FDC- Multi-Configuration Details

Agent Configuration and Customization

Summary

Most organizations want every endpoint to display the same branding and use the same classification setup. Some, however, need more flexibility: a subsidiary may need its own look, a regional office may need messages in a different language, or a specific team may need different rules from everyone else.

Multi-Configuration makes this possible. Rather than forcing every endpoint to look and behave identically, admins can create a small set of named profiles and assign specific computers to the profile they need, without affecting anyone else and without giving up central control.

The Big Picture

The FDC Agent can look and behave differently on different computers. There are two ways to control this:
  1. From the cloud (the standard approach): an admin configures settings once in the Dashboard, and every endpoint follows them.
  2. From the machine itself (the exception): a small file placed on an individual computer directs that machine to follow a different configuration from the rest of the cluster.

In one sentence:

Most computers follow the Default profile set in the Dashboard. A computer with a config.txt file follows the profile that file points to instead, while remaining connected to the cluster and staying current as that profile changes.

The Two Parts of This Feature

  1. Named Configurations (in the Dashboard)

    Named configurations work like profiles. Each profile bundles a set of custom text and settings. Admins can maintain multiple profiles, for example one for the whole company and another for a subsidiary or region.

    • Admins create, rename, and delete profiles from a single page.
    • One profile is always designated as the Default. It applies to every computer that does not have an override file. Because a Default must always exist, it cannot be deleted.
    • When editing messages or settings, admins select the profile they are editing, so changes are not applied to every profile at once. The one exception is Tagsets, which are shared across all profiles.
    • A reference to any profile can be downloaded as a single file, ready to place on the computers that need it.
    • The Dashboard also shows, for each computer, which profile it is currently using and when that last changed.
  2. The Override File

    The override file is a single file that, when placed in a specific folder on a computer, tells the Agent to follow a particular profile instead of the Default.

    • The file does not contain any branding content. It contains only a config ID, which points to a named profile in the Dashboard. The cluster remains the source of truth for the actual content.
    • On startup, the Agent reads the config ID from the file and fetches the matching profile from the cluster.
    • If the config ID in the file is later changed to point to a different profile, the Agent detects the change immediately, provided it is connected to the cluster. No restart is required.
    • If the profile is later edited in the Dashboard, the cluster notifies the Agent, which re-fetches the profile automatically. Nothing needs to be redeployed on the endpoint.
    • If the endpoint is offline, the Agent continues to use the last configuration it successfully fetched and syncs again as soon as connectivity is restored.
    • If the file is missing, malformed, or contains an unrecognized config ID, the Agent logs a warning and falls back to the cluster Default, so nothing breaks.

    There are two ways to get a config ID onto a computer:

    • After installation: place the file manually, or deploy it through GPO, MDM, or Intune. The simplest way to create the file is to download it from a profile in the Dashboard (see section 1 above).
    • At installation: specify the config ID in the Agent's silent-install configuration. The installer writes the override file automatically, so the computer follows the correct profile from its first launch with no separate deployment step.

How the Two Parts Fit Together

In short, the Dashboard is where you design a configuration, and the override file is how you point a specific computer to it. SituationWhat the computer uses No override file on the computerThe Default profile from the Dashboard. Override file present on the computerThe profile referenced by the file's config ID, kept in sync with the Dashboard whenever that profile is edited. Copying the override file onto computers is handled outside this feature, typically by IT using their standard software deployment tools. The system does not distribute the file automatically.

What This Feature Can Do

  1. Maintain a single, central Default look and feel for the entire fleet.
  2. Maintain multiple named profiles for different teams, brands, or regions.
  3. Assign an individual computer to its own profile, with its own branding, text, or settings, without affecting any other computer and without disconnecting it from the cluster.
  4. Automatically push profile changes to every computer that follows that profile, whether or not it uses an override file.
  5. Continue working through connectivity gaps: an offline endpoint uses its last-known configuration and resyncs once it reconnects.
  6. Show, for each computer, which profile is active and when it last changed.
  7. Recover automatically: if the override file is missing, malformed, or references an unknown config ID, the computer falls back to the cluster Default instead of failing.

Good to Know — Limits

This section is intended mainly for hands-on troubleshooting; most readers can skip it.
  • This feature does not copy the override file onto computers after installation. That is a separate deployment step (IT tooling, manual copy, and so on), unless the config ID was set at install time.
  • Tagsets are shared by all profiles. They are the only settings that the configuration picker does not separate.
  • The Default profile can never be deleted. To replace it, first designate another profile as the Default.
  • Only an administrator account on the computer can create or change the override file. A standard user account cannot.
  • Import Configuration is a destructive feature and will be deprecated. As of version 5.4, it remains supported, but only for replacing the currently selected Default configuration.

Quick Reference — Where Things Live

What Where
Override file (Windows) C:\ProgramData\GVClient\Customization\config.txt
Override file (macOS) /Users/Shared/GVClient/Customization/config.txt
What's in the file A single config ID that references a profile in the Dashboard. The actual branding, text, and settings are fetched from, and kept in sync with, the cluster.
Install-time equivalent A ConfigId field in the Agent's silent-install configuration. The installer creates the override file for you.
Important:

Admin rights are required on the endpoint. Only an administrator account on the computer can create or change the override file (config.txt). A standard user account cannot create or modify it. If IT deploys the file through GPO, MDM, or Intune, the deployment must run with administrator or system privileges, not in the signed-in user's context.

Common Questions

  1. "I changed something in the Dashboard, or updated the profile a computer is following — why hasn't it shown up yet?"
    • Check which profile the computer is following on the Agent Management page.
    • If it follows the edited profile, the change should appear within a few seconds, with no restart required.
    • If it follows a different profile, or its override file is missing or malformed, that explains the mismatch: the computer is using the Default.
    • If the endpoint was offline, it will sync as soon as it reconnects.
  2. "How do I know which profile a computer is using?"
    • Check the Agent Management page in the Dashboard. It shows the profile name and when it was last updated.
  3. "I edited one profile and it changed everything"
    • This should not happen, except for Tagsets, which are always shared across profiles. Otherwise, confirm that the correct profile was selected before editing.
  4. "The override file doesn't seem to work"
    • Confirm the file is named and placed exactly as specified (see the Quick Reference table above).
    • Confirm the file was created using an administrator account.
    • Confirm the config ID in the file matches an existing profile.
    • Note that a malformed or invalid file is ignored automatically, and the computer uses the Default configuration from the Dashboard instead.
  5. "Does having an override file mean this machine stops talking to the cluster?"
    • No. The override file only changes which profile the machine follows. The machine still fetches that profile from the cluster and receives live updates, just like any other endpoint. It relies solely on local data only while offline, and it resyncs automatically once connectivity is restored.