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Install the agent

Snow Inventory Agent for Windows is installed using a prepared MSI installation package.

When the agent is installed, the environment variable %SNOW_AGENT%, pointing to the Snow Inventory Agent installation folder, is created. It can be used to dynamically reference the folder from scripts or to browse for the folder in Windows Explorer.

The installed agent is started by a Windows service named Snow Inventory Agent. The service starts automatically when the computer is started. The service will be run with the LOCALSYSTEM account.

The agent consists of one executable file named snowagent.exe and one configuration file named snowagent.config. These two files are by default located in the same directory. To see a command line summary of the executable, use the following command from a command prompt:

snowagent.exe -?

If the agent files need to be copied, they can be found on a computer where the agent is already installed, see Default location of files.

note

  • If you copy the agent configuration file, verify that the information in the SiteName, ConfigName, and Endpoint elements is correct for the target computer.

  • The only supported installation location is %ProgramFiles%.

Prepare an MSI installation package​

As a Snow Atlas user, you can create your own installation packages by using Package Builder.

Otherwise, Flexera Support will create the installation packages for you. See the article How to request agent on Snow Globe for instructions on how to request an installation package. Note that you must first sign in to Snow Globe to be able to access the article via the link.

Installation options​

Use one of the following options to install the agent:

  • Deploy the MSI installation package by using your existing deployment infrastructure.

  • Copy the MSI installation package to any folder on the target computer and run it locally.

  • Deploy the MSI installation package using Windows logon scripts.

  • Deploy the MSI installation package using Active Directory Group Policy Object (GPO). For instructions, see below.

Deploy the MSI installation package using Active Directory GPO​

To create a Group Policy that installs the agent on all computers within the Organizational Unit (OU) where the policy is created:

  1. Put the MSI package on a network share.

  2. Log on to a domain controller with a user account that has domain administrator rights.

  3. Start Group Policy Management from Start|ControlPanel|AdministrativeTools|Group Policy Management.

    If the option Group Policy Management is not available, the Group Policy Console is missing. The installation file (gpmc.msi) can be downloaded from the Microsoft webpage using the following link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21895

  4. Open Forest Name|Domains|DomainName|Group Policy Objects.

  5. Select Action at the top of the page, and then select New.

    Pick a name for the policy, for example, Snow Inventory Agent Installation.

  6. Right-click the created policy in the list, and then select Edit.

    Modify the script to match the path to the network share and the MSI package names.

  7. Select Computer Configuration|Software Settings.

  8. Right-click Software Installation, select New, and then select Package.

    Select the MSI package to be installed.

    Press OK twice to apply the changes, and close the Group Policy Object Editor.

  9. Right-click the OU that contains the target computers for the deployment, or Domain Computers  for all computers. Select Link existing GPO and then pick the Group Policy that was created (in steps 5-8)

Use one MSI installation package for multiple sites​

You may need installation packages for several sites, for which the only differing content between the packages is the configuration file parameters SiteName, ConfigName, and Endpoint Address. In that case, you do not have to create one installation package for each configuration file variant. Instead, you can create only one installation package and change the parameters at the time of installation.

The only prerequisite is that the script Permit change of site name, configuration name, and endpoint address via MSI command line parameters is included in the agent installation package. The script is included by default.

At the time of installation, you can change the parameters via the command line or, if you are using a deployment tool or Group Policy, via MST files.

Change parameters via the command line​

At the time of installation, enter the following command at a command prompt to change the site name, configuration name, and endpoint address to the correct ones:

msiexec /i snowagent.msi SiteName="your site name" ConfigName="your configuration name" EndPointAddress="your endpoint address"

Change parameters via MST file​

To use the feature when deploying the MSI installation package via your software deployment infrastructure, you will need an additional Microsoft Installer Transition (MST) file for each configuration file variant. The file is reusable, so you do not have to create a new MST file for every new agent version and MSI installation package.

To create the MST file, you will need an MSI authoring tool that can create MST files, for example, SuperOrca or Orca from the Windows SDK. In the example below, Orca is used.

For each configuration file variant:

  1. In Orca, open the MSI installation package.

  2. Select Transform, and then New Transform.

  3. In the list of tables, select Property.

  4. To add properties, right-click in the main window and select Add Row.

  5. Add the following properties and the applicable values for the configuration file variant:

    • SITENAME

    • CONFIGNAME

    • ENDPOINTADDRESS

  6. Select Transform, and then Generate Transform, and save the file.

To test the deployment:

  1. Use the following command line:

    msiexec.exe /i [PATH to MSI] TRANSFORMS=[PATH TO MST]

  2. In the snowagent.config file of the installed agent, check that the SiteName, ConfigName, and Endpoint Address parameters are correct.

Now, you can deploy the one MSI installation package in your environment with your MST files via your preferred deployment tool or Group Policy.

Uninstall the agent​

As a general recommendation, use the same method for uninstalling the agent as was used for the installation.

Uninstall via Active Directory GPO​

The method for removal of software using a Group Policy Object depends on the deployment tool that has been implemented in the organization. For removal of the agent, refer to the organization’s general process for software removal.

Uninstall via Windows Installer​

The agent can be removed from a computer by using the Windows Installer. In this way, both the Windows service and all related files will be removed.

  1. On the computer, open the Control Panel and select Programs and Features.

  2. In the list of currently installed programs, select and hold Snow Inventory Agent and select Uninstall.