Configuring connections to the Tanium Core Platform

After you install the Tanium Client on an endpoint, the client initiates a connection to the Tanium Cloud using one of the FQDNsTanium Server or Zone Server that isare configured in the initial settings. After installation, you can change the connection settings as necessary through sensors and packages that Tanium provides. You can configure a direct connection to Tanium Cloudthe server or establish a Transport Layer Security (TLS) tunnel through a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) proxy server.

Settings for connections to Tanium CloudTanium Core Platform servers

The following settings, which govern connections from Tanium Clients to Tanium Cloud the Tanium Server or Zone Server, are stored on the client endpoints.

For the settings that connect Tanium Clients through HTTPS proxy servers, see Connect through an HTTPS forward proxy server.

ServerNameList

The Tanium Client connects to only one Tanium Cloud server address Tanium Server or Zone Server at a time. However, to avoid a single point of failure, you can configure the ServerNameList setting is configured with a list of FQDNs from Client Edge URLsservers to which the client can attempt a connection. You specify the servers as a comma-separated list of FQDNs or IP addresses.The FQDNs are specified as a comma-separated list. The Client Edge URLs are available in the Tanium Cloud Management Portal (CMP). For more information, see Tanium Cloud Deployment Guide: Getting started with Tanium Cloud.

Do not modify this setting, except during initial configuration of the Tanium Client when a tanium-init.dat file that includes the appropriate FQDNs is unavailable, or as directed by Tanium Support.

The Tanium Server and Zone Server names in the ServerNameList setting must be fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) or IP addresses that clients can access from their network location. The server FQDNs might vary among sets of clients in different locations and might vary from the FQDNs that you configure locally on the servers. Consult a network administrator for the server FQDNs that you must configure on clients.

When ServerNameList has multiple entries, the Tanium Client must select one The Tanium Client must select an entry from ServerNameList each time the client process restarts or the client resets. The client randomly selects an FQDNa server from ServerNameList without regard to the order in which the FQDNsservers are listed. However, the client maintains a count of failed connection attempts, and gives preference to the FQDNserver with the least failed connections.

The Tanium Client overwrites the value of the ServerName setting with the FQDNserver that it selects from ServerNameList. The client then uses that value when requesting a connection to Tanium Cloud the Tanium Server or Zone Server.

You can optionally set the port that the Tanium Client uses to communicate with servers by appending :<port_number> to the server IP addresses or FQDNs (for example, ts1.local.com:443,ts2.local.com:443,zs1.example.com:443). The ServerNameList port values override the ServerPort setting in the Tanium Client configuration (default is 17472).

ServerName

ServerName indicates Tanium Cloudthe FQDNspecifies the FQDN or IP address of the Tanium Server or Zone Server with which the Tanium Client attempts to connect. Configure ServerName only if you do not configure the ServerNameList setting. If ServerNameList is configured, theDo not set ServerName. The ServerNameList setting includes FQDNs for all available Client Edge URLs, and the Tanium Client overwrites the ServerName value with the FQDNserver that it selects from ServerNameList.

The Tanium Server or Zone Server name in the ServerName setting must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address that clients can access from their network location. The server FQDN might vary among sets of clients in different locations and might vary from the FQDN that you configure locally on the server. Consult a network administrator for the server FQDN that you must configure on clients.

You can set the port that the Tanium Client uses to communicate with servers by appending :<port_number> to ServerName (for example, ts1.local.com:443). The ServerName port overrides the ServerPort setting in the Tanium Client configuration (default is 17472).

LastGoodServerName

LastGoodServerName stores the name of the FQDN from the Tanium Cloud Client Edge URL Tanium Server or Zone Server to which the Tanium Client last successfully connected. If the client cannot reach the server in ServerName or any FQDNserver in ServerNameList, the client attempts to connect to the FQDNserver that LastGoodServerName specifies. Do not set LastGoodServerName; the client defines it automatically.

ServerPort

ServerPort specifies the port that the Tanium Client uses for communication with Tanium Cloudthe server and with peer clients. Do not change the default of 17472, which is required for communication with Tanium Cloud.The default is 17472, but you can configure a custom port. The client automatically uses ServerPort for connections to the Tanium Servers and Zone Servers that are specified in the ServerNameList and ServerName settings. Specifying the port within those settings is not required. However, if ServerName or ServerNameList does specify a port, it overrides ServerPort.

If you configure the ListenPort setting, it overrides ServerPort for communication with peer clients. You can also randomize the port for client-client communication. For more information, see Customize listening ports

Content for configuring connections to Tanium CloudTanium Core Platform servers

The Tanium Default Content pack includes sensors and packages to manage the ServerNameList and ServerName settings on the endpoints that host the Tanium Client.

Use the packages that are listed in this table only at the direction of Tanium Support.

