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Installing and Managing Agents

Print Tracker utilizes data collection agents -- lightweight software applications installed within customer networks -- to discover and collect data from your devices. The agents are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems and can be installed using a variety of methods, including email, direct download, and command line.

When an agent is installed inside your customers network, it needs to know how to upload that data to you. Print Tracker connects data collected from your customer's network to your account using a unique identifier called a Datalink Code. This code is a unique identifier that is generated for each entity in your account.

You can get the datalink code for an entity by:

  1. Navigating to the entity you'd like to get the datalink code for
  2. Using the sidebar, click Installs > Deploy install
  3. Copy the datalink code from the Datalink code field

Deployment Strategies​

There are several different ways that you can deploy the Print Tracker data collection agent depending on your use-case. For example, if you're on-site at a customer's location, you may choose to download the agent directly to the customer's computer and install it manually. Or, if you're working remotely, you may choose to send the agent to the customer via email and have them install it themselves. You might even have remote administration access to a fleet of computers, in which case you can deploy the agent using the command line.

Once the agent is installed, it also needs to be activated. The activation process effectively "registers" this agent to your account so that you can manage and collect data from it.

Deployment Email​

The deployment email strategy allows you to easily send a link to the installer directly to your customer, along with instructions on how to activate the agent.

To send a deployment email:

  1. Select the entity that you'd like the install to be associated with.
  2. Using the sidebar, click Installs > Deploy install
  3. Click Send installation email
  4. Enter the email address of your customer's on-site contact
  5. Click Send email.

Your customer will receive instructions on how to download and activate the agent

Download and Install​

You may choose to download the agent directly to the computer that you're working on right now. You can find all Print Tracker downloads by navigating to printtrackerpro.com/download, or picking the appropriate download for your operating system below.

Command Line​

In some cases, it may be easier to deploy the agent using the command line. This is especially true if you have remote administration access to a fleet of computers that all need to be installed with the agent. Currently, only Windows and Linux support command-line installation.

If you'd like to install and activate the agent in the same command, please skip to Automatic Activation.

Installation​

Warning

You must run the Powershell window as an administrator in order to install the agent. If you do not, the installation will silently fail.

  1. Open a Powershell window as an administrator
  2. Copy and paste the following command into the Powershell window and press enter
  3. This command will download the latest version of Print Tracker and install it
  4. Once the installation is complete, open localhost:1301 to activate the agent with your datalink code
$webClient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient; $version = $webClient.DownloadString('https://www.cdn.printtrackerpro.com/modules/dca/current_major_version').Trim(); $url = "https://www.cdn.printtrackerpro.com/modules/dca/$version/PrintTrackerProOfflineSetup.msi";  Write-Host "Version: $version"; Write-Host "Download URL: $url"; $output = Join-Path -Path $([System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath()) -ChildPath 'PrintTrackerProOfflineSetup.msi';  Write-Host "Download Path: $output" $webClient.DownloadFile($url, $output); Start-Process 'msiexec' -ArgumentList @('/qn', '/i', "`"$output`"") -Wait;

Automatic Activation​

In addition to installing the agent using the command line, you can also use the command line to activate the agent.

Warning

You must run the Powershell window as an administrator in order to install the agent. If you do not, the installation will silently fail.

  1. Open a Powershell window as an administrator
  2. Copy the following command
  3. Replace <YOUR DATALINK CODE> with your datalink code
  4. Run the command to download and install the agent
$webClient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient; $version = $webClient.DownloadString('https://www.cdn.printtrackerpro.com/modules/dca/current_major_version').Trim(); $url = "https://www.cdn.printtrackerpro.com/modules/dca/$version/PrintTrackerProOfflineSetup.msi";  Write-Host "Version: $version"; Write-Host "Download URL: $url"; $output = Join-Path -Path $([System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath()) -ChildPath 'PrintTrackerProOfflineSetup.msi';  Write-Host "Download Path: $output" $webClient.DownloadFile($url, $output); Start-Process 'msiexec' -ArgumentList @('/qn', '/i', "`"$output`"", 'DATALINK_CODE=<YOUR DATALINK CODE>') -Wait;

Installation​

Once the agent has been downloaded and installed, the last step is activation. Activation connects your Print Tracker account to the agent installed within your customer's network. An agent that is not activated to your account will not appear in Print Tracker.

Activation​

To activate an agent, make sure the agent has been downloaded and installed using one of the deployment strategies. Once the agent has been installed:

  1. Open localhost:1301 in the web browser of the computer that the agent is installed on
  2. Enter your datalink code
  3. Click Activate

Clustering and Redundancy​

Clustering is the idea of installing multiple agents on the same network so that if one agent goes down, another agent can take over. Print Tracker automatically clusters agents that are registered using the same datalink code. This means that if you have multiple agents installed at the same entity, they will automatically cluster together without requiring any additional configuring from you.

When multiple agents are installed on the same network, devices, meters, and all other collected data is de-duplicated automatically.

Stale Agents​

A stale agent is an agent that is no longer connected to Print Tracker. Installs usually check-in every 30-minutes, however, some installs may not check in for longer periods of time if the computer is shutdown, or enters sleep mode. Installs that are offline for extended periods of time (several days) can be problematic. For example asn agent that is offline for an extended period of time may have missed critical device alerts, such as a supply being replaced. When a stale agent comes back online it is important to review all your devices to make sure you haven't missed any critical events.

Deactivating/Reactivating​

You can deactivate an agent at any time. Deactivating an agent will hide the agent from your account. Deactivating an agent will not uninstall the agent from the computer it is installed on. If you want to uninstall the agent, you must do so manually.

Deactivated agents stop checking in to Print Tracker regularly, and instead, check in only on system restart. This means that if you reactivate a deactivated install, it may not come back online until the computer is restarted.

You should only deactivate agents that you don't plan on using again. If you plan on using an agent again in the future, you should leave it activated.

Deactivating​

To deactivate an agent:

  1. Using the sidebar, click Installs > View installs
  2. Find the install that you want to deactivate
  3. Click the Checkbox Icon on the left side of the table
  4. At the top of the table, click the down arrow next to table's checkbox icon
  5. Click Disable selected

Reactivating​

To reactivate an agent:

  1. Using the sidebar, click Installs > View installs
  2. Make sure that the Exclude inactive filter is disabled
  3. Find the install that you want to reactivate
  4. Click the Checkbox Icon on the left side of the table
  5. At the top of the table, click the down arrow next to table's checkbox icon
  6. Click Enable selected

Uninstalling​

Uninstalling Print Tracker must be done directly on the computer where Print Tracker is installed. This process varies depending on the operating system.

  1. Open the Windows Start Menu
  2. Search "Add or remove programs" and open it
  3. Search for "Print Tracker Pro"
  4. Click the three-dot menu icon next to "Print Tracker Pro"
  5. Click Uninstall
  6. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation

Troubleshooting​

For more details on troubleshooting issues with your agents, see the Troubleshooting section.

macOS Installer Packages​

Some macOS devices may pop up a warning indicating that the .pkg cannot be opened. This is because Print Tracker is not notarized by Apple and made available via the Apple App Store.

To bypass this warning:

  1. Right-click on the file in your Finder window.
  2. Click Open
  3. Click Open again
  4. Follow the installation prompts.