Create sites for distributed apps and files server in Hexnode

In Hexnode UEM, Sites represent the physical office locations of your organization. Admins can create sites to group devices and distribute enterprise apps based on where the devices are located. This geographical segregation of devices makes it easier to manage distribution tasks. While sites typically correspond to distinct office locations, you can also create multiple sites within the same physical office for better device organization and administrative control.

This guide explains how to create sites and set up the Distributed Apps and Files Servers (DAFS) in Hexnode. A DAFS acts as a local distribution server that stores and delivers enterprise apps, and updates to devices within a site. This setup helps reduce internet bandwidth usage and speeds up content delivery by allowing devices to retrieve data over the local network instead of downloading it individually from Hexnode’s central server.

Once a site is created, it can be associated with a DAFS. When linked, all devices assigned to that site will use the associated DAFS to receive enterprise apps and their updates. This setup is especially useful for large deployments across multiple office locations where reliable and efficient content delivery is a priority.

Create a Distributed Apps and Files Server (DAFS)

A DAFS stores files locally to share among the devices in a site. To create distributed servers:

1. Log in to the Hexnode UEM console.
2. Navigate to Admin > Sites and DAFS > DAFS.
3. Click +CREATE to set up a new distribution server.
4. Choose the server type (macOS or Windows) and click Download Provisioning Package.
5. The setup process differs for each operating system. Please follow the instructions specific to your chosen server type:
   1. Windows:
      Note:

      A DAFS can only be set up on Windows devices that meet the following system requirements:

      • Operating System

        Minimum required: Windows 10 version 1809 or Windows Server 2019

      • Memory

        At least 4 GB of physical memory (RAM) is required.

      1. Copy the downloaded provisioning PowerShell script to the Windows machine where the server is to be set up.
      2. Launch Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
      3. By default, the execution policy is set to Restricted, which blocks all scripts from running. To allow the script to execute, change the policy using the following command:

         Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

      4. Run the script by entering its full path. For example, if the script hexnode-dafs-setup.ps1 is located in C:\Scripts, use:

         C:\Scripts\hexnode-dafs-setup.ps1

      5. While the script is being executed on the device, it communicates with Hexnode to request server promotion. On the Hexnode UEM portal, after downloading the PowerShell script, click on Sync Now to refresh the list. The device running the script will then appear under the Discovered Servers section.
      6. Click on the gear icon and select Promote. Promoting a server means acknowledging the device as a DAFS server and completing its configuration. You will then be prompted to proceed with server configuration options.
         

         Setting	Description
         Name	A custom name to identify the DAFS server within the Hexnode UEM console.
         Computer name (FQDN)	The hostname of the device on which the DAFS server is being configured.
         Private IP address	The private IP address of the DAFS server within the local network. Devices on the same network will use this address to access the DAFS.
         Last contacted time	The timestamp of the most recent communication between Hexnode and the DAFS server.
         Primary Site	It is the location to which this DAFS will be assigned.
         Sync Settings	Determine when DAFS downloads files and replicates configurations. Sync Preference: Select when to start the sync process: During the primary site’s maintenance hours. Daily: Specify a particular time of day for the sync. Custom Hours: Set a specific time during the selected weeks for synchronization. Outside of the primary site’s business hours.
         Allow off-site devices to connect	When enabled, this option allows off-site devices to connect to the DAFS. A device is considered off-site when its connection is outside the range of public IP addresses configured for the site a DAFS is assigned to.
         Public DNS Name	This public DNS name is used by off-site devices to access the DAFS. This field is required when the ‘Allow off-site devices to connect‘ option is enabled.

         Server Configuration: The following options are used to define how the DAFS server will communicate with associated devices.

