Enable Users to Install the JumpCloud Agent

You can connect Linux, Mac, and Windows devices to JumpCloud through our device agent. You can install the device agent on your org user's devices in various ways. Alternatively, you can enable remote installation of the JumpCloud agent from the User Portal for all users in your organization. This installation method allows new hires or existing employees receiving new devices to install the current agent for their device from a remote location. After users download and install the agent on their device, administrators are notified that a new device has come online and is now available to be connected to the JumpCloud user in the Administrator Portal.

Why would I use this? 

This feature lets end users remotely install the JumpCloud agent on devices sent to them from your organization so that you can easily add their devices to your JumpCloud-managed devices fleet. 

Prerequisites:

• The JumpCloud agent can only be installed on supported devices that meet JumpCloud’s device requirements. See Agent Compatibility, Device Requirements, and Impacts for a list of supported devices and their requirements.
• For macOS devices on 10.13.6 or later, a native Administrator Service Account is created. During installation, the SecureToken administrator’s credentials for this account are required for support with SecureToken in conjunction with FileVault. See Install and Use the Service Account for MacOS for more details.
• Users need administrator privileges on their device to install the JumpCloud agent.
• JumpCloud agent installation requires that Mac and Windows users have a connect key. This key is generated from the User Portal and is pasted into the installation wizard. Linux users generate a code to paste into their terminal window. See Remote Agent Install Flow below.

Considerations:

• Users can install the agent from any device that they can access their User Portal from. Be sure to make it clear that your users should only install the agent on computers that your organization wants to manage through JumpCloud.
• Mac users that don’t have a Secure Token may require intervention. We recommend that if you know a Mac user doesn’t have a Secure Token that you read the following article and / or contact JumpCloud support: Install and Use the Service Account for MacOS.
• Regardless of how the agent is installed on a user’s device, after the agent is installed, administrators need to connect the JumpCloud user to the device in the Administrator Portal for the JumpCloud agent to start managing the device for the user. You can connect users who have self-installed the agent from the Devices list. At the top of the list, any user installed devices are listed. You can connect the device to the user that installed it by clicking Bind. 
• If a user installs the agent on a device that already has the agent installed, we upgrade the agent to the version in the User Portal. Emails aren’t sent to administrator if a user upgrades their device’s agent. 
• Currently, we aren’t providing any error notifications to administrator if a user’s installation fails. 
• Educate your users about remote installation before you enable this functionality for your org. See Educate Your Users About Remote Agent Installation.

Remote Agent Install Flow

The following flow applies to pre-remote agent enablement through post-user agent installation. 

1. A JumpCloud administrator educates their org users about their upcoming enablement of remote agent installs.
2. A JumpCloud administrator enables remote agent installation for their org.
3. The User Portal Security page shows the JumpCloud Agent section with the current agent for each operating device.
4. The administrator requests a user to download and install the agent on their device.
5. The JumpCloud user logs in to their User Portal and goes to the Security page.
6. In the JumpCloud Agent section, the user:
   1. Selects their operating device.
   2. Clicks the DOWNLOAD AGENT (Mac and Windows users) or the GENERATE COMMAND button (Linux users). The GENERATE COMMAND button gives Linux users the command they pasted into the terminal window to install the agent. This command expires after 1 hour.
   3. Clicks the GENERATE KEY button (Mac and Windows users) to generate the connect key they use during agent installation.
7. The user follows the OS-specific installation instructions in the User Portal and Install the Agent from the User Portal.
8. After the user successfully installs the agent, all org administrators receive an email that a new device has come online for the JumpCloud user and can now be connected to that user in the Administrator Portal. This email includes the device’s hostname. 
9. The Device list shows information about the device including the device’s name and who installed the agent. From here, administrators can connect users to their devices by clicking Bind.

Enabling Remote Agent Installation for Your Org

Use the following procedure to enable remote agent installation for your organization. 

To enable remote agent install for your organization:

1. Log in to the Admin Portal: https://console.jumpcloud.com.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Under the Organization Profile tab, scroll to User Portal Settings and select Allow all users to access the system agent installer through their User Portal. 
4. Click Save.

After you enable remote agent install, the User Portal's Security page shows the JumpCloud Agent section.

Educating Your Users About Remote Agent Installation

Before you enable remote agent installation from the User Portal, you should educate your users about this functionality. 

We recommend that you:

• Tell users about the new JumpCloud Agent section they’ll see in their User Portal after you enable the feature.
• Tell users not to install the agent unless you explicitly ask them to install it on their device.
• Tell your users not to install the agent on personal computers or other devices you don’t intend to manage through JumpCloud.
• When you ask users to install the agent on their device, send them this KB article with your request: Install the Agent from the User Portal.

Remote Agent Install End User Email Template

You can use the following email template to send to your users before you turn on this feature for your organization to help them understand the upcoming change in their User Portal.

Hello everyone,

This week {adjust as needed} we're enabling functionality to allow our employees to install the JumpCloud agent on their work computers from the JumpCloud User Portal. After we enable this feature, you'll see a new section in your User Portal's Security page for the JumpCloud agent.

What is the JumpCloud agent? 

The JumpCloud agent is a piece of technology that facilitates connectivity between JumpCloud and your computer and keeps your IT admins informed about your computer's health and status. Your IT admins can update your computer through the agent as needed to keep your computer running safely and smoothly.

Some important things to know about the new JumpCloud agent section in your User Portal:

• You don’t need to do anything unless we ask you to. Please don’t install the agent on your computer unless we ask you to.
• If we ask you to install the agent on your computer, we’ll send you more information on how to do that for your specific operating device. 

Reach out if you have any questions about any of this.

Thanks,