Software Management Group

My company is currently migrating from Altiris Deployment Console 6.9 to Notification Server 7.5. Most software packages have been migrated to the new environment although I'm not sure how to import these couple of software packages still remaining.

These MSI packages have installation parameters that are unique for each installation. In deployment console an helpdesk operator would manually set these MSI parameters in the console and then push the package.

What is the best way to configure this in notification server?

Based on the limited information, I can only offer basic options and most of those are not well suited for this type of deployment.

Managed Delivery and Quick Delivery both depend on the package having the required install command already defined. I don't know how feasible it would be to create a new install command for the package but if you did that, you could select it when doing a quick deploy task. Not the best option in my opinion

You could create a "dummy" command line that really doesn't do anything when you create the package. You could then setup a Job to deploy the software as the first task and have a second task that the support staff could modify on the fly. This would be a little more work on your end but would give support the same process when deploying.

What is the possibility of doing a network install of these applications? Put it in your software library so that it replicates to all of your site servers. You could then use a task with a TOKEN that points to the site servers and command line it.

One more option that I thought off.

What’s the possibility of scripting the install to look at a centrally located answer file? Support could then update the answer file and then deploy.<u1:p></u1:p>

This is an extension to JSpur's suggestion about the dummy command line and second task. I'll include a picture but basically its:

1. Create Quick Delivery with everything except a Command Line.

2. Create a script task that is the exact command line you want. In the part of the commandline where you have unique info instead enter %!unique value!%.

My example script task is one line:

msiexec.exe /i "pcAnywhere Launcher.msi" PIDKEY=%!unique value!%

3. Put these tasks in a job, Quick Delivery first. The %!value!% triggers Altiris to remove Quick Run and add an input box to the New Schedule window at the bottom.

Edit: You will of course have to do a little more than just the 1 line in the script as my example will run the script from a different working directory than where the msi is downloaded to. Example was just to demonstrate %!value!%.