Help CenterThe Atera agent is the backbone of the Atera monitoring system and needs to be installed on all devices you want to monitor. It keeps tabs on the availability, performance, and health of the computer/server and securely sends info back to the cloud. This way, Atera can let you know if anything critical goes down, gets degraded, or reaches a predefined threshold. The reporting intervals are based on extensive big data analysis, ensuring optimal notification timing. The Atera agent has very low overhead usage, meaning it can run comfortably on minimum specification machines, and automatically updates itself whenever a new version is released. There is no limit to how many agents you can have, so install the Atera agent on all the devices you want to monitor!
Note: To install agents on multiple devices in a domain environment, see Install the Atera agent using Group Policy
Prerequisites
Atera agents can be installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux devices — provided the OS version is supported by their respective vendors. While the agent may work on older OS versions, Atera does not guarantee it — nor provide any support, bug fixes, or security patches for devices running those versions.
Note:
- Full admin permissions are required to install the Atera agent.
- If you're installing the Atera agent via Microsoft Intune or in a Citrix environment, this may create duplicate devices in your console as each environment re-deploys the software after a certain period.
- Atera will install .Net Runtime 6 on Windows, macOS, and Linux devices.
Supported versions and distributions
Windows
- Windows 10
- Windows 11
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
Additional requirement: Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or above.
Mac
- macOS 11 (Big Sur)
- macOS 12 (Monterey)
- macOS 13 (Ventura)
Additional requirement: If you’re using macOS Big Sur with an M1 processor, you need to install Rosetta (a dynamic binary translator developed by Apple) before installing any agents. For more info, see If you need to install Rosetta on your Mac and About the Rosetta translation environment
Linux
- Debian 11 (and above)
- Ubuntu 18 (and above)
Additional requirement: Your Linux device must have the following installed and enabled before you can use the Atera agent:
- Sudo
- LSHW
For more information, see Atera's Linux agent
Windows agent
There are multiple ways to install Atera's Windows agent. You can download the installer, copy the cURL command, or share the installation link.
Note: For security reasons, installing the Atera Windows agent will display a confirmation dialog for the following conditions:
- Downloading and installing the .msi package.
- Locally installing the agent via the Command Prompt.
- You can avoid the confirmation dialog by installing the .msi package via Group Policy or by installing agents via Network Discovery
- For agent versions 1.8.5.7 and later:
- Silent installation: The installation will be silent if the agent is installed on a domain device with SYSTEM user or on a non-domain device. In other words, a confirmation dialogue will appear on the end-user device if the device is part of a domain with user privileges.
Note: Atera's Windows agent is available for all IT Department plans.
Note: Atera's Windows agent is available for all MSP plans.
To download and install the agent:
1. Click Install agent in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Download agent installer window appears.
2. Select Windows (.msi). Then click Next.
3. Assign the agent to a site. Then select a folder (optional).
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that site and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy withany IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
3. Assign the agent to a customer. Then select a folder (optional).
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that customer and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy withany IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
4. Click Next.
5. You have 3 options:
-
Download the agent installer package:
- Click Download to download the agent installer.
- Open the installer package and follow the onscreen instructions to install the Atera agent.
-
Install the agent via the Command Prompt:
- Click the copy icon to copy the installation script.
- Open the Command Prompt with elevated administrator privileges.
- Enter the installation script and hit Enter to install the Atera agent.
- Click the copy icon to copy the installation script.
-
Share the agent installer link:
- Copy the installer link.
- Share it with your end user to download and install the Atera agent themselves.
6. Click Done.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera agent will appear on the Devices page.
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see Windows troubleshooting guide
macOS agent
You can install the Atera agent for macOS using either the Terminal or an installer package.
If you’re using macOS with an M1 processor, you need to install Rosetta (a dynamic binary translator developed by Apple) before installing any agents. Type the following command in the Terminal: sudo softwareupdate --install-rosetta
For more information regarding Rosetta, see:
Note: Atera's Mac agent is available for all IT Department plans.
Note: Atera's Mac agent is available for the MSP Growth, Power, and Superpower plans.
To download and install the agent:
1. Click Install agent in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Download agent installer window appears.
2. Select Mac (.pkg). Then click Next.
3. Assign the agent to a site.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that site and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy withany IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
3. Assign the agent to a customer.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that customer and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy withany IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
4. Click Next.
5. You have 2 options:
-
Recommended — Install the agent via the Terminal:
- Click Copy command to copy the installation script.
- Open the Terminal.
- Enter the installation script and hit Enter to install the Atera agent.
Note: You may be prompted to enter your password, depending on your Mac settings. This is your computer password and not your Atera password. Please note that when entering your password, keystrokes may not appear.
-
Download the agent installer package:
- Click Download to download the agent installer.
- Right-click the file > Select Open With > Installer.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to install the Atera agent.
Once installed, the Atera Agent Setup dialog will appear on the device. - To automatically assign the agent (device) to a specific site/customer:
- Enter your Atera account username.
- Check the box next to Check to edit customer (Optional).
- Add your Atera account password, and select the site/customer from the dropdown menu.
- Click Save.
Note: If this dialog isn't filled in, the device will be categorized as 'Unassigned' (you can manually assign it later).
- Click Download to download the agent installer.
6. Click Done.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera agent will appear on the Devices page.
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see Mac troubleshooting guide
Linux agent
You can install the Atera agent for Linux using the command line, either locally or via SSH. For more information on Atera's Linux agent, see Get to know the Linux agent
Note: The Linux Agent is available for all IT Department plans.
Note: The Linux Agent is available for the MSP Growth, Power, and Superpower plans.
To download and install the agent:
1. Click Install agent in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Download agent installer window appears.
2. Select Linux (.bash). Then click Next.
3. Assign the agent to a site.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that site and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy withany IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
3. Assign the agent to a customer.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that customer and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy withany IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
4. Click Next.
5. Click Copy command to copy the installation script.
- Open the Terminal.
- Enter the installation script and hit Enter to install the Atera agent.
Note: You may be prompted to enter your password, depending on your Linux settings. This is your computer password and not your Atera password. Please be aware that keystrokes may not be visible when you type in your password.
6. Click Done.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera agent will appear on the Devices page.
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see Linux troubleshooting guide
Troubleshooting
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see:
Dragos Tulbure