 Table 1: Default content related to ServerNameList, ServerName, and ServerPort
Content Object Name Usage
Sensors Tanium Server Name

Returns the current value of ServerName from the Tanium Client, which identifies the Tanium Cloud FQDNClient. For a client on which ServerNameList is configured, you can use the sensor to identify the Tanium Server or Zone Server with which the client currently connects. For example:

Get Computer Name and Tanium Server Name from all machines

Tanium Server Name List

Returns the current value of ServerNameList from the Tanium Client. For example:

Get Computer Name and Tanium Server Name List from all machines

Tanium Client Explicit Setting

Returns the current value of any Tanium Client setting that you specify. For example:

Get Computer Name and Tanium Client Explicit Setting[ServerPort] from all machines

For the complete list of client settings that you can specify with this sensor, see Tanium Client settings reference.

Packages

Set Tanium Server Name

Sets the ServerName value on Windows endpoints and restarts the Tanium Client service. The ServerName setting is in the Windows registry.

Set Tanium Server Name [Non-Windows]

Sets the ServerName value on non-Windows endpoints and restarts the Tanium Client system service. The ServerName setting is in an SQLite database and is set through a CLI command.

Set Tanium Server Name List

Sets the ServerNameList value on Windows endpoints and restarts the Tanium Client service. The ServerNameList setting is in the Windows registry.

Set Tanium Server Name List [Non-Windows]

Sets the ServerNameList value on non-Windows endpoints and restarts the Tanium Client system service. The ServerNameList setting is in an SQLite database and is set through a CLI command.

Configure clients to connect with multiple Tanium Servers

The following procedure provides an example of how to use the objects listed in Table 1 to set the ServerNameList on managed endpoints in a scenario where a second Tanium Server is added to the deployment after the Tanium Client is deployed. In a deployment with both Windows and non-Windows endpoints, repeat the steps for both types of endpoints.

For an example of how to set the ServerNameList on Tanium Clients that register with a Zone Server, see Tanium Core Platform Deployment Guide for Windows: Configure Tanium Clients to register with the Zone Server.

  1. Delete any existing scheduled actions that configure ServerNameList or ServerName to prevent conflicts with the new actions that you create for those settings.
  2. Use Tanium Interact to ask a question that identifies the Tanium Clients that require an updated ServerNameList.

    The following example identifies Tanium Clients that do not include both Tanium Servers (ts1.tam.local and ts2.tam.local, in this example):

    Get Tanium Server Name List and Is Windows from all machines with all Tanium Server Name List not equals "ts1.tam.local,ts2.tam.local"

  3. In the Question Results grid, select a group of either Windows or non-Windows endpoints that need an updated Tanium Server Name List value and click Deploy Action.

    Windows endpoints and non-Windows endpoints require different packages. If you are updating both Windows and non-Windows endpoints, complete this procedure separately for each group.

  4. Specify one of the following as the Deployment Package:

    • Set Tanium Server Name List for Windows endpoints
    • Set Tanium Server Name List [Non-Windows] for non-Windows endpoints
  5. Enter the FQDNs or IP addresses of both Tanium Servers in the Server Name List field.

  6. Set a schedule for the action.

    Set a reissue interval if some target endpoints might be offline when you initially deploy the action.

  7. In the Targeting Criteria section, ensure the settings target Windows endpoints or non-Windows endpoints based on the package that you selected.
  8. Click Show preview to continue and verify that the targeting is correct.

  9. Click Deploy Action and review the action status to verify that the action completes without errors. For more information about the action status, see Tanium Console User Guide: View action status.

  10. Use Tanium Interact to ask a question that returns the ServerNameList values from Tanium Clients.

    Get Tanium Server Name List and Is Windows from all machines

  11. Review the Question Results grid to verify that the Tanium Server Name List value includes both Tanium Servers.

    You might have to wait a few minutes for the results to show the new values. Ensure that live updates Live Updates are enabled for the results grid.

Connect through an HTTPS forward proxy server

If the network policies of your organization prohibit endpoints from connecting through the Internet directly to Tanium Cloud a Tanium Server or Zone Server, you can configure the Tanium Client 7.4.2.2033 or later to establish a TLS tunnel through an HTTPS forward proxy server. An organization might require a proxy for Tanium Clients in remote branch office networks. You might also require a proxy if Tanium Cloud the Tanium Server functions as a managed security service provider (MSSP) in an isolated network where routing changes are not possible. To prevent a single proxy failure from interrupting client connections, you can configure clients to send connection requests to multiple proxies. For more information about using TLS communication, see Tanium Core Platform Deployment Reference Guide: Securing Tanium Server, Zone Server, and Tanium Client access.

