the list window.
3. Click OK.
4. Enter its target path in the Define the destination path on the client for the selected files: pop-up menu.
5. Click OK to confirm the addition and to close all windows.
6. Click Next to continue.

The Agent Rollout wizard (11): Scheduling the rollout

Now that the rollout, and the members have been defined, it may be scheduled to execute at a specific time. By default
it is scheduled to execute once and immediately. If this is your choice you do not need to make any modifications in this
window. To schedule the rollout for a specific moment proceed as follows:
1. Check the Available on Rollout Server box, if the rollout is to be made available on the Rollout server (that is, if
you have target devices that cannot be reached directly by the rollout).
2. Check the Allow 32 bit Agent Installations on 64 bit Architecture box if

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3. If the rollout targets are Windows devices select the connection mode that is to be used from the Windows
Connection Mode drop-down field.
4. In the Assignment Date box select at what moment the assignment to the target devices is to be launched.
The assignment in this case means that the link between the rollout and the target will be established and the
rollout package will be sent.
5. Select the Validity tab.
6. Define in the Execution Date box at what moment the rollout is to be launched for the first time.
7. Define in the Termination box defines when the rollout is to be run for the last time.
8. Select the Frequency tab. Here you can define the exact day, time or frequency at which the rollout is to be
launched on the target. To run the rollout more than once only makes sense if you expect that some rollout
execution tentatives may not succeed at the first try due to specific reasons.
9. Click Next to continue if you have specified to create a task or click Finish to confirm all settings, create the
rollout as defined and launch its execution.

The Agent Rollout wizard (12): Creating a task for the rollout
This step of the wizard provides you the possibility to create a task for the rollout defined via this wizard or to assign it to
an existing task. This option is only available if you have checked the corresponding box in the first window of the wizard.
1. Define all parameters for the task that is to follow this rollout.
2. When you have made your selections click Finish to confirm all choices and launch the process.

The Agent Rollout wizard (13): Confirming all definitions

A confirmation window is displayed on the screen. To directly move the focus of the console to the newly created rollout
check Go to Rollout. If you have also created a task for this operation, this check box will also be available and you may
select to move the focus of the console to the task by checking this box.
Click OK to confirm all definitions and create and start the rollout.

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