ControlUp's C4Desktop for macOS utilizes the CoreAgent process to collect and transmit inventory data to the ControlUp platform. This agent is responsible for maintaining device registration, managing credentials, and facilitating communication between the device and ControlUp services. Additionally, CoreAgent oversees scheduled tasks such as periodic device reporting, license checks, and configuration updates. It also monitors and manages supporting modules that gather specific data, including CPU usage, Wi-Fi status, process information, crash reports, location data, and collaboration application activity. In the event that any of these supporting modules cease functioning, CoreAgent is designed to restart them to ensure continuous data collection. Furthermore, CoreAgent serves as the central hub for data transmission, securely uploading collected information to ControlUp and facilitating features like remote control and file browsing.
The CoreAgent binary is located at `/usr/local/com.controlup.edgedx.agent/Bin/CoreAgent` on macOS systems. It's important to note that CoreAgent is a signed binary and not an `.app` bundle, which means it does not have a `CFBundleIdentifier` and, consequently, lacks a bundle ID. This absence can present challenges when integrating with Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions like Jamf, which typically rely on bundle IDs for application management. ControlUp does not publish a bundle ID for CoreAgent, and there is no documented `CFBundleIdentifier` for it in the Jamf or MDM documentation. Instead, for CU4Desktop on macOS, MDM profiles target other agent components by bundle ID. The main one tied to the core agent stack is:
This approach allows MDM solutions to manage and configure the necessary components of the ControlUp agent effectively, even in the absence of a bundle ID for CoreAgent itself. For detailed instructions on deploying ControlUp for Desktops with Jamf, including the creation of configuration profiles and deployment scripts, refer to the official ControlUp documentation. ([support.controlup.com](https://support.controlup.com/docs/deployment-with-jamf?utm_source=openai))
In summary, while CoreAgent is integral to the functionality of ControlUp's C4Desktop for macOS, its lack of a bundle ID requires alternative methods for management and deployment, particularly when using MDM solutions like Jamf. By targeting other agent components with known bundle IDs, organizations can effectively deploy and manage the ControlUp agent on macOS devices.
Read the entire article here...
ControlUp Licensing Related Training & Support Archives
ControlUp Licensing training and support-related archives from inside the ControlUp Community on Slack.
ControlUp AI Assistant Rollout: Admin-Only Enablement and Organizational Opt-Out Policy
ControlUp has begun a gradual rollout of its AI Assistant feature to eligible customers. During this rollout, users may receive a prompt inviting them to enable the AI Assistant. However, this prompt is not presented universally to all users and is specifically targeted only to those with the Admin role within an organization. Only these Admin-level users have the authority to accept the AI Assistant End User License Agreement (EULA) and enable the feature organization-wide.
The rollout is designed with organizational control in mind, addressing concerns about unauthorized AI adoption. Organizations have the ability to vet and manage AI Assistant enablement, ensuring that not every user can activate it independently. For managed service providers (MSPs), this distinction is particularly important, as staff members supporting client environments cannot enable the AI Assistant without explicit permission and administrative access from the client's organization.
Moreover, ControlUp offers an opt-out option for organizations that do not wish to participate in the AI Assistant rollout. If an organization has expressed a desire to avoid enabling AI Assistant, ControlUp will honor that by disabling the feature for them during the rollout phase.
This approach balances the introduction of AI capabilities while respecting organizational governance and control over new features. For detailed guidance on AI Assistant enablement, permissions, and rollout policies, users can refer to official ControlUp documentation and support channels.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
How to Identify and Manage Duplicate Devices in ControlUp Desktops Due to Reimaging and Agent Re-registration
A common challenge with ControlUp's Desktops product arises when IT teams test new device models by repeatedly reimaging machines, causing multiple instances of the same device to register with unique device IDs but identical hostnames. This scenario leads to an inflated license count, as each registration consumes a license until the devices are flagged inactive and subsequently removed from the system.
To identify these "duplicate" devices, one effective method involves querying the ControlUp `device_status` data index. While leveraging ControlUp Dashboards can help visualize this data, caution is advised when running queries based solely on device IDs without applying appropriate filters to avoid misleading results. Advanced options in the dashboard allow adding additional metrics that can pinpoint such duplicates by hostname or device name, which is particularly helpful since the root issue is not duplicate device IDs but duplicate device names retained after reimaging.
In practice, customizing dashboard widgets with additional filters and metrics can enable teams to monitor and isolate devices that have been repeatedly reimaged and registered, streamlining license management. For devices already deployed, it is possible to run a script that forces re-registration of devices with a new unique ID to prevent license count inflation. This step may be beneficial where device IDs need to be refreshed or reset in the ControlUp environment.
Another important factor involves deployment parameters. For example, the `REGISTERWITHNAME=1` flag, if set during agent deployment, can cause devices to register under the same name, exacerbating duplicate name issues. However, in many cases, the default setting with the `ALLUSERS=1` flag, used in ControlUp's standard installer from the Downloads pane, is sufficient and does not trigger duplicate registrations unless devices are repeatedly reimaged and reset by users.
Overall, the underlying cause of the inflated license usage is the repeated device reimaging and agent re-registration under the same hostname but with unique IDs. Proper use of the `device_status` index for querying, cautious dashboard configurations, potential scripting to reset device IDs, and awareness of deployment flags can effectively manage and mitigate "duplicate" device issues within the ControlUp Desktops product.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
Understanding ALERT RULES Licensing and Usage in ControlUp One EVENTS Tab
Within the ControlUp One platform, the EVENTS tab includes an ALERT RULES section that is specifically designed for ControlUp for Desktops (CU4D). Users who do not have a CU4D license will encounter a license error when accessing the ALERT RULES tab, even though other areas like OVERVIEW and EVENT DETAILS function normally. This is because the ALERT RULES feature is directly tied to CU4D licensing and capabilities.
