Table of contents
Topics on this page
dsa_control
dsa_control options
Agent-initiated activation ("dsa_control -a")
Agent-initiated heartbeat command ("dsa_control -m")
Activate an agent
Force the agent to contact the manager
Initiate a manual anti-malware scan
Create a diagnostic package
Reset the agent
dsa_query
dsa_query options
Check CPU usage and RAM usage
Windows
Linux
Check that ds_agent processes or services are running
Windows
Linux
Restart an agent on Linux

Command-line basics

You can use the local command-line interface (CLI) to command both agents and Workload Security to perform many actions. The CLI can also configure some settings, and to display system resource usage.

You can also automate many of the CLI commands below using the Workload Security API. To get started with the API, see First Steps Toward Workload Security Automation.

Below are the CLI commands:

dsa_control

You can use dsa_control to configure some agent settings, and to manually trigger some actions such as activation, anti-malware scans, and baseline rebuilds.

On Windows, when self-protection is enabled, local users cannot uninstall, update, stop, or otherwise control the agent. They must also supply the authentication password when running CLI commands.

On macOS, when self-protection is enabled, local users cannot uninstall, modify, stop, or otherwise control the agent. They must also supply the authentication password when running CLI commands.

Dsa_control only supports English strings. Unicode is not supported.

To use dsa_control:

In Windows:

  1. Open a Command Prompt as Administrator.
  2. Change to the agent's installation directory. For example:
    cd C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\
  3. Run dsa_control:
    dsa_control <option>
    where <option> is replaced with one of the options described in dsa_control options.

To use dsa_control:

In Linux:

  • sudo /opt/ds_agent/dsa_control <option>
    where <option> is replaced with one of the options described in dsa_control options.

To use dsa_control:

In macOS:

  1. Open a Terminal window as an Admin.
  2. Change to the agent's installation directory. For example:
    cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent"
  3. Run dsa_control:
    dsa_control <option>
    where <option> is replaced with one of the options described in dsa_control options.

dsa_control options

dsa_control [-a <str>] [-b] [-c <str>] [-d] [-g <str>] [-s <num>] [-m] [-p <str>] [-r] [-R <str>] [-t <num>] [-u <str>:<str>] [-w <str>:<str>] [-x dsm_proxy://<str>] [-y relay_proxy://<str>] [--buildBaseline] [--scanForChanges] [Additional keyword:value data to send to Workload Security during activation or heartbeat...]

Parameter Description
-a <str>, --activate=<str> Activate agent with manager at the specified URL in this format:

dsm://<host>:<port>/

where:

<host> could be either the manager's fully qualified domain name (FQDN), IPv4 address, or IPv6 address

<port> is the manager's listening port number

Optionally, after the argument, you can also specify some settings such as the description to send during activation. See Agent-initiated heartbeat command ("dsa_control -m"). They must be entered as key:value pairs (with a colon as a separator). There is no limit to the number of key:value pairs that you can enter, but the key:value pairs must be separated from each other by a space. Quotation marks around the key:value pair are required if it includes spaces or special characters.
-b, --bundle Create an update bundle.

Not supported on macOS
-c <str>, --cert=<str> Identify the certificate file.

Not supported on macOS
-d, --diag Generate an agent package. For more detailed instructions, see Create an agent diagnostic package via CLI on a protected computer.
-g <str>, --agent=<str> Agent URL.

Defaults to https://localhost:<port>/

where <port> is the manager's listening port number.

Not supported on macOS
-m, --heartbeat Force the agent to contact the manager now.
-p <str> or --passwd=<str> Authentication password that you might have configured in Workload Security previously. See Configure self-protection through Workload Security for details. If configured, the password must be included with all dsa_control commands except dsa_control -a, dsa_control -x, and dsa_control -y.

Example: dsa_control -m -p MyPa$$w0rd

If you type the password directly into the command line, it is displayed on the screen. To hide the password with asterisks (*) while you type, enter the interactive form of the command, -p \*, which prompts you for the password.

Example:

dsa_control -m -p *
-r, --reset Reset the agent's configuration. This will remove the activation information from the agent and deactivate it.
-R <str>, --restore=<str> Restore a quarantined file. On Windows, you can also restore cleaned and deleted files.
-s <num>, --selfprotect=<num> Enable agent self-protection (1: enable, 0: disable). Self-protection prevents local end-users from uninstalling, stopping, or otherwise controlling the agent. For details, see Enable or disable agent self-protection.

