Client Management Suite

We have been using Altiris for a number of years and when deploying software, we usually create a software package then deploy it via a task. When a package have been no longer needed, the tasks have quite often been deleted but the software packages themself remain taking space on the NS/Package servers.

What I would like to do is get a list of packages which are not linked to a task so that we can then go through and delete the ones which are no longer needed. I am assuming this is possible as if we try to delete a software package that still has a task, it blocks us and brings up the dependency report showing where it is used. Is it possible to do this across all of our packages?

Hey,

You could try this:

SELECT 
	pkg.[Guid] [PackageGuid]
	,pkg.[Name] [PackageName]
	 FROM dbo.vSoftwarePackage pkg
LEFT JOIN (select count(ir.ParentItemGuid) [PackageDeliveryItems], [ChildItemGuid] from vItemReference ir
                inner join NSInternal_ItemInstalled ii on ir.ParentItemGuid=ii.[Guid]
          where Hint = 'swdadvertisement uses swdpackage ' GROUP BY [ChildItemGuid])dl 
ON dl.[ChildItemGuid] = pkg.[Guid]
WHERE pkg.[Description] NOT LIKE 'Patch Management Software Update Package'
AND dl.[PackageDeliveryItems] IS NULL

When a package is linked to either a managed software delivery policy or a quick delivery task or a package delivery task, it is not shown in this list. So, this must be what you looked for.

Just a short information about unnecessary package(s) removal from NS, PS and client PC

1. To avoid unnecessary package file(s) keep on Package Server machine(s), you can use this setting on "Package Service Settings" page

"Delete package files if they are unused for: " " - Deletes package files on Package Server(s) if this package file isn't added in "Managed Delivery" policy or "Quick Delivery" task. Once you've deleted "Managed Delivery" policy / "Quick Delivery" task from SMP Console, then according to "Delete package files if they are unused for: " " setting, your Package Server(s) machine will delete affected package (files).

2. By default "Quick Delivery" task has "Delete package from client computer" after 1 week, so unnecessary packages aren't remaining on client PC storage and will be auto-deleted after 1 week.

3. For "Managed Delivery" policies you can set when to delete package file(s) on client computer who received "Managed Delivery" policy.

By default main "Managed Delivery" settings template has disabled "Delete Package From client computer:" option, otherwise every new created "Managed Delivery" policy will has package deletion option disabled until user manually will enable this option per each MD policy.

4. In case of manually package deletion from Notification Server via SMP Console controls, this package will also be deleted on package server machine(s) as soon as they will receive updated client policy.