8.1 Installation Workflow for Your First Primary Server

To install the first ZENworks Primary Server and create your ZENworks Management Zone, complete the tasks in the order listed below.

To add a Primary Server to an existing ZENworks Management Zone, see Installation Workflow for Additional Primary Servers.

Task

Details

Review what the ZENworks installation program does when installing the first Primary Server and Management Zone.

When installing the first Primary Server, the installation program performs operations to install the Primary Server software, set up the ZENworks databases, and establish the Management Zone.

After installing the first Primary Server, ZooKeeper is automatically enabled on the first Primary Server. You need to ensure that ZooKeeper is up and running at all times. For more information, see Installation Information.

For more information, see Section 9.0, Understanding What the ZENworks Installation Does.

Download and mount the ISO.

You cannot extract the ISO image and use it to install.

Update the software on the Linux server where you will install the ZENworks Primary Server.

Ensure that the Linux server software is up to date and that any software, such as anti-virus software, that might interfere with the Primary Server installation is updated and configured correctly.

For more information, see Section 10.0, Updating Linux Server Software.

(Optional) Create an external certificate for your Primary Server.

ZENworks Primary Servers communicate with ZENworks managed devices using the HTTPS protocol. This secure communication requires that the ZENworks Management Zone have a defined Certificate Authority (CA) and that each Primary Server have its own server certificate issued by the zone's CA.

ZENworks includes an internal ZENworks CA. If you use the internal ZENworks CA, it is created during installation of the first Primary Server, and each subsequent Primary Server you install is issued a certificate signed by the ZENworks CA.

We recommend that you use the internal ZENworks CA unless your corporate security policies do not allow you to do so. The internal ZENworks CA lasts 10 years and simplifies use of various ZENworks features such as Remote Management.

If you cannot use the internal ZENworks CA, you can use an external CA and provide external server certificates for each Primary Server you install.

If you plan to use the server as an MDM server, then to ensure communication with iOS and Mac devices, the certificate validity should not exceed 2 years.

If you want to use external certificates, see Section 11.0, Creating the SSL Certificate.

Install external database software to use for the ZENworks databases.

ZENworks requires two databases, one for general data and another for audit data. For these databases, you can use the embedded PostgreSQL database software provided with ZENworks, or you can use supported external database software (see Database Requirements in the ZENworks 2020 Update 2 System Requirements).

If you want to use an external database, see Section 12.0, Installing and Configuring an External ZENworks Database.

Install the ZENworks Primary Server software on a supported Linux server.

For instructions, see Installing the Primary Server Software.

Verify that the Primary Server is running.

There are specific checks you can perform to ensure that installation of the software was successful and that the Primary Server is running.

For instructions, see Verifying the Installation.

Activate the ZENworks products for which you are licensed or that you want to evaluate.

All ZENworks products are installed. However, you need to provide the license keys the products that you have licensed. If desired, you can also activate unlicensed products for a 60-day evaluation period.

For instructions, see Licensing Products.

Back up the ZENworks Primary Server and other ZENworks components.

You should back up the Primary Server at least one time and schedule regular back ups of the ZENworks databases.

For instructions, see Backing Up ZENworks Components.

Review the post-installation tasks and complete any that apply to your Primary Server installation.

There are several post-installation tasks that you might need to perform for your Primary Server. Review the list of tasks and complete any that apply.

For instructions, see Section 14.0, Completing Post-Installation Tasks.