Note: Although dsa_control lets you enable self-protection, it does not let you configure an associated authentication password. You'll need Workload Security for that. See Configure self-protection through Workload Security for details. Once configured, the password will need to be entered at the command line using the -p or --passwd= option.
-t <num>, --retries=<num> If dsa_control cannot contact the agent service to carry out accompanying instructions, this parameter instructs dsa_control to retry <num> number of times. There is a 1 second pause between retries.

Not supported on macOS
-u <user>:<password> Used in conjunction with the -x option to specify the proxy's username and password, if the proxy requires authentication. Separate the username and password by a colon (:). For example, # ./dsa_control -x dsm_proxy://<str> -u <new username>:<new password>.

To remove the username and password, type an empty string (""). For example,# ./dsa_control -x dsm_proxy://<str> -u <existing username>:"".

If you only want to update the proxy's password without changing the proxy's username, you can use the -u option without -x. For example, # ./dsa_control -u <existing username>:<new password>.

Basic authentication only. Digest and NTLM are not supported.

Note: Using dsa_control -u only applies to the agent's local configuration. No security policy is changed on the manager as a result of running this command.
-w <user>:<password> Used in conjunction with the -y option to specify the proxy's user name and password, if the proxy requires authentication. Separate the username and password by a colon (:). For example, # ./dsa_control -y relay_proxy://<str> -w <new username>:<new password>.

To remove the username and password, type an empty string (""). For example, # ./dsa_control -y relay_proxy://<str> -w <existing username>:"".

If you only want to update the proxy's password without changing the proxy's username, you can use the -w option without-y. For example, # ./dsa_control -w <existing username>:<new password>.

Basic authentication only. Digest and NTLM are not supported.

Note: Using dsa_control -w only applies to the agent's local configuration. No security policy is changed on the manager as a result of running this command.
-x dsm_proxy://<str>:<num> Configure a proxy between the agent and manager. Provide the proxy's IPv4/IPv6 address or FQDN and port number, separated by a colon (:). Square brackets must surround IPv6 addresses. For example: dsa_control -x "dsm_proxy://[fe80::340a:7671:64e7:14cc]:808/". To remove the address, instead of a URL, type an empty string ("").

See also the -u option.

For more information, see Connect to Workload Security via proxy.

Note: Using dsa_control -x only applies to the agent's local configuration. No security policy is changed on the manager as a result of running this command.
-y relay_proxy://<str>:<num> Configure a proxy between an agent and relay. Provide the proxy's IP address or FQDN and port number, separated by a colon (:). Square brackets must surround IPv6 addresses. For example: dsa_control -y "relay_proxy://[fe80::340a:7671:64e7:14cc]:808/". To remove the address, instead of a URL, type an empty string ("").

See also the -w option.

For more information, see Connect to relays via proxy.

Note: Using dsa_control -y only applies to the agent's local configuration. No security policy is changed on the manager as a result of running this command.
--buildBaseline Build the baseline for Integrity Monitoring.

Not supported on macOS
--scanForChanges Scan for changes for Integrity Monitoring.

Not supported on macOS
--max-dsm-retries Number of times to retry an activation. Valid values are 0 to 100, inclusive. The default value is 30.
--dsm-retry-interval Approximate delay in seconds between retrying activations. Valid values are 1 to 3600, inclusive. The default value is 300.
--autoDetectOSProxy A flag to enable/disable auto-detect OS proxy. The flag is controlled by agent configuration in C1WS.
Values are 1: Enable, 0: Disable.
--osProxyResolveTimeout The timeout values of the proxy resolver, which can be set in seconds, can be set by dsa_control --osProxyResolveTimeout=<resolveTimeout>;<connectTimeout>;<sendTimeout>;<receiveTimeout>. Note they are separated by semicolons and each timeout value ranges from 10 to 180.
--pacproxy Configures a Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) server to resolve the corresponding proxy for the agent. Provide the PAC server's IP address or FQDN, port number, and path of the PAC file. For example: http://<Host>:<Port>/<PAC file>

To clear the PAC proxy setting, type an empty string ("").

The command must assign a certain component type, for example:
Set a PAC server for resolving proxy to communicate between Manager
> dsa_control --pacproxy http://pac.example/proxy.pac manager

Set a PAC server for resolving proxy to communicate between Relay
> dsa_control --pacproxy http://pac.example/proxy.pac relay

Set both of the above commands at once:
> dsa_control --pacproxy http://pac.example/proxy.pac manager relay

Clear existing settings:
> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw "" manager relay

For more information, see Connect to relays via proxy.


