Managing the Windows agent

It's best practice to avoid backing up a device with an activated Secure Endpoint Agent. Restoring the backup may lead to unexpected outcomes, depending on the policies, actions, and rules deployed to the backed up device.

If you want to create a backup, ensure that you:

  • Exclude the following folders/files from the backup:
    • <System directory>\rpcnet.exe
    • ProgramData\CTES\
  • Reinstall the Secure Endpoint Agent after the backup is restored.

You can manage the Secure Endpoint Agent for Windows devices in the following ways:

You can run the Persistence Status Monitor tool at the command line to trigger a Windows device's Secure Endpoint Agent to contact the Absolute Monitoring Center. Agent calls occur automatically every 24 hours, but the tool is useful when you want to test the agent and don't want to wait for the next scheduled call.

For example, you can trigger an agent call to:

  • Activate a newly installed agent
  • Test the agent's ability to make a call
  • Upload device information to the Secure Endpoint Console

The Persistence Status Monitor tool must be run locally on a device. You can't run the tool remotely from the Secure Endpoint Console.

You can download the tool from the Utilities page in the Settings area.

You can also use the Persistence Status Monitor to check the activation status of the Absolute Persistence® embedded in the firmware of the device. For details, see the user guide included in the downloaded zip package.

You can run the Persistence Status Monitor tool on a device running a supported Windows operating system.

The Persistence Status Monitor is run at the command line. You can run the AbtPS command with the following switches:

Copy 
AbtPS [-StartCall | -C] [-IsCalling | -I] [-ESN | -E]  [-Help]
Switch Description

-StartCall

-or-

-C

Starts an agent call to the Absolute Monitoring Center

If successful, Agent call started is returned.

Enter:

Copy 
AbtPS -StartCall

-IsCalling

-or-

-I

Shows whether the device is in the process of connecting to the Absolute Monitoring Center

Possible values are Agent is calling and Agent is not calling.

Enter:

Copy 
AbtPS -IsCalling

-ESN

-or-

-E

Displays the device's Absolute Identifier The unique Electronic Serial Number (ESN) assigned to the Secure Endpoint Agent that is installed on a device. (ESN)

If the Device ESN ends with "0000", the Secure Endpoint Agent has not yet called in to the Absolute Monitoring Center to receive its unique Absolute Identifier.

Enter:

Copy 
AbtPS -ESN
-Help Shows help content and the version of Absolute Persistence

To trigger a call:

  1. Download the Persistence Status Monitor to the device.

  2. Extract the contents of the AbtPS_<version>.zip file to a location of your choice, such as C:\.

  3. Open a Command Prompt window and navigate to the location where you extracted the zip file. For example, enter:

    Copy 
    cd C:\AbtPS 

  4. Trigger the Secure Endpoint Agent to call the Absolute Monitoring Center by entering the following command at the prompt:

    Copy 
    AbtPS -StartCall

    Agent call started is returned.

  5. To check if the call is still in progress, enter the following command at the prompt:

    Copy 
    AbtPS -IsCalling

    One of the following values is returned: Agent is calling or Agent is not calling.

  6. For new agent installations, you can check if the triggered call was successful and the Secure Endpoint Agent is now activated. Enter the following command at the prompt:

    Copy 
    AbtPS -ESN

    The Device ESN shows. If the identifier's last four digits are greater than "0000", the device has been assigned a unique Absolute Identifier The unique Electronic Serial Number (ESN) assigned to the Secure Endpoint Agent that is installed on a device. and the agent is activated. If it ends with "0000", the call was not successful. Repeat steps 4 to 6.

    If the Secure Endpoint Agent fails to connect to the Absolute Monitoring Center, and you've verified your network's connectivity, contact Absolute Technical Support.

By default, your account is configured to allow automatic agent updates, meaning your managed devices are updated automatically as new agent versions become available. After a new agent is released, your devices are updated on the next agent connection to the Absolute Monitoring Center.

If automatic agent updates are disabled for your account, your managed devices will not be updated until you assign a new agent version to one or more policy groups.

If automatic agent updates are disabled as per an alternate Service Agreement, contact Absolute Technical Support to request an update to the latest version of the agent.

You may want to remove the agent from a device for various reasons, such as retirement, disposal, or end-of-life/end-of-lease. Use the Unenroll Device security action to remove the agent from one or more devices.