Installing Agent on Windows

This guide walks you through installing the Pluton Agent on Windows systems. The agent enables centralized backup management for your Windows servers and workstations.

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Prerequisites

Before installing the Pluton Agent:

• Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+
• Administrator privileges on the target machine
• Active Pluton PRO license with available device slots
• Internet access to download the agent package
• Supported architecture: x86_64 (64-bit)

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Step 1: Create a Device in Pluton UI

Before installing the agent, you need to create a device entry in Pluton:

1. Navigate to Devices in the main navigation
2. Click "Add Device" in the top-right corner
3. Fill in the device details:
   • Device Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "Windows File Server")
   • Device Type: Select appropriate type (Device, Virtual Machine, etc.)
4. Click "Create Device"
5. The device will generate a configuration file (pluton-agent.json) containing the required credentials

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Step 2: Download Configuration File

After creating the device:

1. Open the device details page
2. Click "Download Configuration" to get pluton-agent.json
3. Save this file - you'll need it during installation

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Step 3: Install the Agent

Option A: GUI Installer (Recommended)

1. Download the installer:

   • Download PlutonAgentInstaller_x64.exe from Pluton or the download portal

2. Run the installer:

   • Right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator"
   • Follow the installation wizard

3. Import configuration:

   • When prompted, select your pluton-agent.json configuration file
   • The installer will auto-fill all required fields

4. Verify and complete:

   • Review the configuration values
   • Click "Install" to complete the installation

5. Post-installation:

   • The agent will start automatically as a Windows service
   • The device should appear as "Online" in Pluton UI
   • If it doesn't, click the Verify Agent Installation button.

Option B: PowerShell Script (Automation)

For automated deployments, use the PowerShell installation script:

Interactive Mode

# Download and run the installation script
# You will be prompted for secrets interactively
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://dl.usepluton.com/agent/releases/scripts/install.ps1" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\install.ps1"

& "$env:TEMP\install.ps1" `
  -AgentId "YOUR_AGENT_ID" `
  -ServerUrl "https://your-pluton-server-ip-or-domain.com"

With Secret File (Recommended for Automation)

Create a secrets file and use it during installation:

# Create a secrets file
@"
API_KEY=your-api-key
SIGNING_KEY=your-signing-key
ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-32-character-encryption-key
LICENSE_KEY=your-license-key
"@ | Out-File -FilePath "$env:TEMP\pluton-secrets.env" -Encoding UTF8

# Run the installation
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://dl.usepluton.com/agent/releases/scripts/install.ps1" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\install.ps1"

& "$env:TEMP\install.ps1" `
  -AgentId "YOUR_AGENT_ID" `
  -ServerUrl "https://your-pluton-server-ip-or-domain.com" `
  -SecretFile "$env:TEMP\pluton-secrets.env"

# Remove the secrets file immediately
Remove-Item "$env:TEMP\pluton-secrets.env" -Force

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Installation Parameters (PowerShell)

Parameter	Required	Description
-AgentId	Yes	Unique identifier for this agent (from Pluton UI)
-ServerUrl	Yes	Pluton Server URL (e.g., https://mypluton.com)
-SecretFile	No	Path to file containing secrets
-AgentVersion	No	Specific version to install (default: latest)

Secret File Keys

Key	Required	Description
API_KEY	Yes	API key for authentication with the Pluton server
SIGNING_KEY	Yes	Per-device signing key for HMAC-SHA256 signing
ENCRYPTION_KEY	Yes	32-character encryption key for backup encryption
LICENSE_KEY	Yes	Pluton PRO license key

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What Gets Installed

The installation creates the following:

Component	Location	Description
Agent binary	C:\Program Files\Pluton Agent\bin\pluton-agent.exe	Main agent executable
Restic	C:\Program Files\Pluton Agent\bin\restic.exe	Backup tool
Rclone	C:\Program Files\Pluton Agent\bin\rclone.exe	Cloud sync tool
Data directory	C:\ProgramData\Pluton Agent\	Agent data and state
Windows service	pluton-agent	Runs as a Windows service
Wrapper scripts	C:\Program Files\Pluton Agent\bin\prclone.bat, prestic.bat	CLI wrappers

The installer also adds the agent's bin directory to the system PATH for easy command-line access.

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Verify Installation

Check Service Status

# Check if service is running
Get-Service pluton-agent

# View service details
Get-Service pluton-agent | Format-List *

Check in Pluton UI

1. Navigate to Devices in Pluton
2. Find your device - it should show as "Online"

View Logs

# Service logs are stored in the data directory
Get-Content "C:\ProgramData\Pluton Agent\service-out.log" -Tail 50

# Error logs
Get-Content "C:\ProgramData\Pluton Agent\service-error.log" -Tail 50

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Managing the Agent Service

# Start the agent
Start-Service pluton-agent

# Stop the agent
Stop-Service pluton-agent

# Restart the agent
Restart-Service pluton-agent

# Check status
Get-Service pluton-agent

Or use the Services management console (services.msc).

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Using the CLI Wrappers

The installation creates wrapper batch files for direct command-line access:

# Use restic with agent configuration
prestic snapshots

# Use rclone with agent configuration
prclone listremotes

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Upgrading the Agent

Using GUI Installer

Simply run the new installer - it will detect the existing installation and perform an upgrade while preserving your configuration.

Using PowerShell

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://dl.usepluton.com/agent/releases/scripts/install.ps1" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\install.ps1"

& "$env:TEMP\install.ps1" `
  -AgentId "YOUR_AGENT_ID" `
  -ServerUrl "https://your-pluton-server-ip-or-domain.com" `
  -SecretFile "C:\path\to\secrets.env"

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Uninstalling the Agent

Option A: Using Programs and Features

1. Open Settings → Apps → Apps & features
2. Find "Pluton Agent"
3. Click Uninstall

Option B: Using PowerShell Script

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://dl.usepluton.com/agent/releases/scripts/uninstall.ps1" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\uninstall.ps1"
& "$env:TEMP\uninstall.ps1"

This will:

• Stop and remove the Windows service
• Remove all installed files and directories
• Clean up registry entries
• Remove wrapper scripts from PATH

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Troubleshooting

Agent Shows "Offline" in Pluton UI

1. Check service status:

   Get-Service pluton-agent

2. Check network connectivity:

   # Test connection to Pluton Server
   Test-NetConnection -ComputerName your-pluton-server-ip -Port 80

3. Review agent logs:

   Get-Content "C:\ProgramData\Pluton Agent\service-error.log" -Tail 100

Service Fails to Start

1. Check Event Viewer:

   • Open Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)
   • Navigate to Windows Logs → Application
   • Look for errors from source pluton-agent

2. Check service configuration:

   Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\pluton-agent"

3. Verify environment variables:

   # Check service environment
   (Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\pluton-agent").Environment

Installation Fails

1. Run as Administrator:

   • Right-click PowerShell and select "Run as administrator"

2. Check disk space:

   Get-PSDrive C

3. Verify internet connectivity:

   Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://dl.usepluton.com/agent/releases/latest/version"

Permission Issues During Backup

• Ensure the agent service is running under the LocalSystem account (default)
• Check if antivirus is blocking the agent or restic/rclone binaries

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Security Considerations

• The agent runs as a Windows service under the LocalSystem account
• Secrets are stored in Windows Credential Manager when available
• All communication with the Pluton server is over HTTPS, authenticated using API keys
• Agent binaries and configuration are protected by Windows file permissions

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