WAPT 1.8 F.A.Q : 50 Questions about WAPT

by | Mar 3, 2020 | FAQ, FAQ, WAPT

If you follow us on social media (if not, I recommend that you do!) you would have seen that we released a new version of WAPT on the 21st of January 2020! Version 1.8 is equipped with the integration of WAPT agents for Linux and Mac (beta) and the managment of your secondary repositories in your console! With WAPT 1.8 we wanted to provide you with the tools to fight againt heterogenous parks!

Our WAPT users and followers are getting to know our formula : With each new version we release we dedicate an entire webinar to it! Between the presentation of the newest features and the exchanges with participants, it’s great to create these connections with our WAPT community.

As you can imagine, our webinars move pretty quickly and are filled with questions, so it’s understandable that you may have missed some announcements! So, if you’re someone that missed out on the live webinar or some questions, I have four pieces of good news for you!

  1. The webinar is already available for replay on our YouTube channel and in this article!
  2. We have compiled all of your questions to create this WAPT 1.8 F.A.Q article
  3. We have already published a F.A.Q similar to this in our previous article!
  4. If you still have a question that has not been answered by the end of this article, the comment space is saved for you !

Discover the content of the F.A.Q of WAPT 1.8 in replay :

Discover the F.A.Q’s of WAPT 1.8

Here you’ll find, for the most part, questions that were asked before and during the webinar about WAPT 1.8. Everything was asked, from questions about the newest features to very technical questions, the floor was open for everything! To save you some time, below you will find a menu for the F.A.Q’s of WAPT 1.8 based on all your questions!

  • General functions and features of WAPT
  • Advantages and additional features of WAPT Enterprise
  • The use of WAPT Self Service
  • New features with WAPT 1.8
  • (Potential) Features to come in future versions
  • More in-depth technical questions

Discover how WAPT works

Can we create a group for "group pakages"?

Yes, it’s totally possible to do that with WAPT!

Can WAPT be used to monitor/ over see your IT park?

The audit feature allows you to monitor the actions preformed by users. However, for the moment, this function is not automatic.

Is it possible to back up the complete configuration of the WAPT server?

No, it is not possible to preform a full “XML” backup from the console. Feel free to consult our documentation to help you in this case.

Does a classic Windows reboot launch "waptexit"?

Yes, “waptexit” is launched everytime a machine is turned off and restarted.

Is it possible to run WAPT outside of a domain?

Yes. To our knowledge, WAPT is the only solution which allows secure deployment on machines inside and outside of the domain.

Is it possible to manage several sites (i.e. several parks) with WAPT?

Yes,with no expected problems. WAPT also allows you to manage sites outside of your domain if needed.

Are there query templates to facilitate the use of WAPT?

How can you create a group of machines without the machines being in an Active Directory?

There is no group of machines displayed in the WAPT console, you have to assign a ‘group package’ to a set of machines.

The advantages of WAPT Enterprise

Is it possible to apply default packages when installing the client with WAPT Community?

No, this function is only available with WAPT Enterprise.

How does the Windows Updates deployment work?

You can find out how this feature works in our documentation. We also have a video that covers this question on our YouTube channel.

Is the reporting function available with WAPT Community?

No, this function is only available for our Enterprise version. You can find more information on our page dedicated to this.

Does the Windows Updates management via WAPT allow you to uninstall already installed updates?

Unfortunately this is not a feature that is implemented in WAPT. However, it is possible to create a package to solve this problem.

Do you plan to create pre-installed Linux servers in OVA/OVF format?

This function is already available for users of WAPT Enterprise. Although it is not planned to add this feature to WAPT Community for the moment.

Go Farther with WAPT Enterprise

WAPT Enterprise is an ideal tool for rapid software deployment, carrying out a complete inventory of your park and even to control your Windows Updates. A number of functions are also designed to simplify the administration, even with the largest fleets. Still have doubts? Don’t worry, you can benefit from a free month of WAPT Enterprise to see for yourself!

Using WAPT Self Service

Is WAPT Self Service available in the Community Version?

Yes, but users will have access to all the available packages. Only in the Enterprise version can you differentiate which applications are available for users.

Is WAPT Self Service planned to work on Linux?

Yes, but it is still in the development stage. We are going to have to be a little patient!

Do I need a local admin account for an out-of-domain user to install software with WAPT Self Service?

To assign local users outside the domain, a “self service package”  must be created for the “users” group (using WAPT Enterprise)

How can I make sure that a user who is also the admin of his workstation does not have all the packages available in their WAPT Self Service?

This functionality has been implemented in our Enterprise version in WAPT 1.8, and will be documented soon. However, we do not recommend granting admin rights to general users.

Can a non-admin launch WAPT Self Service?

Yes! The purpose of WAPT Self Service is to allow users to install software securley. Watch the WAPT Self Service video to learn more.

What’s new with WAPT 1.8

How do I migrate from WAPT 1.7 to version 1.8? What is the most secure procedure?

You should have no problem upgrading from WAPT 1.7 to 1.8 by following the steps in the documentation.

Can we deploy a package that is not in the Linux Repository, like a "tar.gz" or a "deb" for example?

Yes, it is possible with WAPT. However, it is not yet documented.

What type of machine should be used to make it a local repository controlled in the WAPT console?

As long as the WAPT agent is installed and launched on the machine in question, any of your machines can become a local repository : a user station, dedicated machine, virtual machine, etc!

