Endpoint Protection

Hi Everyone
I want to deploy MS office 2007 in my organization having 400 PCs in LAN.PCs are on workgroup.So Installation via group Policy is not possible.
I am using Symantec endpoint as a virus solution.So the only way i have to install is via Push deployement.
I tried to install from it but on client side it gave me a window having following error
"setup controller error
options are
/admin         launch of customization tool
/adminfile   specify a customization patch or folder containing a customization patch
/config.xml   specify a config.xml file
/modify          enter maintenace mode for a product"



i have already customize office 2007.Generated MSP file is stored in updates folder of office 2007.

office 2007 have setup.exe file too

Now i explain my environment.do i need to customize Push deployement to enter above defined switches
 or what i need to do to deploy via Push Deployement.

you people immediate response will be highly appreciated.

Hi,

I don't know how to use our tool to deploy other software...
I think it is time to implement a Domain, you have 400 machines!
Eventually you can buy a product from Altiris.

Cheers,

I've never used Push Deployment to deploy anything other than SAV, but there may be other deployment options.  Can you setup a central shared folder for the installation files, then email the users a link to execute?

Okay I have to ask why are you running 400 machines with no domain that has to be a nightmare to administrate.   I helped a friend of mine out that had a small office with only a few machines and I made them set up a domain to make things easier.  

Step 1 should be setup a domain
Step 2. look into something to deploy software Altiris or Microsoft System Configuration Manager come to mind right off as being the best solutions.  I like those because you can easily schedule what time the deployment will happen and setup wake on lan to make sure all machines are on. 

Robstir is right you could email out a link for the users to execute but how do you ensure it happens? 

Well you people are abosolutely right.but it takes almost a week to join 400PCs to newly created domain
and i have to provide office 2007 on monday morning.Installation will be silent and remotely.So i feel better by finding a right solution at right time.

400 clients without a domain is a bad implementation, here is the result.
At this time I agree with Robstir. As Rick wrote you cannot be sure that they run the setup but... if they have the urgency of Office 2007, they will run it...

It works. By god it works.

Tried deploying the Setup to 20 VM's I'd setup earlier today, but at the expense of swamping the network with a flood of traffic. The 700MB file size literally brought down my test lan like a DOS attack! It flooded my network links by trying to simultaneously pushing the 700 MB data at once.....

I'd really recommend that you follow what Giuseppe, Rick and Robstir have said. Please consider making a domain environment for managing your computers, as it'l be a centralized source of management, administration and / or software deployment.

@Giuseppe.Axia: it there a way to help hussi w/o buying more product solutions? SEPM might be of other use since it has a powerful deloyment system.. it is like re-inventing SEPM to do other task thus making our money's worth more...
@Robstir: Nice solution, it is free...if they are going for the shared approach then the clients would be controlling the buck... means they would install it if they need it or in their most sweet time...

Is there a freeware or other proceedure that would automate this process?
Many thanks for all your good comments...

The Push Deployment tool is not designed to deploy Office 2007. I suggest you to use better tools like Symantec Altiris.

Hussi, I nominate you for Admin of the Year to be able to pull off managing 400 workgroup computers! 10 computers without a domain is like herding cats! In the bad old days, I did it with as many as 100 before NT4 was released and until we were able to get rid of our LANtastic legacy. But I can't imagine doing it with 400! That must be a record, at least these days. But even with a domain, you'd need add-on software because Office 2007 can't be installed by GPO (easily) (or with MS support).

Here are some home-brew ideas:

1. If the users run under elevated credentials (<shiver>400 workgroup computers with 400 admins...the stuff of IT nightmares!) use a script to drop a shortcut in their Start Menu's Startup folder, and use the Custom Install Wizard (or whatever they call it with Office 2007) to delete the shortcut after the install. Office will install as they log on. But if everyone logs on at the same time you'll probably run out of bandwidth. Maybe copy the Setup files to the local disks in advance, a few machines at a time, and install from the local copy.

2. If they don't run under elevated credentials, create a Scheduled Task that runs the setup program under elevated creds, and set it to delete itself after it runs. Randomizing the Start time would be a REAL good idea, or else use local copies. This can be scripted, and done remotely, with the SCHTASKS command.

3. Use PSEXEC to run the install on the workstations remotely, from a script. You could run several instances of the script to install as many at one time as you have bandwidth for.

I think I'd probably favor the PSEXEC solution myself.

@ Nel: Normally I am with you 100%. I never like to see companies who say you should buy this product of ours to accomplish this or that. And I am all for free software usually. However in this case Giuseppe is right on. You might be able to use the deployment feature of the SEPM to push out an install of Office but it was not made/meant for that. It is like saying you might be able to cut down a tree with a hatchet, but it is going to take you a full three days to do so.  As posted before it will most likely such lag down your network so bad you are going to wish you had thought up a better solution when managing that many computers. Again I hope someone comes up with a really good free solution, but pushing the installs out using the SEPM is a bad idea.

Grant-

@Jeff
Very useful suggestions here (+1). Of course for a short period.

