Deployment Solution

I am hoping to share our (current) strategy for deploying software in DS 7.1 and I would love to hear how everyone else is doing it. As you know, there are a couple of ways or schools of thought for installing software, installing via tasks (immediate, DS 6.9 like) or installing via managed software delivery.

Our software installation strategy is currently:

Deploy image using a task (I'll leave the complexities out of this post, but basically it's a newly imaged PC with an Altiris 7 agent).

Keep a base list of software in a "Core Software" managed software delivery chain, that is always active, scheduled for every computer boot and to check compliance every day.

We also have some individual task-based software (Quick Delivery tasks) for things like Office or other various/on-off type of software.

For updates, like a McAfee version update, we are creating a new MSD that targets all computers (or our test group), then after it's installed on most computers, it gets merged into the "Core Software" managed software delivery chain (MSD).

One of the challenges we have is moving from the DS 6.9 mentality of a verifiable job list (ie it images, software 1 installs, software 2 installs, software 3 installs, and you know it's done when the status is good all the way through) vs MSD, which could take some time to install, and doesn't really have a good mechanism for knowing, "Hey, all software is installed and this laptop is ready for the user to take".

However there are issues with using a lot of task based software installs as well. It installs once and doesn't check again. It has issues with rules-based installs (say I have a job to install different registry settings depending on the site. I can't use things like SQL queries or organizational groups, I have to create a batch file with a result for every single job condition).

Also, if you do use MSD, do you make them in individual MSD per software rule, with filters that filter based on "Add/Remove" (so computers fall into the collections, get it installed, then fall out), or do you group a bunch of installs into a "Core MSD" that always checks, or what is your strategy.

As far as MSD scheduling, how do you schedule them? We currently use 24hr install window(repeat daily), plus a computer reboot time as well, and if we want to have it start off ASAP, we'll back-date the date and add a one-time scheduled time.

One more thing, if you do use a lot of MSDs at once, do you have any issues with it trying to install multiple applications at once and conflict (especially msi based installs)?

There is a lot of info on how to do things, but there isn't a whole lot of info on "best practices" or how other people run their software management systems. I'd love to hear anyone's practices or point of view.

Thanks

Also interested in this how other people are doing this and what Symantec best practice is.

Because for the most part, now that DS is a part of CMS, software delivery is ... separate.

So, for the sake of discussion, let's just assume we're talking about CMS as a single product, which includes SWD, Inventory, DS, PCA, etc.

First, we do recognize the paradigm shift from 6.9, though we can do essentially the same thing.  The biggest problem we have currently is the whole TASK concept which, as you mentioned above, and as DS 6.9 did, doesn't verify installation statuses.  It fails, or succeeds, and that's that.

So, as a part of this paradigm shift, you get something better, but a little trickier, to manage.  You get SWD policies.  Along with a Task, these can be very powerful.  Several white papers on SWD Best Practices have been written and submitted to Connect, so I'll not even attempt to redo that here, but consider the following as only a decent suggestion.  The company hasn't really created a "Best practice" around what you're asking, but I think the following is a good place to start.

Create an imaging task, with a SWD task in it.  Currently, this is broken (licensing prevents it) but the company is frantically trying to fix it, and as soon as it's fixed, this is where you should go.  For now though, you'll have to make 2 tasks.  But let's just pretend for this discussion you don't have to.

So, again, you make an imaging task that reboots to production, then runs a configuration, and then runs a SWD job.  You could make some intelligence at this point that, based on position or something, calls a different job for a different set of software, but that's all up to you.  We'll just assume it's a job filled with a set of SWD tasks.

These tasks would include things like MS Office possibly with a custom MST for what apps that department needs, or other apps.  Maybe, the last task in the job is a full software inventory task, so you can report up to the NS everything on the system.  Hopefully, once done, you are in the same boat you were in with a DS 6.9 job, with the computer up and ready to use.

Along with this moderately complext task, you set up policies based on inventory (which you just collected) to ensure certain software types are installed.  SQL is very flexible, so you make the filters either based on AD departments, or location, or whatever.  The filters serve three puposes: 1) to ensure the software for that department was in fact installed (maybe one was missing from the task), 2) to ensure the software stays installed (since our customers never modify their systems) and 3) for reporting purposes, to show management what is, in fact, installed.  Over the course of a couple of days, all the stuff a person needs is trickled down to them if in fact it was missed up front.

Finally, you create reports based on daily inventory that shows the statuses and licensing of your software utilization.

OK - that's very vague, and I'm sure that several companies have better suggestions than this based on size, or demand, or corporate structure, but the ultimate goal of the DS integration into the console was to leverage these other applications.  DS inventory was only so-so, and the software installation processes was really really basic (pretty much what the DS copy-file task is today).  SWD with conditions and full-scale inventory with NS offers a lot more than you had then.  And don't forget patching, and the software portal!

Good luck all!

Hopefully I can add my question to this post.  I guess if I don't hear anything then I'll start a new topic. 

This is in DS 7.1.  Anyway, I can see how to run a task and essentially enter msiexec /i and so forth to run a task from a UNC.  However, my question right now is how to deploy a software package from something that I imported into the software catalog.  Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree but I cannot see how to take these packages from the catalog and turn them into a job or a task and then group the software packages together into one big install.  I'm looking under samples and I don't see anything there either.  Maybe I missed something on the 7.1 install?

Hopefully someone can shed some light on as to what I'm doing wrong.  I've used Altiris since the 5.X days but 7 is really throwing me for a loop.  I've looked around for some basic documentation on deploying software (software - not images) and there doesn't seem to be that much.

Thanks in advance.

James

Actions > Quick Delivery task

When I right click I don't see this option.  Maybe I'm in the wrong area?  Here's a screenshot:

If I create a task, this seems to run just fine doing a quick run or using a schedule.  See screenshot below for this one.  My main question is I'm failing to see what the purpose of the software catalog is other than for keeping track of inventory.  How do jobs get deployed from the software catalog?  If there is supposed to be a quick run task option, I'm not seeing it or I'm in the completely wrong area.

In my mind, in the Jobs/Task sections, I should be able to right click and add software that I've previously added to the catalog to one of my Job folders like what is shown below: