Welcome
Server Automation
Server Automation provides powerful automation. You can use it to sequence automation actions in steps across multiple endpoints.
Configuring your system
This section describes how the BigFix architecture is relevant for Server Automation. It also describes how Server Automation can affect BigFix performance.
Server Automation REST API
The Server Automation REST API is a node-based application which enables you to execute and monitor Server Automation Plans. Using this REST API, you can perform Server Automation tasks in a standardized and operating system-independent method.
Server Automation REST APIs
The Server Automation REST API lets you execute, schedule, and monitor Automation Plans over HTTPS using a standard, OS-independent interface; first-time connections may require trusting a self-signed certificate.
Supported BES APIs
The new BES Server Automation API supports Baseline, Fixlet, and Task resources and uses /serverautomation endpoints. To migrate from the legacy /api paths shown in the BigFix Developer Guide, replace the prefix with /serverautomation (for example, /serverautomation/{fixlet_or_task_or_baseline}/{sitetype}/{object_id}/computers).

BigFix Documentation Homepage
BigFix 11 Lifecycle Documentation
Welcome to the BigFix Lifecycle documentation, where you can find information about how to install, maintain, and use BigFix Lifecycle.
BigFix Platform
BigFix Query
Lifecycle overview
BigFix Lifecycle is single-agent, single-console technology that provides near real-time visibility into the state of endpoints.
Lifecycle guides in PDF format
Following is a list of links to the BigFix Lifecycle guides in PDF format:
Software Distribution
Use the BigFix Software Distribution applications to deploy software to endpoints across your network from a single location. Maintain control and visibility into software delivery and installation. Device owners can use the Self Service Application to manage software and other BigFix actions that are deployed to them as offers.
OS Deployment
BigFix OS Deployment, which is part of the BigFix Lifecycle Management suite, provides a consolidated, comprehensive solution to quickly deploy new workstations and servers throughout a network from a single, centralized location. This solution saves time and money, enforces a standardized and approved image, and reduces risks associated with non-compliant or insecure configurations.
Remote Control
BigFix Remote Control application helps to communicate between different components, clients, and endpoints within BigFix environment.
Power Management
Use Power Management to control, monitor, and manage conservation policies in your deployment.
Application Control
BigFix Application Control provides a robust framework for managing application usage within an organization. It allows administrators to define policies that dictate which applications can or cannot be run on endpoints, thereby enhancing security and compliance.
Server Automation
Server Automation provides powerful automation. You can use it to sequence automation actions in steps across multiple endpoints.
- Overview
  BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation provides you with the capability to automate provisioning workflows. You can automate a sequence of Fixlets, Tasks, and Baselines across different endpoints, such as servers or computers. Server Automation exploits the agility and scalability of BigFix to deliver powerful functionality in a lean and efficient manner, with minimal impact on your network.
- Automation
  BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation provides you with technology to sequence actions, such as the deployment of Fixlets, across multiple endpoints. To sequence automation, you create an Automation Plan. Your Automation Plan contains all of the actions for your end-to-end automation sequence.
- Virtualization
  Virtualization is a software technology that allows multiple operating systems to run on the same host computer at the same time. Additional uses of virtualization include the quick creation of new systems for testing, training, and demonstration. Using virtualized computers saves the cost of hardware, management, and administration of the server infrastructure.
- Configuring your system
  This section describes how the BigFix architecture is relevant for Server Automation. It also describes how Server Automation can affect BigFix performance.
  - Overview
    BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation is built on the BigFix platform. Server Automation uses the key BigFix strengths and advantages. It is also subject to the BigFix architecture capacity considerations and latency. Read the configuration documentation included here to understand how BigFix architecture is relevant to BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation and how you can configure your system for optimum performance. This documentation also describes how Server Automation functionality influences BigFix system performance.
  - Server Automation components
    BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation uses BigFix technology and is subject to the same latency considerations as BigFix. Read the information in this section to learn about the inherent latency and how it affects Server Automation.
  - Enhancing the performance of Server Automation
    To ensure that you minimize the impact on performance, you need to understand the limits and capacity constraints of the BigFix architecture. This section describes how the BigFix capacity constraints are relevant to BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation. Use the information described here to ensure that your system is tuned for optimum performance.
  - Troubleshooting
    Use the information described here to troubleshoot problems.
  - Server Automation REST API
    The Server Automation REST API is a node-based application which enables you to execute and monitor Server Automation Plans. Using this REST API, you can perform Server Automation tasks in a standardized and operating system-independent method.
    - Server Automation REST APIs
      The Server Automation REST API lets you execute, schedule, and monitor Automation Plans over HTTPS using a standard, OS-independent interface; first-time connections may require trusting a self-signed certificate.
      - Create Plan API
        The Create Plan API provides endpoints to retrieve the plan template and to create, modify, or delete Server Automation plans in master and non-master action sites.
      - Execute Plan API
        The Execute Plan API provides endpoints to retrieve plan execution templates and to execute or submit automation plans in master and non-master action sites.
      - Supported BES APIs
