This article contains the basic requirements for installation of the Altiris Agent. It will guide you through initial installation and is a good source for the beginner.
General Requirements
- 8 MB available Hard Disk (more required to install additional Solution agents and software packages if using Software Delivery Solution)
- 64 MB RAM
Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me Computers
- Current version of DCOM
- Windows Me comes with the required version of DCOM
- Internet Explorer 4.01 SP1
- Microsoft TCP/IP
Windows NT 4 Computers
- Service Pack 4
- Internet Explorer 4.01 SP1
- Local administrator rights on the computer to install the Altiris Agent on the
- Windows NT computer
- Microsoft TCP/IP
Windows 2000/XP/2003 Computers
- Internet Explorer 5.0
- Local administrator rights on the computer to install the Altiris Agent on the
- Windows 2000/XP/2003 computer
Important
Microsoft Windows XP enables Simple File Sharing during installation. Simple File Sharing must be turned off for you to install the Altiris Agent to the Windows XP computer.
Microsoft XP SP2 with firewall enabled
- Unblock ports 80 and 445. After installation, these ports can be re-blocked.
- Create an exception for the Altiris Agent in the Windows Firewall dialog.
Note: If all Altiris Agents are installed in one location, a group policy can be applied to create the exception on all XP SP2 computers. Agents running separately also require separate exceptions. Example: Deployment Server Agent (DS), Carbon Copy Agent.
Altiris Agent Installation Process
The Altiris Agent is a program that can be installed on your managed computers, which lets Notification Server gather information from and interact with your managed computers. Managed computers receive information from and send data to the Notification Server. The Altiris Agent also helps in downloading files. Altiris solutions that interact with Windows OS computers use the Altiris Agent.
Altiris Agent can be installed in two different ways:
- Installing the agent remotely from Altiris server (Push Method)
- Installing the agent from a client machine (Pull Method)
Installing the agent remotely from Altiris server (Push Method):
To install the Altiris Agent from Altiris server, follow the steps mentioned below:
Open the Altiris console: Start > Programs > Altiris > Altiris Console
Go to Configuration > Altiris Agent > Altiris Agent Rollout > Altiris Agent Installation, shown as above.
After opening the Altiris Agent Installation page, you can add the client machines by Host name / IP Address or you can select the computers from discovered computers.
When you click on Select computers, it will open a window where you can select a single or multiple computers to install the Altiris Agent.
After selecting the computers, click on Installing Altiris Agent option, it will give you the Agent Installation options. Select the desired options and give the Credentials to install the Altiris Agent on client machines you selected, click on Proceed with Install.
After clicking on the Proceed with Install option, it will start installing the agents on all selected machines and we can check the installation status on the same page. After completing the installation it will show you the status as Remote Install finished as shown above.
Installing the agent from a client machine (Pull Method):
Open web browser and type the following link:
http://Altiris Server Name/Altiris/NS/Agent/AltirisAgentDownload.aspx
This will open following window:
Click on "Click here to begin download of the package". This will open one window for install AeXClientBootstap.cab file.
Click on Install button to proceed the installation.
Click on the Click here to begin the download and install.
After installation started it shows the following window.
Now you can close the window and the installation will happen silently.
While installing the Altiris Agent, Symantec client firewall may ask to allow the Altiris software to install, for this click always permit option.
When the Agent is installed on the Client Machine you will get the Altiris Agent Icon on the system tray.