rConfig Vector Agent Installation: Multi-Platform Network Device Management

The rConfig Vector Agent represents a critical component of the Vector product suite, responsible for command execution, configuration collection, and data transmission to Vector Servers. This guide provides comprehensive installation procedures, prerequisite requirements, and post-installation tasks to ensure successful deployment.

Unlike passive remote proxies that connect and gather data through intermediary channels, the rConfig Vector Agent operates as an active agent deployed directly on devices to continuously monitor, collect, and transmit real-time data securely, ensuring enhanced accuracy, reliability, and comprehensive network insights. Complete the Vector Server installation first so agents can register successfully.

Prerequisites:

• rConfig Vector Server must be installed and operational
• Review Security Hardening Guidelines for agent deployment security
• Understand Vector Architecture and Capabilities before deployment

Agent Capabilities and Limitations

Capabilities

• Real-Time Data Collection: The Vector Agent continuously collects data at scheduled intervals, ensuring current network visibility and insights.
• Secure Communication: Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.
• Comprehensive Device Monitoring: Monitor diverse device types including switches, routers, firewalls, and servers. (Note: Version 1.0.0 supports SSH connections exclusively.)
• Scalable Architecture: Deploy Vector Agents across multiple devices, servers, or datacenters to accommodate network growth. Load balancing and redundancy features are planned for late 2025.
• Streamlined Deployment: Deploy efficiently using installation scripts or configuration management platforms including Ansible, Puppet, or Chef.
• Ephemeral Design: The Vector Agent supports flexible lifecycle management: agents can be removed or reinstalled during scheduled maintenance, server migrations, or following unexpected disruptions.
• Cross-Platform Support: Compatible with Linux and Windows operating systems, the Vector Agent operates on physical servers, virtual machines, cloud instances, and containers.
• Enhanced Security Controls: The Vector Agent connects exclusively to designated Vector Servers, eliminating unauthorized access risks. Secure communication protocols including SSH and layered security restrictions ensure complete data encryption.
• Unidirectional Communication Model: The Vector Agent transmits data to the Vector Server exclusively, requiring no inbound connections. This approach minimizes firewall configuration complexity and significantly reduces attack surface.

Current Limitations

Telnet Protocol Security Notice

Telnet represents an inherently insecure protocol transmitting data in clear text without encryption. The Vector Agent does not support Telnet, consistent with modern security standards. In 2025, utilizing Telnet is analogous to securing sensitive systems with weak authentication, a significant security risk. While our mission emphasizes flexibility and avoiding rigid system constraints, we maintain firm security standards. Telnet represents an obsolete, insecure protocol comparable to using unencrypted HTTP in contemporary encrypted web environments. Consider this when planning Vector Agent deployments. We advocate for secure, modern protocols exclusively.

• SSH Protocol Exclusive: Version 1.0.0 supports SSH connections exclusively. Future releases will incorporate additional protocols including SNMP and REST APIs.
• Telnet Protocol Unsupported: The Vector Agent does not support Telnet protocol. Telnet represents an obsolete, insecure protocol inappropriate for modern network environments. Configure devices for SSH-based secure communication.
• Operating System Support: The Vector Agent currently supports Linux and Windows operating systems exclusively.
• Manual Update Process: Vector Servers do not automatically update Vector Agents. Manual agent updates are required when new versions release. Automated update functionality is planned for 2025.
• Snippet Support: Version 1.x does not support snippets. Future releases will incorporate snippet functionality enabling complex configuration templates and command sequences.
• SNMP Protocol Support: Version 1.x does not include SNMP support. SNMP functionality will be added in future releases enabling monitoring of SNMP-capable devices.
• API Backup Functionality: Version 1.x does not currently support API-based backup operations. This capability will be incorporated in future releases enabling automated device configuration backups.

Prerequisites

Prior to commencing installation, verify the following requirements:

• Supported Operating Systems:
  • Linux: Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat (LTS versions recommended)
  • Windows Server (2019 or later recommended)
• System Requirements:
  • Minimum 2 GB RAM (in addition to OS requirements)
  • 10 GB available storage for installation and logging
  • Network connectivity to Vector Server (outbound HTTPS/443 or configured port)
• Administrative Access: Root or administrator privileges required for installation.
• License Key: Valid license key required for Vector Agent installation and activation.
• Dependencies: No additional dependencies required for Vector Agent installation.