        The new BES Server Automation API supports Baseline, Fixlet, and Task resources and uses /serverautomation endpoints. To migrate from the legacy /api paths shown in the BigFix Developer Guide, replace the prefix with /serverautomation (for example, /serverautomation/{fixlet_or_task_or_baseline}/{sitetype}/{object_id}/computers).
      - Plan_Step Action Status API
        The Plan_Step Action Status API provides GET operations to retrieve the overall status of an automation plan action and detailed status for individual step actions from the BES API. Requests require only the URL and responses conform to the SA-REST.xsd schema; exit codes are included only when their value is not "None".
      - Plan Action API
        Use the Plan Action API to retrieve the current state of an automation plan action and the statuses of its step actions. Send a GET request to /serverautomation/planaction/{plan action id} to receive XML conforming to SA-REST.xsd; other HTTP methods are not supported.
      - Bulk Operation REST APIs
        The Bulk Operation REST APIs enable bulk operations on Server Automation plans and plan actions, including deleting plans, removing targets, and stopping or deleting plan actions.
      - Help API
        The Help API provides a GET endpoint at /serverautomation/help that returns the contents of the help message. POST, PUT, and DELETE are not supported, and the GET request requires no request body.
      - SA REST XML Schema
        Use the GET /serverautomation/SA-REST.xsd endpoint to retrieve the complete Server Automation REST API XML schema, which defines the valid XML for requests and responses. No request body is required, and POST, PUT, and DELETE are not supported for this resource.
      - Demo Application
        The Demo Application illustrates how to use the Server Automation REST API to execute automation plans and monitor plan actions through JSP pages with jQuery/AJAX. It includes sample pages for form-based and manual execution (/sa-webapp/demo/execute/form, /sa-webapp/demo/execute/manual) and status monitoring (/sa-webapp/demo/status); it is provided for reference only, was developed for Firefox, and is not officially supported.
      - Notes for developers
        This topics lists some notes for developers of client applications interfacing with the Server Automation REST API.
    - BigFix Forum
      This topic provides link to BigFix forum resource.
    - Creating Parameterized Fixlets
      Parameterized Fixlets extend standard Fixlets to securely collect and validate endpoint-specific inputs (such as credentials) through a consistent UI before actions run. The library is available in BigFix 10.0 and later, works with Server Automation plans and the REST API, and includes a guide with use cases and setup steps. Secured parameterized Fixlets are currently not compatible with Baselines, and globalization is not supported.
    - SSL Configuration for the Server Automation REST API
      This topic describes how to configure SSL certificates for the Server Automation REST API on IBM WAS Liberty and on the Node.js-based service. For WAS Liberty, generate a CSR with OpenSSL, create a PKCS12, import it into a Java keystore, update server.xml as needed, and restart the service. For Node.js, replace server.cert and server.key with your certificates, restart SARESTSERVICE, and verify successful startup in the logs.
    - Pending Restart
      Some Fixlets can complete with endpoints in a Pending Restart state. The linked HCL KB articles explain how the BigFix Client determines when a restart is required and how to identify whether a Pending Restart was triggered by a BigFix action.
  - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    This FAQ provides comprehensive answers to common questions about BigFix Server Automation, including its benefits, key use cases, licensing, installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and virtualization support. It covers best practices, supported software, and guidance for resolving common issues to help users effectively deploy and manage Server Automation in their environments. The document is intended to assist technical users in optimizing automation workflows and maintaining system reliability.
- Sample Automation Plans
  Server Automation is shipped with a number of sample Automation Plans that you can run out of the box. To run these Automation Plans out of the box, ensure that the Fixlets contained in them are available. Typically, you would substitute some of the Fixlets contained in these samples with particular Fixlets that you want to run. Use the information in each of the following sections to find out more about each of the sample plans.
- Server Automation content
  Server Automation provides content that you can use to automate processes and software deployment.
Virtual Endpoint Manager
HCL BigFix Virtual Endpoint Manager (VEM) enhances BigFix with centralized, unified endpoint management for hybrid cloud and data center environments, spanning virtual machines and physical endpoints. VEM delivers real-time endpoint visibility, policy-driven automation for configuration and compliance remediation, and consistent security controls to streamline IT operations, reduce risk, and strengthen regulatory compliance.
Profile Management
Profile Management is a WebUI-based feature of BigFix Lifecycle. It provides Security Administrators the capability to define and deploy security policies to Windows 10 and macOS devices.
BigFix Remediate
BigFix MCM

Supported BES APIs

The new BES Server Automation API supports Baseline, Fixlet, and Task resources and uses /serverautomation endpoints. To migrate from the legacy /api paths shown in the BigFix Developer Guide, replace the prefix with /serverautomation (for example, /serverautomation/{fixlet_or_task_or_baseline}/{sitetype}/{object_id}/computers).

The new BES API currently supports 3 resources: Baseline, Fixlets, and Tasks. They use the following endpoint, for example: /serverautomation/{fixlet_or_task_or_baseline}/{sitetype}/{object_id}/computers.

The existing Server Automation BES API has the following endpoint, for example, /api/{fixlet_or_task_or_baseline}/{sitetype}/{object_id}/computers. You can refer to the BigFix Developer Guide for more information about the new resources. Dedicated resource links are as follows:

The developer documentation documents the above resource APIs using the old API endpoints. To use the new API endpoints, you simply replace the endpoint URL prefix from /api to /serverautomation. For example, let's assume you want to run the GET method for the Fixlet resource. This method’s endpoint using the old API would be: /api/fixlets/{site type}/{site name}. Now, the same method’s endpoint using the new API would be: /serverautomation/fixlets/{site type}/{site name}.