Deployment and Imaging Group

Hello

Can anyone help me how to install software or to do software deployment at the time of Image deployment.

While deploying image we need to deploy software package as well.

Anyone having idea about the same.

We build image jobs.  A single job containing other jobs and tasks.  

For example, 

1) Deploy Image task

2) reboot task

3) deploy application 1 task

4) deploy application 2 task

5) etc...

You can get as detailed as you want.  We had at one time lots of scripts that were running as well to return certain status codes and set conditional tasks to run as well.  If script exit code = X run this task, if exit code = y, run the other task.

If you are just starting out, keep it simple for now.

Like JeffCarlson listed we also do something similar. I have attached a screenshot of our most simple desktop image deployment. It is a job that contains a series of tasks, but also contains another job that runs another series of tasks.

Make sure that your post-image application deployment tasks are set to not "allow other tasks to run while running this task". It is a checkbox option in the Advanced section (Task Options tab) of each task you build. Otherwise tasks can sometimes fire out of the order you want them to run.

Similar to what JeffCarlson and tloenhorst have said, you can add the software deployment jobs after the image deployment one to install them one at a time.  You can either do this with a copy file task and installation script for each bit of software, or add the software to the software catalogue on the server and use a quick delivery task.

We've since started to do the quick delivery method or for most common software, using managed software deliveries using a software policy.  But if you are new to it - the job and tasks method works well to start with...

Building on above, we similarly do 

1) Deploy Image task

2) reboot task

3) deploy application 1 task

4) deploy application 2 task

5) etc...

However, we also build in a Gather HW/SW inventory task.  We didn't use to but then realized some machines that were imaged and not used didn't have any inventory info.

Also, the last task for us is always a system configuration task that adds machine to the domain (and puts it in the right OU).  This is a visual cue for the technicians that the image job completed successfully when machine is at the CTRL ALT DEL screen.

Good luck.

Hi CBZ9104,

Lots of good advice here. Do you need anymore help?