SMS Software Distribution

1
SMS Software Distribution
2
Overview

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

3
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

4
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

5
How the Client Handles Software Distribution

• The client

Primary Site
Checks for new applications to run
1
Management Point
Runs the application according to how it is
configured at the site
2
CAP
Distribution Point
Sends its status back to the site
3
Advanced Client
Legacy Client
6
Administrative Tasks Involved in the Software
Distribution Process
Prepare the site
1
Create software distribution objects
2
Management Point
Distribution Point
SMS client runs software distribution
3
Advanced Client
Monitor software distribution
4
7
The Process of Configuring Site Settings in
Software Distribution
Prepare the site
1
Configuring the site settings includes four steps

Management Point
Distribution Point
SMS client runs software distribution Module 8,
Lesson 5
3
Advanced Client
8
The SMS Objects Used to Distribute Software
Prepare the site Content covered in Module 7,
Lesson 2 and 3
1
Create software distribution objects
2
Management Point
Distribution Point
Software distribution uses the following SMS
objects
SMS client runs software distribution Module 8,
Lesson 5
3

• Collections
• Packages
• Programs
• Advertisements

Advanced Client
Monitor software distribution Module 8, Lesson 6
4
9
The Monitoring Phase of Software Distribution
A best practice is to monitor the software
distribution once the process has begun
Create software distribution objects Module 8,
Lessons 1-4
2
Management Point
Distribution Point
SMS client runs software distribution
3
Advanced Client
Monitor software distribution
4
10
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

11
The Benefits of BITS, Delta Replication, and
Compression in Managing Network Performance
SMS manages network performance by

• 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

12
Guidelines for Configuring a Site System to Be a
Distribution Point
Guidelines

• 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

Management Point
CAP
Distribution Point
Legacy Client
Advanced Client
13
What Is a Distribution Point Group?
A distribution point group is a set of
distribution points that you can manage as a
single entity
Use it to
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
Distribution Point
Distribution Point
Distribution Point
14
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
Distribution Point
The Advanced Client can use it when
An advertised program needs to access a
distribution point or a share on a server other
than the distribution point
Advanced Client
15
Software Distribution Component Settings that
Administrators Typically Specify
Software Distribution component settings that
administrators typically specify on the Retry
Settings tab
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 number of retries for updating distribution
  points
• The number of retries for updating CAPs

16
Guidelines for Configuring the Software
Distribution Component

• Guidelines

• Increase the number of threads if you need to
  process multiple packages simultaneously, and
  when the site servers load and network bandwidth
  permit
• Change the Number of retries and the Retry delay
  settings to reflect the traffic on your network

17
Advertised Programs Client Agent Settings that
Administrators Typically Specify
Advertised Programs Client Agent settings that
administrators typically specify on the General
tab

• 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

• 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

18
How Software Distribution Objects Are Created
The software distribution object creation process
Collections Packages Programs Advertisements
1
2
3
4
19
What Is a Collection?
Computers running Windows XP
Computers with Office 2003 Installed
Microsoft Office
XP
20
What Do Packages and Programs Do?
21
What Are Advertisements?
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
Advertised programs are found in Control Panel
Add or Remove Programs Run Advertised Programs
22
How the Configuration of Software Distribution
Objects Is Verified
23
How the Distribution of Files on the Distribution
Point Is Verified
SMS Site Server
Package did not arrive
Software Distribution Points
24
The Relationship Between Packages and Programs
Packages must be created first
A program allows an application in a package to
be installed
Once package is created, then you create a program
Office 2003 Setup
25
How to Distribute Packages to Distribution Points
SMS Site Server
Distribution Point B

Distribution Point A
Office 2003 package to be distributed from
distribution points A and B
26
How the Client Runs Advertised 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

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
1
2
3
27
Locations of Software Distribution Log Files
Log files on the SMS server are found in
C\SMS\Logs
Advanced Client Log files are found in
Windir\System32\CCM\Logs
Legacy Client Log files are found in
Windir\MS\SMS\Logs