  • Using dsa_control --pacproxy only applies to the agent's local configuration. No security policy is changed on the manager as a result of running this command.
  • This parameter is supported by the Deep Security Agent for Windows and Linux platforms only.
--pacproxyunpw Used in conjunction with the --pacproxy option. It specifies the PAC resolved proxy's user name and password, if the proxy requires authentication. Separate the username and password with a colon (:).

To clear the username and password, type an empty string ("").

The command must assign a certain component type, for example:

Set a PAC server for resolving proxy to communicate between Manager
> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <username>:<password> manager

Set a PAC server for resolving proxy to communicate between Relay
> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <username>:<password> relay

Set both of the above commands at once:
> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <username>:<password> manager relay

Clear existing settings:
> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw "" manager relay

To update the proxy's password without changing the proxy's username, use the --pacproxyunpw option without --pacproxy:
> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <existing username>:<new password>.


  • This parameter is supported by Deep Security Agent for Windows and Linux platforms only.
  • This parameter provides basic authentication only. It does not support Digest and NTLM.
  • Using dsa_control --pacproxyunpw only applies to the agent's local configuration. No security policy is changed on the manager as a result of running this command.

Agent-initiated activation ("dsa_control -a")

Enabling agent-initiated activation (AIA) can prevent communication issues between the manager and agents, and simplify agent deployment when used with deployment scripts.

For instructions on how to configure AIA and use deployments scripts to activate agents, see Activate and protect agents using agent-initiated activation and communication.

The command takes the form

dsa_control -a dsm://<host>:<port>/

where:

  • <host> could be either the manager's fully qualified domain name (FQDN), IPv4 address, or IPv6 address.
  • <port> is the agent-to-manager communication port number 443).

For example:

dsa_control -a dsm://dsm.example.com:4120/ hostname:www12 "description:Long Description With Spaces"

dsa_control -a dsm://fe80::ad4a:af37:17cf:8937:4120

Agent-initiated heartbeat command ("dsa_control -m")

You can force the agent to immediately send a heartbeat to the manager.

Like activation, the heartbeat command can also send settings to the manager during the connection.

Parameter Description Example Use during Activation Use during Heartbeat
AntiMalwareCancelManualScan Boolean.

Cancels an on-demand ("manual") scan that is currently occurring on the computer.		 "AntiMalwareCancelManualScan:true" no yes
AntiMalwareManualScan Boolean.

Initiates an on-demand ("manual") anti-malware scan on the computer.		 "AntiMalwareManualScan:true" no yes
description String.

Sets the computer's description. Maximum length 2000 characters.		 "description:Extra information about the host" yes yes
displayname String.

Sets the display name shown in parentheses next to the hostname on Computers. Maximum length 2000 characters.		 "displayname:the_name" yes yes
externalid Integer.

Sets the externalid value. This value can be used to uniquely identify an agent. The value can be accessed using the legacy SOAP web service API.		 "externalid:123" yes yes
group String.

Sets which group the computer belongs to on Computers. Maximum length 254 characters per group name per hierarchy level.

The forward slash ("/") indicates a group hierarchy. The group parameter can read or create a hierarchy of groups.

This parameter can only be used to add computers to standard groups under the main "Computers" root branch. It cannot be used to add computers to groups belonging to directories (Microsoft Active Directory), VMware vCenters, or cloud provider accounts.		 "group:Zone A web servers" yes yes
groupid Integer. "groupid:33" yes yes
hostname String.

Maximum length 254 characters.

The hostname can specify an IP address, hostname or FQDN that the manager can use to connect to the agent.		 "hostname:www1" yes no
IntegrityScan Boolean.

Initiates an integrity scan on the computer.		 "IntegrityScan:true" no yes
policy String.

Maximum length 254 characters.

The policy name is a case-insensitive match to the policy list. If the policy is not found, no policy will be assigned.

A policy assigned by an event-based task will override a policy assigned during agent-initiated activation.		 "policy:Policy Name" yes yes
policyid Integer. "policyid:12" yes yes
relaygroup String.

Links the computer to a specific relay group. Maximum length 254 characters.

The relay group name is a case-insensitive match to existing relay group names. If the relay group is not found, the default relay group will be used.

This does not affect relay groups assigned during event-based tasks. Use either this option or event-based tasks, not both.		 "relaygroup:Custom Relay Group" yes yes
relaygroupid Integer. "relaygroupid:123" yes yes
relayid Integer. "relayid:123" yes yes
tenantID and token String.

