1.1 Agent Types

Determine agent types, such as synthetic user agent, scripting agent, and local collection agent to meet network assurance and security requirements

This task assesses your ability to select and deploy the appropriate agent for specific scenarios and business requirements. With agents available on multiple platforms, it is essential to understand supported platforms, deployment methods, and how to align agent deployments with business needs. Hands-on experience and familiarity with industry use cases for each agent type are highly recommended.

While the exam blueprint mentions specific agent types like synthetic user agent, scripting agent, and local collection agent, ThousandEyes uses a different terminology. ThousandEyes focuses on providing network visibility from the agent's point of view and the network path to the destination. To do that, ThousandEyes has 3 types of agents: Cloud Agents, Enterprise Agents, and Endpoint Agents. The available tests also cover application-level metrics, allowing engineers to correlate application issues with network metrics.

Exam Terminology

The exam might use terminology that differs from ThousandEyes conventions. The following section clarifies those terms and provides their ThousandEyes equivalents.

Synthetic User Agent

Exam Term: Synthetic User Agent

ThousandEyes Equivalent: All ThousandEyes Agents

Explanation: The exam emphasizes that a synthetic user agent generates real traffic to assess target status, unlike passive monitoring techniques. All ThousandEyes agents—Cloud, Enterprise, and Endpoint—fit this description as they actively probe and measure network performance.

Scripting Agent

Exam Term: Scripting Agent

ThousandEyes Equivalent: Tests (specifically, Transaction Scripts)

Explanation: While "Scripting Agent" isn't a term ThousandEyes uses directly, it refers to how agents gather information. ThousandEyes achieves this through various tests. "Transaction Scripts" are a specific test type that emulates user workflows within applications. For example, measuring a user logging into an application would utilize a Transaction Script.

Local Collection Agent

Exam Term: Local Collection Agent

ThousandEyes Equivalent: Context-dependent; broadly covered by ThousandEyes Agents and their test functionalities.

Explanation: This term is generic. In the context of ThousandEyes, it broadly encompasses the data-gathering functions of all agent types. Each agent type collects specific metrics depending on its location and assigned tests.

ThousandEyes Agent Types

ThousandEyes agents serve as points of observation on the network where they are deployed. They require test assignment to collect data and are also known as "vantage points." These lightweight Linux-based software agents enable layered monitoring tests that provide insights into network performance but also can help provide metrics from the application layer that can be correlated to understand the impact of network issues on the applications and services delivered to end users or isolate the cause to an application/service problem.

Enterprise Agents

Enterprise Agents are installed on customer's infrastructure to provide insights from inside networks, the network path to applications and services, including the ISP, the Internet, ISP of the application or service provider all the way to the network of the target being monitored.

There is a wide range of platforms that support the Enterprise Agent. For the latest supported platforms, versions, and requirements, visit the product documentation on Installing Enterprise Agents. It is important for the candidate to get experience installing the Enterprise Agent on as many offerings as possible. Some of the easiest options available, considering the candidate might already have access to these platforms, are deploying the Enterprise Agent as a:

Linux Package (1)
Docker container
Virtual appliance (VMWare, VMWare Fusion, Microsoft HyperV)
Physical appliance (Raspberry Pi)

Linux Package OS versions are continuously updated. For the most up to date information visit Enterprise Agent Support Lifecycle.

Cloud Agents

Cloud Agents are deployed and maintained by Cisco ThousandEyes in different geographical locations, mainly ISPs and Cloud Providers. These agents can be used without any prior configuration steps, except for assigning tests to them. See Cloud Agents for more information.

Endpoint Agents

Endpoint Agents are installed on end-user operating systems such as Windows and Mac. They are also supported by RoomOS-11 devices except for DX, SX, MX. The Endpoint Agent can also be deployed as a module of the Cisco Secure Client bundle. The resources section contains links to installation guides both manual and at scale. To briefly summarize the options, please look at the table below.

Type	Manual Installation	At-Scale Deployment
Windows	Single agent	Intune Guidance for Software Deployment Teams Group Policies (Browser Extensions)
Mac OS	Single agent	Munki
Cisco Secure Client	Cisco Secure Client	Silent/Mass Installation
Cisco Webex RoomOS	Webex Control Hub	Webex Control Hub

Hands-on Activities

We recommend the following activities:

Activity 1: Enterprise Agent Installation

Sign up for a ThousandEyes trial here:
Deploy an Enterprise Agent. If you would like to deploy using the Enterprise Agent as a Linux Package, use the Cisco U Tutorial:

You can also use the Getting Started Guide for Enterprise Agents. This tutorial covers the installation steps as well as a brief verification of the agent installation and how it should show up on the ThousandEyes GUI.
Extra: Create an HTTP server test to https://thousandeyes.com with default values and assign it to the Enterprise Agent you created in step 2.

ThousandEyes agents require internet access to communicate and register to our platform. If you require a proxy, please check the documentation on how to configure it.

Activity 2: Endpoint Agent Installation

Sign up for a ThousandEyes trial if you have not already done it in activity 1.
Install the Endpoint Agent on your computer if you have a supported operating system (Windows or MacOS).
Extra: Create an HTTP server test to https://thousandeyes.com with default values and assign it to your Endpoint Agent.

You will cover task 1.1 and start with a brief introduction to Domain 2 by following activities 1 and 2.

Resources

Sample Questions

1.1 Question 1

An architect needs to analyze network path metrics from their internal network, specifically from the access layer to a cloud-hosted web server. Which ThousandEyes agent is most appropriate for this task?

A) Synthetic Agent
B) Enterprise Agent
C) Cloud Agent
D) Endpoint Agent

1.1 Question 2

A network engineer is investigating widespread reports of poor performance for a data center-hosted web application. Which ThousandEyes agent type would be most effective for quickly identifying the root cause?

A) Synthetic Agent
B) Enterprise Agent
C) Endpoint Agent
D) Cloud Agent

1.1 Question 3

An architect needs to measure end-user experience for internal web applications and SaaS products. Which ThousandEyes agent should be deployed for this purpose?

A) Synthetic Agent
B) Enterprise Agent
C) Cloud Agent
D) Endpoint Agent