Simon demonstrates how to use this feature in our newest video. Feel free to watch it to learn more!

Are software applications for MacOS and Debian already available in the WAPT Store?

No, they are not yet available in the WAPT Store, but we’re working on it!

Do we need to resynchronize all packages on new repositories?

No, the WAPT replication agent is smart enough to take into account packages that are already synchronized.

What is the procedure for installing WAPT on Linux?

The procedure for installing a Linux agent is referenced in our documentation. Overall the WAPT agent for Linux behaves like a Windows agent, there is nothing additional you need to know to make it work.

We have just made a new video to show you how WAPT agents for Mac and Linux work! Feel free to watch them to learn more!

How does the transition from an existing hand mounted repository (NGINX) to a WAPT 1.8 managed repository work?

There shouldn’t be any problems with the transition because the NGINX configuration doesn’t change. It is the existing synchronization engine (syncthings, rsync) that is replaced by the integrated synchronization via WAPT.

Is WAPT agent 1.8 still supporting repository search through DNS entries ?

No, the usage of DNS fields is deprecated. Now you will have to use the rules of the secondary repositories.

Is synchronization done at "byte" or only at "full package"?

For security reasons, the synchronization of packages is done at “completed package”

What is the frequency of synchronization? Is it automatic or manuel?

Synchronization is done in real time. You can also set WAPT to synchronize at a defined period.

Is there a Linux version of the WAPT console?

No, it’s something we’ve thought about for a while, but it’s not yet implemented with WAPT 1.8.

(Potential) Upcoming features

Is WAPT based on the Python 3 language? If not, is it under development?

For the moment, WAPT is based on version 2.7 of Python. We are actually working on switching WAPT to Python 3, which will be a major change for WAPT.

Is more refined user management provided in the WAPT console?

We are currently developing and implementing ACL’s for a future release. We just ask for a little patience!

Is a Wake On Lan relay on remote repositories being considered for a future version of WAPT?

We are currently studying the possibility of integrating this function, so we can’t make any promises at this time.

Is it planned to distribute pre-packaged WAPT in a VM or Docker container?

We do plan to create a pre-packaged version of WAPT in a VM for a future release of WAPT Enterprise.

On the other hand, we do not plan to work on a version for Docker. However we know that some have already stumbled upon this question.

Are there plans to create rules based on the computer model to allow automatic deployment of packages?

Hardware packages are not implemented in WAPT. We are, however, investigating this possibility. So we can’t promise anything in this article!

Does WAPT allow you to manage "oneshot" (to take a machine out of the domain, etc.)?

For the moment, WAPT does not allow you to preform these specific actions. This functionality should be implemented at the same time as the integration of ACL’s in WAPT.

Will there be an automatic refresh button in the WAPT console?

No, this is not planned for the future evolution of WAPT.

Is an RMM solution coupled with WAPT (via the WAPT agent, for example) planned?

No. At the moment it is not in our development goals for WAPT

Is a reporting solution via an external API being developed?

No, not at the moment. The WAPT reporting system is currently based on SQL Queries.

We have made a video presentation of this function. In addition there are many queries that are available on the Tranquil IT forum.

Do you plan to integrate an option to reboot Windows workstations from the console (shutdown.exe) at a later stage?

We are considering this as a possibility. We are currently just studying the idea, so for the moment there are no guarantees.

Technical Questions

Is there a solution that exists to easily define the maturity of a workstation?

Yes, the easiest way to do this is through a WAPT package.

Is it possible to manage Drivers / BIOS of the machines thanks to WAPT?

This is not native to WAPT but it is possible to create a package to manage them, yes.

Is it possible to run a batch or powershell script in a WAPT package?

Yes, you are free to do whatever you would like in a WAPT pacakge. Have fun, be creative, and feel free to share your packages on our forum!

Could you give an example of a validated architecture for roaming stations outside of the internal network?

Our documentation on this subject is patchy, but it does exist. However it deserves to be completed with a full use case.

Does Tranquil IT recommend putting WAPT in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)?

We cannot say that we particularly recommend it. Although, if it’s done safely, there is no reason to say no! Luckily we have documentation to help you!

Is the "target_os" field updated progressively according to package updates in Tranquil IT's repository?

Yes, we are trying to differentiate the packages as we go along. You are free to take the lead though and do this on your web repository.

Can we manage client workstations over the internet, or do they have to be on the same VPN network?

There is no issue to manage workstations through “NAT”, that’s what the websockets are there for.

Is it possible to manage the "double boot" using WAPT?

As the agent depends on the machine and its “UUID BIOS”, the Windows and Linux agent will clash.

Is it possible to have a WAPT proxy for remote sites with low internet speed?

Concerning WAPT, it is not a question of “proxy” strictly speaking, but of replicated repositories. You will find more information in our documentation.

Is it possible to change/add permissions on folders or files?

Unfortunately there is no native function to do this with WAPT at the moment.

Will "waptexit" run properly when rebooting Windows with FastBoot active?

Yes, but we do not necessarily recommend the use of “FastBoot”.

Is there documentation planned to correct the issue of "This feature is being removed by major browsers and deprecated by RFC 2818?

Yes, we are in the process of writing it. It should be out soon!
This concludes our second F.A.Q! We are lucky to have an active community, which allows us to do this kind of demonstration! If you still have not found your answer in the 50 or so questions above, reach out to us in the comment section below!
Demonstration

Group demo

04/04/2024 : 10h30 - 11h30

Let's go !