To use a proxy server with Tanium Clients, your environment must meet the following requirements:

  • Tanium Client 7.4.2.2033 or later must be installed on endpoints that connect through the proxy server.
  • The proxy server uses the HTTP CONNECT method for TLS tunneling.
  • The proxy server must not require authentication.
  • The proxy server does not perform SSL/TLS inspection. You cannot use network devices such as firewalls to decrypt and inspect Tanium Protocol traffic between Tanium Clients and Tanium Cloud the Tanium Server or between peer Tanium Clients.

As an alternative to connecting through a proxy server, you can use a Tanium Cloud Access Point to facilitate communication from networks that have restricted access to Tanium Cloud. For more information, see Tanium Appliance Deployment Guide: Installing a Tanium Cloud Access Point.

The steps to connect to a proxy depend on whether the endpoints can access a proxy auto configuration (PAC) file, which is available only for Windows endpoints. A PAC file defines how web browsers connect to specific hosts (such as a Tanium Cloud FQDNTanium Server FQDN), directly or through a proxy server, and defines how the browsers select the correct proxy for each URL. Configure the ProxyAutoConfigAddress setting on endpoints that can access a PAC file and the ProxyServers setting on endpoints that cannot. Configure only one of the settings on any single endpoint: if you configure both, the Tanium Client uses only ProxyAutoConfigAddress and ignores ProxyServers.

If no proxy servers are available, the Tanium Client falls back to connecting directly with Tanium Cloud the Tanium Server or Zone Server.

Tanium Clients can traverse a proxy only when connecting to Tanium Cloud a server. Connections between clients must be direct.

Figure  1:  Connecting through an HTTPS proxy server to Tanium Cloud Tanium Core Platform servers

Before you begin

Work with your network administration team to perform the following tasks before connecting Tanium Clients to a proxy server:

  1. Configure the proxy server to allow port 17472,the port that the client uses for Tanium traffic (default 17472), regardless of any security restrictions that are configured on the server. See Network connectivity, ports, and firewalls.

  2. (Windows endpoints only) If Tanium Clients must establish proxy connections through a PAC file, create the file and copy it to a web server that the clients can access.

Tanium Clients that can connect only through a proxy connection do not connect directly to Tanium Core Platform servers. Because the Tanium Client Management service requires a direct connection from the Tanium Module Server to clients, you cannot use Client Management to deploy clients that cannot connect without a proxy connection. However, you can use Client Managment to create a client configuration, and then download an installation bundle for use in another deployment method. For more information, see Create a client configuration.

Configure proxy server settings during client deployment.

Configure proxy connections with a PAC file

For Tanium Clients on Windows endpoints, you can configure proxy connections using a PAC file if one is available. The endpoint downloads the file from the URL that you specify and runs a script that the file contains to select the correct proxy for connecting to a particular Tanium Cloud FQDN Tanium Server or Zone Server.

Configure proxy connections during client deployment

Configure Tanium Clients to use a PAC file by setting ProxyAutoConfigAddress during client installation. See Deploying the Tanium Client using Client Management or Deploy the Tanium Client to Windows endpoints using the installer for the steps to install the client.

 Table 2: Methods to set a PAC file URL during deployment
Installation method Method to set ProxyAutoConfigAddress
Client Management

Include the ProxyAutoConfigAddress setting and the URL of the PAC file as a key and value in client settings. For more information, see Create a client configuration.

Command-line interface (CLI)

Specify the setting as one of the parameters of a silent installation:

SetupClient.exe /ProxyAutoConfigAddress=http[s]://<PAC file host URL>/<PAC file name> /S

You might also have to specify the /ServerAddress=<Tanium Cloud FQDNs><Tanium Server FQDNs|IPs> parameter depending on the client version and whether a tanium‑init.dat file with the appropriate server list is available. See Command-line interface (CLI).

Installation wizard

Run the following CLI command to configure ProxyAutoConfigAddress after completing the wizard:

TaniumClient config set-string ProxyAutoConfigAddress ^
"http[s]://<PAC file host URL>/<PAC file name>.pac"

Configure proxy connections After client deployment

You can configure Tanium Clients to use a PAC file after the initial client deployment, or change the file on clients that already use a PAC file.

  1. Go to the Tanium Home page and ask the following question to identify the proxy servers with which Tanium Clients currently connect, if any:

    Get Tanium Client Explicit Setting[ProxyAutoConfigAddress] and Tanium Client Explicit Setting[ProxyServers] from all machines

  2. Select the results for clients that do not already use the PAC file that you want and click Deploy Action.
  3. Configure the package settings:

    • Deployment Package: Select Modify Tanium Client Setting.
    • RegType: Select REG_SZ.
    • ValueName: Enter ProxyAutoConfigAddress.
    • ValueData: Enter the new PAC file URL and file name in the format http[s]://<PAC file URL>/<PAC file name>.pac.
  4. (Optional) In the Schedule Deployment section, set a schedule for the action.