         Setting	Description
         Server Configuration	Defines how the DAFS server will communicate with associated devices.
         Communication protocol	Specifies the protocol (HTTPS) used by the DAFS server to transfer data to client devices.
         Port	The network port on which the server listens for incoming requests.
         SSL certificate	Select how the SSL certificate will be configured to secure HTTPS communication. Options include: Use an existing trusted certificate – Upload and use a certificate signed by a trusted Certificate Authority. Create a self-signed certificate – Automatically generate a self-signed certificate.
         SSL certificate passphrase	A password to unlock the uploaded certificate. This field is available only when Use an existing trusted certificate is selected.

      7. Once the configuration is complete, click Promote in the top-right corner of the Hexnode portal. The script execution will continue on the Windows device.
      8. The DAFS server will now be listed under Promoted Servers in Admin > Sites and DAFS > DAFS.
      9. To edit a DAFS, click the Actions dropdown, select Edit, and then modify the name, Primary Site, Sync Settings, off-site device access, and Public DNS Name.
      10. The device may reboot during this process. After the script completes successfully, revert the PowerShell execution policy to Restricted by running:

          Set-ExecutionPolicy Restricted

      11. Once a DAFS is successfully created, it can be associated with one or more sites as needed. You can view the DAFS sync action history and a list of associated sites on the DAFS details page.
      12. On the Windows device where the DAFS server was set up, the Docker Desktop application will be installed. You can navigate to the Volumes section from the left-hand menu to view details such as stored data and the container in use.
   2. Mac
      
      Note:

      A DAFS can only be set up on macOS devices that meet the following system requirements:

      • Minimum of 4GB of RAM
      • DAFS setup requires Docker Desktop to be installed on your device. For macOS, Docker Desktop supports the current and two previous major macOS releases.
      • For a better experience on Macs with Apple Silicon chips, we recommend installing Rosetta 2. You can do this by running the following command in your terminal:

        softwareupdate --install-rosetta

      1. Copy the downloaded provisioning shell script to the Mac where the server is to be set up.
      2. Launch Terminal.
      3. To grant execution permission to the script file use chmod command. For example, if the script is located in /Users/Scripts, run
         chmod +x /Users/Scripts/hexnode-dafs-setup.sh
      4. Run the script by entering its full name and path. For example, if the script hexnode-dafs-setup.sh is in the /Users/Scripts directory, type:
         sudo /Users/Scripts/hexnode-dafs-setup.sh
      5. While the script is being executed on the device, it communicates with Hexnode to request server promotion. On the Hexnode UEM portal, after downloading the PowerShell script, click on Sync Now to refresh the list. The device running the script will then appear under the Discovered Servers section.
      6. Click on the gear icon and select Promote. Promoting a server means acknowledging the device as a DAFS server and completing its configuration. You will then be prompted to proceed with server configuration options.
         

         Setting	Description
         Name	A custom name to identify the DAFS server within the Hexnode UEM console.
         Computer name (FQDN)	The hostname of the device on which the DAFS server is being configured.
         Private IP address	The private IP address of the DAFS server within the local network. Devices on the same network will use this address to access the DAFS.
         Last contacted time	The timestamp of the most recent communication between Hexnode and the DAFS server.
         Primary Site	It is the location to which this DAFS will be assigned.
         Sync Settings	Determine when DAFS downloads files and replicates configurations. Sync Preference: Select when to start the sync process: During the primary site’s maintenance hours. Daily: Specify a particular time of day for the sync. Custom Hours: Set a specific time during the selected weeks for synchronization. Outside of the primary site’s business hours.
         Allow off-site devices to connect	When enabled, this option allows off-site devices to connect to the DAFS. A device is considered off-site when its connection is outside the range of public IP addresses configured for the site a DAFS is assigned to.
         Public DNS Name	This public DNS name is used by off-site devices to access the DAFS. This field is required when the ‘Allow off-site devices to connect‘ option is enabled.

         Server Configuration: The following options are used to define how the DAFS server will communicate with associated devices.

