Bulk Deployment of Zmanda Windows Clients

Introduction: This document provides a detailed guide on installing the Zmanda Windows Client (ZWC) using Ansible. It's important to note that the Ansible script installs the package depending on the server and client.

The process involves three key steps: preparing the target machine, modifying parameters in the script, and executing the Ansible script.

1. Preparing the target machine:

Before initiating the installation, make sure the target Windows machine is set up for remote management. Follow these steps:

a. Enabling PowerShell remote:

• Execute the command WinRM quickconfig to enable remote management using Windows PowerShell.

• Verify that the Windows Remote Management service is running on the machine.

• Allow HTTP port (5985) and/or HTTPS port (5986) in the firewall, as these are the ports used by WinRM.

• Enable the administrator account, as administrator credentials will be used for package installation.

b. PowerShell configuration (Certificate):

Execute the following PowerShell commands:

winrm set winrm/config/service '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}' 
winrm set winrm/config/client/auth '@{Basic="true"}' 
winrm set winrm/config/service/auth '@{Basic="true"}'

2. Parameter modifications:

a. Retrieve the parameter details from the ZWC silent installation guide based on the requirements.

b. Modify the following parameters in the provided Ansible script based on the obtained details:

CREATEAMANDALOCALUSER=1 
VERIFYAMANDALOCALUSER=1 
AMANDAPASSWORD=”password” 
AMANDA_SERVER=”x.x.x.x” 
CLIENT_ADDRESS="x.x.x.x"

c. Adjust the Ansible playbook accordingly:

- name: Install Application Server
  win_command: 'msiexec /i "C:\\temp\\ZmandaClient-Server5.1.msi" /qn /L*v "C:\\temp\\log.log" CREATEAMANDALOCALUSER=1 AMANDAPASSWORD=<backup user password> AMANDA_SERVER=<BackupServerIP> CLIENT_ADDRESS=localhost'
  when: OSTYPE.stdout_lines[0] | int == 3

- name: Install Application Client
  win_command: 'msiexec /i "C:\\temp\\ZmandaClient-Desktop5.1.msi" /qn /L*v "C:\\temp\\log.log" CREATEAMANDALOCALUSER=1 AMANDAPASSWORD=<backup user password> AMANDA_SERVER=<BackupServerIP> CLIENT_ADDRESS=localhost'
  when: OSTYPE.stdout_lines[0] | int == 1

3. Ansible execution:

The provided Ansible script does not come with inventory details. It is the responsibility of system administrators to define the host inventory. Follow these steps:

a. Specify the host inventory on the Ansible Linux machine. Below are sample inventory details, and it is recommended to include these parameters when connecting to remote Linux machines.

Note: The administrator has flexibility in determining how to pass the details for ansible_user and ansible_password.

[windows:vars]
ansible_connection=winrm
ansible_user=username
ansible_port=5985
ansible_password=password
ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation=ignore

b. Ensure the Windows machine's IP/Name is added to the Ansible inventory.

By following the outlined steps, users can efficiently deploy ZWC in their Windows environments. For any further assistance, please contact Zmanda Support.