ESET 6 silent install and activation

[AndersG 2]

Hi!

 

We use Zenworks Configuration management to manage all our PCs. For ESET that means a silent install, with a custom cfg.xml. With version 6 we now see that it picks up all settings, but fails to activate. How do we activate new installs silently?

[Marcos 5,070]

There is a default dynamic group "Not activated security product" where you should see computers running Endpoint v6 that hasn't been activated yet. For this group, create a new task "Activate product" which will enable you to select a license pool that will be used to activate products on computers that are reported in that dynamic group.

[AndersG 2]

OK. But that assumes that I install the ESET server. We do not want to do that. Reason we choose ESET in the first place was ease of deployment. To clarify, we want to do this at install or by running a command.

[bvj 1]

We use Zenworks Configuration management to manage all our PCs. For ESET that means a silent install, with a custom cfg.xml. With version 6 we now see that it picks up all settings, but fails to activate. How do we activate new installs silently?

 

We're also using ZCM. We're now migrating our AV requirements to ESET away from another vendor unrelated to Zenworks.  

I recommend using ESET Remote Administrator understanding you may be able to do the initial agent deploys using ZCM.

If you haven't setup the remote administrator (ERA), do so.  Then using the ERA, you can prepare agent installers (batch files) for the client computers. The installed agents then communicate to ERA for managing subsequent product installs and related ESET tasks.  

 

Our ERA is installed on the same SLES 11.3 64 bit server hosting ZCM. After taking care of the initial requirements such as the database, I copied the ERA webapp (era.war) to the same Tomcat instance serving Zenworks 11.3. No problems. 

 

The agent installer, at least for Windows, is a batch file that can likely be deployed from ZCM.  You can modify the batch file to specify the source agent MSI files which (in my environment) are normally fetched directly from eset.com.  You can generate these batch files using ERA. Look for Agent Live Installers.

Also, be aware of the reliance on a working WMI environment (for Windows.)  I had to repair a Win7 workstation in order for the ESET agent to function properly. 

 

If you take the ERA route, be prepared to check the agent logs (on the target client) for problematic installations. On Windows:

  C:\ProgramData\ESET\RemoteAdministrator\Agent\EraAgentApplicationData\Logs

This post was helpful in correcting the WMI problem I mentioned: hxxp://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/243922-wmi-corrupt.html#post2033998

 

The WMI errors were reported by the agent as something similar to:  CWbemServices: Could not connect. Error code = 0x8007007e

 

If you don't mind, let me know how things progress. I'm still working through the ESET / ZCM relationship and haven't made any hard conclusions regarding endpoint management.

BTW, we're installing ESET Endpoint Security which includes ESET AV.  Of course with Zenworks, only ESET AV is required.  Our ZCM is used primarily for managing linux servers. 

 

[AndersG 2]

Thanks. I really appreciate your thorough reply.

 

I will definitely look into it, but it feels like an overkill to use yet another management tool, just to activate installs. These are machines used for training and they are reimaged periodically. Else the activation would not be an issue.

 

Is there anywhere I could put in a request for the ability to activate another way? Another option would be to downgrade to version 5 and then re-evaluate AV products.

[bvj 1]

There's the possibility that ESET's online management portal might provide what you need. I'm using the portal to review licensing status. My ERA installation also relies on the portal for license allocation. Perhaps, ESET could help you with a batch file that would connect to the portal instead of a local ERA installation.  

 

I'm new to ESET, so I'm not that familiar with support requests.

[am@thedvi.com 0]

Version 6 of Remote Administrator does seem like a huge step backwards.  Even after ensuring that all the requirements for pushing the agent/software/license to an end user I still get errors.  I can push the agent without errors but when pushing the software I get a failure messages even though the software actually completes installation at the end user PC.  Then when trying a remote activation I get a failure message.  The trace log in the Program Data folder shows nothing and the status.html shows all green and "OK" at the end user PC side.

 

If I can push the agent and the software why can't I remote activate the license?

 

AM

[AndersG 2]

Agreed. Why make life more complicated? We switched to ESET several years ago from a competing product because of the problems we had with install and licensing. I guess it is time to open a formal support request on this.

[Marcos 5,070]

I can push the agent without errors but when pushing the software I get a failure messages even though the software actually completes installation at the end user PC.  Then when trying a remote activation I get a failure message.  The trace log in the Program Data folder shows nothing and the status.html shows all green and "OK" at the end user PC side.

 

Hello,

first of all, please install a newer version of ERAS that was released on February 25 and addresses known issues from the initial release. As for the problem installing Endpoint, only the ERA agent is pushed to clients. Endpoint installers are downloaded by ERA agents and then installed locally. If you have a screen shot of the error, please post it here so that we understand what the problem is.

[Hoenderdos 0]

We used to activate ESET 5 by a simple XML file attached during a bootscript. This was so easy and worked perfectly.

 

now with ESET 6 i need to install on every site I manage a license administrator. I don't want this. Please fix this a soon as possible. i would REALLY love to install eset again by simple bootscript including the activation. for us this reason only is to advise custommers other products.

[Marcos 5,070]

We used to activate ESET 5 by a simple XML file attached during a bootscript. This was so easy and worked perfectly.

 

now with ESET 6 i need to install on every site I manage a license administrator. I don't want this. Please fix this a soon as possible. i would REALLY love to install eset again by simple bootscript including the activation. for us this reason only is to advise custommers other products.

 

Activation with ERA v6 is not difficult:

1, Create an activation task for the "Not activated security products" dynamic group

2, Deploy agent on clients (e.g. LiveInstaller through GPO)

3, Send a software installation task to clients so that agent installs Endpoint and activates it automatically.

[AndersG 2]

But it still is yet another server to install, run and manage. Having a dedicated server (even if it is an appliance) for this task is silly. Please bring back the XML-based activation!

[macros 1]

But it still is yet another server to install, run and manage. Having a dedicated server (even if it is an appliance) for this task is silly. Please bring back the XML-based activation!

Agree with you, era version 5 is the best product with all simplicity to deploy and manage. It stable, durable and reliable. Version 6 a big joke.

[jimwillsher 65]

Remember that you can have one activation server for multiple installs. I have one ERA installation, on a HyperV virtual machine, and I use it to activate and manage seven completely separate customers, all on remote sites and all on different Windows domains, with no connectivity between them other than the internet. So yes, it's another server, but just one for all my customers.

 

Just an idea.

 

 

Jim

[AndersG 2]

True, but my gut feeling is that most admins would like to use whatever tool they use to manage the rest of their infrastructure, be it ZENWorks Configuration Management, SCCM, Altiris, LANDesk etc...