Issue

• What's new in the version 5 of ESET Remote Administrator

Solution

ESET Remote Administrator (ERA) is a powerful tool that enables administrators to manage multiple client workstations running ESET products on large corporate networks. ERA consists of two modules:

• ESET Remote Administrator Server (ERAS)
• ESET Remote Administrator Console (ERAC)

Latest build of version 5 of ESET Remote Administrator:  5.3.39.0

• Changelog for latest version

What's new in version 5

• Ability to merge duplicate clients (version 5.3)
  You can merge two computer entries from the Clients tab of ERA Console. For more information, see the version 5.3 ESET Remote Administrator User Guide (section 3.4.3.1, "Merge duplicate clients"). 
   
• API / Command Line Console
  The ESET Remote Administrator Server (ERAS) database can be queried by machine-processing tools—without needing to access the ESET Remote Administrator Console (ERAC)—for license manipulation and/or replication, client threat listing and database write-type operations related to tasks, policies, and configurations. There are about 50 core commands supported by the API.
  
  Version 5.2: For a list of the available commands in version 5.2, see the ESET Remote Administrator User Guide(section 7.2, "Commands").
  
  Version 5.3: Additional commands (including 64-bit API) are available. See the version 5.3 ESET Remote Administrator User Guide section 7.2, "Commands" and section 8, "ERA API".

• Print reports in PDF format
  Directly output reports to PDF, which will make any report readable on many devices and platforms without further conversion from HTML or CSV.
  
  Note: You must download a free-to-use third-party converter (GNU LGPL free software license) to enable PDF export in ESET Remote Administrator.

• Basic Networking Tools
  Conveniently execute network commands for endpoints directly from ERAC. This includes RDP, Shutdown, Restart, Wake on LAN and ping commands.
  
  Note: To execute network actions for specific client(s), right-click a client workstation (or client workstations) and select Network Action from the context menu. Some additional configurations are needed for Network Action items:
  
  Ping: The ping status was successful if the "Status" displays 0% (% loss)
  
  Wake on LAN: The network card must be supported and enabled in the system BIOS
  
  Share: File Sharing/Network Discovery must be enabled
  
  Shutdown/Restart: If not within the Domain, the ERA host must be running as the Administrator account without Admin rights; if within the Domain, a user with privileges should be able to execute this command
  
  RDP: "Allow remote access" is required—to enable this, open System → Remote Settings → Remote and enable this option

• Log forwarding to Syslog
  To enable log forwarding, some additional configuration is required:
  1. Click Tools → Server Options and then select the Logging tab.
  
  
  1. In the "Audit log" and "Server log" sections, select the Log to syslog check boxes that you want to forward and then click OK.

Figure 1-1

• 3. Select the check box next to Forwarding in the tab you want to forward to Syslog.

Figure 1-2
Click the image to view larger in new window

• 4. Set the Syslog server address and port: Click Tools → Server Options. Click the Advanced tab → Edit Advanced Settings and then expand ESET Remote Administrator → ERA Server → Setup → Syslog.

 

Additional Syslog settings can be found under Server Options/Advanced/Edit Advanced Settings.

 

• Dual IP-retrieval
  This feature provides better log comparison due to the ability of ERA to identify and report the internal IP addresses of machines that check in to ERAS from behind a gateway or NAT device. To retrieve and display dual IP addresses in ERAC, follow the steps below:

1. Open the ESET Configuration Editor by clicking Tools → Server Options → Advanced → Edit Advanced Settings.

1. Expand Remote Administrator → ERA Server → Settings → Other settings and then double-click Client custom info 1.

Figure 1-3

• 3. Scroll to bottom of the list, select the check box next to SysInspector IP address and then click OK.

Figure 1-4

• 4. Click Console → Yes to save your changes.
  
  
  4. In the Clients tab of ERAC, double-click the “Client Name” of the machine that contains the dual IP address that you want to display.
  
  
  4. In the SysInspector tab, select the check box next to Create snapshot (also record resulting log on the client) and then click Request.
     
     It may take several minutes for the client machine(s) to generate the ESET SysInspector log. Once finished, the dual IP addresses will display in the “Custom Info 1” field (as chosen in step 2).

Figure 1-5

Improved

• Official support for Linux and Mac OS X remote deployment

• Remote installation of a custom package
  For example: MSI-based installers, scripts, batch-files, multi-file packages with defined entry points.

Encryption

ESET Remote Administrator uses strong encryption to communicate with clients when a valid ESET-issued Username and Password are supplied. Version 3.x encrypts communications using Blowfish while versions 4.x and 5.x encrypt communications using AES-256. The following are the conditions under which ESET Remote Administrator encrypts its communications: