Distributing Software with Altiris Deployment Server

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Distributing Software with Altiris Deployment
Server

• Joe Katz
• Katz Computer Service

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Software Distribution

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• This program dramatically simplifies and speeds
  up the process of installing new software,
  updates, registry changes, and new files
• It creates a self-contained executable file
  called a RapidInstall Package (RIP) that can be
  quickly distributed to target PCs anywhere in the
  organization

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What Can RIPs Do?

• Here are just a few of the tasks you can complete
  with RIPs
• Install new software
• Apply software upgrades, updates, and patches
• Deploy custom file system and registry changes
• Help disconnected users
• Incrementally backup user data
• Deploy new printer configuration or print queue
• Deploy changes across platforms
• Undo changes made by a RIP

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Ideas for Deploying RIPs

• You can distribute RIPs to end users in a number
  of different ways
• Deploy to groups of PCs using an Altiris console
• Attach to an email
• Put on a CD-ROM
• Add to an FTP or Web site for download
• Run from a login script
• Store on a shared device (file server or shared
  folder)
• Distribute on a Jaz or Zip drive or other
  removable media

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RapidInstall Packages

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• RIPs allow the user to add (or remove) new
  applications, files, directories, and
  configuration changes with the click of a mouse
• RIPs make all the changes to the target PC
  automatically, and in the exact manner as the
  initial installation
• Plus, installations are usually completed many
  times faster than the original application

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RapidInstall Packages

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• The simplest way to create a RIP is to establish
  a baseline (snapshot) of the PCs hard drive
• You then install the appropriate applications,
  files, and drivers or make any desired
  configuration or registry changes
• RapidInstall then makes another pass of the drive
  and creates a RIP file based on all of the
  changes made to the PC

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Baseline

• A baseline file is a snapshot of the baseline
  computers current registry and file
  configuration.
• A baseline computer is one that does not already
  have the applications or configuration changes
  you plan to put in a RIP.

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RapidInstall Packages

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• RIPs are operating system and some times hardware
  specific
• It is important to make a baseline from a
  computer that is similar to the computers on
  which the RIP will be used
• Best practices suggest making a RIP and testing
  it on a single computer before deploying it to an
  entire lab

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RapidInstall Packages

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• To set a baseline, use Universal Naming
  Convention (UNC) on a managed computer. The
  following will attach you to the Deployment
  Servers Express share.

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UNC to the Express Share

• To UNC to the Express share
• Login using your admin or sysop account.
• Double click on My Network Places.
• Type \\server name in the address bar
• For High School Servers the name will be
  \\W2KxxxxMC - xxxxschool number
• For Middle School servers the name will be
  \\W2KxxxxDC - xxxxschool number
• Double click on the express share.
• Double click on the Rinstall folder

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RapidInstall Packages

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• Double click on the RapidInstall.exe file
• You are not required to install the RapidInstall
  software on client

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RapidInstall Packages

• RapidInstall (RIPs)

• Select Create RIP and click the OK button.
• Accept the default Set baseline before creating
  RIP and click next.

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RapidInstall Packages

• Keep the default Baseline Directory.
• Name the Baseline
• Providing a Baseline Description is optional, but
  recommended.
• Click next.
• The process will take some time to complete as
  RapidInstall reads the entire hard drive and
  registry.

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RapidInstall Packages

• After the baseline has completed, cancel out of
  RapidInstall at the What applications do you
  want to install? screen
• Click yes to Do you want to save where you are
  in the wizard?

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Making Desired Changes to the Baseline

• Make the changes you want to capture for
  installation on another computer.
• For example, you can
• Install an application
• Customize a registry key
• Reconfigure a printer queue
• Install a software update
• Add a shortcut to the desktop
• When done, reboot the system

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RapidInstall Packages

• If RapidInstall does not display a screen on
  reboot, run RapidInstall as follows
• Double click on My Network Places.
• Type \\server name in the address bar
• For High School Servers the name will be
  \\W2KxxxxMC - xxxxschool number
• For Middle School servers the name will be
  \\W2KxxxxDC - xxxxschool number
• Double click on the express share.
• Double click on the Rinstall folder

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RapidInstall Packages

• At the Build Rip screen
• Accept the default RIP directory.
• Provide a name for the RIP.
• Provide a description of the RIP
• Leave the Resolve Dependencies box checked.
• Set any desired RIP options by clicking on the
  RIP Options button. RIP options are discussed
  later in this document.
• Click next and RapidInstall creates the RIP.

