Symantec Management Platform (Notification Server)

Hi,

i an new to Altiris and have been exploring the Notification Server and its APIs for couple of weeks.

Recently i came across that there are also deployment server/solution APIs. I have tried to google but i am unable to draw a clear difference between two, notification server and deployment server. Specially which of them is better for package creation and why?

Thanks

Hi Umibau what is the version of deployment and notification server that you have installed? 

Regards

HI Torvic87

I dont have deployment server yet ... but i have symantec management platform 7.1 SP2 which has notification server and deploymetn solution 7.1. and i am using latest ASDK 2.0

Thanks

We use both Management Platform 7.1 SP1 and Deployment solution 6.9 SP4.

Deployment solution 6.9 is definately better for machine deployment and the application deployment does work with whatever you script.

Notification server's software management also works. we use this to enforce policy based application deployment. it gives you the ability to define upgrades of software and also prerequisite software. its got some nice checks it does automatically for you but its still got some serious pitfalls.

the people i've spoken to use a mix of both. either way you script your installs and logging in your own scripts and then can apply these to either to get the desired result.

DS6.9 is alot better in respect of GUI and alot more usable. but since we policy based software we dont really go in to the browser for the deployment of that anymore.

Notification server is the core about all the solutions and now is called symantec management platform 7.1 

In Symantec management platform You have Suits and Solutions Deployment 7.1 is a Client management Suit solution

In the Client management suit 7.1 now you have the deployment 7.1 like a integrated solution and this use Symantec management platform for manage and for other actions like send notifications and do others tasks.

the deployment solution 6.9 is installed separete like a console.

In conclusion now you have two versions

DS 7.1 integrated with symantec management platform(notification server)

DS 6.9 Installed like a windows console

thanks for all the feedback.

I do understand that deployment solution is now part of SMP but i am little confused about deployment server? when it comes in role? is it to be used with deployment solution only or can also be used like other site servers ...

From my experience till now and for my better understanding, I quote it something like below:

Deployment Server: Mainly used for OS Deployments rather than software installs.... However, in special cases we can use DS also for software install. Deployment Solution should be installed on a server to designate as Deployment Server and Deployment Console is used to work / manage OS Distributions and sometimes Software installs...

Yes, we can use only Deployment Server (Deployment Solution 6.9) without using Notification Server which is available directly as Deployment Solution 6.9...

However, if only Deployment Solution 7.1 is needed, we need to install only Altiris Client Management Suite (DS 7.1 is part of CMS) via SMP (SMP -> it is used only to manage solutions / suits you have installed)...

Notification Server now known as SMP: Is mainly used for planned / controlled / scheduled software distributions... SMP as said above, also includes many other solutions / suits that help you to manage your IT Infrastructure (Assets, Software Licensing, Mobile Management, Inventory, Patching / applying Software updates, etc...)

As said above NS is also known as SMP. However, SMP is kind of an application that manages suits / solutions installed.. In other words, Name SMP is used in two cases (to refer NS and to refer to an app that will help us to manage Solution / Suits)

Please feel free to pour in your thoughts / suggestions or correct me if I have missed something...

Hope this helps... :)

thanks every one for elaborating

i would just like to restate what you have said in context to what i am looking for

• deployment server with deployment solution 6.9 mainly for deploying os
• deployment solution can run with SMP (without deployment server)
• notification server preferred for managed and policy based software deliveries.

Please correct me if i have taken it wrong

thanks again

Hi Umibau,

for 2nd Point...

Machine on which we install Deployment Solution is known as Deployment Server... So it should be written as :

deployment solution can run with SMP (without notification server)

Please feel free to pour in your thoughts / suggestions or correct me if I have missed something... 

thanks every one for the feedback