    Set a reissue interval if some target endpoints might be offline when you initially deploy the action.

  5. In the Targeting Criteria section, ensure that the settings target only the endpoints that require the updated proxy setting.
  6. Click Show preview to continue and verify that the targeting is correct.
  7. Click Deploy Action and review the action status to verify that the action completes without errors.
  8. Ask the following question to verify that clients have the updated ProxyAutoConfigAddress setting:

    Get Tanium Client Explicit Setting[ProxyAutoConfigAddress] from all machines

    Clients do not apply the updated setting until you manually restart them or wait for the automatic client reset, which by default occurs at a random interval in the range of two to six hours.

  9. (Optional) Restart the Tanium Client service on each endpoint to apply the updated proxy setting immediately. For the steps, see Manage the Tanium Client service on Windows.

Configure proxy connections without a PAC file

On non-Windows endpoints, or on Windows endpoints that cannot access a PAC file, configure the Tanium Client to connect to a proxy server by specifying the proxy IP address or FQDN and the proxy port in the ProxyServers setting. If you specify multiple proxies, the client tries to connect to the proxies in the order that ProxyServers lists them. After any single connection succeeds, the client stops trying to connect with more proxies.

Configure proxy connections during client deployment

Configure Tanium Clients to connect through proxy servers by setting ProxyServers during installation. For installation procedures, see Deploying the Tanium Client using an installer or package file.

 Table 3: Methods to set proxy server addresses during deployment
Installation method OS Method to set ProxyServers
Client Management Any

Include the ProxyServers setting and the addresses of proxy servers as a key and value in client settings. For more information, see Create a client configuration.

Command-line interface (CLI) Windows

Specify the setting as one of the parameters of a silent installation:

SetupClient.exe ^
/ProxyServers=<FQDN|IPaddress:PortNumber> /S

Non-Windows

Run the following CLI command to configure ProxyServers during the step to configure Tanium Client settings:

./TaniumClient config set-string ProxyServers \
"<proxy1 FQDN|IP address>:<port>,...,<proxyN FQDN|IP address>:<port>"

Installation wizard Windows

Run the following CLI command to configure ProxyServers after completing the wizard:

TaniumClient config set-string ProxyServers ^
"<proxy1 FQDN|IP address>:<port>,...,<proxyN FQDN|IP address>:<port>"

macOS

Run the following CLI command to configure ProxyServers after completing the wizard:

./TaniumClient config set-string ProxyServers \
"<proxy1 FQDN|IP address>:<port>,...,<proxyN FQDN|IP address>:<port>"

Configure proxy connections after client deployment

You can configure Tanium Clients to establish proxy connections after the initial client deployment, or change the proxy setting on clients that already connect to a proxy. In a deployment with both Windows and non-Windows endpoints, repeat the steps for both types of endpoints.

  1. Go to the Tanium Home page and ask the following question to identify the proxy servers with which Tanium Clients currently connect, if any:

    Get Tanium Client Explicit Setting[ProxyServers] and Is Windows from all machines

  2. Select the results for either Windows or non-Windows endpoints that require new or updated proxy connections and click Deploy Action.

    Windows endpoints and non-Windows endpoints require different packages. If you are updating both Windows and non-Windows endpoints, complete this procedure separately for each group.

  3. Configure the package settings:

    • Deployment Package: Select Modify Tanium Client Setting for Windows endpoints or Modify Tanium Client Setting [Non-Windows] for other endpoints.
    • RegType (Windows only): Select REG_SZ.
    • Type (non-Windows only): Select STRING.
    • ValueName: Enter ProxyServers.
    • ValueData: Enter a comma-separated list of proxy IP addresses or FQDNs and proxy ports in the format <proxy1 FQDN|IP address>:<port>,...,<proxyN FQDN|IP address>:<port>.
  4. (Optional) In the Schedule Deployment section, set a schedule for the action.

    Set a reissue interval if some target endpoints might be offline when you initially deploy the action.

  5. In the Targeting Criteria section, ensure that the settings target only the endpoints that:

    • Require the updated proxy setting
    • Run the operating system that matches the selected package (Windows or non-Windows)
  6. Click Show preview to continue and verify that the targeting is correct.
  7. Click Deploy Action and review the action status to verify that the action completes without errors.
  8. Ask the following question to verify that clients have the correct ProxyServers setting.

    Get Tanium Client Explicit Setting[ProxyServers] and Is Windows from all machines

    Clients do not apply the updated setting until you manually restart them or wait for the automatic client reset, which by default occurs at a random interval in the range of two to six hours.

  9. (Optional) Restart the Tanium Client service on each endpoint to apply the updated proxy setting immediately: