Best Practice for software install

[edie209]

I have got my various images now working really nicely, and I have imported all the software I need to deploy. This is where I want to know what the best practice is, i have several software installs that will go to every machine, a sort of baseline shall we say and then different departments have different installs . So what is the best practice?

[Jorgen Nilsson]

Hi,

I normally add applications that all users should have in the OSD Deployment Task Seqeunce and for departemental applications I often use MDT together with a custom .HTA so taht you can choose MDT roles during installation of the computer. You can also use Collection variables for assigning roles to the computers.

 

That way you will have flexible OSD solution.

Regards,

Jörgen

[cotagag]

Totally agree with Jörgen's solution.

One more thing to consider here.

Are you going to deploy images only remotely?

Or are there locations in your environment where this is not possible for any reasons and where you will have to provide the image on a bootable external media media (dvd, usb stick)?

Very low probability but still if so, then you should have in mind that usually software updates more often than you are going to update the image.

And at every update of any of your software you might need to update and re-send the usb sticks with image.

 

Good luck.

Gabriel.

[Rocket Man]

Configure your collections with baseline variables (bit of work in doing this but worth it) when deploying a TS of OSD or of Software just add the baseline variable used for example you have standad software that all machines will use:

 

IE9 (packageID) = YES000005 ......just an example (program name Deploy IE9) ......just an example

Java (packageID) = YES000006 ......just an example (program name Deploy Java) ......just an example

Adobe Flash (packageID) = YES000007 ......just an example (program name Deploy AF) ......just an example

Adobe reader (packageID) = YES000008 ......just an example (program name Deploy AR) ......just an example

ShockWave player (packageID) = YES000009 ......just an example (program name Deploy SWP) ......just an example

 

You then associate these to your collections i:e

 

Right click on the collection....properties....collection variables tab

 

start adding them in order for example

Packages001 YES000005:Deploy IE9

Packages002 YES000006:Deploy Java

Packages003 YES000007:Deploy AF

Packages004 YES000008:Deploy AR

Packages005 YES000009:Deploy SWP

 

Once you have all your variables configured for your collections and tested of course as some software may need to be installed before others then all you have to do is either create a custom TS then edit it and add a package and use the baseline Packages previously configured. Deploy this to your collections and what will happen is the variable will filter down through the baseline variable configured on each of your collections and install the software in order.

 

OR

 

You can attach the Packages baseline to your OSD TS and during OSD it will do the very same steps...filter down through the baseline configuration of the collection and install the software associated to that collection.......pretty cool.....

just a bit of hard work needed first though....but worth it!!

 

Rocket Man