@others
I'd like to know why my post, where I suggested to set a domain up and buy an Altiris product, was negativly voted... Hussi needs a long term solution as well, doesn't he? Can't I suggest an Altiris product in the Symantec forum? Does Hussi's company/customer have to save money? You see the results of saving too much.

My take, Giuseppe: Symantec employees suggesting Symantec products in a Symantec forum are probably unavoidably viewed as self-serving, and that's probably why non-Symantec employees would vote it down. Just like if I used this thread to promote my services as an IT consultant to bringing order to his chaos. (Hussi, PM me if you need my help...!) (JK, don't vote me down!)

Hussi does need a long-term solution, and an AD domain is his first and most important step. I don't think anyone here would disagree. If he has 400 seats, he should be able to justify buying one more computer for a DC. Or two for redundancy, unless the company is REALLY cheap. But hopefully he will be rewarded when he can cut his IT staffing budget by 10 as a result!

@Giuseppe.Axia:::: 
In a technical forum like this, where people look for solutions(Technical), why would you suggest another product!!(No worries am not rating you down for this)!! I accept the fact that you gave a long-time solution, But I would appreciate not to pitch for a sale here. Thank you!


@Hussi::

I would be really difficult to push the installation package to all of 400 comps(It is possible though) with the help of the push Wizard in a workgroup!!

May that you can try Logon scripts to install, but even that am not so sure if it would work on a workgroup!

My post was not a simple piece of advertising. It was a warning for Hussi that his discussion is off topic for two reasons:

1) deploying Office 2007 is not our business;
2) using the SEP deployment tool for something else maybe is possible and not illegal but he cannot expect help for this workaround from the company that sells a product designed for clients management. it sounds ingenuous, therefore I had to remember him that he is in the wrong place.

If I were a moderator I would delete this discussion, just to reduce the noice that is already high in this forum.

Anyway, it seems that this community is very open, good for Hussi.

I am somewhat in agreement with you. I don't think it is wrong for you to suggest one of our products, and it is certainly not our place to deploy Office software. I also don't think you should have gotten voted down for saying either one of these things. That is the point of having an open forum where people (including Symantec employees) can express themselves. But as far as deleting this post, no way. I definitely don't agree with that. I also don't agree with what you said about users can't expect a workaround from a company that sells a product designed for clients management. I say this especially since we are in a forum. I could see your point if a user had called in to support to make a case on this issue, but seeing as we are in a forum that is not only populated by Symantec employees then I think it is more than reasonable to expect help on this. I like the fact that I am able to participate in such an open forum that seeks out solutions for people regardless of whether or not it is a "Symantec" issue. Being somewhat of a moderator (at least I can delete posts), I can safely say that I have never and will not ever delete a post unless I feel something in it has the potential to harm someone elses computer or environment. Or if someone is blatantly attacking someone else ; )

Cheers
Grant

I am sorry but I don't agree with the second part of your post. This a free forum but it is always the Symantec forum, it is designed for the benefit of the Symantec community. Off topic discussions increase the noise, therefore decrease the quality of the forum. It is nice to help people but we should take care of the quality of this forum. Hussi should open a discussion in the Microsoft forum with the title "how to implement a domain in one week-end".
Regarding "users can't expect a workaround from a company that sells a product designed for clients management", in my opinion it is like a person that says to his baker "can you make your bread sweeter because your cookies are too expensive?". It does not sound good. Maybe someone will find a way to add the sugar on Hussi's bread but I am not so interested in doing it.

Talk Symantec when u are in symantec Forum

Giuseppe,

I find nothing wrong in making the bread sweeter if doing that satisfies a customer. Customer is wealth to us. They seek help from us because they have a believe in us. And, if we can help them, they are happy. It's okay if you are marked down. You are not losing anything. If you insist a customer for explaination, we will lose a great customer like him. I can understand your frustration, but do not show it. That's not good for Symantec's reputation, afterall we represent Symantec. Please leave this behind and get moving. :)

I proposed him a long term and professional solution from the company which he believes in and I did not ask him why he has not a domain, maybe he is just inheriting this architecture from another administrator, when someone else in this discussion strongly criticized him.
Why should we lose Hussi? Do I have frustration? Is it not good for Symantec's reputation? Just because I wrote that this discussion is off topic? You are exaggerating...
What Hussi is asking is nice, maybe it is possible to do it and I don't know how to do it, you wrote "The Push Deployment tool is not designed to deploy Office 2007. I suggest you to use better tools like Symantec Altiris." it means that you agree that a piece of bread is always a piece of bread and cannot becomes a cookie.
If we want this discussion "on topic", it should be moved to the section "Ideas". Maybe we can add the sugar... then people will start to ask the jam... and we will get again the coockie we already have.

Being a professional i will only say"criticism is the easiest thing we can do".
i also admit that i Post forum on wrong place.
but forum divert symantec attention that their product can also be use for other things.
Moreover i strongly believe that there must be some solution exist for deploying office 07 via push deployement which sooner or later i will dig out
at this time Jeff vendervoort advices which i marked as a solution.So please no more words game.no more replies to this forum.

i will try to be more Symantec specific on this plateform

Thanks