In part 1 of Installing Altiris Deployment Solution 6.9 - Advanced Setup, we downloaded and installed Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP1, installed Microsoft IIS with ASP, downloaded and installed SQL Server 2005 Express Services with Advanced Services SP2, set the sa (systems administrator) password on the SQL Server, created a user account for Altiris, granted TCP Connections for Altiris, and granted the Altiris User Access to the SQL Database.
In part 2, we will complete the following:
• Download Deployment Solution 6.9 & Pre-boot Operating Systems
• Install Deployment Solution 6.9
• Grant access to an SQL User for remote connections to Altiris
• Test the Web Console
• Set up client access to the SQL Server and Altiris Express
• Remotely connect to the Deployment Console from a client
• Remove administrative rights from your Altiris user
Downloading Deployment Solution 6.9 & Pre-boot Operating Systems
Before you install Altiris Deployment Solution, you will want to make sure your IP address is set to what you will have it later because some applications (Boot disk creator, Agent installers, etc) will automatically enter that IP address in the future.
Downloading the Deployment Solution
Download Altiris_DeploymentSolutionWin_6_9.exe from Altiris', which is now Symantec's, website. http://www.symantec.com/business/products/downloads/index.jsp
(You will need to create an account first).
Click the "+" by "Infrastructure Operations".
Click "Trialware" under "Deployment Solutions" by "Deployment Solutions for Servers".
If you agree to the terms and conditions, click "I Agree".
Click "Download Now" under "Deployment Solution for Servers 6.9." Save the file to your computer. Download the next section too before you begin the installation process.
Downloading the Pre-boot Operating System
Then, click "Download Now" under "WinPE Automation Environments for DS 6.9" for the correct version (x86, x64, ia64). Save the file to your computer. You may download the Linux & FreeDOS versions in addition to or instead of WinPE 2.1.
Installing Deployment Solution 6.9
Run the file you downloaded, which should be "Altiris_DeploymentSolutionWin_6_9.exe".
Click "Extract & Execute App"
Click "Simple Install"
If you are the only support group that might be supporting the computers on all of your subnets, I would recommend selecting the PXE Server option. PXE servers allow you to boot clients to the network and they will automatically and directly connect to the PXE server and to the Altiris Server.
If you have multiple PXE servers on the subnets of the computers that you manage, you may not want to include the PXE Server option during installation. If multiple PXE servers exist on your subnets, you may still install the PXE server as long as you set up some IP helpers on your networking devices or the other option would be to setup all of the PXE servers on the subnets to use white lists. If you choose not to use a PXE server, you will need to use automation partitions (on boot disks, CDs, USB drives, or installer packages), which can be created in the Altiris Boot Disk Creator and works really well too.
Click "Install"
Click "Yes" if you agree.
Make sure to select "Create Deployment Share." You will need to obtain a license file and select it here unless you are doing a trial install.
Select "License file"
Browse to the license file you obtained from Altiris.
Type in the username for your Altiris user account (ex: "AltirisUser"), which needs administrative rights for the installation, and the respective password.
Click "Next"
You may choose "None" and install the Pre-boot OS later.
If you do install the Pre-boot OS now, you may use the Pre-boot OS that you can downloaded from Altiris or you will need to obtain copy of MS-DOS. (For MS-DOS, I use the Windows 98 CD - on a VM you can just mount the ISO).
Select the type of OS and the correct version, either "x86" or "x64" - these will be the type of systems you will be managing and imaging.
Browse to the WinPE version we downloaded from Altiris "Altiris_DS_Preboot_WinPE_2.1_x86.exe".
Click "OK" and then Click "Next"
You may install additional Pre-boot Operating Systems now. You may install them later too by going to the Boot Disk Manager.
You should see Deployment Web Console if you installed IIS correctly.
Click "Install"
Wait for it.
Select "Enable Microsoft Sysprep support" if you want to use it for hardware independent imaging with Altiris (You will need a copy of Windows Server 2003 for the newest version of Sysprep or you can use the Windows XP CD.)
Click "Next" or just click "Finish" if you chose not to Enable Microsoft Sysprep support.
Select the file from D:\Support\Tools\Deploy.cab
Click "Open"
You may select files for the x64 and ia64 version too if you plan to image those types of systems.
Click "Finish"
Testing the Web Console
You can test the Web Console (You had to previously install IIS before installing the Deployment Solution) by opening a web browser and typing "localhost/DSWeb/default.aspx". You should see the following:
Granting Access to an SQL User for Remote Connections to Altiris
In our environment, we are not on a domain and we want to have multiple people connected to the Altiris Deployment Console from various computers using ODBC connections. We will give access to an SQL user on the server and create an ODBC connection on the clients that will be accessing the Deployment Console.