The ALERT RULES in ControlUp One covers alerting for CU4D, ControlUp for VDI (CU4VDI), and Synthetic Monitoring; however, the creation and management of alert rules within this tab are exclusive to CU4D. For alerting related to ControlUp for VDI and Synthetic Monitoring, users must configure those alerts within their respective products. Once alerts are configured in each solution, they will be aggregated and displayed together in ControlUp One for centralized monitoring.
In summary, the ALERT RULES function in the ControlUp One EVENTS tab is dedicated to CU4D alert creation, and attempting to access this function without the proper CU4D license will trigger a license error. Alert management for CU4VDI and Synthetic Monitoring requires using those individual products’ alerting tools, after which their alerts become visible collectively within the ControlUp One interface. This division maintains clear licensing boundaries and functional segregation across ControlUp’s different monitoring products.
For more information, see ControlUp’s official documentation on alerting and licensing at https://docs.controlup.com and explore the ControlUp Academy for training on alert configuration and best practices at https://cuacademy.controlup.com.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
How to Use ControlUp Live View to Identify Processes Causing CPU Spikes in VDI Environments
When attempting to diagnose CPU spikes and identify the specific processes responsible using ControlUp, the most effective approach is to utilize the Live view, also known as the VDI page in the ControlUp Web UI. This view provides real-time, granular insights into process-level CPU consumption across virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments. Unlike historical reports, which show aggregated past data such as CPU Utilization Max but lack immediacy, the Live view updates metrics approximately every three seconds, enabling administrators to track CPU spikes as they happen and correlate them with individual processes.
Accessing this Live view requires either appropriate licensing or configuration that may prompt for a user principal name (UPN) login depending on how ControlUp is set up in the organization. When correctly logged in, administrators can drill down into specific machines experiencing CPU spikes and see a detailed, sortable list of CPU-intensive processes. This functionality helps pinpoint the exact processes causing resource bottlenecks, which is critical since the total CPU utilization of a machine does not always equal the sum of all visible processes. This discrepancy arises because kernel interrupts and other system-level operations that consume CPU are not attributed to individual user processes.
Users noted that if access to the Live view is initially unavailable or the relevant VDI tab not visible, it may be due to missing licenses or particular configuration settings controlled by the ControlUp administrator in the environment. In such cases, reaching out to the administrator and providing the UPN for authentication often resolves access issues. Without this, troubleshooting CPU spikes becomes difficult, and users may resort to external scripting solutions like PowerShell, which can be less reliable and less integrated.
Once logged into the Live view, operators can monitor real-time CPU usage per user and process, identify the top five consumers, and respond quickly to performance incidents causing a slowdown in the VDI environment. While the Live view is potent for immediate troubleshooting, storing long-term granular process data in a live manner is impractical due to data volume and cost, so ControlUp uses historical reports for trend analysis. Overall, the Live view is regarded as an essential and powerful feature in ControlUp’s suite for understanding and resolving CPU utilization spikes in virtualized desktop environments.
For further information on configuring and accessing the Live view in ControlUp, administrators can consult the official ControlUp documentation at https://docs.controlup.com and the ControlUp Academy at https://cuacademy.controlup.com. These resources cover licensing requirements, configuration steps, and best practices for effectively using real-time monitoring to maintain optimal VDI performance.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
Using ControlUp to Search for Not Installed Apps
A user asked about showing devices without specific software installed and was informed that this cannot be done with a NOT statement in the Installed Applications data index. Instead, a workflow and data comparison must be used. It was also suggested to try using the CU AI tool, which is based on ElasticSearch. Another user asked about needing a CU One license for MCP server, and was informed that it is not necessary to use the free version of Claude desktop. The process for connecting the server and using it to search for not installed apps was also briefly explained. Relevant links were provided for documentation and a tutorial video.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
Managing Licenses on a ControlUp Named User Subscription
A question was raised regarding managing licenses on a Named User subscription. The recommendation was to contact the CSM or sales representative, or refer to the KB for more information - https://support.controlup.com/docs/what-is-the-new-subscription-feature
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
Retention Period for Audit Log in DEX Console at ControlUp
A user asked about the retention period for the audit log in the DEX console. Another user noted that it may depend on the license tier, but the support article states a retention period of 1 year. Another user shared their experience of having 10,000 records dating back to last August. The conversation shifts to discussing the potential challenges of a limited retention period. The topic of documentation is also mentioned. It is suggested to update the documentation to include information about the retention period.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
Controlling Access to VDI Metrics with ControlUp Custom and Upcoming Dashboards
In a discussion about sharing VDI metrics with SLT without revealing unnecessary information, Custom Dashboards with restricted access and a possible upcoming Dashboards feature are mentioned. It is also suggested to export dashboards and send them periodically, but formatting issues may be a concern. The upcoming release for Dashboards for VDI is expected at the end of the month.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...
Changes in Citrix Licensing – Impact on Usage Monitoring with ControlUp
A user shared that there will be a change in Citrix Licensing in April, with migration to the new License Activation Service. The "Citrix License Usage" report for VDI DaaS no longer displays usage count. ControlUp team is aware and investigating. It seems that both Studio and license server can't see the usage either.
Read the entire article here...
Read the entire article here...