You can use the local command-line interface (CLI) to order agents and Workload Security to perform actions. In addition, the CLI can be used to configure some settings and display system resource usage.
You can automate many of the CLI commands using the Workload Security API. For more information, see First Steps Toward Workload Security Automation.

dsa_control Parent topic

You can use the dsa_control command to configure some agent settings and to manually trigger certain actions such as activation, anti-malware scans, and baseline rebuilds.
Note the following:
  • 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:
On Windows:
  • Open a Command Prompt as an Administrator.
  • Change to the agent's installation directory: cd C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\
  • Run the dsa_control command: dsa_control <option> where <option> is replaced with options described in dsa_control options.
On Linux:
  • Execute the following command:
    sudo /opt/ds_agent/dsa_control <option> where <option> is replaced with options described in dsa_control options.
On macOS:
  • Open a Terminal window as an Administrator.
  • Change to the agent's installation directory: cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent"
  • Run the dsa_control command: dsa_control <option> where <option> is replaced with options described in dsa_control options.

dsa_control options Parent topic

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 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 that although dsa_control lets you enable self-protection, it does not let you configure an associated authentication password. You need Workload Security for that. See Configure self-protection through Workload Security for details.
Once configured, the password must 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 the 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 that 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 that 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 that 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 that 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.
Note the following:
  • 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> managerSet a PAC server for resolving proxy to communicate between Relay> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <username>:<password> relaySet both of the above commands at once:> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <username>:<password> manager relayClear existing settings:> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw "" manager relayTo update the proxy's password without changing the proxy's username, use the --pacproxyunpw option without --pacproxy:> dsa_control --pacproxyunpw <existing username>:<new password>.Note the following:
  • 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) Parent topic

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 of 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) Parent topic

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

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

Procedure

  1. In the top right 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 Parent topic

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 Parent topic

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

macOS Parent topic

cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent/"
sudo ./dsa_control -a <manager URL> <tenant ID> <token>

Force the agent to contact the manager Parent topic

Windows Parent topic

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 Parent topic

/opt/ds_agent/dsa_control -m

macOS Parent topic

cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent/"
sudo ./dsa_control -m

Initiate a manual anti-malware scan Parent topic

Windows Parent topic

Procedure

  1. Open the command prompt (cmd.exe) as an Administrator.
  2. Enter the following commands:
    cd C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\
    dsa_control -m "AntiMalwareManualScan:true"

Linux Parent topic

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

macOS Parent topic

Not supported.

Create a diagnostic package Parent topic

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 details, see Create an agent diagnostic package via CLI on a protected computer.
Note
Note
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. Therefore, when Technical Support asks for a diagnostic package, you need to run the command directly on the agent computer.

Reset the agent Parent topic

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

Windows Parent topic

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 Parent topic

/opt/ds_agent/dsa_control -r

macOS Parent topic

cd "/Library/Application Support/com.trendmicro.DSAgent/"
sudo ./dsa_control -r

dsa_query Parent topic

You can use the dsa_query command to display agent information.
Note that this command is not supported by macOS.

dsa_query options Parent topic

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 that 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 Parent topic

Windows Parent topic

Use the Task Manager or procmon.

Linux Parent topic

top

Check that ds_agent processes or services are running Parent topic

Windows Parent topic

Use the Task Manager or procmon.

Linux Parent topic

ps -ef|grep ds_agent

Restart an agent on Linux Parent topic

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.

dsa_scan Parent topic

If you have Administrator privileges on Windows or root access rights on Linux, you can use the dsa_scan command to execute a scan task with specified files or directories, including subdirectories.
Up to ten dsa_scan commands can be concurrently executed on one Deep Security Agent instance.
This command ignores the agent's current scan policy on inclusions and exclusions settings (Policy → Anti-Malware → Inclusion → Manual and Policy → Anti-Malware → Exclusions → Manual).
To use dsa_scan:
On Windows:
  • Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator.
  • Change to the agent's installation directory: cd C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Deep Security Agent\
  • Run the dsa_scan command: dsa_scan <option> where <option> is one or more options described in dsa_scan options.
On Linux:
  • Execute the following command:
    sudo /opt/ds_agent/dsa_scan <option> where <option> is one or more options described in dsa_scan options.
The dsa_scan command is not supported on macOS.

