SMS Software Distribution

Overview  Explaining How SMS Distributes Software  Managing Distribution Points  Configuring Software Distribution and the Advertised Programs Client Agent

Explaining How SMS Distributes Software  The Benefits of SMS Software Distribution  How the Client Handles Software Distribution  Administrative Tasks Involved in the Software Distribution Process  The Process of Configuring Site Settings in Software Distribution  The SMS Objects Used to Distribute Software  The Monitoring Phase of Software Distribution

The Benefits of SMS Software Distribution SMS software distribution:  Eliminates the process of providing thousands of software compact discs to users, along with programs and instructions  Reduces user errors  Allows users to successfully run programs and install software without needing to know how to run these programs or which setup options are best for them  Allows you to centrally define and control how and when programs run on client computers

The client: Checks for new applications to run How the Client Handles Software Distribution Advanced ClientLegacy Client Distribution Point 1 1 Primary Site CAP Runs the application according to how it is configured at the site Sends its status back to the site Management Point

Administrative Tasks Involved in the Software Distribution Process Distribution Point Management Point Prepare the site 1 1 Create software distribution objects 2 2 SMS client runs software distribution 3 3 Advanced Client Monitor software distribution 4 4

SMS client runs software distribution Module 8, Lesson 5 SMS client runs software distribution Module 8, Lesson Advanced Client The Process of Configuring Site Settings in Software Distribution Prepare the site Distribution Point Management Point 1 1 Designate one or more servers as distribution points Configure the software distribution component Configure the Advertised Programs Client Agent Define the roaming boundaries, if applicable Designate one or more servers as distribution points Configure the software distribution component Configure the Advertised Programs Client Agent Define the roaming boundaries, if applicable Configuring the site settings includes four steps :

Distribution Point Management Point Prepare the site Content covered in Module 7, Lesson 2 and 3 Prepare the site Content covered in Module 7, Lesson 2 and SMS client runs software distribution Module 8, Lesson 5 SMS client runs software distribution Module 8, Lesson Advanced Client Monitor software distribution Module 8, Lesson 6 Monitor software distribution Module 8, Lesson The SMS Objects Used to Distribute Software Create software distribution objects 2 2 Software distribution uses the following SMS objects: Software distribution uses the following SMS objects: Collections Packages Programs Advertisements Collections Packages Programs Advertisements

Create software distribution objects Module 8, Lessons 1-4 SMS client runs software distribution The Monitoring Phase of Software Distribution Advanced Client Monitor software distribution 4 4 A best practice is to monitor the software distribution once the process has begun Distribution Point Management Point

Managing Distribution Points  The Benefits of BITS, Delta Replication, and Compression In Managing Network Performance  Guidelines for Configuring a Site System to Be a Distribution Point  What is a Distribution Point Group?  Demonstration: How to Configure a Distribution Point and a Distribution Point Group

SMS manages network performance by: The Benefits of BITS, Delta Replication, and Compression in Managing Network Performance Using BITS to provide checkpoint restart download of packages from distribution points to Advanced Clients Using delta replication to only send the updated package files that have changed since the last time the package was distributed Using compression to automatically compress package source files when it sends the package to other SMS sites Using BITS to provide checkpoint restart download of packages from distribution points to Advanced Clients Using delta replication to only send the updated package files that have changed since the last time the package was distributed Using compression to automatically compress package source files when it sends the package to other SMS sites

Guidelines: Guidelines for Configuring a Site System to Be a Distribution Point Configure all of the distribution points that you want to use at the preliminary stage of the process Specify a distribution point in close proximity to a group of clients Enable BITS on the distribution points that support Advanced Clients Designate protected distribution points Advanced Client Legacy Client CAP Management Point Distribution Point

Use it to: What Is a Distribution Point Group? A distribution point group is a set of distribution points that you can manage as a single entity Manage a group of distribution points in a similar manner, such as when you want to assign a package to several distribution points all at the same time Distribution Point

The Advanced Client can use it when: What Is the Advanced Client Network Access Account? The Advanced Client Network Access Account is a domain-level account that you can create for Advanced Clients An advertised program needs to access a distribution point or a share on a server other than the distribution point Distribution Point Advanced Client

