Installing fDeploy Agent

fDeploy Agent is a listening windows service which enables secure communication with incoming fDeploy Server requests via gRPC over HTTP/2. The agent performs assigned tasks, such as receiving incoming packages, performing variable substitution, IIS configuration and PowerShell script execution.

Note

fDeploy Agent targets .NET 10. Make sure the required .NET 10 runtimes are installed on each deployment target. See installation prerequisites for details.

Install fDeploy Agent

The fDeploy Agent installer provides a guided setup wizard that automates the entire installation process.

1. Run the fDeployAgent-Setup installer as Administrator
2. Select the installation directory (default: C:\fDeploy Agent)
3. Enter the TCP listening port (default: 5042)
4. Enter the fDeploy Server certificate thumbprint (SHA-1, 40 characters)
5. The installer will:
   • Copy application files
   • Generate the agent certificate and display its thumbprint
   • Configure appsettings.json with the specified port and server thumbprint
   • Register and start the fDeploy Agent Windows service

After installation, the wizard will display the agent certificate thumbprint. Copy this thumbprint — you will need it when adding this machine as a deployment target in fDeploy Server.

Tip

You can retrieve the agent certificate thumbprint at any time by running: fDeployAgent.exe -show-thumbprint

Silent install

For unattended rollouts across many deployment targets, pass /ACCEPTEULA to confirm acceptance of the Terms of Service:

fDeployAgent-Setup.exe /SILENT /ACCEPTEULA

A silent install without /ACCEPTEULA aborts with an error — there is no implicit acceptance. The agent certificate is generated automatically on first start; retrieve its thumbprint afterwards with fDeployAgent.exe -show-thumbprint.

Upgrading with the installer

When upgrading an existing installation, the installer will:

• Skip the port and server thumbprint wizard pages
• Preserve the existing appsettings.json configuration
• Automatically stop the running service before upgrading files
• Restart the service after the upgrade

Uninstalling

The uninstaller will stop and remove the Windows service. You will be prompted to choose whether to remove configuration files and logs or keep them for a future installation.

fDeploy Agent certificate

fDeploy Agent will generate a self-signed certificate which will be used as a part of secure communication with fDeploy Server.

This certificate will be stored in Local Computer\fDeploy\Certificates store on the machine where fDeploy Agent is being installed. The self-signed certificate is generated with validity of 100 years.

In order to show the agents certificate thumbprint again, you can start the fDeploy Agent with the following command line argument: -show-thumbprint, or, you can view it in windows certificate manager:

Tip

If you ever need to re-generate the certificate, you can start the agent and pass a command line argument -replace-certificate.

Configure listening port

fDeploy Agent will listen by default on TCP port 5042. The listening port is configured during the installation wizard. You can change it later by editing the appsettings.json in the root directory where you installed fDeploy Agent.

Configure firewall

Add a firewall rule to allow incoming TCP traffic on port 5042 or the port you configured in previous step to the machine where fDeploy Agent is installed.

Configure fDeploy Server certificate

fDeploy Agent will only allow incoming connections which use the fDeploy Server certificate matching the configured thumbprint.

The server thumbprint is configured during the installation wizard. You can also change the thumbprint later by editing the agent’s appsettings.json file and setting the value for key fDeployServerThumbprint.

Permissions required for the fDeploy Agent windows service

Make sure that fDeploy Agent windows service has enough privileges to perform the tasks that you require. You can change the fDeploy Agent service properties by using the Services MMC snap-in (services.msc). By default, fDeploy Agent windows service runs as Local System.

These are:

• Log on as a service
• Read Local Machine certificate store
• Load fDeploy Agent certificate from the Local Machine certificate store
• Read/write permissions on the directory where fDeploy Agent is installed (for example C:\fDeploy Agent)
• Rights to execute PowerShell scripts
• Rights to manage IIS (C:\Windows\system32\inetsrv)

Directory structure

fDeploy Agent uses the following directory structure within its installation directory:

Directory	Purpose
workbench/	Staging area for uploaded packages before extraction
serving/	Extracted package contents used during deployments
Logs/	Rolling daily log files

The workbench and serving directories are organized by project, release version, and deployment ID. These directories are managed automatically by the agent.

Command line arguments

fDeploy Agent supports the following command line arguments:

Argument	Description
-show-thumbprint	Display the agent certificate thumbprint
-replace-certificate	Generate a new agent certificate