If using agent-initiated activation as a tenant, both tenantID and token are required. The tenantID and token can be obtained from the deployment script generation tool.		 "tenantID:12651ADC-D4D5"

and

"token:8601626D-56EE"		 yes yes
RecommendationScan Boolean.

Initiate a recommendation scan on the computer.		 "RecommendationScan:true" no yes
UpdateComponent Boolean.

Instructs Workload Security to perform a security update.

When using the UpdateComponent parameter on version 12.0+ agents, make sure the relay is also at version 12.0 or later. Learn more.		 "UpdateComponent:true" no yes
RebuildBaseline Boolean.

Rebuilds the Integrity Monitoring baseline on the computer.		 "RebuildBaseline:true" no yes
UpdateConfiguration Boolean.

Instructs Workload Security to perform a "Send Policy" operation.		 "UpdateConfiguration:true" no yes

Activate an agent

To activate an agent from the command line, you need to know the tenant ID and password. You can get them from the deployment script.

  1. In the top right corner of Workload Security, click Support > Deployment Scripts.
  2. Select your platform.
  3. Select Activate Agent automatically after installation.
  4. In the deployment script, locate the strings for tenantID and token.
Windows

In PowerShell:

& $Env:ProgramFiles"\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\dsa_control" -a <manager URL> <tenant ID> <token>

In cmd.exe:

C:\Windows\system32>"\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\dsa_control" -a <manager URL> <tenant ID> <token>

Linux

/opt/ds_agent/dsa_control -a <manager URL> <tenant ID> <token>

macOS

cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent/"

sudo ./dsa_control -a <manager URL> <tenant ID> <token>

Force the agent to contact the manager

Windows

In PowerShell:

& "\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\dsa_control" -m

In cmd.exe:

C:\Windows\system32>"\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\dsa_control" -m

Linux

/opt/ds_agent/dsa_control -m

macOS

cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent/"

sudo ./dsa_control -m

Initiate a manual anti-malware scan

Windows
  1. Open a command prompt (cmd.exe) as Administrator.

  2. Enter these commands:

    cd C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\

    dsa_control -m "AntiMalwareManualScan:true"

Linux

/opt/ds_agent/dsa_control -m "AntiMalwareManualScan:true"

macOS

Not supported.

Create a diagnostic package

If you need to troubleshoot an agent issue, your support provider might ask you to create and send a diagnostic package from the computer. For more detailed instructions, see Create an agent diagnostic package via CLI on a protected computer.

You can produce a diagnostic package for an agent computer through Workload Security but if the agent computer is configured to use Agent/Appliance Initiated communication, then the manager cannot collect all the required logs. So when Technical Support asks for a diagnostic package, you need to run the command directly on the agent computer.

Reset the agent

This command will remove the activation information from the target agent and deactivate it.

Windows

In PowerShell:

& "\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\dsa_control" -r

In cmd.exe:

C:\Windows\system32>"\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\dsa_control" -r

Linux

/opt/ds_agent/dsa_control -r

macOS

cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent/"

sudo ./dsa_control -r

dsa_query

Not supported by macOS.

You can use the dsa_query command to display agent information.

dsa_query options

dsa_query [-c <str>] [-p <str>] [-r <str]

Parameter Description
-p,--passwd <string> Authentication password used with the optional agent self-protection feature. Required if you specified a password when enabling self-protection.

Note: For some query-commands, authentication can be bypassed directly, in such case, password is not required.
-c,--cmd <string> Execute query-command against the agent. The following commands are supported:

"GetHostInfo": to query which identity is returned to the manager during a heartbeat

"GetAgentStatus": to query which protection modules are enabled, the status of Anti-Malware or Integrity Monitoring scans in progress, and other miscellaneous information

"GetComponentInfo": to query version information of anti-malware patterns and engines

"GetPluginVersion": to query version information of the agent and protection modules
-r,--raw <string> Returns the same query-command information as "-c" but in raw data format for third party software interpretation.
pattern Wild card pattern to filter result. Optional.

Example:

dsa_query -c "GetComponentInfo" -r "au" "AM*"

Check CPU usage and RAM usage

Windows

Use the Task Manager or procmon.

Linux

top

Check that ds_agent processes or services are running

Windows

Use the Task Manager or procmon.

Linux

ps -ef|grep ds_agent

Restart an agent on Linux

service ds_agent restart

or

/etc/init.d/ds_agent restart

or

systemctl restart ds_agent

Some actions require either a -tenantname parameter or a -tenantid parameter. If execution problems occur when you use the tenant name, try the command using the associated tenant ID.