Specifying Agent Version for Auto-Updates (or Adoption)

FlexNet Manager Suite 2020 R2 (On-Premises)

The upgrade of deployed FlexNet inventory agents is controlled by settings stored in the central operations databases. For that reason, this procedure is initiated on your batch server/reconciliation server (or whichever server includes that functionality, such as your processing server, or application server in smaller implementations).

Tip: The database setting grants permission (through policy) to the FlexNet inventory agents to perform self-upgrades (or even downgrades) to the specified version. The setting, therefore, can only be put into effect on those platforms where the FlexNet inventory agent includes self-update functionality, and where new versions of the FlexNet inventory agent are included in the operations databases (these are normally updated as part of a product upgrade). Currently, FlexNet inventory agents on Debian or Ubuntu Linux do not include self-update functionality. On these platforms, you can do any of:

Deploy new versions of FlexNet inventory agent manually
Use your preferred third-party deployment tool to publish updates to FlexNet inventory agents
Uninstall the old version(s) of FlexNet inventory agent, and once again target the devices for adoption through FlexNet Manager Suite.

You can change the settings for self-update of the FlexNet inventory agent in either of two ways:

In the web interface FlexNet Manager Suite (for details, see Inventory Agent for Automatic Deployment)
By using the command-line utility described below.

Warning: If you are already using a third-party tool (such a Microsoft SCCM) to install updates of FlexNet inventory agent, do not allow FlexNet Manager Suite to apply automatic updates as well – that is, prevent automatic updates of FlexNet inventory agent by FlexNet Manager Suite by entering only the following command line (see description below):

    .\ConfigureSystem.exe clear-agent-upgrades

Otherwise, you risk your two technologies fighting over updates, because their target versions are out of sync (so that the first upgrades to 13.5.0, and then the second downgrades back to 13.4.0, or similar). This conflict can lead to damaged installations and orphaned FlexNet inventory agents that cannot report inventory. If this happens, the only cure is to completely uninstall, and then reinstall, FlexNet inventory agent.

Tip: With the command line tool, options (such as select-agent-upgrade) must be spelled out in full; but where an option requires additional parameters, these may be:

Identified with a single dash, then a single character (normally the first of the parameter name), followed only by a space to separate the value. Example:
```
-v 13.2.0
```
Identified with two dashes, then the full parameter name, followed by either a space or an equals sign to separate the value. Examples:
```
--version 13.2.0
--version=13.2.0
```

(Separately, an MSP using this utility in a multi-tenant environment must add the tenant specification to all command lines.)

To configure FlexNet inventory agent self-updates by command-line utility:

Log in to your batch server using the installing user account (suggestion: fnms-admin).
Depending on the actions you want to take, the account requires either read or write access to the database.
In a command window, navigate to installation-folder\DotNet\bin.
To review a list of the FlexNet inventory agent versions to which you may upgrade:
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe list-agent-versions
```
This lists all versions of the FlexNet inventory agent that are stored in your database and available for use as upgrades to your currently deployed agents. The list is typically updated at each release of FlexNet Manager Suite. Versions are shown by their internal major-minor-update numbering (such as 13.2.0). Because of significant improvements in the FlexNet inventory agent at version 13.1, earlier versions have been removed from the list.
To identify which version of the FlexNet inventory agent you have currently authorized as the target version for all upgrades:
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe current-agent-upgrade
```
To authorize a new version of the FlexNet inventory agent as the target version for upgrades on all agents installed on the specified platform(s):
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe select-agent-upgrade 
        --platform platsString
        --version versionString
```
Requires two mandatory parameters:
- ```
-p platsString | --platform platsString | --platform=platsString
```
  Replace platsString with a string listing all platforms to be upgraded to the chosen version (omitted platforms are not affected by this upgrade specification, and continue unchanged). Use an asterisk (*) wildcard to represent all platforms. Otherwise, use a colon (:) separator between each of the following values that you require, which may be listed in any order:
```
AIX:HPUX:LinuxI386:LinuxX86_64:MacOSX:SolarisSparc:SolarisX86:Windows
```
- ```
-v versionString | --version versionString | --version=versionString
```
  Replace versionString with the same major-minor-update numbering as is displayed by the list-agent-versions action. This value must be an exact match for one of the available versions listed by list-agent-versions. If not, no action is taken. (Notice that there is no requirement for the new version to be greater than versions previously installed: you can specify an earlier version from the available list, which causes any later FlexNet inventory agents to downgrade to the specified earlier version.)
Example: Leave all UNIX-like platforms unchanged, while authorizing all Windows platforms to upgrade (or downgrade) their installed FlexNet inventory agents to 13.2.0:
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe select-agent-upgrade 
        --platform Windows
        --version 13.2.0
```
To halt all upgrades and downgrades of the FlexNet inventory agents currently deployed in your enterprise:
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe clear-agent-upgrades
```
Tip: The result is the default state after the FlexNet Manager Suite application server(s) have been upgraded.
To mark a version of the FlexNet inventory agent as either Deprecated or Supported:
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe set-agent-package-status
```
Requires the following parameters:
- ```
-s string | --status string | --status=string
```
  The string value must be one of either Deprecated or Supported (case insensitive, no quotation marks required). Versions of FlexNet inventory agent that are deprecated cannot be automatically deployed for installation or updates.
- ```
-f | --force
```
  Only required if the version of FlexNet inventory agent is already deprecated. This parameter allows you to update details for a version that has previously been deprecated (and without it, deprecated versions are inaccessible).
- ```
-v versionString | --version versionString | --version=versionString
```
  Replace versionString with the same major-minor-update numbering as is displayed by the list-agent-versions action. This value must be an exact match for one of the available versions listed by list-agent-versions. If not, no action is taken.
- ```
  -n nameString | --kbname nameString | --kbname=nameString
```
  Optional parameter providing the name of a knowledge base article (or other online resource) that explains why this version of FlexNet inventory agent has been deprecated. If you are choosing to deprecate a version of FlexNet inventory agent for your internal reasons, you may use this parameter and the next to provide your own reference explanation. When Flexera deprecates a version of FlexNet inventory agent, an explanatory article is available through the knowledge base within the Customer Community. If the name of the resource contains any white space, enclose the value in double quotation marks.
- ```
-l URL | --kblink URL | --kblink=URL
```
  Provide the URL to the knowledge base article or other resource as described above. If the URL includes any white space, enclose the value in double quotation marks.
To set the version of FlexNet inventory agent used for first-time, automated installation managed by the adopting inventory beacon:
```
.\ConfigureSystem.exe set-adoption-version
```
Requires the following parameter:
- ```
-v "versionString" | --version "versionString" | --version="versionString"
```
  Replace versionString with the same major-minor-update numbering as is displayed by the list-agent-versions action. This value must be an exact match for one of the available versions listed by list-agent-versions. If not, no action is taken. Also notice that in this command alone, the versionString must be enclosed in double quotation marks.
Note: The ConfigureSystem utility allows only one version of FlexNet inventory agent for adoption across all platforms. (This is unlike upgrades, where you can specify distinct target versions for different platforms.) If you wish to combine automated adoption of discovered devices with distinct versions across platforms:
1. Specify the lowest version of FlexNet inventory agent used on any platform as your adoption version.
2. Specify your platform-specific later versions as platform-based upgrades.
With this approach, the initially-installed version of FlexNet inventory agent downloads its first policy, and on platforms that allow later versions, immediately self-upgrades.

When your new settings are saved to the central database, they are distributed to your inventory beacons at the next update, along with the installer for the currently authorized target version of the FlexNet inventory agent for each platform. The individual FlexNet inventory agents receive the setting and (if necessary) the installer when they next check in (by default, once a day), and subsequently they self-update to the specified version.

Note: The change to new authorized versions (one for each platform) of the FlexNet inventory agent is applied globally. Each installed FlexNet inventory agent receives the self-upgrade instruction in the same policy update, at whatever time they collect it. This may result in many client devices downloading, self-updating, and uploading new inventory in similar time frames.

The ConfigureSystem executable allows other configuration settings besides those for installation and updates of the FlexNet inventory agent – for example, managing licenses installed on your application server, or managing your SAML (single sign-on) configuration. For more information about the actions available with this utility, use either of these commands:

.\ConfigureSystem.exe help 
.\ConfigureSystem.exe help action-name

FlexNet Manager Suite (On-Premises)

2020 R2