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HCL BigFix

Deploying WhatPulse Professional with HCL BigFix

HCL BigFix (formerly IBM BigFix/Tivoli Endpoint Manager) is an enterprise endpoint management tool that can deploy software packages to Windows machines at scale. BigFix's Software Distribution feature allows you to create tasks that silently install software on target computers. Here's how to deploy WhatPulse Professional using BigFix, leveraging the MSI for ease of deployment (though EXE can be used with the proper switches).

Prerequisites​

  • BigFix Environment: Ensure the BigFix server and console are operational, and target computers have the BigFix client installed. You'll need the BigFix Lifecycle module (or equivalent) to use the Software Distribution wizard.
  • WhatPulse Installer: Download the latest WhatPulse Professional MSI from the downloads page. If you plan to use the EXE instead, note the silent command parameters that are documented here. It's generally simpler to use the MSI for deployment via BigFix.

Deployment Steps​

  1. Open Software Distribution Dashboard: In the BigFix Console, navigate to Systems Lifecycle (or All Content if using older console views) → Software Distribution → Manage Software Distribution. This opens the Software Distribution wizard interface.

  2. Create a New Package: Click the New Package button in the dashboard. Fill in the package details: give it a name like "WhatPulse Professional", specify the vendor (WhatPulse) and version number. You can choose to make the package Shared (available to other console operators) or Private.

  3. Add the Installer File:

    • Switch to the Manage Files tab within the New Package dialog.
    • Click Add Files... and browse to the WhatPulse MSI file.
    • Add the MSI (and any additional files if needed; in this case just the single MSI).
    • After selecting the file, click Add to Package to upload it into BigFix's package repository.
    • BigFix will compute a SHA1 and size for the file during this process. (If you have both x86 and x64 versions or an EXE and an MSI, you can add both and create separate tasks, but the WhatPulse MSI should cover all users on x64 Windows.)

  4. Create Deployment Task:

    • Now go to the Manage Tasks tab and click New Task...
    • This begins the Task creation wizard for the package you just made.
    • Select the WhatPulse installer file you added and click the Add > button to include it in this deployment task.
    • Then click Next.

  5. Define Install Command: In the task creation, you'll be shown or asked for the command line to run the installer:

For an MSI file, BigFix often auto-populates the command. It typically uses the default silent install command, e.g.:

msiexec /i "whatpulse-win-latest.msi" /qn

This indicates a quiet MSI installation (no UI). Verify that /qn (or equivalent) is present for silence. If not, you can manually edit the command to include /qn or /quiet.

For an EXE installer, BigFix might not know the switches, so you must enter them. Input the command as:

whatpulse-win-latest.exe --root "C:\Program Files\WhatPulse" --accept-messages --accept-licenses --confirm-command install InstallForAllUsers=true

This string includes all necessary options for a silent install of WhatPulse (adjust the --root path if needed). The --accept-licenses flag ensures any license prompts are auto-accepted, and InstallForAllUsers=true installs the app for all users on the machine. Confirm the install command looks correct. Then proceed Next.

  1. (Optional) Advanced Options: BigFix may prompt for advanced options. For example, you can check "Also create an associated uninstall task" to automatically generate an uninstall task for WhatPulse. This is optional but can be useful for future removal. You can usually leave other options at defaults and click Next.

  2. Applicability Relevance: By default, the task will include relevance that ensures it runs on Windows OS and not on machines that already have the application (if BigFix can infer that from MSI product codes or you may add custom relevance). You can review or adjust relevance conditions if needed (for instance, target only Windows 10/11, or exclude 32-bit OS if the app is 64-bit only). In many cases, the default "Windows OS" relevance is fine.

  3. Create the Task: Click Create Task to finish. BigFix will generate a fixlet task for deploying WhatPulse. You should now see this task in the BigFix console (likely under a custom site or the "Software Distribution" site you specified).

  4. Automatic Activation (Org ID): For a fully hands-off deployment, prepare the organization identifier file so new installs show up in your WhatPulse dashboard automatically. To automate organization activation, incorporate the creation of wp-pro-org-id.txt into the BigFix action script. If you used the Software Distribution wizard, you can edit the generated task's Actions script. Find the section where the install command is executed (it will have a waithidden or run command for msiexec or the EXE). After that line, add a new line to create the org ID file. For example, add:

waithidden cmd /C echo <Your Organization ID> > "C:\Program Files\WhatPulse\wp-pro-org-id.txt"

This will run on the client immediately after installation, writing your organization ID into the file. Be sure to replace <Your Organization ID> with your actual org identifier, and keep the path consistent. Save the changes to the task.

  1. (Optional) Default Settings Overrides: If you want to pre-configure certain WhatPulse settings (like enabling specific logging features), you can also deploy settings-overrides.ini files in the same manner as the org ID file. See this documentation for details on the format and options.

  2. Deploy the Task to Clients: Select the WhatPulse deployment task in the Console and click Take Action. Target the computers or groups you want to install WhatPulse on. You might target an automatic group (relay or by property) or manually select machines. Set the execution constraints (you can have it run ASAP or on a schedule/time window). Then deploy the action.

  3. Monitor and Verify:

    • In the BigFix Console → Deployment Health, or under Actions, monitor the action status.
    • Computers will report back their status (Fixed = installed successfully, or Failed if something went wrong).
    • On successful endpoints, WhatPulse should be installed silently.
    • Because we included the org ID file, those clients will show up in the WhatPulse Professional web dashboard as pending computers without any user interaction needed.
    • Verify on a couple of endpoints that the WhatPulse program folder exists and the service/tray app is running.
    • You can also create a BigFix analysis to check for the existence of the WhatPulse program or registry keys for additional verification.
    • Computers are then ready for activation by an admin.