Home » Advantages and Disadvantages of Agent installation via GPO
Applicable For Endpoint Central MSP 
 
 

Agent Installation via GPO

In enterprises with an Active Directory Domain setup and numerous endpoints to manage, Group Policy Objects (GPO) offer an efficient way to deploy agents. This method is particularly useful during the initial bulk onboarding of agents, as GPOs automate the installation process, ensuring consistency and reducing manual effort across the network..

Agent Installation Method
Advantages
Disadvantages
GPO Lightweight Tool (Preferred)
    User Friendly:
  • The GPO Lightweight Tool is a straightforward and user-friendly solution for configuring Group Policy Objects (GPO) to deploy agents, either during system startup or through scheduled tasks.
  • It also allows to uninstall/ re-install agents through GPO without complexity on configuring the GPO.
  • The disadvantages of the GPO startup script and scheduled task methods are inherited.
Scheduler
    Fastest Method:
  • Automatically installs the agent more quickly, as it executes during the next GPO refresh cycle, unlike GPO Startup which requires computer restart.
  • Complex to configure via traditional GPO.
Startup Script
    Common Method:
  • Common method of agent installation through traditional GPO editor.
  • It allows for customization with additional parameters or scripts during GPO configuration for agent installation.
  • Requires a system restart for the GPO policy to apply, delaying agent installation until then.
  • In remote work environments with machines connected through VPN, this method may not be suitable if the VPN is not connected during the restart.
  • Complex to configure via traditional GPO editor.

The recommended method for agent installation is using the GPO Lightweight Tool with a scheduler-based task.