Overview

This article explains how to package conventional management tools into .vai files using JetPatch's Self-Packager utility. 

The Self-Packager creates managed agents that can be deployed centrally through JetPatch with thin virtualization capabilities.

You can package an agent .vai file from a conventional (non-virtual) management tool. 

The managed agent file includes everything necessary to:

• Deploy the management tool on an endpoint, including software and configuration dependencies
• Start and stop the managed agent
• Enable per management service configuration
• Enable watchdog monitoring

Packaged agents are stored in a central organizational repository where they are available to be downloaded and installed in JetPatch.

Packaging agents require understanding the management tool's files and processes.

Packaging agents require the user to be familiar with JetPatch

JetPatch provides the Self Packager software utility for packaging agents. The Self-Packager interactively collects necessary user parameters, tests and analyzes local agent installation and uninstallation, and then automatically creates a single .vai file that can then be used for installations on JetPatch. Windows and Linux versions of the Self-Packager are supplied.

Created managed agents include Thin virtualization, which means they enable central control, throttling, management server registration, and health monitoring without the managed agent being sandboxed. For fully virtualized managed agents, please contact JetPatch professional services.

Supported Management Tools

The following types of management tools are supported for provisioning to supported endpoints:

• Linux tools (64-bit) that are installed and removed in one of the following ways:
• RPM, for Red Hat Enterprise Linux agents
• DEB, for Ubuntu agents
• Non-interactive installation script (can be in a tar, zip, gzip, or bz2 archive)
• Windows tools (32-bit or 64-bit) that are installed and removed in one of the following ways:
• MSI
• Non-interactive executable (EXE), CMD command, or batch file

Self-Packager Requirements

Before running the Self-Packager, make sure that the following conditions are met:

• Familiar with the JetPatch product
• Prepare a Windows or Linux server host. The current version of the JetPatch Self-Packager performs test installations only on the local machine, so the host must be running the same operating system as the management tool to be packaged.
• The Self-Packager host must be running the JetPatch connector. Either provision the connector to the host using JetPatch, or copy and run the JetPatch connector installer:  vlink-win-win32_x64-Release-<ver>.exe

Web Server

The Self-Packager is an executable file, EXE\ELF for Windows\Linux, respectively, which will start the web-server on port 80 by default.