Lights-Out 2.5 released – Part 2

This is the second part of the new features presentation of Lights-Out 2.5 and and today we are looking at the new client deployment methods.

Lights-Out 2.5 supports now 3 client deployment methods

1. Downloading from internal website with manual installation (already exists)
2. Creating a pre-configured installation package for user installation (new in 2.5)
3. Using Direct deploy in Active Directory (new in 2.5)

We will now look at each option and explain the advantages/disadvantages of each.

Downloading from internal website with manual installation

This is the already existing method. The user on a client computer must download the software from the internal web page and then interactively install the software. At the end of the installation, the client computer is connected to the server. This requires knowledge of server credentials.

Lights-Out Client For Windows Computers

Lights-Out Agent For Apple Mac Computers

Creating a pre-configured installation package for user installation

The administrator creates a pre-configured installation package on the server that remains valid for 7 days, during which time a client computer can connect to the server without further requests. This installation package can be installed and distributed interactively or via command line option / s (silent) without user interface. Server credentials are not required.

See below for more details on creating a pre-configured installation package.

Using Direct deploy in Active Directory

This method requires that client computers are connected to an Active Directory. This is true for example, for Windows Server Essentials, if the client computers are running a Professional Edition of Windows. Direct Deploy allows to install multiple client computers without further action on the client machine.

See below for more details on using direct deploy.

Comparison of the 3 methods

The following table compares the advantages and disadvantages of the 3 methods of client installation.

Let’s take a look at the new methods.

Creating a pre-configured installation package

A pre-configured installation package is created on the server and remains valid for 7 days. During this time a client computer can connect to the server without further requests. This installation package can be installed and distributed interactively or via command line option /s (silent) without user interface.

Step 1 – Create an installation package

As an administrator, open “Lights-Out 2 Create Client Package” on the server. This can be found in start menu -> Lights-Out 2 for Windows -> “Lights-Out 2 Create Client Package”.

This commands executes LightsOut2.Client.JoinServer on the server. If necessary, complete the external URL and port and then click on Export.

Select an output directory, ideally on an accessible share, and then click OK.

The installation package is now created and then saved in the selected location.

Step 2 – Distribute package

The created installation package can be distributed to the clients in the usual ways: by a share, by email, by USB stick or automatically via software distribution systems.

Step 3 – Run installation package in interactive mode

The client computer user can run the installation package directly. The installation package is not code signed because it was created directly on the server, the warning can be ignored.

The package displays the validity and the destination server.

Clicking on Install is then executing a standard, interactive client installation, but there is no “connection to the server” phase because this information is included in the package!

Step 4 – Silent execution of the installation package

If you use a software deployment system, you can run the package in silent mode. Again, the server must be accessible during installation; otherwise automatic connection will fail!

"\\path to installer\LightsOut2.Installer.ClientPackage.<servername>.exe" /s

Using Direct deploy in Active Directory

Direct Deploy allows you to install the client software across an entire Active Directory network.

Requirements

1. Client and server computers are connected to an Active Directory. This is true for example, for Windows Server Essentials, if the client computers are running a Professional Edition of Windows.
   Windows Firewall must allow remote administration. This can be done via Group Policy
   Default Domain Policy | Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | Network | Network Connections | Windows Firewall | Domain Profile
   Enable setting
   Windows Firewall: Allow inbound remote administration exception
2. Client computers must be up and running.

Using Direct Deploy

As an domain administrator, start Direct Deploy on the server start menu -> Lights-Out 2 for Windows -> “Lights-Out 2 Client Direct Deploy”.

Choose your language and then enter administrative credentials. If necessary, check the default values and add the url/port for external access.

Click Next, Direct Deploy is now scanning all online machines in your Active Directory. Depending on the number of computers, this process may take some time.

The detected computers are then listed with their installation status:

The example found 3 active computers without Lights-Out client software. Select the computers where you want to distribute the client software from the list (1) and then click Install (2).

In this example, the installation is done on vwin7en and vw10pro2016:

The installation is done one after the other and can therefore take some time.

At the end, a scan is performed again and the new state is displayed.

Now the options on the left are also available. By selecting from the left list, the client software can be reinstalled (1) or removed (2). Remaining computers can be installed (3).

Note 1: Run the query again if the display does not meet your expectations.

Note 2: A software update via Direct Deploy is usually not necessary as it happens automatically.

You can repeat the above steps at any time to install additional machines.

Summary

This concludes Part 2 of the new features of Lights-Out 2.5.

We wish all our users and readers a healthy, successful new year 2018!

See also

Lights-Out 2.5 released – Part 1