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Flexera Agent Deployment to Windows systems with multiple bootstrap beacons and retry schedule

Hello community,

We're looking to do a mass deployment of the FlexNet Inventory Agent to Windows systems across our organization. Due to network limitations, the systems we deploy the agent to need to be able to try communication with multiple bootstrap beacons for initial policy, rather than just one beacon listed in the mgssetup.ini file. Additionally, as there may be servers that are rebooted on a limited basis, the agent needs to keep attempting to download initial policy without waiting for a reboot or restart of services. 

I've been attempting to follow ChrisG's procedure in this community article: https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Forum/FNMS-Inventory-Agent-Deployment/m-p/97436/highlight/true#M581

I haven't had much luck. I don't know which options need configured in the mgssetup.ini file and if I'm setting up the msiexec command properly.

I opened up a support case with Flexera and their response was to add multiple servers (semicolon separated) in the mgssetup.ini file under the DEPLOYSERVERURL key. This seemed to work in my test for adding multiple bootstrap beacons, but if the beacon connections fail, it doesn't seem to try redownloading policy without rebooting the system or restarting the agent services.

(3) Replies
dbeckner
By Level 10 Champion
Level 10 Champion

@pm6dwnoc The Windows agents are designed that if the initial policy download from the bootstrap beacon fails you must restart the client, services or initiate a policy download either by command line or by using the policy client in C:\Program Files (x86)\ManageSoft\Policy Client. For UNIX-like platforms, if the initial policy download fails the agent will attempt a new policy download once every 24 hours.

Hi @dbeckner. Thanks for your response. 

I had read in the FNMS documentation that restarting the agent services, rebooting the system,  or requesting policy via the command line was by default how Windows systems attempt to retrieve policy after agent installation.

Is there any way to load a schedule with the agent to recheck for policy until the initial policy download has completed? It seemed like it was possible utilizing ChrisG's MSI transform, I just wasn't able to get it to work. 

Agent schedule details are installed from *.nds files that use an internal XML-based format for detailing schedule settings. An example of such a file is contained in the .zip file attached to the older post that the original message on this thread refers to.

A schedule *.nds file can be installed by running the ndschedag.exe tool with local administrator rights directly as follows on Windows:

ndschedag.exe -o ScheduleType=Machine "c:\PathTo\My Schedule.nds"

As noted, the InstallFlexNetInvAgent.mst MSI transform on that older post can be used to do this as part of the agent installation process. You need to ensure the *.nds file is placed in the same directory as the source FlexNet Inventory Agent.msi file being installed, and is identified by the BOOTSTRAPSCHEDULE property value specified on the msiexec command line. 

NB. I last used that transform with an agent release several years ago. I'm not aware of any reason why the transform wouldn't continue to work with current agent releases, but the transform isn't actively maintained or tested and it is possible something has changed. If it isn't working for you, take a look in the Windows Installer log from an agent installation and check things like:

  • Ensure the BOOTSTRAPSCHEDULE property value is not blank
  • Look for logging related to the InstallBootstrapSchedule Windows Installer custom action
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