Working with installation packages

When creating remote installation tasks, the system uses installation packages containing sets of parameters necessary for software installation.

Installation packages can contain a key file. It is recommended that you avoid sharing access to installation packages that contain a key file.

You can use a single installation package several times.

Installation packages created for Administration Server are moved to the console tree and located in the Remote installation folder, in the Installation packages subfolder. Installation packages are stored on the Administration Server, in a service subfolder named Packages, within the specified shared folder.

Creating an installation package

To create an installation package, do the following:

1. Connect to the necessary Administration Server.
2. In the console tree, in the Remote installation folder select the Installation packages subfolder.
3. Start creation of an installation package in one of the following ways:
   • By selecting New → Installation package in the context menu of the Installation packages folder.
   • By selecting Create → Installation package in the context menu of the list of installation packages.
   • By clicking the Create installation package link in the installation packages list management section.

This will start the New Package Wizard. Follow the instructions of the Wizard.

When creating an installation package for the Kaspersky application, you may be prompted to view the License Agreement and the Privacy Policy for this application. Please carefully read the License Agreement and Privacy Policy. If you agree with all the terms of the License Agreement and the Privacy Policy, select the following options in the I confirm that I have fully read, understand, and accept the terms and conditions of the following section:

• The terms and conditions of this EULA
• Privacy Policy describing the handling of data

Installation of the application on your device will continue after you select both options. Creation of the installation package then resumes. The path to the License Agreement and Privacy Policy file is specified in a KUD or KPD file included in the distribution kit of the application for which the installation package is to be created.

When you create an installation package for Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Mac, you can select the language of the License Agreement and Privacy Policy.

During creation of an installation package for an application from the Kaspersky database of applications, you can enable automatic installation of system components (prerequisites) required for installation of the application. The New Package Wizard displays a list of all available system components for the selected application. If a patch installation package is created (incomplete distribution package), the list contains all system prerequisites for deployment of the patch, up to the full distribution package. You can find this list at any time in the installation package properties.

Updates of managed applications may require a specific minimum version of Kaspersky Security Center to be installed. If this version is later than your current version, these updates are displayed but cannot be approved. Also, no installation packages can be created from such updates until you upgrade Kaspersky Security Center. You are prompted to upgrade your Kaspersky Security Center instance to the required minimum version.

After the New Package Wizard finishes, the new installation package appears in the workspace of the Installation packages folder, in the console tree.

You do not have to manually create an installation package for remote installation of Network Agent. It is created automatically during Kaspersky Security Center installation and is stored in the Installation packages folder. If the package for remote installation of the Network Agent has been deleted, to re-create it you select the nagent.kud file in the NetAgent folder of the Kaspersky Security Center distribution package.

Do not specify any details of privileged accounts in the parameters of installation packages.

When an installation package for Administration Server is created, select the sc.kud file in the root folder of the Kaspersky Security Center distribution package as the description file.

Creating stand-alone installation packages

You and device users in your organization can use stand-alone installation packages to install applications on devices manually.

A stand-alone installation package is an executable file (installer.exe) that you can store on Web Server, in a shared folder, or transfer to a client device by another method. You can also send a link to the stand-alone installation package by email. On the client device, the user can run the received file locally to install an application without involving Kaspersky Security Center.

Be sure that the stand-alone installation package is not available for unauthorized persons.

You can create stand-alone installation packages for Kaspersky applications and for third-party applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. To create a stand-alone installation package for a third-party application, you must create a custom installation package first.

The source to create stand-alone installation packages are installation packages in the list of created on the Administration Server.

To create a stand-alone installation package:

1. In the console tree, select the Administration Server → Advanced → Remote installation → Installation packages.

   A list of installation packages available on Administration Server is displayed.

2. In the list of installation packages, select an installation package for which you want to create a stand-alone package.
3. In the context menu, select Create stand-alone installation package.

   Stand-alone Installation Package Creation Wizard starts. Proceed through the Wizard by using the Next button.

4. On the first page of the Wizard, if you have selected an installation package for the Kaspersky application and you want to install Network Agent together with the selected application, make sure that the Install Network Agent together with this application option is enabled.

   By default, this option is enabled. We recommend enabling this option if you are not sure whether Network Agent is installed on the device. If Network Agent is already installed on the device, after the stand-alone installation package with Network Agent is installed, Network Agent will be updated to the newer version.

   If you disable this option, Network Agent will not be installed on the device and the device will be unmanaged.

   If a stand-alone installation package for the selected application already exists on Administration Server, the Wizard informs you about this fact. In this case, you must select one of the following actions:

   • Create stand-alone installation package. Select this option if, for example, you want to create a stand-alone installation package for a new application version and also want to retain a stand-alone installation package that you created for a previous application version. The new stand-alone installation package is placed in another folder.
   • Use existing stand-alone installation package. Select this option if you want to use an existing stand-alone installation package. The process of package creation will not be started.
   • Rebuild existing stand-alone installation package. Select this option if you want to create a stand-alone installation package for the same application again. The stand-alone installation package is placed in the same folder.
5. On the next page of the Wizard, select the Move unassigned devices to this group option and specify an administration group to which you want to move the client device after Network Agent installation.

