Configuring the Device Update Agent Component to Poll a Web Server

5/10/2007

The Device Update Agent runs as a service on your device. It polls a specified location for updates. You can configure Device Update Agent to poll a Web server or a local media device in Target Designer.

This section describes how to configure DUA to poll a Web server. For information about configuring Device Update Agent to poll a local media device, see Configuring the Device Update Agent Component to Poll a Media Device.

To configure Device Update Agent to poll a Web server.

  1. Review your Web server settings, including Web server host name, port, location of the Device Update Program file, and access permissions.

  2. In Target Designer, expand the Device Update Agent component node and choose Settings. The Device Update Agent tab appears in the details pane.

    The following table shows the recommended Device Update Agent component settings to use to poll a Web server.

    Note

    You can improve the security of your network by using HTTPS instead of standard HTTP. HTTPS transfers encrypted information between computers by using a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). For more information about configuring HTTPS on your Web server, see your Web server documentation.

    Device Update Agent component setting Description Recommendation

    Service Account:

    Local System | Administrator

    Selects the account permissions to use when DUA updates the device. The Administrator Account component must be included in your run-time image if the Administrator service account is selected.

    Administrator

    Run on Start

    Configures DUA to poll immediately when the system starts.

    Selected

    Require HTTP support

    Selects whether or not Device Update Agent retrieves updates from a remote Web server.

    Selected

    Poll Interval

    Selects the interval, in seconds, between polls.

     

    Poll Jitter

    Sets an offset to the Poll Interval. If selected, the poll will occur randomly within the poll interval.

    Selected

    Working Directory

    This is a temporary storage directory on the device that DUA uses when it updates a run-time image.

    C:\DUA

    Poll Time/Day

    Selects the dates and times that DUA polls for updates.

     

    Select Command Path Type

    [Local | Remote using HTTP]

    Selects whether to use a local system directory or a remote Web server to poll for updates.

    Remote using HTTP

    Hostname

    Hostname or IP address of the Web server.

    Example:

    Mywebserver.domain.com

    Complete Path to the Command File including Filename and Extension

    The complete path that DUA polls. Because DUA uses a pull mechanism to retrieve updates, the device update program must be specified. This field must not be left blank. If it is left blank, your run-time image will not build.

    Example:

    /updates/commands.dup

    The following table shows the recommended configurations to use in Advanced Settings.

    Device Update Agent component setting Description Recommendation

    HTTP | HTTPS

    Selects whether to use HTTP or Secure HTTP (HTTPS).

    HTTPS

    Host Port

    Selects the server port to poll. For HTTP, the default port is 80, for HTTPS, the default port is 443.

    443

    Proxy access type

    Unspecified: Proxy name.

    0: Default proxy. Retrieves proxy information from registry.

    1: No proxy. All host names are resolved locally.

    3: Named proxy. Passes all requests to the proxy server unless it is included in the bypass list.

    Optional

    Proxy Name

    Name of the proxy server to use when polling.

    Optional

    Proxy Bypass List

    Host names or IP addresses that should bypass the proxy.

    Optional

    Protocol Version

    HTTP protocol version, defaults to HTTP 1.1.

    HTTP 1.1

    Protocol Accept Type

    Media types that the HTTP client can accept, for example, text/*.

    Unspecified (accept all types)

    The following table shows the recommended configurations to use in Security Settings.

    Device Update Agent component setting Description Recommendation

    Autologon Level

    0: Medium. Use default credentials for intranet requests only.

    1: Low. Use default credentials for all requests. Default behavior if a value is not specified.

    2: High. Never use default credentials.

    2

    User Name

    User name for host.

    <username>

    Password

    Password for host.

    <password>

    When you use HTTPS, it is recommended that you assign DUA a specific username and password on the server. This can be a new account specific to DUA, or an existing account. When you assign a username and password to DUA, verify that the account exists on the server and that it has the appropriate access permissions to the update files. For more information, see Configuring IIS to Serve the Device Update Program.

