Deployments: Setup and Monitoring

Overview

A deployment pushes a resource — a workflow, a sensor, or an alert profile — out to a chosen set of devices. In the Deployments module, you pick what to deploy, target the device groups, and decide when it runs: right away, on a schedule, or (for workflows) automatically when an alert condition is met on a device. You can then track how each deployment progresses and how it resolves on individual devices.

This is where the workflows, sensors, and alert profiles you have built go live. This page walks through creating a deployment, deploying a workflow in Trigger mode, and monitoring the results.

Why Deployment Matters

Prerequisites

• The workflow, sensor, or alert profile you want to deploy must already be created and saved. See Workflows, Sensors, or Alert Profiles as applicable.
• You must have the Workflow role to create deployments.
• The Custom Groups you want to target must already be created. See the Custom Groups document for details.
• To deploy a workflow in Trigger mode, the workflow must have Enable Deployment Trigger turned on and an Alert Profile mapped to it. See Run a Workflow Automatically on an Alert to set this up.

Accessing the Deployments Module

Navigate to DEX > Deployments from the left-hand pane.

The Deployments tab displays a list of all active, scheduled, and completed deployments.

Click Create Deployment to begin a new rollout.

Creating a Deployment

Step 1: Enter Deployment Details

Step 2: Define Resources

Set the Type to what you want to deploy — Workflow, Sensor, or Alert Profiles — then pick one or more items of that type from the Resources list. What each type does once deployed:

You can add multiple items, and combine workflows with sensors in a single deployment to collect data alongside execution.

Step 3: Select Target Devices

Choose one or more Custom Groups to define the scope. Use the include / exclude option in target selection to narrow down the target devices.

Step 4: Choose Deployment Mode

The modes available depend on what you are deploying:

If you choose Schedule, select a frequency (Once, Daily, or Weekly), define the active period, and set the Run Time for the initial deployment.

If you choose Trigger, no schedule is needed. The workflow runs automatically once its mapped alert condition is met on a target device. See Deploying in Trigger Mode for the full steps.

Step 5: Deploy

Click Deploy to run or schedule the execution.

Deploying in Trigger Mode

Trigger mode runs a workflow automatically on a device the moment its mapped alert condition is met, with no schedule and no manual start. You select Trigger as the deployment mode and choose the target devices; the alert that starts the workflow was mapped earlier, when the workflow was created.

Before You Start

The workflow must have Enable Deployment Trigger turned on and an Alert Profile mapped to it. Only these workflows can be deployed in Trigger mode. To set this up, see Run a Workflow Automatically on an Alert.

Steps

1. On the Deployments page, click Create Deployment.
2. Under Basic Details, enter a Deployment Name (and an optional description).
3. Under Define Resources, set Type to Workflow and select the workflow that has Enable Deployment Trigger configured.
4. Under Define Targets, select one or more Custom Group(s) as the target.
5. Set Deployment Mode to Trigger.
6. Click Deploy. Each targeted device begins monitoring for the alert condition, and the workflow runs on that device when the condition is met.

After a successful Trigger deployment, each device shows a status such as Success with the remark that the workflow was deployed and the device is being monitored for the trigger condition. To follow what happens as alerts occur, see Monitoring Deployment Status.

Creating an API Trigger Deployment

API Trigger mode lets you configure a workflow deployment in advance and execute it on demand for a specific computer through an API request. The deployment has no automatic schedule and remains ready until an API request triggers it.

Before You Start

• Create and save at least one workflow that you want to use as the deployment resource.
• Create a Custom Group containing the computers that can be targeted by the deployment. See Custom Groups.
• Only a deployment configured with API Trigger mode can be executed through the API.

Create the Deployment

1. On the Deployments page, click Create Deployment.
2. Under Basic Details, enter a Deployment Name and an optional description.
3. Under Define Resources, set Type to Workflow, and then select the workflows to execute.
4. Under Define Targets, select one or more Custom Groups.
5. Set Deployment Mode to API Trigger.
6. Click Deploy. The deployment is saved and remains ready for an API request; it does not run automatically.

Information Required to Trigger the Deployment

Use the following identifiers to execute a workflow from an API Trigger deployment:

Monitor the Deployment

After sending an API request, open the deployment to review its device-level execution status and determine whether the request was received and how the selected workflow completed. See Monitoring Deployment Status.

Monitoring Deployment Status

After deployment, return to the Deployments tab to monitor outcomes. This list shows every deployment regardless of what was deployed or how.

Trigger Deployment Views

Trigger deployments have a richer view than Immediate or Scheduled ones, because they keep running as alerts recur. Open a Trigger deployment to see three tabs: Summary, Deployment Status, and Workflows. The Summary tab includes the following views:

The Deployment Status tab lists each device with its status and remark (for example, “Workflow deployed successfully. Monitoring device for trigger condition”). The Workflows tab shows the workflows included in the deployment.

Best Practices