Section 5: Deploying your install package.
This is where the rubber meets the road with client updates (not definition updates). If you do NOT use SMS, Altris, or other client management software to deploy your updates, using SEPM is fairly robust (at least enough for me).
You can follow either of these two methods to actually deploy the client updates. You should read the Administration Guide (Chapter 5) for more information on updating clients.
Since we are at this point our SEPM servers already contain our client packages ready for deployment. Now how do we tell our clients to get their upgrades?
One of the easiest methods is to remain on the Admin/Install Packages window. There is a task for “Upgrade Groups with Package” (shown below) that will assign selected (or all) groups the package you just created. This is the best method to upgrade multiple groups at once.
This will kick the Upgrade Groups Wizard. Click next on the first screen that appears. The next window will allow you to select the install package you want to deploy. You will want to select the latest version and click next.
Next we specify the groups that the package will apply to. Remember to test the install on a pilot group before full deployment. The image below shows the group selection window. Click next after selecting your groups.
The next step is to select the package upgrade location (management server or other server) and your upgrade settings. Click the Upgrade settings button.
Under the Client Features you can either select to “Maintain existing client features when updating”, or select the features your organization requires. You may have updated this information in the first part of this article. (LINK) You can also schedule the upgrade time and provide notification (or not) to users of the upgrade happening.
Once you click next you are done. Your package has now been assigned to the respective groups and as they check into the SEPM they will begin to upgrade the client software.
We should have started by assigning the package to a specific group (please remember to pilot test upgrades) and let them run for a couple of days. I am going to assume you’re familiar with the windows at this point (many of them are repeats from previous windows).
Start this process by assigning the upgrade package to a test group. Open SEPM to the Client View. Under the “View Clients” select your pilot group for testing. Now click on the “Install Packages” tab in the main window. Once you get to this point look under tasks and you will see “Add Client Install Package” (shown below).
This will open the Add Client Install Package. Select the package you want this group to upgrade to, the features for this group, source, schedule and any notification options. Once you’ve set your options click Ok. When clients begin heart-beating into the SEPM they will begin to download their updates (as long as they fall within the scheduled time).
Now you might be asking… Jeff, in the first part of this article there was an option to change our client install settings. We never covered how clients use those new settings. Well, I’m glad you asked. I have only been able to use those setting when I export the installation package for deployment via SMS, Altris, GPO, or other deployment manner. If you go back to the Admin – Install Packages section you will find (under tasks) the “Export Client Install Package” option (shown below).
After clicking the Export Client Install Package, the “Export Package…” will open. As shown in the below image, you will need to provide the following items:
- Export folder:
- Create a single .exe package
- Choose your custom installation settings
- Choose your feature set
- Which policy/package you want to export (careful this will create an export for each checked item… it can add up quickly and will increase your time exporting installs)
- Do you want the install to add the clients to the selected group?
- Preferred Policy Mode
Provide that/those files to your desktop engineering team and they can deploy the upgrade to your workstations using whatever tool they desire.
I hope this helps someone/anyone. As always if you have questions, comments, feedback on this article (or anything SEP/SEPM) send me a private message or post a reply. I always try to respond in a timely manner.