How can I deploy with an MSI package through group policies?

When deploying the agent using a group policy, you need to create a configuration file to include your unique parameters. (You can access the Orca installer for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 by downloading the Windows SDK) Agent files are architecture specific. You must create separate transform files for 32 bit and 64 bit agents. Note: This option is designed specifically for group policy deployment. If you want to deploy the agent manually or via command prompt and script, select the Download SysAid Agent for Windows option in Settings > Network Discovery > Downloads. To deploy the agent with a group policy using MSI:

1. Open SysAidAgent.msi using Orca and click Transform > New Transform.
2. On the Tables pane, click Property. You should find the same parameters described above.
3. You should modify at least the ACCOUNT, SERIAL and SERVERURL parameters, and you can also modify the optional parameters in the list below. Note: The following default values are applied, but are displayed as “NULL”. It is not necessary to add in the default values and attempts to add them again can lead to user error.
   • ALLOWREMOTECONTROL (default value=”-1″)
   • ALLOWSUBMITSR (default value=”-1″)
   • CONFIRMRC (default value=”-1″)
   • ENABLESYSAIDPS (default value=”0″)
   • FORMATHOTKEY (default value=”F11″)
   • HOTKEY (default value=”122″)
   • INTERVAL (default value=”30″)
   • LOGLEVEL (default value=”0″)
   • RDSNAME (default value=none)
   • RDSURL (default value=none)
   • SUBMITSRSHORTCUT (default value=”SysAid”)
   • SYSTEMPROXYSETTING (default value=”-1″)
   • SERVERPROXYADDRESS (default value=none)
   • SERVERPROXYPORT (default value=none)
   • SERVERPROXYUSERNAME (default value=none)
   • SERVERPROXYPASSWORD (default value=none)
   • ENABLEDVIDEOTICKETE (default value=”-1″)

   * Available for versions 18.1.50 and above.

4. When you finish, click Transform > Generate Transform and save the file as SysAidAgentx86.mst for the 32bit MSI or SysAidAgentx64.mst for the 64bit MSI.

Now you can use the MSI and MST files to publish the agent using a group policy. To deploy the MSI package with the MST file you created, add the package to the Computer Configuration part in group policy.

1. Open the group policy object editor.
2. Expand Computer Configuration > Software Settings.
3. From the Right-Click menu, select Software Installation > New > Package…
4. Point to the SysAidAgent.msi file. Note: It is very important that the path to both the SysAid MSI and MST file not be local or through a network drive. Rather, the path should be through a network share accessible from everywhere in your network and to which everyone has at least Read permissions on.
5. Under Deployment Method, choose Advanced. If you choose another option, you won’t be able to apply the MST file you created.
6. Add a name for the package for easy identification (e.g. SysAid Agent 32).
7. For 32 bit MSI only: In the Deployment tab, click Advanced, uncheck the option “Make this 32-bit x86 application available to Win64 machines”, and click OK.This prevents the 32 bit MSI from being installed on 64 bit machines.
8. Switch to the Modifications tab and click Add.
9. Point to the correlating MST file. Again, it is very important to use a UNC to the file (to the network share), rather than a local/network drive path.

Recommended GPO settings

We recommend specifying the following settings in the GPO (Group Policy) to ensure that the MSI distribution process is smooth and seamless:

• Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components> Window Installer > Always install with elevated privileges
• Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Logon > Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon
• Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy > Software Installation policy processing (check “Allow processing across a slow network connection”)