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RapidInstall Packages

• The RIP building process will take some time to
  complete as RapidInstall reads the entire hard
  drive and registry and compares it to the
  baseline.
• After RapidInstall has completed making the RIP,
  it is placed in the RInstall folder as an exe.

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RapidInstall Editor

• Allows you to see and make changes to the files
  and registry entries.

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RapidInstall Editor
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Deploying RIPs

• Rapid install packages are .exe files that can be
  deployed in various ways.
• From the Deployment Server console
• From a network share
• From a CD-ROM
• Via email

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Advanced Features

• Baseline Options and Filters
• Installation conditions
• RIP to MSI conversion
• Command Switches
• Conflict Checker

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Baseline Options and Filters

• Sometimes there are registries, files, and drives
  that dont need to be included in a baseline.
  Using the Set Baseline Options and Filters dialog
  boxes, you can specify entire Registry hives and
  drives that aren't required in the baseline. You
  can also get more specific and create lists of
  registries, files, and directories to filter out
  as RapidInstall creates the baseline.

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Install Conditions
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Advanced Install Conditions
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Tip

• Depending on how you have configured them, RIPs
  make extensive changes to a PC. Before
  distributing them to end users, you should test
  the RIP on a different, non-critical PC. Does it
  work the way you expected? Do the applications
  distributed by the RIP run normally?

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Tip

• Before setting a baseline, its a good idea to
  run a disk scan on the RIP-building computer.

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Tip

• Close all applications before running RIPs.
• Programs running in the background such as
  FastFind (which gets installed with MS Office)
  have been known to cause problems with RIP
  installation.

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Tip

• Ensure that the PC is a baseline system. Make
  sure the configuration changes or software
  programs you want to distribute are not already
  present on the PC. A good baseline system would
  be a lightly configured computer with a clean
• and fresh operating system installed.

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Tip

• When building RIPs on Windows NT, 2000 or XP,
  you need to be logged in as the administrator.

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Tip

• Before building the RIP, it is best to set the
  RIP to Reboot when done in the Options
• dialog box.

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Tip

• Before you build the RIP, and after you have
  installed applications, made registry
• changes, or other heavy configuration changes,
  reboot the PC. Some applications
• don't finalize settings until after a reboot,
  this ensures that all system files are
• refreshed.

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Tip

• While you can configure some RIPs to work on any
  Windows platform, as a general rule, RIPs created
  to run on a Windows 95 or 98 PC will not run
  correctly on a Windows NT PC (and vice versa).

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Tip

• If you have a mixture of Windows 95 A and
  Windows 95 B (OSR2) computers on your system, you
  should build the RIP on the lowest common
  denominator computer, or the earliest version of
  Windows.

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Tip

• If you see a File in Use message when building
  a RIP, shut down all programs and try again. Do
  not choose End Task on Explorer, System Tray, and
  RapidInstall.
• These programs must remain running.

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Tip

• Use caution when pre-configuring software. Once
  an application is configured, it generally
  becomes computer or user-specific. This is
  especially true of E-mail
• programs, office suites, network software, and
  software drivers. For this reason,
• avoid pre-configuring most software
  applications before building the RIP.

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Tip

• Use the RipUpdate utility included with
  RapidInstall to update RIPs that were created
  with a previous version of RapidInstall. RIPs
  that are not updated may not work properly with
  the Altiris Deployment Server or LabExpert
  console. Most RIPs can be updated to the new code
  changes with the RipUpdate utility.

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Tip

• Use the -a command line switch when deploying
  office suites with RapidInstall. Most office
  suites, by default, install settings to all users
  on the system. Executing a RIP with -a switch
  duplicates this behavior. For example, Office
  2000.exe -a. To add command line switches to
  RIPs that you deploy from the Altiris eXpress and
  LabExpert consoles, choose New Event gt Add gt
  Distribute RapidInstallPackage.

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Tip

• When working with very large RIP files (500MB or
  larger), it may take a little longer for the RIP
  to open and execute. If you are creating RIPs of
  this size, consider increasing the virtual memory
  space and registry quota space on the drive,
  especially when deploying large RIPs on Windows
  NT and Windows 2000.

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Questions

• Call 800-848-4515
• Email joekatz_at_katzcomputer.com

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Bill Gullion

• Thank you Bill for your collaboration on
  developing this presentation.