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Installation Procedures

Vector Agent Binary Download

Current Vector Agent binaries for Linux and Windows are available through the rConfig portal. Authenticate to your account and navigate to the Downloads section to access current Vector Agent versions.

rConfig Portal Access

1. Navigate to the rConfig Vector Agent download page:
   • https://portal.rconfig.com/vector-agent-download
2. Authenticate using authorized credentials. Valid licensing is required for download access.
3. Following authentication, locate the current Linux binary version (e.g., vectoragent-linux-latest or vectoragent-linux-v1.0.2).
4. Download the binary to your local system, then transfer to the target server.

Vector Agent Install Script (Linux)

If you prefer the install script, copy an install command from the agent’s row on the Vector Agents screen in rConfig (/settings/agents), using Linux install. Run it on the agent host as a user with sudo:

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' -o vector-agent-install.sh 'https://rconfig.example.com/vector/agent-install.sh' && echo '<installer_sha256>  vector-agent-install.sh' | sha256sum -c - && sudo bash vector-agent-install.sh --server 'https://rconfig.example.com' --agent-id 42 --token '<bootstrap token>'

The command:

1. Downloads the installer to vector-agent-install.sh in the current folder, over HTTPS only.
2. Checks its SHA256 with sha256sum -c. If it does not match, the command stops and nothing runs.
3. Runs it with sudo, passing the server, agent ID and bootstrap token as arguments.

Before you run it, check that the SHA256 in the command matches the published installer SHA256 for your rConfig version. rConfig serves the installer unchanged for every agent, so the value is the same on every agent and every rConfig server running that version.

The installer:

• Accepts only published agent releases. It downloads the active binary from the Vector Server and installs it only if its SHA256 is one of the pinned releases (1.1.1 to 2.0.0). Otherwise it stops with The agent binary from <server> is not a known rConfig Vector agent release (SHA256 …). Nothing was installed.
• Never downgrades an agent. If the host already runs a newer pinned release, it stops with Refusing to downgrade the agent from <current> to <new>. Nothing was installed.
• Keeps TLS certificate checks on. For an rConfig server with a self-signed certificate, set the agent to skip TLS checks in rConfig; the generated command then adds -k to the download and --insecure-tls to the installer. The binary is still checked against the pinned list.
• Bootstraps the agent with the token, unless /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/.env already exists.
• Installs the binary to /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent, writes .env (mode 600), writes /etc/systemd/system/vectoragent.service if it is missing, and enables and starts the service.

The bootstrap token is single-use and expires after 60 minutes. It is passed as an argument, never in a URL, but it is in the shell history and visible in ps on the agent host while the installer runs. Generate a fresh one if it may have been seen.

The old install command no longer works

From V8.4.1 the old curl … /vector/install.sh?bootstrap_token=… | sudo bash command installs nothing. It prints This rConfig Vector agent install command has been retired, and nothing was installed., points to these docs, and exits 1. Copy a new command from rConfig. Agents already installed are not affected.

Installer SHA256

The install command checks the installer against a SHA256. Compare the value in the command rConfig gives you with the value for your version here. If they differ, don’t run the command.

rConfig version	vector-server-pkg	Installer SHA256 (vector-agent-install.sh)
V8.4.1	2.0.4	Published when vector-server-pkg 2.0.4 is tagged

The API returns the same value as installer_sha256, with a link to this table as installer_docs_url. See Automated Agent Deployment.

Check an agent installed before V8.4.1

Agents installed with the old command were not checked against a pinned release. To check one, compare the SHA256 of the binary that runs with the published agent release hashes:

sha256sum /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent
/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent --version

The pinned agent release hashes (1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4 and 2.0.0) are published here with vector-server-pkg 2.0.4. If the hash does not match the release its version reports, reinstall the agent with a new install command from rConfig.

Download Process from Vector Server

The Vector Server hosts the active binary at:

/vector/downloads/vectoragent-latest

You can also request platform-specific downloads:

/vector/downloads/vectoragent-latest?platform=linux_amd64
/vector/downloads/vectoragent-latest?platform=windows_amd64

Use these endpoints to download the binary directly from the Vector Server (for example, from a browser or automation script).

Manual Addition to the Vector Binary Store (if required)

If the Vector Server cannot reach the portal to download the binary, you can manually add the binary files to the server’s storage directory.

1. On the Vector Server, locate the binaries directory:

# create the directory if it does not exist
mkdir -p storage/app/public/agent_binaries

# upload the binary file into this directory:
storage/app/public/agent_binaries

# It maybe necessary to reset permissions on the storage directory to allow the web server to read the files afterwards
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage
# or for ubuntu
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage

2. Upload the binary file into this directory.

3. On the Vector Server, mark the binary as active in the Binary Admin page:

/settings/agents/binaries

This allows the Vector Server to serve the binary and generate install scripts.