    For more information about the registry settings set by DUA, see DUA Registry Settings.

  1. Review your Web server settings, including Web server host name, port, location of the Device Update Program file, and access permissions.

  2. In Target Designer, expand the Device Update Agent component node and choose Settings. The Device Update Agent tab appears in the details pane.

    The following table shows the recommended Device Update Agent component settings to use to poll a Web server.

    Note

    You can improve the security of your network by using HTTPS instead of standard HTTP. HTTPS transfers encrypted information between computers by using a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). For more information about configuring HTTPS on your Web server, see your Web server documentation.

    Device Update Agent component setting Description Recommendation

    Service Account:

    Local System | Administrator

    Selects the account permissions to use when DUA updates the device. The Administrator Account component must be included in your run-time image if the Administrator service account is selected.

    Administrator

    Run on Start

    Configures DUA to poll immediately when the system starts.

    Selected

    Require HTTP support

    Selects whether or not Device Update Agent retrieves updates from a remote Web server.

    Selected

    Poll Interval

    Selects the interval, in seconds, between polls.

     

    Poll Jitter

    Sets an offset to the Poll Interval. If selected, the poll will occur randomly within the poll interval.

    Selected

    Working Directory

    This is a temporary storage directory on the device that DUA uses when it updates a run-time image.

    C:\DUA

    Poll Time/Day

    Selects the dates and times that DUA polls for updates.

     

    Select Command Path Type

    [Local | Remote using HTTP]

    Selects whether to use a local system directory or a remote Web server to poll for updates.

    Remote using HTTP

    Hostname

    Hostname or IP address of the Web server.

    Example:

    Mywebserver.domain.com

    Complete Path to the Command File including Filename and Extension

    The complete path that DUA polls. Because DUA uses a pull mechanism to retrieve updates, the device update program must be specified. This field must not be left blank. If it is left blank, your run-time image will not build.

    Example:

    /updates/commands.dup

    The following table shows the recommended configurations to use in Advanced Settings.

    Device Update Agent component setting Description Recommendation

    HTTP | HTTPS

    Selects whether to use HTTP or Secure HTTP (HTTPS).

    HTTPS

    Host Port

    Selects the server port to poll. For HTTP, the default port is 80, for HTTPS, the default port is 443.

    443

    Proxy access type

    Unspecified: Proxy name.

    0: Default proxy. Retrieves proxy information from registry.

    1: No proxy. All host names are resolved locally.

    3: Named proxy. Passes all requests to the proxy server unless it is included in the bypass list.

    Optional

    Proxy Name

    Name of the proxy server to use when polling.

    Optional

    Proxy Bypass List

    Host names or IP addresses that should bypass the proxy.

    Optional

    Protocol Version

    HTTP protocol version, defaults to HTTP 1.1.

    HTTP 1.1

    Protocol Accept Type

    Media types that the HTTP client can accept, for example, text/*.

    Unspecified (accept all types)

    The following table shows the recommended configurations to use in Security Settings.

    Device Update Agent component setting Description Recommendation

    Autologon Level

    0: Medium. Use default credentials for intranet requests only.

    1: Low. Use default credentials for all requests. Default behavior if a value is not specified.

    2: High. Never use default credentials.

    2

    User Name

    User name for host.

    <username>

    Password

    Password for host.

    <password>

    When you use HTTPS, it is recommended that you assign DUA a specific username and password on the server. This can be a new account specific to DUA, or an existing account. When you assign a username and password to DUA, verify that the account exists on the server and that it has the appropriate access permissions to the update files. For more information, see Configuring IIS to Serve the Device Update Program.

    For more information about the registry settings set by DUA, see DUA Registry Settings.

See Also

Concepts

How to Configure DUA to Poll a Web Server
How to Configure DUA to Poll a Media Device

Other Resources

Device Update Agent