Install the SEM Agent on Windows

The Windows Agent installer allows you to install SEM Agents locally on a variety of Windows operating systems. When the installation is completed, the SEM Agent automatically starts and connects to your SEM Manager.

About the installation

The local agent installer applies to Windows systems. The SEM Agents are installed to the following locations, based on the system processor speed:

Processor	Installation folder location
32.bit	C:\Windows\system32\ContegoSPOP
64-bit	C:\Windows\sysWOW64\contegoSPOP

Download the SEM Agent installer

If you are running a SEM evaluation, download the installer for an unlicensed SEM evaluation or contact SolarWinds Support for assistance.

If you are running a licensed SEM version, download the installer for a licensed SEM version.

Download the installer for an unlicensed SEM evaluation

1. Log in to the SEM Console.

2. In the SEM toolbar, click Configure > Nodes.

3. In the Nodes toolbar, click Add agent node.

4. Click the Windows agent installer for a remote or local installation, based on your environment.

Download the installer for a licensed SEM version

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Customer Portal using your SolarWinds ID (SWI).

2. Click Downloads > Download Product.

3. Click the Products drop-down menu and select Security Event Manager (SEM), formerly Log & Event Manager (LEM).

4. Click the Licenses drop-down menu and select your license tier.

5. Scroll down to Agent Downloads.

6. Click the Local Agent Installer drop-down menu, select your SEM version for Windows, and then click Download.

7. If prompted, click Finish Download.

   The installer is downloaded to your system.

   For example:

   SolarWinds-SEM-<version>-Agent-WindowsInstaller.zip

   where <version> is the SEM release version.

   For example:

   SolarWinds-SEM-2022.4-Agent-WindowsInstaller.zip

Run the SEM Agent installer

If you are upgrading the SEM Agent to the latest version, uninstall the existing SEM Agent first before you run the new installer.

1. Extract the contents of the installer ZIP file to a local or network location.
2. Right-click setup.exe and select Run as administrator.
3. When prompted, click Next to start the installation wizard.
4. If you agree with the End User License Agreement, accept the agreement and then click Next.

5. In the Manager Name field, enter the hostname of your SEM Manager. Do not change the port values.

   If you are deploying SEM Agents on a different domain, use the fully qualified domain name for your SEM Manager.

   For example, enter:

   SEMhostname.SolarWinds.com

6. Click Next.
7. Verify that the Manager Communication settings are correct, and then click Next.

8. If you want to install USB-Defender with the SEM Agent, select the Install USB-Defender checkbox. Otherwise, leave this checkbox blank.

   SolarWinds recommends installing USB-Defender on every system. USB-Defender will never detach a USB device unless you have explicitly enabled a corresponding rule. By default, USB-Defender generates alerts for USB mass storage devices attached to your SEM Agents.
9. Click Next.
10. In the Pre-Installation Summary window, confirm the settings, and then click Install.
11. After the installation is completed, click Next to start the SEM Agent service.
12. Inspect the Agent Log for any errors, and then click Next.

13. Click Done to exit the installer.

    The SEM Agent begins sending alerts to your SEM Manager. The Agent runs on your system unless you uninstall or stop the SEM Agent service.

    A system reboot is not required.

SEM Agents installed on SEM 6.7 and newer

In SEM 6.7 and newer, corresponding agent versions communicate by default using a secure certificate, which no longer requires TLS 1.0, 3DES, or anonymous cipher.

If you need to connect to earlier agent versions, navigate to the SEM Console security tab (Settings > Security), and switch the toggle button to enable lower security settings.