Centrally Installing CTERA Agent Via Active Directory

The following procedure describes installation using a Windows 2012 Active Directory domain. It is similar for Windows Server 2016 .

To centrally install CTERA Agent:

1. Perform the following steps to prepare the CTERA Agent installation file for central use:

a. On the Active Directory machine, create a shared folder called Agent under C:\ .

b. Copy the CTERA Agent installation file to a local disk, for example, C:\Agent .

c. Right-click the folder, and then click Properties.

The Agent Properties window is displayed.

d. Select the Sharing tab.

e. Click Share.

The File Sharing window is displayed.

f. Perform the following steps for each user or user group for which you would like to install CTERA Agent.

i. Specify the user/group, either by typing the user/group's name in the field, or by clicking the drop-down list arrow and then clicking Find people.

To enable installing CTERA Agent for all users/groups, select Everyone.

ii. Click Add. The user/group is displayed in the file sharing list.

iii In the user/group's row, click on the arrow in the Permission Level column, then click Read.

iv Click Share.

The File Sharing window displays a success message.

g. Click Done.

h. Click Close to close the Agent Properties dialog.

2. Create a policy that controls the installation of CTERA Agent:

a. In the Start menu, select Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management.

The Group Policy Management console is displayed:

• 
• 
  
  • This console enables you to create domain-wide policies or policies for specific organizational units.

b. In the navigation pane, drill-down to the domain or organizational unit for which you want to create the policy, right-click it and select Create a new GPO in this domain and Link it here.

The New GPO window is displayed.

e. Double-click the policy to display the policy.

Note: If a Group Policy Management Console message is displayed, click OK. 

The policy details are displayed:

• 
• 
  

• f. In the Security Filtering area, perform the following steps for each user or user group for which you would like to install CTERA Agent:

  i Click Add.

ii In the Enter the object name to select area, type the name of the user/group.

• • • To enable installing CTERA Agent for all users/groups, type Everyone.

iii Click OK.

g. Right-click the policy you created and select Edit.

The Group Policy Management Editor is displayed.

h. In the navigation pane, expand User Configuration > Policies > Software Settings, right-click Software Installation and select New > Package.

The Open window is displayed.

i. Specify the network location of the shared folder containing the CTERA Agent installation file that you created in step 1.

Note: The network location of the shared folder is displayed in the folder's Properties window, in the Sharing tab.

j Click Open.

The Deploy Software window is displayed.

k. Select Assigned.

This option ensures that when a user or group specified in the policy's Security Filtering area logs in to the domain, CTERA Agent is automatically installed on the user or group's computer. 

l. Click OK .

3. Add the ctera-agent.adm file to Domain Group Policy as an administrative template using the following steps.

Note: The ctera-agent.adm file contains the agent deployment settings.

a. Right-click the policy you created and select Edit.

The Group Policy Management Editor is displayed.

b. In the navigation pane, expand Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates, right-click Administrative Templates and select Add/Remove Templates.

The Add/Remove Templates window is displayed.

c. Click Add and select the ctera-agent.adm file and then click Open.

d. Click Close.

e. In the navigation pane, expand Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates and click the CTERA Agent Settings node.

f. Right-click Enable CTERA Agent automatic deployment and select Edit.

g. Specify the following:

Enabled – Set the Enabled option.
Sign into server – Type the fully qualified DNS name of the CTERA Portal to which the CTERA Agent should connect.

h. Click OK.

Example ctera-agent.adm File

CLASS MACHINE
 
CATEGORY !!CteraAgent
  KEYNAME "Software\Policies\CTERA\Agent"
 
  POLICY !!USESSO
    EXPLAIN !!USESSO_Explain
    VALUENAME "SSO"
    VALUEON NUMERIC 1
    VALUEOFF NUMERIC 0
    PART !!SSO_Server EDITTEXT REQUIRED
      VALUENAME "SSOServer"
    END PART
    PART !!SSO_Tip TEXT
    END PART
  END POLICY
END CATEGORY
 
[strings]
USESSO="Enable CTERA Agent automatic deployment"
USESSO_Explain="With this policy you can automatically deploy CTERA Agents.\n\n When this policy is disabled, or not configured, each CTERA agent must be manually connected to a CTERA portal or CTERA Cloud-Attached-Storage appliance.\n\n When this policy is enabled, the CTERA Agent installed on the computer automatically signs into the CTERA portal or appliance designated by the policy. When a user logs on to the machine for the first time, CTERA agent immediately signs into the designated server, using the credentials of that user."
SSO_Server="Sign into server"
SSO_Tip="Use the Fully-Qualified DNS name of a CTERA portal or a CTERA appliance. The target server must be a member of this Active Directory domain."
CteraAgent="CTERA Agent Settings"