Lens setup guide

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Lens setup begins with a question you want the devices to answer and a person responsible for checking the result. Confirm access to the Lens web application and the permissions needed to manage agents and deployments before assigning work.

Prepare the collection

Identify the devices and their operating systems. Android and desktop agents have different installation steps; select the Android guide or desktop guide.
Decide which program produces the needed observations and which configuration supplies its options.
Plan tags for the pilot devices. A deployment connects the program and configuration to tagged agents on a schedule.
Confirm that each agent reports after installation. Then check metrics for the expected program and period.

Start with a small pilot and record what a successful observation looks like. An agent shown as online is evidence of communication, not of a completed measurement.

Verify the result

Find a recent observation from the intended device and program. Check its time and any expected units or fields. If it is absent, follow agent monitoring before expanding the deployment.

Lens agents

An agent is the runtime installed on a device. Lens uses agents to execute assigned programs and report their observations. The Agents view under Deploy shows the registered devices and lets an authorized operator inspect status, tags, location, synchronization, and recent activity.

Choose a device type

Agent	Typical use	Guide
Android	Mobile measurements, including Mobility field collection	Android agent
Desktop	Collection work on a computer or host	Desktop agent

An agent can communicate while its assigned program has not delivered usable metrics. Monitor and troubleshoot explains the checks to separate those states.

Before distributing installation details

Agree who owns each device, which location it belongs to, and which tags it should receive. Installation material can contain a device credential. Treat it as confidential and issue it for the intended agent only. Creating a new installation can invalidate an earlier one for that agent.

Install a Lens Android agent

Use an Android agent when a collection program needs the device’s mobile capabilities. Obtain the app package approved for your installation and access to the Lens Deploy → Agents view.

Pair the device

In Agents, create or select the intended agent and check its assigned location and tags.
Open its installation view and issue the installation for that agent. A newly issued installation rotates its credential; an older installation for the same agent stops working.
Install the Android app on the intended device. Open its pairing screen and scan the QR code shown by Lens.
Grant the device permissions required by the program you intend to run. For WiFi field collection, review location, WiFi scanning, and background execution with the device owner.
Follow the app’s status screen until the agent reports to Lens.

Keep the QR code and any fallback installation details private. If a device is replaced, issue a fresh installation and verify the old device’s access has ended.

Verify collection

Check that the agent appears in Agents with a recent contact time. Then check that its deployment targets its tags and that metrics arrive. If the app reports but measurements are absent, inspect permissions and battery restrictions before changing the program.

Install a Lens desktop agent

A desktop agent runs collection work on a computer or host. Obtain the approved package for the host operating system, the connection address supplied by your Lens administrator, and permission to manage agents.

Install and pair

Create or select the agent in Deploy → Agents and confirm its identifier, location, and tags.
Open the agent installation view and choose the desktop instructions for the host operating system.
Download and unpack the package using the instructions shown for that installation. Configure the connection and agent identity from the issued installation details.
Start the agent using the supported host procedure and check its status in Lens.

Issuing a new installation rotates the agent credential. Plan that change if the same agent identifier is already running elsewhere; the previous installation loses access.

Verify work

A recent contact confirms that the agent can reach Lens. Check the assigned deployment and its metrics separately. If it does not report, verify connectivity and the installation details with the administrator. If it reports without measurements, follow agent monitoring.

Monitor and troubleshoot Lens agents

The Agents view shows operational status, last contact, synchronization state, and filters for operating system, tags, and location. Use those signals as the start of a diagnosis, not as proof that measurements are complete.

Symptom	Check	Next action
No recent contact	Device power, network access, and the app or desktop process	Restore the connection and confirm a new contact time
Contact is recent but no assigned work is shown	Agent tags and intended deployment	Correct the selection and check synchronization
Work is assigned but metrics are absent	Program requirements, permissions, schedule, and selected time range	Correct the specific cause, then wait for a run and verify an observation
Data is present but unsuitable for Mobility	Device location or WiFi scan permissions and measurement context	Use Verify collected data

The agent’s Audit view shows command activity and errors for the selected agent. Use it to investigate a failed synchronization or execution. A diagnostic request can expose device information; follow your organization’s access rules.

Verify recovery

Confirm both a fresh agent contact and a metric from the expected program after the change. If only the first appears, the collection issue remains.