Fleet Discovery & Rescue Tool
The Moftgate Fleet Discovery & Rescue Tool finds machines, bulk-installs or removes agents and reconnects the fleet after a server IP or FQDN change.
What Is the Tool#
The Moftgate Fleet Discovery & Rescue Tool solves a specific operational problem: when the Moftgate management server's address changes (for example, moving to a new IP or a new domain name), every previously-installed agent on Windows, Linux, and macOS clients keeps trying to reach the old address and drops offline. Instead of visiting each machine by hand or reinstalling agents, an administrator runs this tool from a single management machine to discover the whole fleet, push the new server address into each agent, remotely restart the Moftgate agent, and verify that everything reconnects.
The tool is aimed at organizations with a sizable fleet (for example, 50+ Windows/Linux/macOS clients) where a manual, machine-by-machine fix would be impractical. It is used by an administrator, run once (or as needed) from one machine on the network - it is not something end users or customers interact with.
This platform is in final verification and will be released soon.
Discovery Engine#
The tool supports two independent discovery modes, chosen from a mode tab at the top of the app:
- Workgroup / Subnet mode - scans your local network to find machines within a range you specify (e.g. 192.168.1.0/24). Use this when machines are not part of a domain, or when you simply want to scan a specific part of your network.
- Active Directory / Domain mode - pulls the full list of machines directly from your Active Directory domain, with an optional filter to scope the list to a specific organizational unit. Use this for domain environments where you want a complete, authoritative machine list rather than a network scan.
Network & Port Requirements#
For the tool to discover and reconfigure target machines, make sure standard Windows remote management and file sharing access is available on your network, and that remote access is enabled for any Linux or macOS machines you want to migrate:
| Requirement | Purpose | Environment |
|---|---|---|
| Windows remote management | Lets the tool connect to and manage Windows machines remotely. | Windows / AD / Workgroup |
| File sharing | Lets the tool safely update each machine's connection settings. | Windows / AD / Workgroup |
| Domain lookup | Lets the tool retrieve your machine list from Active Directory. | Active Directory |
| Linux/macOS remote access | Lets the tool update settings and restart the agent on Linux and macOS machines. | Linux / macOS |
Bulk Agent Deployment#
Beyond rescuing existing agents, the Fleet Tool works as a bulk agent installer, in the spirit of the remote installation utilities found in enterprise ITSM products. From the same machine list, an administrator can push a fresh agent install (or a clean removal) to dozens of Windows, Linux, and macOS machines in a single run, without touching any of them. It is the recommended way to roll out Moftgate for the first time in environments where visiting every endpoint would take days.
- One modal, two operations: choose Install to push a fresh agent, or Uninstall to cleanly remove the agent service, the binary, and the configuration from every selected machine.
- Flexible targeting: targets come from the same discovery table (subnet scan or Active Directory query), and the Import CSV button loads a prepared list with hostname,ip,os,user columns when the inventory lives outside the network.
- Windows targets are reached over WinRM, with SSH as an automatic fallback when the machine runs OpenSSH Server. The tool prefers the signed MSI package and installs it silently with the SERVERURL, COMPANYID, and NATSURL properties; when only the raw executable is available, it registers and starts the MoftgateAgent Windows service itself.
- Linux targets receive the agent binary over SSH/SFTP at /usr/local/bin, get a systemd unit written, enabled, and started, and keep their working data under /var/lib/moftgate.
- macOS targets are installed from the .pkg installer when it is published on the server, and otherwise fall back to a binary install plus a LaunchDaemon.
- Package delivery is selectable per run: Server Download makes each target pull the package directly from your Moftgate server, while Local Push uploads the package from the machine running the tool, which is useful when targets cannot reach the server yet.
- Runs are parallel with a bounded concurrency limit. Every target reports its own live status and log lines, and the final report separates successes from failures so Retry Failed only revisits the machines that did not complete.
- 1Build the target list
Run a subnet scan or an Active Directory query, or click Import CSV to load a prepared list. Machines that do not have an agent yet appear as Not Installed, and the table filter can show only them.
