Computer Agents
Contents
Computer Agents Search and Filter
Computer Agent Administrative Actions
Overview
ActivTrak Admins can manage Computer Agents from Settings > Users and Groups > Computer Agents. This page is only visible to App Access users with administrator permissions. It allows Admins to view and export computer information and take administrative actions to delete or uninstall computer agents.
Computer Agents Table
The Computer Agents page includes a new table that displays the key Computer Agent information detailed below.
Table Column Name | Description |
ID | The ActivTrak ID number of a computer agent. The first computer agent in an organization starts at 1 and increases sequentially. |
Primary Domain\Computer (Alias) | A concatenation of a computer agentβs primary domain (present only if the domain is connected), computer name, and computer alias (present only if populated). |
First Log Record | A date timestamp that represents the First Log Record for a given system. |
Last Log Record | A relative time value from the current time to the last log record for a given computer. |
Last Screenshot | A relative time value from the current time to the screen shot for a given computer. This is only displayed if Screenshots are enabled. |
Computer Agent View
Click on a given Computer Agent to bring up detailed information about the computer.
Computer Agents Search and Filter
ActivTrak Admins can use the search field on the Computer Agents page to search for computers by "Primary Domain," "Computer Name" or "Computer Alias." When executing a quick search, the Admin will see the results broken down by type.
An automated audit log entry of active but non-reporting computer Agents within the account is also available in the Security Audit Log. You can learn more about the Agents Not Reporting audit log entry here.
Admins can take advantage of new advanced search capabilities by selecting the filter icon on the right side of the search bar. Selecting this icon will reveal the advanced search interface. Using this interface, admins can create advanced searches with specific search criteria.
Other available options allow Admins to export all computer agent information and access the agent installation media.
Computer Agent Administrative Actions
Admins can take actions to manage computer agents on the computer agents page. Using the three dot menu on the row item for a given Computer Agent, Admins can uninstall or delete computer agents.
- Deleting a computer agent: Removes all information on the computer from ActivTrak but does not uninstall the agent. If the system is still operating, a new system record will appear.
- Uninstalling a computer agent: Removes all information on the computer from ActivTrak and sends an uninstall command to the computer agent, which removes the agent from the system.
- Bulk delete: Admins can delete systems in bulk using the checkboxes and bulk actions on the computer agents page.
Agent Health Status (Beta)
The Agent Health Status dashboard (currently in beta) helps admins quickly diagnose device issues before contacting Support. Located on the Computer Agents page, this tool helps determine if performance problems stem from the ActivTrak Agent, network connectivity or user permissions.
Status Indicators
The Agent Health Status is displayed on the Computer Agents page as a colored status icon, which you can click for more information.
- GREEN π’ β All checks have passed
- YELLOW π‘ β At least one check is in a "Degraded" state
- RED π΄ β At least one check is in a "Failed" state
- GRAY βͺ β Agent was uninstalled or device inactive >1 week
Health Check Categories
Backend Connectivity monitors connections to essential ActivTrak services:
- backend.activtrak.net
- backend-gcp-[region].activtrak.net (region-specific)
- ws.activtrak.net
Data Backlog Monitoring tracks queued items waiting to upload:
- Activity logs
- Screenshots
- Alarm history records
A backlog of under 100 records shows as healthy. A backlog of 100-499 shows as as degraded, and a backlog of 500+ shows as failed.
Health check details and troubleshooting table
Device Health Check | Healthy π’ | Degraded π‘ | Failed π΄ | Troubleshooting |
Endpoint: backend.activtrak.net reachable | Reachable | Unreachable, but not primary region | Backend unreachable since startup |
All unreachable: Check userβs network connection and whitelisting. Failed: If no backlog (below), just wait. If backlogged, check https://status.activtrak.com. |
Endpoint: backend-gcp-<region>.activtrak.net reachable | Reachable | N/A | Primary region unreachable | |
Endpoint: ws.activtrak.net reachable | Reachable | Unreachable | Backend unreachable since startup | |
Log Backlog Record Count: Backlog count of X | <100 | >=100 | >=500 |
If user logged off for the day: Wait for next business day for backlog to upload. If possible, leave device on until fully caught up. If 5+ users on device: Request device re-config as Terminal Server via Support. |
Screenshot BackLog Record Count* | <100 | >=100 | >=500 | |
Alarm History Backlog Record Count: Backlog count of X | <100 | >=100 | >=500 |
* Requires the Screen Details add-on
Note: The above checks will appear under 'User Checks' for Chromebook users only.
Remote Restart Capability
Administrators can initiate a remote agent restart directly from the Agent Health Status dashboard:
- Access the restart option from the dashboard interface
- View restart history in the Command History tab
- Monitor pending restart status
Note: Remote restart should be used cautiously and only after other troubleshooting steps have been attempted.
Agent Health Status Details
Upon clicking the Status circle for a given computer (note: there are no other links to the Agent Health Status dashboard), the admin will see general device and agent version info repeated, as well as a set of computer agent health checks on the left side:
The right side of the Agent Health Status dashboard will list each user of the device and a set of available permissions:
User Checks: Details and Troubleshooting Guide
User Permissions Check | OS | Healthy π’ | Degraded π‘ | Failed π΄ | Troubleshooting |
Accessibility | Win & Mac | Functional | N/A | Not functional | Win: Always available Mac: See below |
Accessibility permission | Mac only | Permission granted | N/A | Permission denied | Mac: Manually grant in Settings or uninstall/reinstall |
Screen Recording permission | Mac only | Permission granted | Permission denied | N/A | Mac: Manually grant in Settings or uninstall/reinstall |
Location Services permission | Mac only | Granted or not requested | User cannot change status | Location disabled, or requested and denied | Mac: Manually grant in Settings or uninstall/reinstall (Not used in 8.4.2 and below.) |
Remote Restart
Admins can request a remote agent restart from this Agent Health Status dashboard as a basic corrective action.
Once they click the Restart Agent button, they can view the history under the Command History tab. If a restart request is pending, the button will be disabled until the agent reports back.
Using Agent Health to Troubleshoot MacOS Sequoia
Before troubleshooting MacOS Sequia issues, please refer to the macOS Sequoia Deployment Guide.
Key User Checks to Monitor
The Agent Health Status dashboard helps identify common issues with agents running on MacOS Sequoia through the User Checks panel:
- Accessibility Permission: Critical for capturing window titles and activity data. When denied (π‘), ask users to grant access through System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
- Screen Recording Permission: if Screen Details add-on is enabled.* A denied status (π‘) means screenshots won't work. Users can enable this in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording if needed.
- Location Services (Mac only): Optional in Agent 8.4.2+. A denied status (π‘) won't impact core functionality.
* Requires the Screen Details add-on
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