Software Distribution component settings that administrators typically specify on the Retry Settings tab: The number of retries for updating distribution points The number of retries for updating CAPs The number of retries for updating distribution points The number of retries for updating CAPs Software Distribution component settings that administrators typically specify on the General tab: The drive on the site server on which compressed package files are stored The number of threads to allocate to package processing The user name and password for the Legacy Client Software Installation Account The user name and password for the Advanced Client Network Access Account The drive on the site server on which compressed package files are stored The number of threads to allocate to package processing The user name and password for the Legacy Client Software Installation Account The user name and password for the Advanced Client Network Access Account Software Distribution Component Settings that Administrators Typically Specify

Guidelines: Guidelines for Configuring the Software Distribution Component Increase the number of threads if you need to process multiple packages simultaneously, and when the site server’s load and network bandwidth permit Change the Number of retries and the Retry delay settings to reflect the traffic on your network Increase the number of threads if you need to process multiple packages simultaneously, and when the site server’s load and network bandwidth permit Change the Number of retries and the Retry delay settings to reflect the traffic on your network

Display a visual indicator when new advertisements are received Play a sound when new advertisements are received Provide a countdown and countdown length when scheduled programs are set to run Play countdown sounds when a scheduled program is about to run Show a status icon in the notification area for advertised programs Display a visual indicator when new advertisements are received Play a sound when new advertisements are received Provide a countdown and countdown length when scheduled programs are set to run Play countdown sounds when a scheduled program is about to run Show a status icon in the notification area for advertised programs Advertised Programs Client Agent Settings that Administrators Typically Specify Enable or disable the agent Whether you want Legacy Clients to be able to change agent settings Program or policy polling intervals For Advanced Clients, whether you want a new program notification icon to open Add or Remove Programs Enable or disable the agent Whether you want Legacy Clients to be able to change agent settings Program or policy polling intervals For Advanced Clients, whether you want a new program notification icon to open Add or Remove Programs Advertised Programs Client Agent settings that administrators typically specify on the General tab:

Collections Packages Programs Advertisements Collections Packages Programs Advertisements How Software Distribution Objects Are Created The software distribution object creation process: All Users Office Setup.exe

What Is a Collection? Computers running Windows XP Computers with Office 2003 Installed Microsoft ® Office XP

What Do Packages and Programs Do? A program allows a package to run on the client Office 2003 Setup Office 2003 A program allows a package to run on the client Office 2003 Setup Office 2003

What Are Advertisements? Advertised programs are found in Control Panel: Add or Remove Programs Run Advertised Programs An advertisement is an object configured by the site administrator on an SMS site, which in turn becomes a notification or a policy for the client

Look for them in SMS Administrator Console 1 1 Verification of programs and advertisements Setup.exe Look in C:\SMSPKGC$ 1 1 Use Report Viewer to see the All Collections report 2 2 Verification of packages Office 2003 Manually update collections 1 1 View the resources in the collection 2 2 Verification of collections Review the migration log for errors How the Configuration of Software Distribution Objects Is Verified

Office 2003 How the Distribution of Files on the Distribution Point Is Verified Software Distribution Points SMS Site Server Package did not arrive Office 2003

Office 2003 Setup Packages must be created first The Relationship Between Packages and Programs Once package is created, then you create a program A program allows an application in a package to be installed Office 2003

SMS Site Server How to Distribute Packages to Distribution Points Office 2003 package to be distributed from distribution points A and B Distribution Point A Distribution Point B

How the Client Runs Advertised Programs To manually run an advertised program: Click Start, and then click Control Panel In Control Panel, double-click Run Advertised Programs In the Run Advertised Programs dialog box, double-click the program you want to run You can also find advertised programs in Add or Remove Programs Click Start, and then click Control Panel In Control Panel, double-click Run Advertised Programs In the Run Advertised Programs dialog box, double-click the program you want to run You can also find advertised programs in Add or Remove Programs  SMS clients automatically run advertised programs that have mandatory assignments  Advertised programs that do not have mandatory assignments are run manually by the user

Locations of Software Distribution Log Files Log files on the SMS server are found in: %Windir%\System32\CCM\Logs C:\SMS\Logs Advanced Client Log files are found in: Legacy Client Log files are found in: %Windir%\MS\SMS\Logs