Edge Agent Mass Deployment with an options file

Kinetic ERP
21

mode=unattended
unattendedmodeui=none
installMode=localInstall
clientExePath=
allowedURL=
allowedURL=
allowedURL=
allowedURL=

1 Like
22

Thanks Tony, is there a help file with these? I couldn’t find it hence my questions.

23

Randy,

I do not believe there is a help file…There is not an out of the box Epicor mass deployment for the Edge agent. I believe I was told 2024.1 they will release a silent install for it when I was figuring out how to mass deploy edge agent when going live with 2023.2

I think my IT Manager went and found the registries for this install and see what is what it was pulling when doing the installation manually to get the config file for mass deployment. FYI you should be able to find the edge agent installed configuration here: C:\Program Files\Epicor\EdgeAgent\edgeapp\appsettings.json

Should be able to find the allowed appservers and clientexecutables and other information.

1 Like
24

Yeah, I found that json file and gave everything to our infrastructure team. We’re soon going to 24.1 though so maybe we’ll wait for that before planning to deploy the agent.

25

On the same road you all have traveled here.
Is this situation requiring a ‘Run once’ ALWAYS true?
If there is no delta between server and client and no update is needed, will the Edge Agent successfully install after the Kinetic client installer finishes or is it hard requirement to run the client once in any case, then install the Edge Agent ?
So far as I have see, there isn’t a straight forward silent ‘run once and close me’ switch to resolve this Kinetic client requirement silently, to provide for sequential installers.
There was also a /Skip switch for the classic shortcut icon properties target, that I believe caused the client to ignore checking in with the appserver, but that too would be something that would have to be set for only one run as part of a work around. Not sure it would resolve anything if the run once requirement for the client is absolutely required. Just curious on others testings?

26

Have you hasda look at the installer switches, perhaps there are some hidden gems there…

Not in front of a puter to take a look at the file

27

Hate to revive a thread, but I am currently attempting this.
First, how are you guys scripting this to run? Through a GPO or creating a bat/ps1 file?
To just attempt to run this and see if it was receiving the options from the optionFile, I ran the installer from the command prompt .[filepath]\edgeagent-kinetic-windows-x64-installer.exe --optionFile [filepath]\edgeClientOptions.txt

Here are the contents of that file:
mode=unattended
unattendedmodeui=none
installMode=localInstall
clientExePath=C:\Epicor\GOV\SITE#-THIRD\Client\Epicor.exe
clientExePath2=C:\Epicor\GOV\SITE#-PILOT\Client\Epicor.exe
clientExePath3=C:\Epicor\GOV\SITE#-LIVE\Client\Epicor.exe
allowedURL=https://[Third-URL]/SaaS1082third
allowedURL2=https://[Pilot-URL]/SaaS1082Pilot
allowedURL3=https://[Live-URL]/SaaS1082

I was hoping I could just deploy this out and be done for all users but when I look in the appsettings json I only see the live settings, no pilot or third.

Thanks for any help with this.

28

I’m also trying to apply multiple URLs through this script, but ran into the same issue as you where it only applies the last allowedURL entry in the list.

I did also try not using an option file and simply updating the Run command to include all of the options directly. Like so:

C:\Epicor\EdgeAgentInstall\edgeagent-kinetic-windows-x64-installer.exe --mode unattended --unattendedmodeui none --installMode localInstall --allowedURL https://“my server”/Live --allowedURL2 https://“my server”/Pilot --allowedURL3 https://“my server”/Test

That partially worked in that it correctly included the first 2 of the 3 URLs that I was trying to use. Even ran it a second time including --allowedURL4 with no input thinking that maybe it drops the last one or something, but it still only saved my first two inputs. Edit: nope, it actually truncated my 2nd URL, due to 259 character limit of the Run command

I did learn (and maybe you know this), but using the following Run command–updating for your install file location–you will get a list of all of the available options:

C:\Epicor\EdgeAgentInstall\edgeagent-kinetic-windows-x64-installer.exe --help

1 Like
29

yes I got those and I screenshotted all of the options and I’m going to put them here. I’m trying to find a way to deploy this via GPO and to get the script to work the way that it says it’s supposed to work. I haven’t tried running the script manually that way with all the options in line. I did just try Running it from the Run application in Windows and I think there’s a character limit

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31

Running the script in Command prompt with everything in line worked for me. Results in the appsettings.json file:

"Options": {
          "AllowedAppServers": [
            "my allowedURL",
            "my allowedURL2",
            "my allowedURL3"
          ],
32

Thanks, I will try that.

33

I was also able to get it working with a long command prompt script as well. I packaged it up as a .bat file and tried running that on Startup via GPO and adding my computer to the scope, but it didn’t take. Looking into it further.

34

Mackenzie,

We are using a .bat file to deploy this to everyone. Not sure if we are using GPO or not…

Alternatively if this still does not work maybe install edge agent on everyones computer, and mass replace the appsettings.json file?

Something to note, when you are upgrading your environment I would recommend killing the edge agent for the first few days of the update (We are going live with 2024.1 this weekend and killing the edge agent process when someone logins via GPO Mon-Weds) Otherwise the user gets an error saying you must stop the edge agent before updating Kinetic. Then you have everyone sending IT a ticket saying they can’t launch Kinetic. Manual process is going to your windows task bar on the right, show hidden icons, find edge agent icon, right click and stop edge agent. This is assuming you are on prem and using the smart client…

36

Recap:

  1. client has to run at least once before edge agent is installed.

  2. help file:

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  3. here is the option file used to mass deploy

mode=unattended
unattendedmodeui=none
installMode=localInstall
clientExePath=
clientExePath2=
clientExePath3=
clientExePath4=

allowedURL=
allowedURL2=
allowedURL3=
allowedURL4=

4)Here is the .bat script we run to install with options:

\server\edgeagent-kinetic-windows-x64-installer.exe --optionfile “\server\edgeoption.txt”

  1. Every update I would recommend pushing out a GPO your first week of the update to kill the edge agent process upon login so that way the user doesn’t get the error message to stop the edge agent before updating Kinetic

  2. As of 2024.1 Epicor has not released a silent install for us yet :+1:

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37

can you please explain why using options file or command line is not a silent install?

2 Likes
38

When installing the smart client Epicor provides a silent .bat file standard out of the box…There is no real documentation to help System Admins mass deploy from my knowledge. Everyone has their own ways of mass deployments I get it but some guidance and simplification of the installation and deployment process would help a ton when trying to convert customers to the web/kinetic UI. I think the bigger problem with the edge agent is having to stop it before you can auto update your smart client(problem still exists in 2024.1 this has been reported to support back in January)…Also having to auto update the client before you install the edge agent otherwise it errors. I am not sure if this is still the case in 2024.1 but for people on 2023.2 or prior this is the case.

It is a little bit of a hassle to deploy initially and maintain as of now from my experience. The edge agent doesn’t always work well with getting client printers on the smart client either…sometimes it can take like 3 minutes of it spinning. On the web it seems more optimized for getting client printers. I am hoping this improves over time while the smart client still is supported.

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39

The single biggest challenge we are encountering is the requirement to perform the ‘first launch’ of the client in an elevated context (in part due to our folder security requirements). We can mass ‘Partial-deploy’ via the answers file and various techniques, but still have no solution to the need to be elevated when the client and appserver ‘synch’ and actually complete the installation process so that the client can successfully run in Std User context. Has anyone found a (secure) means of getting through this final portion of the installation process without providing individual support by manually remoting into the user’s system and providing elevation assistance?

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40

We have a domain security group called “InstallerPriv” that we put people/groups into (and take out of) for these sorts of things. It gives the Epicor end users the rights to do the installs for 24-48 hrs, then we take them out again.

3 Likes
41

Thanks Mike! I will pass this suggestion along. Is the “InstallerPriv” constrained to the Epicor client applications (Prod/Dev) specific specifically? Is it managed manually or Automated in terms of adding groups to this group and later removing them?

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