Host Registration Automatically

[Chris Whiteley]

Hey All,

I was wondering if anyone has had this same though before or not…I was wondering if it is possible to install the FOG client on all the machines I have, and then have FOG pull the computer information and create the host with all necessary data and then I can just add them to a group to do the finishing touches. I would love to not have to hand touch almost 800 machines…

Thanks!

[Wayne Workman]

@chris-whiteley It already does this. Just deploy the FOG Client through group policy (or other mechanism). Here is documentation on the MSI and the Smart Installer, both have pros and cons, it’s up to you which to use: https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=FOG_Client#FOG_Client_0.10.0.2B_Installation_Options
Once the FOG Client is deployed to your machines, the hosts will show up automatically in the pending hosts list. You’d accept those and then you can go about doing all the other stuff.

[george1421]

There is a path for you that is pretty close to what you ask. But you will need to use a second tool. Install PDQ Deploy (free) version. Using PDQ Deploy and a domain level account, install the FOG MSI on all 800 computers. PDQ Deploy can deploy to computers based on a list, or OU assignment. The package you will create will install the fog client msi with the proper command switches to instruct the fog client on how to find the FOG server. Probably for this task you will actually create a batch file to package along with the msi file to install the msi file then start the fog service using the sc command. The advantage of PDQ Deploy is that you will get an immediate feed back on the systems where the msi was installed and systems where the msi was missed (like the computer wasn’t on the network at the time of deployment). You can then reschedule a deployment to the failed systems. It really is an excellent tool

Now when the fog client starts reporting into the FOG server, the clients will go into a pending state on the fog server. You will need to approve these clients and then they will become registered in FOG.

I do have to say the paid for versions of PDQ Deploy and PDQ Inventory is well worth the minimal cost of the tools especially if you want to create software compliance rules (something fog does not do).

[Chris Whiteley]

I actually have both and was planning to use PDQ Deploy to push it out with a dynamic collection that I use from PDQ Inventory. I am working on that as we speak. I just didn’t know how to get FOG to allow the client in the system.

Thank you!

[george1421]

@chris-whiteley If you need the MSI command line switches I can dig them up.

[george1421]

@george1421 Instead of me offering to be lazy, here is what you will need.

@Echo Off
start /wait msiexec.exe /i FOGService.msi /quiet USETRAY="0" WEBADDRESS="192.168.1.53"
net start "FogService"

[Chris Whiteley]

Thank you That worked great!