Device Authentication-Zoho Directory Agent Automatic Installation| Admin Guide - Zoho Directory

Zoho Directory Agent - Automatic Installation

Prerequisites 

Roles required to perform this action:

  • Organization Owner

  • Organization Admin

  • Device Admin

  • Admin in Endpoint Central account

Overview     

The Zoho Directory agent connects each device to the organization's directory, ensuring that the device password remains synchronized with the user's Zoho Accounts password. This enables users to log in to both their devices and web applications with a single password.

In large organizations, manually installing the Zoho Directory agent on each device can be time-consuming. To simplify this process, Zoho Directory provides an automated deployment option, allowing the Zoho Directory agent to be installed on multiple devices at once, saving time and effort.

The Automatic Installation process is as follows:

  1. Get the details from Zoho Directory

  2. Configure PPPC in Endpoint Central

  3. Configure Script in Endpoint Central

Scenario     

Zylker, an organization with 10,000 employees, uses Zoho Directory to manage device and web application access. Usually, the IT team manually installed the Directory Agent on each device, which was time-consuming. To streamline this process, Zylker utilizes Zoho Directory’s automated deployment option, the IT team uploads a script or configuration file to the Zoho Admin Console, which automates the installation of the Zoho Directory Agent on all the devices.

Once installed, the Zoho Directory Agent ensures the device password is synchronized with the user's Zoho account password. For instance, if an employee changes his Zoho password, the Directory Agent automatically updates the password across all his devices, simplifying device management and maintaining secure access to applications. This automation reduces manual effort and ensures consistency across devices.

Mac
Linux
Windows
Mac

Get the details from Zoho Directory

  1. Sign in to Zoho Directory, then click Admin Panel in the left menu.

  2. Click Device Management, then click Enroll Devices.

  3. Click Mac.

  4. Choose Automate Deployment.

 

  1. Download the script and the Plist file under Installation Steps.

  2. Copy the App/Bundle identifier, Installation path, and Code sign requirement, and make a note of them separately.  

Configure PPPC  in Endpoint Central 

​
PPPC (Privacy Preferences Policy Control) is a macOS framework that allows administrators to manage and control privacy-related permissions for applications on a Mac. To prevent the agent from requesting permission each time there’s an update, we recommend granting it full disk access. This can be done by deploying a PPPC profile via MDM (Mobile Device Management)

  1. Sign in to ManageEngine Endpoint Central, then click Configurations from the top menu.

  2. Hover over Configuration under Add Configurations in the left menu and choose Mac.

  3. Hover over PPPC and click  .

  1. Enter the Name of the Configuration.

  2. Paste the App/Bundle identifier copied from Zoho Directory in the Identifier.

  3. Paste the Installation path copied from Zoho Directory in the Installation path.

  4. Paste the Code sign requirement copied from Zoho Directory in the Code sign requirement.

       

  1. Choose Full Disk Access from the drop-down under Permissions, then select Allowed from the Allowed permissions drop-down.

  2. Scroll down to Define Target, then choose a target.

NotesLearn how Defining targets works 

  1. Click Deploy Immediately.

 Configure script in Endpoint Central   

  1. Sign in to ManageEngine Endpoint Central and click Configuration from the top menu.

  2. In the left menu, click Script Repository under Settings.

  1. Click Add Script.

  2. Click Browse beside the Script Name field and choose the script file downloaded from Zoho Directory.

  3. Select Mac as the Platform.

  4. Click Add.

  1. Click Configuration in the left menu and click Mac.

  2. Hover over Custom script and click  .

  1. Enter the Name of the Configuration.

  1. Click the Script Name field and select the script added in the Script Repository.

  2. Click Browse beside Dependency Files(s) and choose the Plist file downloaded from Zoho Directory.

  3. Set Frequency as Once.

  4. Configure a target under Define Target.

NotesLearn how Defining targets works 

  1. Click Deploy Immediately.

Linux

 Get the details from Zoho Directory   

  1.  Sign in to Zoho Directory, then click Admin Panel in the left menu.

  2. Click Device Management, then click Enroll Devices.

  3. Click Linux.

  4. Choose Automate Deployment.

  5. Download the script and the plist file under Installation steps.

Configure device in Endpoint Central 

  1. Sign in to ManageEngine Endpoint Central.

  2. Click Configurations from the top menu.

  3. Click Script Repository in the left menu, then click Add Script.

 

  1. Click Browse beside Script Name and choose the script file downloaded from Zoho Directory.

  2. Select Linux as the Platform.

  3. Click Add.

  4. Hover over Configuration under Add Configurations in the left menu and click Linux.

  1. Hover over Custom script and click  .

  2. Enter the Name of the Custom Script.

  1. Click Script Name and select the script added in the Script Repository.

  2. Click Browse and choose the Plist file downloaded from Zoho Directory.

  3. Set Frequency as Once.

  4. Configure Target 1 under Define Target.

Notes  Learn how Defining targets works 

  1. Click Deploy Immediately.

 
Windows

 Get the details from Zoho Directory   

  1. Sign in to Zoho Directory , then click Admin Panel in the left menu.

  2. Click Device Management, then click Enroll Devices.

  3. Click Windows.

  4. Download the script and plist file under Installation Steps.

  Configure script in Endpoint Central 

  1. Sign in to ManageEngine Endpoint Central.

  2. Click Configurations from the top menu.

  3. Click Script Repository under Settings.

  1. Click Add Script.

  2. Click Browse beside Script Name and choose the script file downloaded from Zoho Directory.

  3. Select Windows from the drop-down menu under Platform.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Hover over Configuration under Add Configurations in the left menu and choose Windows.

  6. Hover over Custom Script and click  .

  1. Enter the Name of the Configuration.

  2. Click Browse and choose the Plist file downloaded from Zoho Directory.

  3. Click Script Name and select the Script added in the Script Repository.

  4. Set Frequency as Once.

  5. Choose a target from Target 1 under Define Target.

  1. Click Deploy Immediately.