Using an Agent on a Machine

Your Windows users can control the agent using the Security Controls Agent client program. To access this program they either:

•Select Start > Security Controls > Security Controls Agent

•Double-click the Security Controls Agent service icon that may reside in their machine's system tray

For information on how to use the client program, see About the Agent Client Program. This topic also provides information on how to control an agent using the stagentctl command-line utility.

If multiple users are logged on to a machine, only one of the users will have access to the client program. The first user to launch the program will succeed, for all other users the program will fail.

Administrator Tools within the Client Program

The Security Controls Agent client program contains a few tools that are intended for use by you, the system administrator.

•The lower left corner of the status bar displays the name of the console that configured the agent. It also displays the name of the agent policy that is being used. This can be extremely useful, especially if you maintain multiple consoles and/or multiple agent policies.

•The client program Patch function contains a Clear Retry Counts button within the Patch Administration list. This button clears all patch counters. A unique patch counter exists for every patch the program tries to download and for every patch the program tries to install. A patch counter is incremented whenever a patch download or a patch installation fails. If a patch fails to download after 11 attempts or fails to install after 3 attempts the client program will stop trying to deploy that particular patch. The only way to resume deployment attempts for that patch is to click Clear Retry Counts. Users may notice the deployment error messages in the Patch Log but they are unlikely to know to click this button unless directed to do so by an administrator.

Your Linux users can control the agent on their machines using the stagentctl command-line utility. They can learn about the utility by displaying the built-in help information.

1.Launch a Terminal.

2.Change to the /opt/ivanti/isec/bin directory.

cd /opt/ivanti/isec/bin

3.Display help information for the stagentctl utility.

./stagentctl

Examples

View available tasks in the agent policy

Command

# ./stagentctl available-tasks

Sample Output

1. SampleLinuxPatchTask

2. Update asset data

3. Update agent binaries

4. Update patch data

5. Perform Agent check-in

For a description of the available tasks, see Managing Your Agents.

Start a check-in job

Command

# ./stagentctl dispatch --index 5

Sample Output

Task id: 96E17378-4833-BF52-4358-FC5CC14DF963