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K1000 5.4 - Machine Actions

In 5.4 we can now create more than two machine actions!  Once I realized how easy these were to manipulate I started adding and adjusting them like a kid in a candy store.  My machine action drop-down now has 9 items and we find them all useful.  It was well-timed with an effort to make KACE more useful for our service desk.

If you like to use Firefox I highly recommed the plugin "IE Tab 2" so you can launch the K1000 admin console in a "IE Tab".  This prevents the pesky error: "Sorry, this Machine Action is only supported when using Microsoft Internet Explorer."

Here are my Machine Actions:

Admin Share
Computer Management
Ping
PsList
PsLoggedon
Services
Shutdown –i
UVNC Win 7
UVNC Win XP

All of our machine actions are “Custom action…” from the drop down except for ping.  That one is “Ping using host IP”

The machine actions that start with Ps require PStools to exist at C:\pstools.  There's probably a better way to do this (call from a network share?) but it was simple at the time and works for us.  (Please feel free to comment and tell me there’s a better way!)

Here’s my syntax for all of our machine actions:

Admin Share:
explorer.exe \\KACE_HOST_NAME\c$

Computer Management:
cmd.exe /c compmgmt.msc /Computer:KACE_HOST_NAME

PsList:
cmd.exe /K "c:\pstools\PsList.exe" \\KACE_HOST_NAME -t -s

PsLoggedon:
cmd.exe /K "c:\pstools\PsLoggedon.exe" -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME

Services:
cmd.exe /c services.msc /Computer:KACE_HOST_NAME

Shutdown -i:
shutdown.exe –i

UVNC Win 7:
"c:\\Program Files\\UltraVNC\\vncviewer.exe" /dsmplugin SecureVNCPlugin64.dsm KACE_HOST_NAME

UVNC Win XP
"c:\\Program Files\\UltraVNC\\vncviewer.exe" /dsmplugin SecureVNCPlugin.dsm KACE_HOST_NAME

We have many shared PCs where there is an auto-user logging into the PC and our users log into context with the secondary logon.  PsLoggedon is great for use on those machines to see the user that is logged in.

I had a shutdown.exe -m \\KACE_HOST_NAME -r -t 30 -f but it was too easy to accidentally kick off a reboot.  If I could get this to prompt, "Are you sure?" I wouldn't use shutdown.exe -i

The rest are fairly self-explanatory.  Let me know if you find them useful!

-awingren


Comments

  • Looks really useful. Great ideas! - Nico_K 11 years ago
    • Glad you find it useful! - awingren 11 years ago
  • Great ideas. I am adding 2 of them to my machine actions. - rockhead44 11 years ago
    • I agree, will have some of them added. - londeaux 11 years ago
      • Awesome! Let me know if you think of any others. - awingren 11 years ago
    • That's super! - awingren 11 years ago
  • If anyone else has other favorite machine actions I'd love to hear about them! - awingren 11 years ago
    • Great stuff! I'm using these daily. I added a few more that are useful to me...

      Run Managed Installs - "c:\pstools\PsExec.exe" \\KACE_HOST_NAME cmd,"C:\Program Files\Dell\KACE\runbot.exe" 6 0

      IPConfig /all - cmd.exe /K "c:\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME ipconfig /all

      Command Prompt - "c:\pstools\PsExec.exe" \\KACE_HOST_NAME cmd

      Thanks for sharing these! - kenwhite 11 years ago
      • Hi kenwhite! Glad to have shared something useful for you. The "Run Managed Installs" and remote command prompt actions you mentioned are great! I will be adding both to ours for sure! Thanks for posting these! - awingren 11 years ago
  • This was a great help and exactly what i was after. - chris.poston 11 years ago
    • Glad it was helpful to you, Chris! - awingren 11 years ago
  • Awesome! for me everything is working except command prompt.. getting " unable to run machine action, please check ie security settings" - binuani 11 years ago
    • Hi binuani, I just got the Remote Command Prompt to launch with the following command:
      cmd.exe /K "c:\pstools\PsExec.exe" \\KACE_HOST_NAME cmd - awingren 11 years ago
      • thank you that worked!!! - binuani 11 years ago
  • Excellent list! The only other ones I use are for our brand of remote control and the precanned RDP & Ping actions. - GeekSoldier 11 years ago
  • I have one for WOL- you need to download this app first
    http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wake_on_lan.html


    then create the action using this-
    \\servershare\sharefolder\WOL\WakeMeOnLan.exe /wakeup KACE_HOST_IP

    I have done it and it seems to be working-however I cannot do multiple machines at once (any ideas on how to run multiple machine actions on different machines at once?) - dkurz8814 11 years ago
    • Ooo nice, dkurz8814! I like the WOL action. That's a great one! Unfortunately the way our network is setup we can't very easily take advantage of WOL. I'll have to remember it for the future, though! Thanks for the tip! - awingren 11 years ago
    • According to the wakemeonlan.exe documentation the following command would work:
      \\servershare\sharefolder\WOL\WakeMeOnLan.exe /wakeupiprange 192.168.0.25 192.168.0.100

      But I don't think you'd want to run it from machine actions as there's no way to customize the range from there. So you're probably better off going to DIstribution > Wake on LAN and choosing labels to wake up. - mpeters 11 years ago
  • My Machine Actions:

    Note the restarts and shutdowns can be stopped by closing the console window. Otherwise you can press any key and the restart or shutdown will continue. I used some of the above actions and added/changed some.

