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KACE Systems Management Appliance 13.2 Common Documents - Administrator Guide

About the KACE Systems Management Appliance Getting started
Configuring the appliance
Requirements and specifications Power-on the appliance and log in to the Administrator Console Access the Command Line Console Tracking configuration changes Configuring System-level and Admin-level General Settings Configure appliance date and time settings Managing user notifications Enable Two-Factor Authentication for all users Verifying port settings, NTP service, and website access Configuring network and security settings Configuring Agent settings Configuring session timeout and auto-refresh settings Configuring locale settings Configuring the default theme Configure data sharing preferences About DIACAP compliance requirements Configuring Mobile Device Access Enable fast switching for organizations and linked appliances Linking Quest KACE appliances Configuring history settings
Setting up and using labels to manage groups of items Configuring user accounts, LDAP authentication, and SSO Deploying the KACE Agent to managed devices Using Replication Shares Managing credentials Configuring assets
About the Asset Management component Using the Asset Management Dashboard About managing assets Adding and customizing Asset Types and maintaining asset information Managing Software assets Managing physical and logical assets Maintaining and using manual asset information Managing locations Managing contracts Managing licenses Managing purchase records
Setting up License Compliance Managing License Compliance Setting up Service Desk Configure the Cache Lifetime for Service Desk widgets Creating and managing organizations Importing and exporting appliance resources
Managing inventory
Using the Inventory Dashboard Using Device Discovery Managing device inventory
About managing devices Features available for each device management method About inventory information Tracking changes to inventory settings Managing inventory information Finding and managing devices Registering KACE Agent with the appliance Provisioning the KACE Agent Manually deploying the KACE Agent Using Agentless management Adding devices manually in the Administrator Console or by using the API Forcing inventory updates Managing MIA devices Obtaining Dell warranty information
Managing applications on the Software page Managing Software Catalog inventory
About the Software Catalog Viewing Software Catalog information Adding applications to the Software Catalog Managing License assets for Software Catalog applications Associate Managed Installations with Cataloged Software Using software metering Using Application Control Update or reinstall the Software Catalog
Managing process, startup program, and service inventory Writing custom inventory rules
Deploying packages to managed devices
Distributing software and using Wake-on-LAN Broadcasting alerts to managed devices Running scripts on managed devices Managing Mac profiles Using Task Chains
Patching devices and maintaining security
Using the Security Dashboard About patch management Subscribing to and downloading patches Creating and managing patch schedules Managing patch inventory Managing Windows Feature Updates Managing Dell devices and updates Managing Linux package upgrades Maintaining device and appliance security Manage quarantined file attachments
Using reports and scheduling notifications Monitoring servers
Getting started with server monitoring Working with monitoring profiles Managing monitoring for devices Working with alerts
Using the Service Desk
Configuring Service Desk Using the Service Desk Dashboard Managing Service Desk tickets, processes, and reports
Overview of Service Desk ticket lifecycle Creating tickets from the Administrator Console and User Console Creating and managing tickets by email Viewing tickets and managing comments, work, and attachments Merging tickets Using the ticket escalation process Using Service Desk processes Using Ticket Rules Run Service Desk reports Archiving, restoring, and deleting tickets Managing ticket deletion
Managing Service Desk ticket queues About User Downloads and Knowledge Base articles Customizing Service Desk ticket settings Configuring SMTP email servers
Maintenance and troubleshooting
Maintaining the appliance Troubleshooting the appliance
Appendixes Glossary About us Legal notices

Getting started

Getting started

Configuring the appliance
Setting up and using labels to manage groups of items
Configuring user accounts, LDAP authentication, and SSO
Deploying the KACE Agent to managed devices
Using Replication Shares
Managing credentials
Configuring assets
Setting up License Compliance
Managing License Compliance
Setting up Service Desk
Configure the Cache Lifetime for Service Desk widgets
Creating and managing organizations
Importing and exporting appliance resources

To use the appliance, you need to configure appliance settings to match your network configuration.

In addition, you can set up Labels, User Authentication, Replication Shares, Credentials Management, Assets, License Compliance, and Service Desk features to meet the needs of your environment. If the Organization component is enabled on your appliance, you can add or edit organizations and organization settings as needed.

Configuring the appliance

Configuring the appliance

Requirements and specifications
Power-on the appliance and log in to the Administrator Console
Access the Command Line Console
Tracking configuration changes
Configuring System-level and Admin-level General Settings
Configure appliance date and time settings
Managing user notifications
Enable Two-Factor Authentication for all users
Verifying port settings, NTP service, and website access
Configuring network and security settings
Configuring Agent settings
Configuring session timeout and auto-refresh settings
Configuring locale settings
Configuring the default theme
Configure data sharing preferences
About DIACAP compliance requirements
Configuring Mobile Device Access
Enable fast switching for organizations and linked appliances
Linking Quest KACE appliances
Configuring history settings

Appliance configuration consists of setting up network, security, locale, and other settings on the appliance.

Requirements and specifications

Requirements and specifications

appliance technical specifications describe appliance capacity and requirements for managing devices.