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Vector Agent Installation by Operating System

CentOS, Rocky, Rhel, Alma, / AWS

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Binary Installation to Target Directory

Following binary download:

1. Open a terminal and navigate to the download directory. To relocate to /usr/local/bin/, or select an alternative directory:

mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/logs
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/db
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/files
cd /usr/local/bin/rconfig

2. Move the binary to /usr/local/bin/rconfig for system-wide access, and check its size:

sudo mv vectoragent-linux-latest /usr/local/bin/rconfig
ls -lh /usr/local/bin/rconfig

3. Copy the downloaded binary to the /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent directory and rename:

sudo cp /usr/local/bin/rconfig/vectoragent-linux-latest /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

4. Configure binary execute permissions:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

5. Check the SHA256 of the binary that will run, and compare it with the value on the download page:

sha256sum /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

Installation Verification

To verify binary functionality, execute:

cd /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent
./vectoragent --version
Vector Agent Version: latest

Version information should display if installation completed successfully.

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Systemd Service Configuration

1. Create a new systemd service file:

sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/vectoragent.service

2. Add the following service configuration:

[Unit]
Description=Vector Agent Service
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent
Restart=always
User=root
Group=root
EnvironmentFile=/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/.env

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

3. Save and exit editor

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Environment Configuration File

If the binary requires environment variables, define them in:

sudo vim /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/.env

Add required environment variables:

AGENT_DEBUG=false
API_URL=https://server.yourdomain.com
API_KEY=1234-1234-1234-1234
SSL_VERIFY=true

Note: An .env file can be generated from your Vector server following agent creation on the Vector Server. Utilize the generated .env file values to create the agent .env file. The file downloads as a .txt file requiring renaming to .env.

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Service Initialization

1. Reload systemd to recognize the new service:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

2. Enable the service for automatic startup:

sudo systemctl enable vectoragent

3. Start the service:

sudo systemctl start vectoragent

4. Verify service status:

sudo systemctl status vectoragent

Service status should display active (running).

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Agent Verification

To confirm agent operational status, review logs:

journalctl -u vectoragent.service -f

Review for errors or confirmation messages indicating successful connectivity and operation.

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Troubleshooting Guidance

• Log Review: If the agent fails to initialize, review logs for error messages. Logs are located in /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/logs.
• Firewall Configuration: Verify the server has outbound access to the Vector Server on the configured port.
• Environment Variables: Verify environment variables are correctly configured in the .env file.
• File Permissions: Verify the binary has appropriate execute permissions. Use chmod +x to configure execute permissions.
• Systemd Service: Review the service file for configuration errors. Use systemctl status vectoragent to verify service status.
• System and Service Logs: Review system and service logs for additional diagnostic information. Use journalctl -u vectoragent.service to view service logs.
• Network Connectivity: Verify the server has network connectivity to the Vector Server.

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Vector Agent installation and configuration on Rocky Linux is complete.

Ubuntu

Binary Installation to Target Directory

1. Open a terminal and navigate to the download location. Create required directories:

mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/logs
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/db
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/rconfig/data/files
cd /usr/local/bin/rconfig

2. Move the binary to the target directory:

sudo mv ~/Downloads/vectoragent-linux-latest /usr/local/bin/rconfig

3. Copy the binary to the activeagent directory and rename:

sudo cp /usr/local/bin/rconfig/vectoragent-linux-latest /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

4. Configure execute permissions and check the SHA256 of the binary that will run against the value on the download page:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent
sha256sum /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

5. Verify installation:

cd /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent
./vectoragent --version

Version information should display if installation completed successfully.

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Systemd Service Configuration

1. Create a new systemd service file:

sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/vectoragent.service

2. Add the following configuration:

[Unit]
Description=Vector Agent Service
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent
Restart=always
User=root
Group=root
EnvironmentFile=/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/.env

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

3. Save and exit editor.

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Environment Configuration File

1. Create the environment file if required:

sudo vim /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/.env

2. Add necessary environment variables:

AGENT_DEBUG=false
API_URL=https://server.yourdomain.com
API_KEY=1234-1234-1234-1234
SSL_VERIFY=true

Note: An .env file can be generated from your Vector server following agent creation on the Vector Server. Utilize the generated .env file values to create the agent .env file. The file downloads as a .txt file requiring renaming to .env.

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Service Initialization

1. Reload systemd to recognize the new service:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

2. Enable the service for automatic startup:

sudo systemctl enable vectoragent

3. Start the service:

sudo systemctl start vectoragent

4. Verify service status:

sudo systemctl status vectoragent

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Agent Verification

Review logs to confirm successful initialization:

journalctl -u vectoragent.service -f

Windows

This guide provides procedures for operating the Go binary as a Windows service using NSSM. To streamline updates, the binary will be renamed to vectoragent.exe for deployment, while retaining the original version (vectoragent-windows-latest.exe) as a rollback backup.

