BigFix - Edit the BigFix Client MSI for Off Network installs or Custom Client Settings

Deploying the BigFix agent with custom client settings allows you to kick off processes immediately. It also gives you flexibility on what gets evaluated and run first. Normally you would use a clientsettings.cfg file as part of the exe installer but the MSI is different. The masthead is built into the file but it also gives you the basic settings. But if you want to use the MSI to perform off network such as you purchased a new company and want to utilize their group policy to deploy the agent it wouldn't work without adding these settings. These settings will also help if you want to use say autopilot or another mechanism to install the BigFix agent.

Download Orca from Microsoft through the Microsoft SDK

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-10-sdk/

On your BigFix Server you should have a folder from your installation Generator that contains the BigFixClient MSI

Copy the BigFixAgent.msi to a new location to edit with Orca

?Open the BigFixAgent.msi in Orca

In this exercise we will change the primary relay to your DMZ relay so you can install the agent off the network.??

In Orca go to the Property Table and change the Value to RELAY1

https://DMZRELAYNAME:52311/bfmirror/downloads

Note replace DMZRELAYNAME with your DMZ relay

Next in Orca go to the Registry setting here we will Right click and Add a Row

_BESClient_RelaySelect_FailoverRelay

The Registry value will be Registry6 (The next entry will be Registry7, Registry8, etc)

Root will be 2 (This will always be 2)

Key will be the registry key location - SOFTWARE\BigFix\EnterpriseClient\Settings\Client\_BESClient_RelaySelect_FailoverRelayList

Name – will always be value

Value – will be the registry value of your client setting.?For this one it will be the DMZ relay name

Component_ - will always be BESClient.exe

Duplicate the steps and also add the setting for Secure Registration if your relay has the key exchange password set.

SOFTWARE\BigFix\EnterpriseClient\Settings\Client\_BESClient_SecureRegistration

With the value being the password you set

More Details are here in the product documentation - https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Console/ManualKeyExchange.html#Manualkeyexchange

Once complete with all of the client settings you want to set save the changes and test your new MSI file