dsa_scan options Parent topic

dsa_scan [--target <str>] [--action <str>] [--log <str>]
Parameter
Description
--target
File paths or directories with the delimiter "`
--action
Optional.Supported actions are pass, delete, quarantine.The current agent scan actions of Manual Scan Configuration are applied if the parameter action is not supplied.Example command: dsa_scan --action delete --target "c:\user data,c:\app\config.exe"
--log
Optional.The absolute file path of an output log file.If this option is not supplied, the scan result outputs to the command-line console.Example output file: "c:\temp\scan.log"Example command: dsa_scan --target "c:\users\" --log "c:\temp\scan.log"

dsa_scan output Parent topic

The following table describes the scan status labels that you would encounter after executing the dsa_scan command:
Label
Description
Skipped
The scan file size limit was reached.
Infected
The file was detected by the scan engine and the action had been taken.
Warning
The file was detected by the scan engine but it encountered issues on the action taken. Check the error code.
The following is an example scan output:
C1WS DSA on-demand scan utility

System date/time: 2023/10/12 16:04:10
trace id: 7acf6855-8547-46fc-a58f-9218d108e727
Scanning...

[Skipped] Path: /home/user1/Documents/oversize.zip
[Skipped] Path: /home/user1/Documents/xxx.big
[Infected] Path: /home/user1/Documents/readme, Action: Passed, Malware Name: EICAR, QuarantineID: 0, Error code: 0
[Infected] Path: /home/user1/Documents/sales.doc, Action: Cleaned, Malware Name: BRAIN.A, QuarantineID: 0, Error code: 0
[Warning] Path: /home/user1/Documents/po.ppt, Action: Quarantine, Malware Name: RANSOM.A, QuarantineID: 0, Error code: 5
[Infected] Path: /home/user1/Documents/shipment.zip(po.exe), Action: Deleted, Spyware Name: BLKFRI.A, QuarantineID: 0, Error code: 0

25 files scanned, 2 skipped in 10 seconds.
4 files out of 25 were infected.

End of Scan.

Scan exit codes Parent topic

The dsa_scan command exit codes indicate either the scan success or failure.

Success exit codes Parent topic

The success exit code is displayed when the dsa_scan utility completed the scan tasks without any issues detected or with a virus found or having skipped some files, as per the following table:
Exit code
Description
Resolution
0
Scan completed and no malware found.
Scan task completed without malware found.
1
Scan completed with at least one malware found.
Check lines labelled as Infected and Warning in the output.
2
Scan completed, no malware found but some files skipped
Check lines labelled as Skipped in the output.
3
Scan completed, but at least malware found and some files skipped.
Check lines labelled as Infected, Warning, and Skipped in the output.

Fatal exit codes Parent topic

If the dsa_scan utility encountered any fatal errors, the dsa_scan broke the scan task and exited with an error code, as per the following table:
Exit code
Description
Resolution
246
The argument string is too long.
The string size limit is 2048 characters.Shorten the target parameter and try again.
247
The Security Platform is shutting down.
The agent is stopping.Try again later.
248
Too many instances.
There cannot be more than ten concurrent dsa_scan running instances.Reduce the number of instances.
249
No permission.
The command requires root on Linux and Administrator on Windows.Enable Allow the Agent to Trigger or Cancel a Manual Scan on the scan policy.
250
Manual Scan Configuration is not set.
Configure the Manual Scan setting on the scan policy.
251
AM feature is not enabled.
Enable the AM feature on the scan policy.
252
The platform is not supported.
The dsa_scan is not supported on the current OS platform.
253
The agent is not running.
Deep Security Agent is not running.Enable the agent or contact the administrator.
254
Invalid parameters.
The input parameters are incorrect.
255
Unexpected error.
Try again later. If the issue persists, contact the administrator.