Help Center/ Database Security Service/ User Guide/ Enabling and Using Database Audit (by Installing Agents)/ Step 3: Download and Install the Agent/ Installing an Agent (Windows OS)
Updated on 2023-08-18 GMT+08:00
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Installing an Agent (Windows OS)

You can enable database audit only after the agent is installed. This topic describes how to install the agent on a node running a Windows OS. For details about how to install an agent on the Linux OS, see Installing an Agent (Linux OS).

Prerequisites

  • You have added an agent to your database.
  • You have obtained the agent installation package for the Windows OS.
  • The Windows OS version of the target node is supported by the agent. For details about the supported Windows versions, see On What Windows OSs Can I Install the Agent?

Scenarios

You can install the agent on the database or application side, depending on your database type and deployment scenario. Common database scenarios are as follows:

  • Deploy DBSS for databases built on ECS/BMS. For details, see Figure 1 and Figure 2.
    Figure 1 One application connecting to multiple databases built on ECS/BMS
    Figure 2 Multiple applications connecting to one database built on ECS/BMS
  • Deploy DBSS for RDS databases. For details, see Figure 3 and Figure 4.
    Figure 3 One application connecting to multiple RDS databases
    Figure 4 Multiple applications connecting to one RDS database

Table 1 describes where to install the agent in the preceding scenarios.

If your applications and databases (databases built on ECS/BMS) are deployed on the same node, install the agent on the database side.

Table 1 Agent installation scenarios

Scenario

Where to Install Agent

Audit Scope

Description

Self-built database on ECS/BMS

Database

All access records of applications that have accessed the database
  • Install the agent on the database side.
  • If an application connects to multiple databases built on ECS/BMS, the agent must be installed on all these databases.

RDS database

Application side (if applications are deployed on the cloud)

Access records of all the databases connected to the application
  • Install the agent on the application side.
  • If multiple applications are connected to the same RDS database, the agent must be installed on all these applications.

RDS database

Proxy side (if applications are deployed off the cloud)

Only the access records between the proxy and database. Those between the applications and database cannot be audited.

Install the agent on the proxy side.

Installing an Agent

  1. Install Npcap on the Windows server.

    • If Npcap has been installed on the Windows OS, go to 2.
    • If the Npcap has not been installed on the Windows server, perform the following steps:
      1. Download the latest Npcap software installation package from https://nmap.org/npcap/.
        Figure 5 Downloading Npcap
      2. Upload the npcap-xxxx.exe software installation package to the VM where the agent is to be installed.
      3. Double-click the Npcap installation package.
      4. In the displayed dialog box, click I Agree, as shown in Figure 6.
        Figure 6 Agreeing to install Npcap
      5. In the displayed dialog box, leave all the check boxes unselected and click Install, as shown in Figure 7.
        Figure 7 Installing Npcap
      6. In the displayed dialog box, click Next.

      7. Click Finish.

  2. Log in to the target Windows server as the Administrator user.
  3. Copy the downloaded .zip agent installation package to any directory on the server.
  4. Decompress the package.
  5. Double-click the install.bat file in the package directory.
  6. Press any key to complete installation after the output shown in Figure 8 is displayed.

    Figure 8 Installation completed

  7. Check the installation result. If the dbss_audit_agent process can be found in the Windows Task Manager, the installation succeeded.

    If it is not found, install the agent again.