   By default, the device is moved to the Managed devices group.

   If you do not want to move the client device to an administration group after Network Agent installation, select the Do not move devices option.

6. On the next page of the Wizard, when the process of the stand-alone installation package creation is finished, a result of the stand-alone package creation and a path to the stand-alone package are displayed.

   You can click the links and do any of the following:

   • Open the folder with the stand-alone installation package.
   • Email the link to the created stand-alone installation package. To perform this action, you must have an email application launched.
   • Sample HTML code for publishing the link on a website. A TXT file is created and opened in an application that is associated with a TXT format. In the file, the <a> HTML tag with attributes is displayed.
7. On the next page of the Wizard, if you want to open the list of stand-alone installation packages, enable the Open the list of stand-alone packages option.
8. Click the FINISH button.

   The Stand-alone Installation Package Creation Wizard closes.

The stand-alone installation package is created and placed in the PkgInst subfolder of the Administration Server shared folder. You can view the list of stand-alone packages by clicking the View the list of stand-alone packages button above the list of installation packages.

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Creating custom installation packages

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You can use custom installation packages to do the following:

• To install any application (for example, a text editor) on a client device, for example, by means of a task.
• To create a stand-alone installation package.

A custom installation package is a folder with a set of files. The source to create a custom installation package is an archive file. The archive file contains a file or files that must be included in the custom installation package. Creating a custom installation package, you can specify command-line parameters, for example, to install the application in a silent mode.

To create a custom installation package:

1. In the console tree, select the Administration Server → Advanced → Remote installation → Installation packages.

   A list of installation packages available on Administration Server is displayed.

2. Above the list of installation packages, click the Create installation package button.

   The New Package Wizard starts. Proceed through the Wizard by using the Next button.

3. On the first page of the Wizard, select Create an installation package for the specified executable file.
4. On the next page of the Wizard, specify the custom installation package name.
5. On the next page of the Wizard, click the Browse button and, in a standard Windows Open window, choose an archive file located on the available disks to create a custom installation package.

   You can upload a ZIP, CAB, TAR, or TAR.GZ archive. It is not possible to create an installation package from an SFX (self-extracting archive) file.

   Files are downloaded to the Kaspersky Security Center Administration Server.

6. On the next page of the Wizard, specify the command-line parameters of an executable file.

   You can specify command-line parameters to install the application from the installation package in a silent mode. Specifying command-line parameters is optional.

   If you want, configure the following options:

   • Copy entire folder to the installation package

     Select this option if the executable file is accompanied with additional files required for the application installation. Before you enable this option, make sure that all of the required files are stored in the same folder. If this option is enabled, the application adds the entire contents of the folder, including the specified executable file, to the installation package.

   • Convert settings to recommended values for applications recognized by Kaspersky Security Center 13.1

     The application will be installed with the recommended settings, if information about the specified application is contained in the Kaspersky database.

     If you entered parameters in the Executable file command line field, they are rewritten with the recommended settings.

     By default, this option is enabled.

     The Kaspersky database is created and maintained by Kaspersky analysts. For each application that is added to the database, Kaspersky analysts define optimal installation settings. The settings are defined to ensure successful remote installation of an application to a client device. The database is updated on the Administration Server automatically when you run the Download updates to the repository of the Administration Server task.

   The process to create the custom installation package starts.

   The Wizard informs you when the process is finished.

   If the custom installation package is not created, an appropriate message is displayed.

7. Click the Finish button to close the Wizard.

The installation package that you created is downloaded to the Packages subfolder of the Administration Server shared folder. After downloading, the custom installation package appears in the list of installation packages.

In the list of installation packages on Administration Server, you can view and edit custom installation package properties.

Viewing and editing properties of custom installation packages

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After you created a custom installation package, you can view general information about the installation package and specify the installation settings in the properties window.

To view and edit properties of a custom installation package:

1. In the console tree, select the Administration Server → Advanced → Remote installation → Installation packages.

   A list of installation packages available on Administration Server is displayed.

2. In the context menu of an installation package, select Properties.

   The properties window of the selected installation package opens.

3. View the following information:
   • Installation package name
   • Application name packed into the custom installation package
   • Application version
   • Installation package creation date
   • Path to the custom installation package on the Administration Server
   • Executable file command line
4. Specify the following settings:
   • Installation package name
   • Install required general system components

     If this option is enabled, before installing an update the application automatically installs all general system components (prerequisites) that are required to install the update. For example, these prerequisites can be operating system updates

     If this option is disabled, you may have to install the prerequisites manually.

     By default, this option is disabled.

     This option is only available when the application added to the installation package is recognized by Kaspersky Security Center.

