agent-autoupdate utility

The windows auto-update utility for the Fastly NGWAF works in conjunction with the Windows Task Scheduler. The Task Scheduler allows one to automate tasks such as running programs, scripts at specified times or events.

Limitations and considerations

• Currently the agent auto-update utility assumes prior Fastly agents have been installed using the MSI installer.

Working with the agent auto-update utility

• The agent auto-update utility does not depend on the Fastly agent to be installed. The binary can exit independently until a Fastly agent is detected and installed on the machine.

Install the agent auto-update utility.

• Installing the msi will create entries in the following folder, C:\Program Files\Signal Sciences\AgentAutoUpdate, similar to other Fastly windows modules.

Steps to Use Windows Task Scheduler

1. Open Task Scheduler

   • Search for Task Scheduler or type taskschd.msc in a Run dialog and press Enter. This opens the Task Scheduler window

2. Create a New Task

   • In the Task Scheduler window, click on Action in the top menu, then select Create Task. Alternatively, in the Actions pane on the right, click Create Task.

3. Define Settings

   • In the General tab:
     • Name: Give the task a name, e.g., "Fastly Agent Update".
     • Security Options: Run whether the user is logged on or not (for background tasks).

4. Set a Trigger

   • In the Triggers tab, create a New trigger.
     • Define when the task should start, e.g., On a monthly schedule.
     • Select all Months and select specific "Days" or "On" the first Wednesday, e.g., "On Third Thursday" of the month, which is recommended.
   • Click Ok

5. Define the Action

   • In the Actions tab, create a new Action.
     • Under Action, Start a program.
     • Browse to the agent auto-update installation path aforementioned above and select the binary, agent-autoupdate.exe

6. Save the Task

   • After configuring the task, Click Ok to save it.
   • You will be prompted to enter the password for the selected user account.

7. Testing the task

   • To test if the task is working, right-click on the task in the Task Scheduler Library and Select Run. Be sure to enable Task History: In the Task Scheduler, enable the history for the task to view detailed logs of when the task ran and any issues that might have occurred. Right-click the task in the Task Scheduler Library and select Enable All Tasks History.

8. Subsequent releases of the agent auto-update utility do not require recreating a new task unless otherwise explicitly stated in the CHANGELOG.md

Affirmation

• When new Fastly agents are downloaded and installed, MsiInstaller source entries in the Windows Event Viewer will be made such as the following:

  `Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: Signal Sciences Agent. Product Version: 4.59.1. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: Signal Sciences. Installation success or error status: 0.`
  

Troubleshooting

• If the scheduled task should fail, the agent auto-update utility can be run manually by navigating to the installed directory and running the binary in an Administrative Command Prompt. A log file capturing error diagnostics will be created.

• Enable Task History and Check Event Viewer: If a task fails or doesn't run as expected, you can also check the Windows Event Viewer for relevant logs. Look in the TaskScheduler log under Windows Logs → System