- 2Select machines and open deployment
Check the machines you want to deploy to, then click Install / Uninstall Agents (N) in the table toolbar.
- 3Choose operation, delivery, and credentials
Pick Install or Uninstall, select Server Download or Local Push, and on Windows choose the MSI or EXE package. Then enter the administrative credentials: local admin or domain admin for Windows, a password or an SSH key for Linux and macOS.
- 4Start the run and watch live progress
Click Start Deployment. The log console streams every target line by line while the Operation Status column shows Pending, Running, Success, or Failed for each machine.
- 5Review, retry, and export
The deployment report summarizes successes and failures. Use Retry Failed for the machines that did not complete, and Export CSV Report for an audit-ready record.
Configuration Injection & Service Restart#
- The update is identity-preserving: the tool safely updates each machine's connection settings to point at the new server, without touching the machine's identity, pairing, or credentials. It only redirects where the agent reports to - nothing else about the agent changes.
- On Windows, this update and the following service restart are handled through the machine's built-in remote management features.
- On Linux and macOS, the same update and service restart are handled through the machine's remote access features.
Step-by-Step Usage#
- 1Define and test the new server address
In the header, enter the new server IP/URL (e.g. http://192.168.1.200:8000) and, optionally, the Company ID. Click Test Server - a green Online (X ms) result confirms the new server is reachable before you touch any client.
- 2Discover the fleet
Choose Workgroup / Subnet Mode (enter a CIDR such as 192.168.1.0/24, pick a scan timeout, and optionally provide local admin credentials, then click Start Subnet Scan) to scan your local network, or Active Directory / Domain Mode (enter your domain details, an optional Base OU filter, and Domain Admin credentials, then click Query Domain Computers) to pull the machine list directly from your Active Directory domain.
- 3Select targets and review status
The results table lists each machine's IP, operating system, current server IP, and agent status (Offline / Server Down, Running, Stopped). Search by hostname, IP, or user, then check the machines you want to rescue, or select all.
- 4Push config and restart the service
Click Reconfigure & Restart Selected (X). In the confirmation modal, leave Restart Moftgate Agent Service remotely and Verify Agent Handshake checked, then click Start Migration. The Live Log Console streams each machine's progress line by line as its connection settings are updated and its agent restarts.
- 5Verify and export the report
When the run finishes, the Migration Execution Report summarizes successes and failures. Use Export CSV Report for a detailed migration report, and Retry Failed to re-run only the machines that failed or were offline during the scan.
Troubleshooting#
| Symptom / Error | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Unreachable" (Test Server error) | The new Moftgate server address is wrong, or a firewall is blocking the connection. | Double-check the server address, and make sure your firewall allows the management machine to reach it. |
| "Access is Denied" | The account used doesn't have administrative rights on the target machine. | Use an account with local admin rights (or domain admin rights, for Active Directory mode) on the target machines. |
| Some machines are unreachable | Remote management may be disabled on that machine, or it may be blocked by network/security policy. | Enable remote access on the target machine, check with your network team, or contact IT support. |
| Linux/macOS machines don't respond | Remote access isn't available on that machine. | Make sure remote access is enabled on the target machine, or contact IT support. |
| A subnet scan finds 0 devices, even the management machine itself | On macOS, Remote Login (SSH) and File Sharing (SMB) are disabled by default, so the scan has no open port to detect the machine on. | On the Mac running the scan, go to System Settings > General > Sharing and enable Remote Login (SSH) - and File Sharing if you also want SMB-based detection - then rescan. |
| Deployment fails with authentication or "Access is Denied" errors | The credentials lack administrative rights, or remote management is not enabled on the target. | Use an account with local or domain admin rights. On Windows targets, enable WinRM (winrm quickconfig) or install OpenSSH Server; on Linux and macOS, make sure SSH is running. |
| Windows install reports success but the agent never comes online | The MSI properties may be wrong, or the target cannot reach the Moftgate server after the install finishes. | Verify the server URL includes the full API base (for example https://server/api/agent), confirm the target can reach the server and the NATS address, then retry that machine. |