   • Executable file command line

     If the application requires additional parameters for a silent installation, specify them in this field. Refer to the vendor's documentation for details.

     You can also enter other parameters.

     This option is only available for packages that are not created on the basis of Kaspersky applications.

5. Click the OK or Apply button to save the changes, if any.

The new settings are saved.

Obtaining the Network Agent installation package from the Kaspersky Security Center distribution kit

You can obtain the Network Agent installation package from the Kaspersky Security Center distribution kit, without needing to install Kaspersky Security Center. You can then use the installation package to install Network Agent on the client devices.

To obtain the Network Agent installation package from the Kaspersky Security Center distribution kit:

1. Run the ksc_<version number>.<build number>_full_<localization language>.exe executable file from the Kaspersky Security Center distribution kit.
2. In the window that opens, click the Extract installation packages link.
3. In the list of installation packages, select the check box next to the Network Agent installation package, and then click the Next button.
4. If necessary, click the Browse button to change the displayed folder to extract the installation package to.
5. Click the Extract button.

   The application extracts the Network Agent installation package.

6. When the process is complete, click the Close button.

The Network Agent installation package is extracted to the selected folder.

You can use the installation package to install Network Agent by one of the following methods:

• Locally by running the setup.exe file from the extracted folder
• Via silent installation
• By using group policies of Microsoft Windows

Distributing installation packages to secondary Administration Servers

To distribute installation packages to secondary Administration Servers:

1. Establish a connection with the Administration Server that controls the relevant secondary Administration Servers.
2. Create a task of installation package distribution to secondary Administration Servers in one of the following ways:
   • If you want to create a task for secondary Administration Servers in the selected administration group, launch the creation of a group task for this group.
   • If you want to create a task for specific secondary Administration Servers, launch the creation of a task for specific devices.

   The Add Task Wizard starts. Follow the instructions of the Wizard.

   In the Select the task type window of the New Task Wizard, in the Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Administration Server node, in the Advanced folder select Distribute installation package as the task type.

   The Add Task Wizard will create the task of distributing the selected installation packages to specific secondary Administration Servers.

3. Run the task manually or wait for it to launch according to the schedule you specified in the task settings.

The selected installation packages will be copied to the specific secondary Administration Servers.

Distributing installation packages through distribution points

You can use distribution points to distribute installation packages within an administration group.

After the installation packages are received from the Administration Server, distribution points automatically distribute them to client devices through IP multicasting. IP multicasting of new installation packages within an administration group occurs once. If a client device has been disconnected from the corporate network at the time of distribution, Network Agent (on the client device) automatically downloads the necessary installation package from a distribution point when the installation task is started.

Transferring application installation results to Kaspersky Security Center

After you have created the application installation package, you can configure it so that all diagnostic information about the results of the application installation is transferred to Kaspersky Security Center. For installation packages of Kaspersky applications, transfer of diagnostic information about the application installation results is configured by default, and no additional configuration is required.

To configure the transfer of diagnostic information about the results of application installation to Kaspersky Security Center:

1. Navigate to the folder of the installation package created by using Kaspersky Security Center for the selected application. The folder can be found in the shared folder specified during Kaspersky Security Center installation.
2. Open the file with the .kpd or .kud extension for editing (for example, in the Microsoft Windows Notepad editor).

   The file has the format of a regular configuration .ini file.

3. Add the following lines to the file:

   [SetupProcessResult]

   Wait=1

   This command configures Kaspersky Security Center to wait for setup completion for the application, for which the installation package is created, and to analyze the installer return code. If you have to disable the transfer of diagnostic data, set the value of the Wait key to 0.

4. Add the description of return codes for a successful installation. To do this, add the following lines to the file:

   [SetupProcessResult_SuccessCodes]

   <return code>=[<description>]

   <return code 1>=[<description>]

   …

   Square brackets contain optional keys.

   Syntax for the lines:

   • <return code>. Any number corresponding to the installer return code. The number of return codes can be arbitrary.
   • <description>. Text description of the installation result. The description can be omitted.
5. Add the description of return codes for a failed installation. To do this, add the following lines to the file:

   [SetupProcessResult_ErrorCodes]

   <return code>=[<description>]

   <return code 1>=[<description>]

   …

   The syntax of these lines is identical to the syntax for the lines containing successful setup return codes.

6. Close the .kpd or .kud file by saving all changes.

Finally, the results of installation of the user-defined application will be registered in the logs of Kaspersky Security Center and then shown in the list of events, in reports, and in task run logs.

Defining the KSN proxy server address for installation packages

In case the address or the domain of the Administration Server changes, you can define the KSN proxy server address for the installation package.

To define the KSN proxy server address for the installation package:

1. In the console tree, in the Remote installation folder, double-click the Installation packages subfolder.
2. In the menu that opens, select Properties.
3. In the properties window that opens, select the General subsection.
4. In the General subsection of the properties window, enter the address of the KSN proxy server.

The installation packages will use this address as default.