Introduction to LsAgent for Windows, Linux and Mac

Lansweeper Classic scans Linux, Unix, Mac, and Windows computers, VMware servers, and other network devices without installing any Lansweeper software on them. LsAgent is the optional alternative for computers you'd rather scan locally, including ones that never touch your network.

What LsAgent is

LsAgent is:

• A cross-platform, lightweight program you install on Windows, Linux, and Mac computers.
• A program that collects an inventory from the computer it's installed on and sends the data back to your Lansweeper installation, either directly or through the Lansweeper relay server in the cloud.
• A program that can scan computers outside your network and over the internet, thanks to that relay connectivity.
• A configurable agent whose scanning schedule you adjust through the Lansweeper Classic web console.

Why use LsAgent for scanning

LsAgent scans largely the same data as the agentless methods. Because it scans locally and can reach the cloud relay server, it has a few advantages:

• LsAgent scans the computers of your remote employees over the internet, wherever they are.
• LsAgent doesn't require you to submit scanning credentials in Lansweeper.
• LsAgent doesn't require administrative privileges to scan.
• LsAgent doesn't require you to reconfigure your computers' firewalls. It does need an outbound connection to your Lansweeper installation or the relay server, but firewalls don't usually block outbound traffic. Windows Firewall allows it by default.
• LsAgent is immune to almost all scanning errors, including access denied and firewall errors.

Where to find LsAgent

There's a separate LsAgent installer for each platform. All three are on the LsAgent download page.

• Windows: also available from Program Files (x86)\Lansweeper\Client on your Lansweeper server.
• Linux: a legacy installer, version 9.5.0.2, is also on the download page for operating systems that don't support .NET 6.0.
• Mac: a legacy installer, version 9.5.0.2, is also on the download page for operating systems that don't support .NET 6.0.

For supported operating systems and version requirements, see LsAgent installation requirements.

How to scan computers with LsAgent

Install LsAgent on the computers you want to scan. Once installation completes, LsAgent starts scanning the machine once per day. You can customize the schedule through the Lansweeper Classic web console, which is also where scanned data appears.

When an LsAgent scan is imported, Lansweeper performs an Active Directory lookup using the credentials associated with the domain's NetBIOS name.

Installation guides:

• Install LsAgent on a Windows computer
• Install LsAgent on a Linux computer
• Install LsAgent on a Mac computer
• Silently install LsAgent on a Windows, Linux, or Mac computer

How scanned data reaches your installation

Data scanned by LsAgent gets back to your installation in one of two ways.

Direct server connection

If the computers you're scanning are in the same network as your Lansweeper installation, or reach it through a VPN, LsAgent sends scanned data straight to your scanning server. Submit your scanning server name and listen port during LsAgent installation.

Relay server connection

If the computers you're scanning have no direct connection to your installation, LsAgent sends scanned data to the Lansweeper relay server in the cloud, and your scanning server retrieves it from there. Enable relay access in your installation first.

How the relay works:

• Relay use must be enabled explicitly in the Lansweeper Classic web console. It isn't on by default.
• The relay server is hosted on a Microsoft Azure machine located in the U.S.
• LsAgent sends data to the relay over HTTPS using TLS 1.2.
• Data is stored encrypted on the relay, using AES with a block size of 128 and a key size of 256.
• Your scanning server checks the relay for new data every hour, connecting to port 443 of lsagentrelay.lansweeper.com. Allow this outbound connection on your scanning server.
• Your scanning server can only access data specific to your company. A unique key identifies your company on the relay.
• Once a scanning server retrieves data from the relay, that data is deleted from the relay.