Server Setup
Click on "Start" > "All Programs" > "Microsoft SQL Server 2005" > "SQL Server Management Studio Express".
Click on the "Security" folder.
Right-click on "Logins" and select "New Login".
Select "SQL Server authentication".
Type in the desired Login name: (ex: AltirisUser).
Click on the "User Mapping" page.
Check the box Map "eXpress".
Select the "db_datawriter" option.
Click "OK"
Client Setup to Access the SQL Server and Altiris Express
Click on "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Administrative Tools".
Double click "Data Sources (ODBC)".
Click "Add" in the User DSN tab (You could do this on the System DSN tab instead to have the data source available to all users on this computer).
Scroll to the bottom and select "SQL Server" and click "Finish".
Type in the name "Altiris eXpress Database".
Type in a description (ex: Altiris eXpress Database).
Type in the name of the SQL Server, which is usually the computer name of the server (ex: "altirisrvr").
Click "Next"
Select "With SQL Server authentication using a login ID and password entered by the user".
Type in the Login ID: (ex: "AltirisUser") (this is the user that you setup on the SQL Server earlier).
Type in the password.
Click "Next" (If you receive an error, you either entered some information incorrectly or you didn't setup the access rights to the server properly).
Select "Change the default database to:" and select "eXpress".
Click "Next"
Click "Finish"
Click "Test Data Source" to make sure it was setup properly.
You should see that the "TESTS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY!"
Click "OK"
Click "OK"
Remotely connect to the Deployment Console from a client
Before you remotely connect to the Altiris Deployment Console from a client, you should do a component install of the Console. To do this, you need access to the DS setup files. You could obtain these from the download we obtained early in the section. You will need to use the files that were extracted to the folder C:\DSSetup\. Then, you will need to run setup.exe. These files should still be on the server. You will somehow need to copy it to or access it from the client. I just make the folder a shared folder on the server, thus allowing my client to use the files.
You may need to give write access to the eXpress folder share to allow remote access for the clients. On the server, go to the C:\Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\.
Right-click on the "Deployment Server" folder and go to properties. On the security tab, give your Altiris User "write" access.
Share the DSSetup folder on the server
On the server, go to C:\ in my computer. Right-click on the DSSetup folder and select “Sharing and Security.”
Select “Share this folder” and click on the “Permissions” button.
Unselect “Read – Allow” for Everyone.
Click “Add”
Type in your altiris user name ( ex: “AltirisUser”) and click “Check Names”
Click “OK”
Click “OK”
Click “OK”
Map the Altiris Server on the client
Now, make sure you are on the client computer and click on “Start” > “Run”
Type the name of the server (ex: \\altirissrvr\).
Click "OK" (You may need to type in the username and password).
Install the Deployment Console Component on the client
Double-click the “DSSetup” folder
Double-click “Setup.exe”
Select “Component Install” and click “Install”
Click “Yes” if you agree
Type in the File server path (ex: “\\altirissrvr\”) and click “Next”
Select “Install an additional Deployment Console” and click “Next”
Select “On this computer” and click “Next”
Click “Install”
Click “Finish” (You may need to restart the computer now for everything to function properly).
Technically, instead of installing the component, you could just run express.exe directly from the server’s files share, but this may cause problems. Install the DS component for the correct and proper setup.
Removing Administrative Rights From Your Altiris User After Installation
Open Local Users and Groups by clicking "Start" > "Run", type "lusrmgr.msc", and press "Enter".
Right-click on the Altiris user you created earlier (ex: "AltirisUser") and select "Properties".
Click on the "Member Of" tab.
Select "Administrators" and click "Remove".
Click "OK"
Restart the Computer.
When you launch the Deployment console and if you are asked, "Do you want to keep blocking this program?" Make sure to unblock if the program name or publisher pertain to this Altiris Deployment Solution installation.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You finished installing and configuring DS 6.9! We downloaded and installed Deployment Solution 6.9 & pre-boot operating systems, granted access to an SQL user for remote connections to Altiris, tested the Altiris Deployment Web Console, set up client access to the SQL Server and Altiris Express, remotely connected to the Deployment Console from a Client, and removed administrative rights from your Altiris user. See Part 3 for additional setup.
Go to Part 1 of this article - Preparing to Install Altiris Deployment Solution 6.9 – Advanced Setup, Part 1: With SQL Server 2005 Express Advanced Services.
Go to Part 3 of this article - Configuring Altiris Deployment Solution 6.9 – Advanced Setup, Part 3: SQL Server 2005 Express AS.