How to Change all of Your Copy File and Install Software Tasks to UNC

You have two options to copy files and install packages to your client machines. You can either copy them using Deployment Server or directly from file source. Copying directly from file source has two advantages over copying them using Deployment Server.

1. Copying files using Deployment Server puts extra work load on your axengine, so copying directly will free your axengine to handle more client connections and respond more quickly to your clients.
2. Copying files directly from the source will transfer the file much faster than copying them through Deployment Server.

With that in mind, you will probably want to change all of your jobs to copy directly from file source. You will especially want to make the switch if you copy large files through Deployment Server.

To change all of your Copy File and Install Software tasks from copy using Deployment Server to copy directly from file source, follow these instructions:

1. Create a new task to act as a template with the credentials required to copy files directly
   
   1. Create a new "Copy File to" task
   2. For the "Source path" type "\\" followed by the name of your Deployment Server, followed by "\eXpress\express.exe". For example, \\AltirisDS\eXpress\express.exe
   3. For the "Destination path" type "."
   4. Click the Advanced button.
   5. Select "Copy directly from file source"
   6. Enter a user name that has Administrative privileges on the client computer and at least read access to the eXpress share, in the format DOMAIN\User.
   7. Enter the password of that user account.
   8. Re-enter the password of that user account.
   9. Click OK.
   10. Click Finish.
2. Run a SQL Query to copy the settings from the template task to the rest of your copy file and install software tasks.
   
   1. Open SQL Query analyzer or SQL Server Management Studio.
   2. Open a new SQL Query.
   3. In the database drop-down list, select your Deployment Server database name. The default name for your Deployment Server Database is "eXpress"
      
      

      Click to view.

   4. Paste the following into the Query window:
      

      DECLARE @share varchar( 255 )
      DECLARE @user varchar( 255 )
      DECLARE @password varchar( 255 )
      
      SELECT @share = substring ( local_file , 1 , len ( local_file ) - 12 ) FROM copyfile_task WHERE local_file LIKE '\\%\%\express.exe'
      SELECT @user = username FROM copyfile_task WHERE local_file LIKE '\\%\%\express.exe'
      SELECT @password = password FROM copyfile_task WHERE local_file LIKE '\\%\%\express.exe'
      
      UPDATE install_task SET install_file = @share + substring ( install_file , 2 , len( install_file ) - 1 ) , aclient_to_download = 1 , username = @user , password = @password , exec_username = @user , exec_password = @password WHERE aclient_to_download = 0 AND install_file LIKE '.\%'
      UPDATE copyfile_task SET local_file = @share + substring ( local_file , 2 , len( local_file ) - 1 ) , aclient_to_download = 1 , username = @user , password = @password WHERE aclient_to_download = 0 AND local_file LIKE '.\%'
      
      

3. Delete the task created during step 1.

If you ever want to change your jobs back to copy using Deployment Server, although it is highly recommended that you always use copy directly from file source, you can run this SQL Query against your Deployment Server Database:

UPDATE install_task SET install_file = '.\' + right ( install_file , len ( install_file ) - charindex ( '\' , install_file , charindex ( '\' , install_file , 3 ) + 1 ) ) , aclient_to_download = 0 , username = NULL , password = NULL , exec_username = NULL , exec_password = NULL WHERE aclient_to_download = 1 AND install_file LIKE '\\%\%'
UPDATE copyfile_task SET local_file = '.\' + right ( local_file , len ( local_file ) - charindex ( '\' , local_file , charindex ( '\' , local_file , 3 ) + 1 ) ) , aclient_to_download = 0 , username = NULL , password = NULL WHERE aclient_to_download = 1 AND local_file LIKE '\\%\%'