Help with deploying software
Hi all,
I have recently been experimenting with software deployment across a number of remote sites using Desktop Central and I was wondering if anyone has had success using it and could answer some questions for me? For now I would like to focus on just one domain/network just to keep things simple so here goes...
1. I am trying to deploy a basic configuration made up of various pieces of software (packages) which should be installed automatically to all machines inside of an OU if they do not have either the software at all or an out of date version. This is mainly for brand new builds from a fresh basic image of Windows 10, so when they are added to this OU that Desktop Central looks at, they should start to receive these installs almost immediately. I have managed to create such a configuration but it only seems to apply to all machines in that OU at the time of deployment and not after it has been deployed and in a state of 'Executed'. Is there something else I need to change to enable this to just 'scan' the OU for added machines and start the deployment process?
2. If I get the above working, what is the best way to update packages without overwriting the entire package or reinstalling over the top of ones that have already been deployed? I tried the 'pre-deployment' setting to check for software named 'X' and verison number is less than 'Y' to install, but with a blank machine it totally ignored that there was any package at all...? Have I gone about this in the wrong way entirely?
3. Eventually we would like to have the ability to place a basic version of windows into a repository, PXE boot to a machine in a 'lights out' environment and install a bunch of software automatically (e.g. Office 2013, Acrobat, VC Redistributables, notepad ++ etc...) can this be achieved? I understand that Office can be a bit troublesome to setup, should this be in a standalone configuration away from the other 'fiddly' bits that go along with most machine builds?
If anyone can help with their expertise on the subject that would be awesome as I am struggling with getting things that way I want things to work at the moment, as I am constantly thinking it should be like Software Deployment via a GPO but it doesn't seem to work quite as well....
Cheers!
I have recently been experimenting with software deployment across a number of remote sites using Desktop Central and I was wondering if anyone has had success using it and could answer some questions for me? For now I would like to focus on just one domain/network just to keep things simple so here goes...
1. I am trying to deploy a basic configuration made up of various pieces of software (packages) which should be installed automatically to all machines inside of an OU if they do not have either the software at all or an out of date version. This is mainly for brand new builds from a fresh basic image of Windows 10, so when they are added to this OU that Desktop Central looks at, they should start to receive these installs almost immediately. I have managed to create such a configuration but it only seems to apply to all machines in that OU at the time of deployment and not after it has been deployed and in a state of 'Executed'. Is there something else I need to change to enable this to just 'scan' the OU for added machines and start the deployment process?
2. If I get the above working, what is the best way to update packages without overwriting the entire package or reinstalling over the top of ones that have already been deployed? I tried the 'pre-deployment' setting to check for software named 'X' and verison number is less than 'Y' to install, but with a blank machine it totally ignored that there was any package at all...? Have I gone about this in the wrong way entirely?
3. Eventually we would like to have the ability to place a basic version of windows into a repository, PXE boot to a machine in a 'lights out' environment and install a bunch of software automatically (e.g. Office 2013, Acrobat, VC Redistributables, notepad ++ etc...) can this be achieved? I understand that Office can be a bit troublesome to setup, should this be in a standalone configuration away from the other 'fiddly' bits that go along with most machine builds?
If anyone can help with their expertise on the subject that would be awesome as I am struggling with getting things that way I want things to work at the moment, as I am constantly thinking it should be like Software Deployment via a GPO but it doesn't seem to work quite as well....
Cheers!