    Blue Screen View
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\bluescreenview\BlueScreenView.exe /minidumpfolder "\\KACE_HOST_IP\c$\WINDOWS\Minidump"

    Bomgar Jump
    https://BOMGARURL/api/client_script.ns?type=rep&operation=generate&action=start_pinned_client_session&search_string=KACE_HOST_IP

    C$
    explorer.exe "\\KACE_HOST_NAME\c$"

    CHKDSK
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME chkdsk && pause

    Command Prompt
    cmd.exe /K "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\PsExec.exe" -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME cmd

    Computer Management
    cmd.exe /c compmgmt.msc /Computer:KACE_HOST_NAME

    DesktopAuthority
    https://KACE_HOST_NAME:2000/

    Event Log
    cmd.exe /c eventvwr.msc /Computer:KACE_HOST_NAME

    IP Config /All
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME ipconfig /all && pause

    KBE VNC
    http://KACE_HOST_IP:5800

    Local Administrators
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME net localgroup administrators && pause

    Logged On Users
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\PsLoggedon.exe" -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME && pause

    Open Ports
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME netstat -ano && pause

    PathPing
    cmd.exe /c pathping.exe KACE_HOST_IP -4 && pause

    Ping
    cmd.exe /c ping.exe KACE_HOST_IP -4 -t

    Process List
    cmd.exe /K sc \\KACE_HOST_NAME start RemoteRegistry && "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\PsList.exe" -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME -t -s

    CPU Usage
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME typeperf "\Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time"

    RDP
    mstsc.exe /v:KACE_HOST_NAME

    Restart
    cmd.exe /c ECHO Press Any Key to Restart or Close && pause && shutdown.exe /r /m KACE_HOST_IP /d p:0:0 /c "COMPANY - Restart in 90 sec" /t 90

    Restart Forced
    cmd.exe /c ECHO Press Any Key to Restart or Close && pause && shutdown.exe /r /m KACE_HOST_IP /d p:0:0 /c "COMPANY - Restart in 15 sec" /f /t 15

    Services
    cmd.exe /c services.msc /Computer:KACE_HOST_NAME

    Shutdown
    cmd.exe /c ECHO Press Any Key to Shutdown or Close && pause && shutdown.exe /s /m KACE_HOST_IP /d p:0:0 /c "COMPANY - Shutdown in 90 sec" /t 90

    Shutdown Forced
    cmd.exe /c ECHO Press Any Key to Shutdown or Close && pause && shutdown.exe /s /m KACE_HOST_IP /d p:0:0 /c "COMPANY - Shutdown in 15 sec" /f /t 15

    System Info
    cmd.exe /c "\\SERVER\SHARENAME\pstools\psexec.exe -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME systeminfo && pause - pcooper 11 years ago
    • Any luck getting these to work with Windows 7? UAC on the client computer keeps shutting me down. - codyjbates 10 years ago
      • I have UAC set to never notify. - pcooper 10 years ago
    • Any way to have these prompt for a username/password when they are done? Our standard accounts don't have access to run most of these. - chris.moore 5 years ago
  • I created a script and machine action to install the Kace agent.

    Machine Action:
    cmd.exe /c \\[PATH TO SCRIPT FOLDER AND KACE AGENT]\RemoteInstallKaceAgent.cmd KACE_HOST_NAME


    Batch Script (RemoteInstallKaceAgent.cmd):

    SET REMOTEHOSTNAME=%1

    NET USE \\[PATH TO PSTOOLS FOLDER]
    NET USE \\[PATH TO SCRIPT FOLDER AND KACE AGENT]
    NET USE \\%REMOTEHOSTNAME%\c$

    if not exist "\\%REMOTEHOSTNAME%\c$\TEMP" mkdir \\%REMOTEHOSTNAME%\c$\TEMP

    XCOPY "\\[PATH TO SCRIPT FOLDER AND KACE AGENT]\ampagent-6.0.1079-x86.msi" \\%REMOTEHOSTNAME%\c$\TEMP /d /c /y

    \\[PATH TO PSTOOLS FOLDER]\PsExec.exe -accepteula \\%REMOTEHOSTNAME% cmd /c c:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe /qn /i c:\temp\ampagent-6.0.1079-x86.msi HOST=[K1000 HOST NAME]

    NET USE \\[PATH TO PSTOOLS FOLDER] /delete /y
    NET USE \\[PATH TO SCRIPT FOLDER AND KACE AGENT] /delete /y
    NET USE \\%REMOTEHOSTNAME%\c$ /delete /y

    pause - pcooper 10 years ago
  • We just got the new SolarWinds DameWare Mini Remote Control v11.0.1.1237. I added this machine action on our K1000 for it:
    "C:\\Program Files\\SolarWinds\\DameWare Mini Remote Control 11.0 x64\\DWRCC.exe" -m:KACE_HOST_NAME -a:1 -u:%username% -d:yourdomain.com
    The -a:1 specifies Windows NT Challenge/Respons

    The -u:%username% sets username to the logged in user

    The -d:yourdomain.com sets the domain to yourdomain.com

    That worked on my K1000 v6.2.109330 - awingren 9 years ago
  • hi all,

    anyone tried integrating Logmein in Kace under device actions - rahimpal 9 years ago
  • Here's how I got the Managed Installs action to work in Windows 7 (K1000 6.3) -

    cmd.exe /K ""\\[path]\pstools\PsExec.exe" -accepteula \\KACE_HOST_NAME "C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\KACE\runkbot.exe" 6 0" - ondrar 9 years ago
  • Rahimpal, right there with you, LogMeIn Rescue Device Action would be a godsend. - MAXintosh 8 years ago
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