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Prerequisites

• Go Binary: Verify vectoragent-windows-latest.exe exists in C:\rconfig.
• NSSM Installation: Download and extract NSSM from https://nssm.cc/download.

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Binary Preparation

1. Navigate to C:\rconfig.

2. Create data directories:

mkdir data
mkdir data\logs
mkdir data\db
mkdir data\files

3. Create backup of the original binary:

copy vectoragent-windows-latest.exe vectoragent-backup-latest.exe

4. Rename the binary for simplified updates:

rename vectoragent-windows-latest.exe vectoragent.exe

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Service Configuration

1. Open Command Prompt with Administrator privileges.
2. Navigate to the directory containing nssm.exe.
3. Execute the following command to create the service:

nssm install vectoragent

4. In the configuration window:
   • Path: Select the binary file, e.g., C:\rconfig\vectoragent.exe.
   • Startup Directory: Configure to C:\rconfig.
   • Options:
     • Configure stdout and stderr log file paths if required.

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Environment Configuration File Creation

1. Create a new file in C:\rconfig named .env.
2. Add required environment variables:

AGENT_DEBUG=false
API_URL=https://server.yourdomain.com
API_KEY=1234-1234-1234-1234
SSL_VERIFY=true

Note: An .env file can be generated from your Vector server following agent creation on the Vector Server. Utilize the generated .env file values to create the agent .env file. The file downloads as a .txt file requiring renaming to .env.

3. Save the file.

Service Initialization

• Execute the service using:

nssm start vectoragent

• Verify service status:

nssm status vectoragent

• Antivirus Software Considerations

  If the application fails to execute, Windows Defender or third-party antivirus software may be blocking execution. To ensure proper operation, manually exclude the application path from antivirus scanning.

Restart Policy Configuration

For automatic service restart on failure:

1. Execute:

nssm edit vectoragent

2. Navigate to the Exit Actions tab and configure:
   • Configure Restart delay as required.

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Agent Verification and Log Review

• To verify agent operational status, review logs:

nssm log vectoragent

• Review for errors or confirmation messages indicating successful connectivity and operation.

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Vector Agent Upgrade Procedures

CentOS, Rocky, Rhel, Alma

1. Download Current Version Access the rConfig Vector Agent download page and download the current agent version.

2. Stop the operational service:

sudo systemctl stop vectoragent

3. Replace Existing Binary

sudo cp vectoragent-linux-latest /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

4. Restart Service

sudo systemctl start vectoragent

5. Verify Update Completion

/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent --version

Updated version information should display.

Ubuntu

1. Download Current Version Access the rConfig Vector Agent download page and download the current agent version.
2. Stop the operational service:

sudo systemctl stop vectoragent

3. Replace Existing Binary

sudo cp ~/Downloads/vectoragent-linux-latest /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent

4. Restart the service:

sudo systemctl start vectoragent

5. Verify update completion:

/usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/vectoragent --version

Verify correct version information displays.

Windows

When upgrading to a new version:

1. Stop the service:

   nssm stop vectoragent

2. Backup the current binary:

   copy vectoragent.exe vectoragent-backup-previous.exe

3. Copy the new version to C:\rconfig and rename:

   copy vectoragent-windows-v1.1.0.exe vectoragent.exe

4. Start the service:

   nssm start vectoragent

Rollback Procedures (if required)

1. Stop the service:

   nssm stop vectoragent

2. Replace vectoragent.exe with the previous version:

   copy vectoragent-backup-latest.exe vectoragent.exe

3. Start the service:

   nssm start vectoragent

Environment Configuration Update and Service Restart

Environment File Modification

sudo vim /usr/local/bin/rconfig/activeagent/.env

Implement required modifications, including API key updates, URL changes, or other configuration variable updates.

Save and Exit

Save the file and exit the editor.

Vector Agent Service Restart

sudo systemctl restart vectoragent

Service Verification

Verify the service operates correctly following configuration updates.

sudo systemctl status vectoragent

Status should display active (running). If issues occur, review logs using:

journalctl -u vectoragent.service -f

What’s next

• Automated Agent Deployment via REST API - Provision agents at scale using the REST API for Ansible, Terraform, and CI pipelines
• Vector Server Installation - Setting up the rConfig Vector Server that agents connect to
• Adding Agents to Vector - Managing agent records and understanding authentication after deployment