         Setting	Description
         Server Configuration	Defines how the DAFS server will communicate with associated devices.
         Communication protocol	Specifies the protocol (HTTPS) used by the DAFS server to transfer data to client devices.
         Port	The network port on which the server listens for incoming requests.
         SSL certificate	Select how the SSL certificate will be configured to secure HTTPS communication. Options include: Use an existing trusted certificate – Upload and use a certificate signed by a trusted Certificate Authority. Create a self-signed certificate – Automatically generate a self-signed certificate.
         SSL certificate passphrase	A password to unlock the uploaded certificate. This field is available only when Use an existing trusted certificate is selected.

      7. Once the configuration is complete, click Promote in the top-right corner of the Hexnode portal. The script execution will continue on the Windows device.
      8. The DAFS server will now be listed under Promoted Servers in Admin > Sites and DAFS > DAFS.
      9. To edit a DAFS, click the Actions dropdown, select Edit, and then modify the name, Primary Site, Sync Settings, off-site device access, and Public DNS Name.
      10. Once a DAFS is successfully created, it can be associated with one or more sites as needed. You can view the DAFS sync action history and a list of associated sites on the DAFS details page.
      11. On the macOS device where the DAFS server was set up, the Docker Desktop application will be installed. You can navigate to the Volumes section from the left-hand menu to view details such as stored data and the container in use.

Create Sites for distributed servers

To create sites for distributed servers:

1. Log in to the Hexnode UEM console.
2. Navigate to Admin > Sites and DAFS.
3. You will see a Default Site, which includes all devices currently enrolled in your Hexnode portal.
4. To create a new site, click the + icon next to the Default Site.
5. You will now be presented with the following configuration options:

   1. Create Site

      Provide the basic site information using the following options:

      Setting	Description
      Site name	Enter a name for the site. This is a mandatory field.
      Description	Provide a brief description of the site’s purpose or location.
      Owner	Assign a technician as the owner of the site.
      Region	Select the geographical region the site belongs to. Available options include: EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) APAC (Asia-Pacific) NA (North America) LATAM (Latin America and the Caribbean)
      Country	Choose the country in which the site is located. The list of countries is filtered based on the selected region.
      State/City/Province	Select the appropriate state, city, or province of the site. Options will be updated based on the selected country and region.
      Time zone	Choose the time zone in which the site is located. This is auto-populated based on the region, country, and city selected.
      Address	Provide the physical address of the site location.

      Once the above fields are configured, click Next.

   2. Add Business hours

      Specify the business hours for the site when the device will be actively used. For each day of the week, you can either select 24 Hours or set a custom time range to define your business hours. Click Next.

   3. Add Maintenance hours

      Set the time during which Hexnode UEM will perform maintenance activities, such as syncing data on DAFS. You have the following options:

      1. Daily: Maintenance hours are set to 24 hours.
      2. Custom Hours: Select specific days of the week and either choose 24 hours or define a custom time range for each of those days.
      3. Outside of Business Hours: Maintenance activities will only run outside of the business hours you have defined.

      Click Next.

   4. Add DAFS

      From the list of available DAFS servers, choose one to associate with the site and click Next.

   5. Add Public IPs

      While creating a site, administrators can add multiple Public IPs to determine whether devices are on-site or off-site.
      Choose the Type (IPv4 or IPv6) and add the Value. Add as many addresses as needed and click Save.

6. Once a site is created, it displays multiple attributes along with the basic site information. The following details are available:
   1. DAFS details such as:
      • Server name
      • Computer name
      • Private IP address of the DAFS host device
      • Last contact time
      • Next sync time
   2. Public IPs details such as:
      • Type (IPv4 or IPv6)
      • Value
7. You can add devices to a site using the Add Devices to Site remote action. Additionally, you can manage a site by opening its details and using the Actions dropdown in the top-right corner. The following options are available:
   1. Edit: Modify any information configured during site creation.
   2. +Add DAFS: Associate additional DAF Servers with the site.
   3. +Add Public IPs: Add more public IP addresses to the site.
   4. Archive: Archive the site if it is no longer needed.