Welcome
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.
Installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service (from SA Plan Engine version 9.5.72 onwards)
To install the Automation Plan Distribution Service, you must have BigFix V11.x with the Server Automation site installed. Make sure that your system meets all of the prerequisites before you begin installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service. You can then install the Automation Plan Distribution Service by executing a Task from your BigFix console.
Installing
You can install the Automation Plan Distribution Service on Windows® and Linux® systems. To install the Automation Plan Distribution Service, you run a Task from your BigFix console. The Task to install the Automation Plan Distribution Service becomes relevant only if the BigFix server is installed correctly. You must install the Automation Plan Distribution Service on the system on which the BigFix server is installed. The installation procedure is the same for both Windows and Linux.
Troubleshooting the Automation Plan Distribution Service installation
If you have trouble completing the Automation Plan Distribution Service installation, troubleshooting Tasks become relevant to help you to correct the problems. These Tasks only become relevant if you need to run them.

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 2.x lets IT administrators centrally manage and enforce application allowlisting on Windows endpoints using Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). Built on BigFix, it delivers kernel-level execution control, deny-by-default policy enforcement, TPM-backed code signing, and compliance-ready audit reporting across the enterprise.
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.
  - What's new in this release
    This release of Server Automation contains the following updates.
  - Features added in previous releases
    A summary of changed or features and enhancements included in BigFix® Server Automation in previous releases.
  - Supported content
    This section lists the software and software versions supported by Server Automation.
  - Key concepts and terminology
    Server Automation provides automation functionality that you can use to automate IT processes. To automate your workflows using Server Automation, you use an Automation Plan. The Automation Plan contains steps, one for each distinct phase in the automated workflow. When you execute an Automation Plan, an action is created for the plan. Child actions will then be created for each of the steps in the plan as the plan is processed.
  - Architecture
    There are two distinct architectures for Server Automation. The older Server Automation architecture is based on the BigFix architecture. The only additional component the older architecture required to use Server Automation is the Automation Plan Engine. The older architecture is supported by Server Automation versions upto 9.5.70. The newer Server Automation architecture is supported by Server Automation versions above 9.5.72. The newer architecture has been designed keeping redundancy, reliability, distributive load sharing, performance, and scalability in mind.
  - Key features
    Server Automation provides key automation features that allow you to automate best practices for your data center.
  - Installing the Automation Plan Engine (upto SA Plan Engine version 9.5.70)
    To install the Automation Plan Engine, you must have BigFix V11.x with the Server Automation site installed. Make sure that your system meets all of the prerequisites before you begin installing the Automation Plan Engine. You can then install the Automation Plan Engine by executing a Task from your BigFix console.
  - Migrating to the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode)
    You can migrate from the older Automation Plan Engine (Single node) to the new one on both Windows® and Linux® systems. To install the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode), you first need to unsintall the older Automation Plan Engine (Single node) on your system. Next, it is recommended to install the Automation Plan Distribution Service first and then install the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode). You can install the Automation Plan Distribution Service and the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode) on the same system but it is not mandatory. Also, the installation procedure is the same for both Windows and Linux.
  - Installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service (from SA Plan Engine version 9.5.72 onwards)
    To install the Automation Plan Distribution Service, you must have BigFix V11.x with the Server Automation site installed. Make sure that your system meets all of the prerequisites before you begin installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service. You can then install the Automation Plan Distribution Service by executing a Task from your BigFix console.
    - Prerequisites
      You can install the Automation Plan Distribution Service on Linux® and Windows® platforms. Before installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service, make sure that your system meets all of the prerequisites. This section describes all of the prerequisite tasks that you must complete before installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service and the instructions are the same for both Windows and Linux.
    - Installing
      You can install the Automation Plan Distribution Service on Windows® and Linux® systems. To install the Automation Plan Distribution Service, you run a Task from your BigFix console. The Task to install the Automation Plan Distribution Service becomes relevant only if the BigFix server is installed correctly. You must install the Automation Plan Distribution Service on the system on which the BigFix server is installed. The installation procedure is the same for both Windows and Linux.
      - Troubleshooting the Automation Plan Distribution Service installation
        If you have trouble completing the Automation Plan Distribution Service installation, troubleshooting Tasks become relevant to help you to correct the problems. These Tasks only become relevant if you need to run them.
    - Configuring the Automation Plan Distribution Service
      You can configure the Automation Plan Distribution Service to specify the polling interval, log level settings, and settings for how Baseline actions are processed, without stopping the Automation Plan Distribution Service. These are all global settings and therefore apply to all Automation Plans.
    - Uninstalling the Automation Plan Distribution Service
      To uninstall the Automation Plan Distribution Service, you run a Task from your BigFix console. The Task to uninstall the Automation Plan Distribution Service becomes relevant when you install the Automation Plan Distribution Service.
  - Installing the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode) (from SA Plan Engine version 9.5.72 onwards)
    To install the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode), you must have BigFix V11.x with the Server Automation site installed. Make sure that your system meets all of the prerequisites before you begin installing the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode). You can then install the Automation Plan Engine (Multinode) by executing a Task from your BigFix console.
  - Installing a VMware management extender
    Using the Deploy Management Extender for VMware vCenter Task, you can install a management extender plug-in on a BigFix relay.
  - Server Automation domain upgrades
    The Server Automation domain is upgraded automatically when the contents of the Server Automation site is updated.
- 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.
- 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.
- MSSQL Always On Availability Group Cluster Patching
  Use Tasks 190 and 191 to perform controlled failover and failback of a SQL Server Always On Availability Group during planned maintenance, ensuring data integrity and minimal application downtime.
- Notices
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

Troubleshooting the Automation Plan Distribution Service Installation

If you have trouble completing the Automation Plan Distribution Service installation, troubleshooting Tasks become relevant to help you to correct the problems. These Tasks only become relevant if you need to run them.

Troubleshooting Tasks become relevant in a Warnings folder if you experience problems installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service. If you have problems installing the Automation Plan Distribution Service, look for the Warnings folder. If this folder displays, check this folder to see which Tasks are relevant. To correct the problems with the installation, run any Tasks that are relevant.

If you do not see any relevant Tasks or the Warnings folder, your system is configured correctly for the installation.