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Agents

Agents automatically collect software inventory from your systems and keep it fresh: SentriKat then matches it against its vulnerability data.

Agent Keys Agent Keys

Ways to get inventory in

Method Platform How it runs Best for
Windows Agent Windows Scheduled Task (4h) + heartbeat workstations, servers
Linux Agent Linux (systemd) systemd timers (4h) + heartbeat servers, VMs
macOS Agent macOS 12+ LaunchDaemons (4h) + heartbeat Mac fleets
Container Scanning Docker/Podman hosts with the agent, opt-in per key image vulnerabilities
Extension & Dependency Scanning any agent opt-in per key VS Code extensions, code deps
CSV / SBOM import any manual or scripted one-off or air-gapped inventories
REST Import any your automation Lansweeper/CMDB sync, custom sources
PDQ / SCCM / Intune / GPO Windows fleets push the agent at scale managed networks

Installing agents: two official methods

Every machine gets its own key with either method:

  1. Deploy on a machine (recommended for a few hosts): download from Agents → Agent Keys: the per-host key is already baked into the file, nothing to paste. Run the one-line install from the per-OS guide.
  2. Mass / automated deploy: create a revocable install token (Agents → Agent Keys → Create Install Token) and push the script + ready-made command with your tooling. Each machine exchanges the token once for its own per-host key.

Per-OS commands, options and troubleshooting: Windows · Linux · macOS.

Architecture

graph LR
    A[Agent] -->|Inventory Report| B[SentriKat API]
    A -->|Container Scan| B
    A -->|Extension Scan| B
    A -->|Dependency Scan| B
    B -->|Store| C[Database]
    C -->|Match| D[Exploited / CVE records / packages]
    D -->|Alert| E[Notifications]

Agents collect installed software (OS packages, applications), optionally scan container images / VS Code extensions / code dependencies (all opt-in per key), send delta updates on a schedule, and poll a lightweight heartbeat for commands (e.g. "scan now", version drift checks).

Shared org keys (advanced)

Methods ① and ② above manage keys for you. For scripted setups and the REST API you can still create a shared organization key under Agents → Agent Keys:

  • Key Type: Server or Client, separates infrastructure from end-user workstations; the dashboard's Servers/Clients filters group by it
  • Max Assets, Allowed IPs, Auto-Approve
  • VS Code Extension Scanning / Code Dependency Scanning: opt-in capabilities for agents using that key (no client-side config needed)

The key is shown once at creation. Prefer per-host keys where possible: one compromised machine never exposes a shared secret.

Managing agents

Go to Agents > Agent Activity to see every enrolled machine: last seen, software count, agent version, offline/stale flags, per-asset notes and an activity timeline. Endpoints also appear under Inventory → Endpoints tied to their products.

Status Meaning
Online checked in within the last 15 minutes
Offline no check-in for more than 15 minutes (alerting available)
Stale no check-in for 30 days, i.e. the machine is probably gone rather than briefly down. Configurable per organization

Decommission an agent from Agent Activity when a machine is retired: historical data is preserved and the seat stops counting against your license.