Configure Chromium based Browser Extensions

To measure Chromium-type Web Applications, the PerformanceGuard Web Timer extension must be installed in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on the monitored computers. For how the extension works, see PerformanceGuard Web Timer Extension.

You can install the extension in two ways:

• Through the agent configuration. The agent writes local machine policies for the browsers. This is the default.
• Through local or domain user policies, for example with Group Policy.

Danger

Don’t use both machine policies and user policies for the extension list. Chrome and Edge apply only the machine policy when both exist, which is the default behavior in both browsers. If there’s a machine policy for the force-installed extensions, the browsers ignore the user policy.

Extension types

There are two variants of the extension, with these extension IDs:

Extension ID	Name	Behavior
leifiaolndnnmnkhmhibkejddgcfbfjf	PerformanceGuard Web Timer - no pop up	Runs silently.
gelgkjhdkdehhjeokbbkdplgkmhffnmc	PerformanceGuard Web Timer	Shows the measured time on the extension icon.

Configure through agent configuration

In the agent configuration group, there are two settings for the extension. See Agent Configuration Group Settings.

• Network Report section: Enable Chrome/Edge Extension as Local Machine Policy (Can also be enabled as User Machine Policy using Group Policy)
• User Interface section: Enable Chrome Extension Details

If you select only the Network Report setting, the agent installs the silent variant. If you also select Enable Chrome Extension Details, the agent installs the variant that shows the measured time.

When the Network Report setting is selected, the agent adds the extension to the force-install policy of both Chrome and Edge, as a local machine policy. The agent installation registers the native messaging host that the extension uses to communicate with the agent.

Caution

If your organization restricts which extensions can be installed, you might have to allow the PerformanceGuard extensions for them to work. You can do this with the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallAllowlist (called ExtensionInstallWhitelist in older Chrome versions). For Microsoft Edge, use HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallAllowlist.

• Add a new string value to the key. The name of the value is a number, and the numbers should be sequential: 1, 2, 3, and so on. The value data is the extension ID.
• Extension IDs:
  • leifiaolndnnmnkhmhibkejddgcfbfjf
  • gelgkjhdkdehhjeokbbkdplgkmhffnmc

If your organization restricts native messaging hosts, you must also allow the host com.capasystems.performance. See the Chrome Enterprise policy NativeMessagingAllowlist.

Configure through user policy

Important

Download the policy templates for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, and import them. This gives you access to the right policy options for the browsers.

When you configure the extension as a user policy, set the following policy options.

Google Chrome

Extension:

User Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Google → Google Chrome → Extensions → Configure the list of force-installed apps and extensions

Insert this entry, where <extension ID> is one of the IDs in Extension types:

<extension ID>;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

For example, to install the silent extension:

leifiaolndnnmnkhmhibkejddgcfbfjf;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

The connector between the browser and the PerformanceGuard agent (native messaging):

There’s no policy option that sets a default value for native messaging, so you must create the registry key manually.

Create the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.capasystems.performance, and set its default value to:

C:\Program Files\PerformanceGuard\Agent\chromeHost\com.capasystems.performance.json

Microsoft Edge

Extension:

User Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Microsoft Edge → Extensions → Control which extensions are installed silently

Insert this entry, where <extension ID> is one of the IDs in Extension types:

<extension ID>;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

For example, to install the silent extension:

leifiaolndnnmnkhmhibkejddgcfbfjf;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

The connector between the browser and the PerformanceGuard agent (native messaging):

There’s no policy option that sets a default value for native messaging, so you must create the registry key manually. If native messaging isn’t specified for Edge, Edge uses the native messaging list from Google Chrome.

Create the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.capasystems.performance, and set its default value to:

C:\Program Files\PerformanceGuard\Agent\chromeHost\com.capasystems.performance.json

Verify the settings

On the client computer, look in the registry for the following keys, and check their values against your configuration.

When you use the agent configuration:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallForcelist
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.capasystems.performance

When you use user policy:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallForcelist
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.capasystems.performance

If the extension still doesn’t report data, see Web Timer Reports No Data.