Installing the Datto Windows Agent by using Active Directory or SCCM

Question

How do I install Datto Windows Agent using Active Directory/SCCM?

Environment

  • Datto Windows Agent

Answer

NOTE  Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

The steps described in this article require that you first build an MSI package from the Datto Windows Agent installation executable. While Datto cannot recommend steps to build custom MSIs or provide support for them, the resulting installer package must be capable of completing the following steps.

Create a distribution point

To publish or assign a computer program, you must create a distribution point on the publishing server.

  1. Log on to the server as an administrator.
  2. Create a shared network folder where you will put the Datto Windows Agent executable
  3. Set permissions on the share to allow access to the distribution package.
  4. Copy or install the package to the distribution point

Create a group policy object

To create a Group Policy Object (GPO) to use to distribute the software package, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, and then click New.
  4. Type a name for this new policy (Datto Windows Agent) and then press enter.
  5. Click Properties, and then click the Security
  6. Clear the Apply Group Policy check box for the security groups that you don't want this policy to apply to.
  7. Select the Apply Group Policy check box for the groups that you want this policy to apply to.
  8. When you are finished, click OK.

Assign a package

To assign a program to computers that are running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP Professional, or to users who are logging on to one of these workstations, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, select the policy that you want, and then click Edit.
  4. Under Computer Configuration, expand Software Settings.
  5. Right-click Software installation, point to New, and then click Package.
  6. In the Open dialog box, type the full Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path of the shared installer package that you want. For example, \\file server\share\file name.msi. Do not use the Browse button to access the location. Make sure that you use the UNC path of the shared installer package.
  7. Click Open.
  8. Click Assigned, and then click OK. The package is listed in the right-pane of the Group Policy
  9. Close the Group Policy snap-in, click OK, and then close the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
  10. When the organization computer starts, the managed software package is automatically installed.

Publish a package

To publish a package to computer users and make it available for installation from the Add or Remove Programs list in Control Panel, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, click the policy that you want, and then click Edit.
  4. Under User Configuration, expand Software Settings.
  5. Right-click Software installation, point to New, and then click Package.
  6. In the Open dialog box, type the full UNC path of the shared installer package that you want. For example, \\file server\share\file name.msi. Do not use the Browse button to access the location. Make sure that you use the UNC path of the shared installer package.
  7. Click Open.
  8. Click Publish, and then click OK.
  9. The package is listed in the right-pane of the Group Policy
  10. Close the Group Policy snap-in, click OK, and then close the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
  11. Test the package.