For the latest information about appliance hardware, requirements for managed devices, and browser requirements for accessing the Administrator Console, see the Technical Specifications available on the product documentation page: https://support.quest.com/kace-systems-management-appliance/technical-documents.

Power-on the appliance and log in to the Administrator Console

Power-on the appliance and log in to the Administrator Console

When the appliance is powered on for the first time, you can log in to the appliance Administrator Console from any computer on your LAN, provided that a DHCP server is available to assign an IP address to the appliance. This enables you to use the setup wizard to configure initial network settings.

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If you have the virtual version of the virtual appliance, download the appliance software and set up the virtualization infrastructure. For more information, see the setup guide for the virtual appliance. Go to https://support.quest.com/kace-systems-management-appliance/release-notes-guides.
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If you are installing the physical version of the appliance, review and follow the safety instructions in the Dell PowerEdge R430 Getting Started With Your System document and any other safety instructions shipped with the appliance. The Quest appliance is a specially configured platform and does not require you to install or remove internal components, update firmware, or modify BIOS settings. To set up the appliance, follow the instructions in this document only.
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In the A record of your internal DNS (domain name system) server, enter the appliance’s hostname. The A record defines the hostname for the MX record, and this enables users to send email tickets to the Service Desk. By default, the appliance’s host name is k1000, but you can change it during initial setup.
•
Decide whether to use a split DNS. Using a split DNS is useful if the appliance connects to the internet using a reverse proxy, or if you place the appliance in a perimeter network or screened subnet. A DMZ adds an additional layer of security to a LAN (local area network).
•
(Optional) Obtain a static IP address for the appliance.

If a DHCP server is not available, you can configure network settings using the Command Line Console. See Access the Command Line Console.

* 
NOTE: For information about logging in to KACE as a Service, see the KACE as a Service Setup Guide. Go to https://support.quest.com/kace-systems-management-appliance/release-notes-guides.
1.
If you are configuring the physical version of the appliance:
a.
Install the appliance in its rack and connect a monitor directly to the appliance.
b.
Connect a network cable to the port indicated: The port is the second from the left in the upper middle section of the back plate.
c.
Power on the appliance.
The Command Line Console login screen appears on the monitor connected to the appliance. The login screen shows the appliance's DHCP network settings.
2.
If you are configuring the virtual version of the appliance, power on the virtual machine to boot the appliance.
This first-time startup takes 5 to 10 minutes.
The Command Line Console login screen appears showing the appliance's DHCP network settings.
3.
On any computer connected to your LAN, open a browser and go to the URL shown on the Command Line Console login screen. For example, http://kace_sma.local/admin.
The Software Transaction Agreement page appears.
4.
Accept the agreement.
The Initial Setup wizard appears.
5.
Verify that you have the information required to configure the appliance, then click Next.
6.
Review the information on the Diagnostic Support Console page that appears, and record the secret key and offline tokens in a secure place, as instructed.
7.
On the Licensing and Administrator Settings page, provide the following information:

Option

Description

License Key

The license key you received in the Welcome email from Quest. Include the dashes. If you do not have a license key, contact Quest Support at https://support.quest.com/contact-support.

Company Name

The name of your company or group.

Administrator Email

The email address where you want to receive communications from Quest.

Password

The password for the default admin account, which is the account you use to log in to the appliance Administrator Console. The default admin account is the only account on the appliance at this time. If you forget the password for this account, the system might have to be reset to factory defaults, which can result in loss of data.

* 
NOTE: If you have multiple types of KACE appliances, Quest recommends that you use the same password for the admin account on all appliances. Using the same admin account password enables you to link the appliances later. See Linking Quest KACE appliances.

Two-Factor Authentication

If you want to provide stronger security for users logging into the appliance, set this to Enabled. This feature adds an extra step to the login process. It relies on the Google Authenticator app to generate verification codes. The app generates a new six-digit code at regular intervals. When enabled, end users will be prompted for the current verification code each time they log in.

* 
NOTE: If you enable this feature, ensure that appliance server's clock is accurate, as well as the device running Google Authenticator. Google Authenticator relies on current time to create the token. If server's clock is not synchronized with those of the devices running Google Authenticator, token validation may fail, which may result in account lockouts.
8.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the initial setup.
When the initial setup is complete, the appliance restarts and the Administrator Console login page appears.
* 
NOTE: If you changed the appliance IP address, go to the new address to display the login page.
9.
Log in to the Administrator Console using the login ID admin and the password you chose during initial setup.
If Two-Factor Authentication was enabled on the Licensing and Administrator Settings page, the Configure Two-Factor Authentication page appears.
10.
Two-Factor Authentication only. Follow the instructions on the Configure Two-Factor Authentication page to generate a Google Authenticator verification code using your smart phone. In the Verification Code field, type the Google Authenticator code, and click Finish Configuration. A new verification code is required on each subsequent login.
To skip this step, click Skip Configuration. You can only bypass this step during a configured transition window. For more information, see Configure security settings for the appliance.

The Administrator Console appears and the appliance is ready for use. Your browser setting determines locale formats used for date and time information displayed in the Administrator Console the first time you log in. For information about changing the language settings, see Configuring locale settings.

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