Group Policy Object (GPO) deployment
Using GPO deployment to push agent install packages across Active Directory is a relatively simple process, but it does require knowledge of both your network and the Windows Group Policy Management tool. The biggest advantage of using GPO is that you can streamline agent installs across a large number of machines that have already been discovered via AD.
Warning
This installation method is not officially supported by VIPRE.
Not only is this an advanced method of installation, but as every user network is different, VIPRE cannot assist with troubleshooting custom scripts. If you choose to continue, we recommend
1. You are an administrator
2. You have advanced knowledge of the GPO process
If you are not familiar with GPO, you may wish to use standard installation methods.
For standard agent installation and deployment, see Related Articles for more details on deploying agents.
Step 1: Set up your MSI Installer
Create the installer and move it to a location that will be accessible by your GPO.
- From VIPRE Cloud, select Deploy Agents
- Select an installer type, depending on how you want the agent to be placed
- Download Windows Installer – Generates Windows installer for the Default policy
- Create Policy Installer – Allows you to select which policy the installer and agents will belong to
- Save the file
- Transfer the file to a network share where your GPO can access it. It is important to ensure this MSI is in a shared location that every machine on the domain can reach. (e.g. \\servername\installer\installvipre.msi)
From here, you will need to customize the installation process based on your network and environment.
Step 2: Create your GPO package and deploy
Create a GPO deploy software package to place and execute the installer on your remote machines. The GPO default tools are the most elegant solution to push an installation file through GPO and manage the execution on the next boot.
- Launch the GPO Editor
- From Group Policy Management, navigate to your Organizational Unit (OU) containing the machine(s) you wish to deploy the agent to
- Right-click on the OU and select Create a GPO in this Domain and Link it Here
- Give your policy a name. Leave the Source Starter field blank. Click OK. You now have a new, blank policy.
- Right-click on the new policy and select Edit
- Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings > Software Installation. You're now editing Software Installation settings for this policy
- Right-click in the new window, and select New > Package. This is where you choose which software is installed with this policy
- From the network share, select the MSI that you created in Step 1 and click Open
- On the Deploy Software screen, select Assigned. Then, click OK
- "VIPRE Business Agent" displays in the Deploy Software window
The next time the machines in the OU reboot, they will download the MSI from the shared location and kick off the VIPRE install. This will only occur as long as that version of the VIPRE agent is not already installed on that machine.