You can install or upgrade agents using MSIEXEC commands, either manually or with third-party software distribution tools.
In some cases, you install or upgrade agents by using an installer that was created in the Carbon Black App Control console for a specific policy, in which case the policy and server information is built into the installer. In other cases, you might use the “unbranded” agent installer, ParityHostAgent.msi, which does not include this information. With the unbranded installer, you can provide custom parameters.
To create custom MSIEXEC commands for agent installation, be aware of the standard MSIEXEC parameters youcan use, such as /quiet or /qn for automatic installations without prompts. See https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490936.aspx for a list of those parameters.
In addition to standard MSIEXEC syntax, you must use parameters that are specific to Carbon Black App Control agent installation. The following table shows these parameters. They can be used to modify an agent installation in various ways.
Example: The following syntax installs an agent and overrides the server defaults to connect to a specific server:
msiexec /i ParityHostAgent.msi B9_SERVER_PORT=41002 B9_SERVER_ID={b9}Fkmv+XIVXwjg7654AB2oxgxh/qxs8tsPGbX1Dabi19xs B9_SERVER_IP=newserver.mycorp.local
| Parameter | Description and Example |
|---|---|
| B9_CONFIG | This parameter lets you specify the location of the configlist.xml file when installing or upgrading an agent using an unbranded package. The configlist.xml file contains all of the Carbon Black App Control rules, such as file approvals and bans, that are created on the server and applied to the agent. The agent can download the configlist from the server after it is connected, but because there is a delay before it can complete the download, it is typically best to import all the rules immediately during agent installation. This option requires an additional URL argument (or a local path) added to the MSIEXEC command to indicate of the location of the configlist.xml file that the installer should use.
Example:
B9_CONFIG=https://<serveraddress>/hostpkg/pkg.php?pkg=configlist.xml
Important: This setting is not for use with a “branded” agent installation package (that is, one that is specific to a policy).
|
| B9_NOCONFIG | This parameter specifies to not download all of the Carbon Black App Control rule information at the same time as agent installation or upgrade. In this case, you must rely on the agent connecting to the server later and downloading any rule changes.
Important: This option is reasonably safe to use for upgrades, which should already have nearly current rules. It is not recommended for new installations because it can result in agents not properly enforcing rules until they can download them all from the server — an unpredictable period of time. It is unnecessary for branded (policy-specific) installation packages.
|
| B9_SERVER_PORT | For unbranded package installations, this parameter lets you set the port for communication from the agent to the server if the unbranded installer is used. Example: B9_SERVER_PORT=41002
Important: This setting is for use with unbranded installation packages or if you need to change this parameter as part of repair or upgrade. It is not for use with installations of a branded agent (that is, one that is specific to a policy).
|
| B9_SERVER_ID | This parameter sets the value for the Carbon Black App Control Server ID. Set during installation to manually establish the ID setting if the msi package being used is unbranded. This value is the
Example:
B9_SERVER_ID={b9}cu+ox2O9/EvVtKe+eMlkwVqpiy+kJsgs+opq8jjFWZw=
Important: This setting is for use with unbranded installation packages. It is not for use with installations of a branded agent (that is, one that is specific to a policy).
|
| B9_SERVER_IP | This parameter sets the address of the Carbon Black App Control server. You can use it to manually establish the location setting for unbranded agent installer packages.
Example:
B9_SERVER_IP=server2.mycorp.local
Important: This setting is for use with unbranded installation packages or if you need to change this parameter as part of repair or upgrade. It is not for use with installations of a branded agent (that is, one that is specific to a policy).
|
| B9_HOSTGROUP | This parameter sets the policy for the agent. You can use it to manually establish the policy setting for unbranded agent installer packages.
Example:
B9_HOSTGROUP=Monitor
Important: This setting is for use with the new installations of the unbranded installation package. It does not change policy during an upgrade, and if AD policy assignment is enabled for this agent, the policy will be changed according to your AD mapping rules.
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