Welcome to ITFreeTraining video on software deployment using Group Policy.
Companies often have the need to manage software deployment.
Without a system for software deployment, software can only be deployed manually, a
process which is very time consuming.
In this video I will look at the theory and concepts you will need to be familiar with
before using Group Policy to deploy software in your organization.
In the next video I will then look at how to configure Group Policy
to deploy and manage software in your organization.
Many organizations will use a software deployment solution to install software.
Deployment solutions, such as Microsoft’s own System Center Configuration
Manager allow the administrator to deploy software and perform other tasks like inventory
computers.
If you do not want to spend money on a deployment solution you can use Group Policy to deploy
software.
When choosing which software deployment solution to use, it is important you choose
one that allows software to be installed without user interaction.
It should manage the software through all parts of its life cycle.
That is - it should, install, update and remove
the application as required by the company’s needs.
The system used to deploy Group Policy is called Group Policy Software Installation
or GPSI.
Group Policy provides the basic infrastructure to allow you to manage software in your organization.
Using Group Policy Software Installation requires no additional software other than having a
domain infrastructure.
Software can be deployed per computer or user.
Depending on whether you are deploying the software for the user or the computer there
are different options available.
This brings us to the next topic I will be covering in
this video - Publishing and assigning applications in Group Policy.
When you configure Group Policy to deploy software, the first decision that will need
to make is if the software should be published or assigned.
I will start with publishing an application as this has the least amount
of options and thus it is the easiest to understand.
Publishing software is only available to the user.
You cannot publish an application to a computer or group of computers.
Publishing software does not install the software on
the computer but gives the user the choice to install it.
To install the software, the user needs to install the software via the Control Panel.
Publishing is a good option if you have a large number of software titles that you want
a user to have access to when they need to.
Since publishing is hidden away in the control panel, this does not clutter up the users
start menu with software that they will never use.
It is also possible to have the software installed automatically when the user opens a document
associated with that software.
For example, the extension used for a word document could
be associated with the Microsoft Office install.
When the user attempts to open the Word document, Windows will automatically install Microsoft
Office.
Since the user makes the decision to install the software, they also have the option to
uninstall the software.
Publishing software essentially gives the user the power to install
or uninstall software at will.
The second choice you can choose when deploying software is assigning.
Unlike publishing software, assigning can be done for both the user and
the computer.
First I will look at assigning to the computer.
When software is assigned to the computer, it is automatically installed on the computer
when the computer starts up.
This means that any user that logs into that computer will
have that software available to them.
Since the software is already installed, the option to have the software installed by associating
a file extension with that software is not available.
Lastly, when assigning software to a computer, the user will not have the authorization to
uninstall it.
Assigning software to the computer is basically forcing the user to have the
software; they do not have a choice.
The last choice you have when installing software is to assign it to a user or users.
When software is assigned to the user, the software can
be installed in one of two ways.
First it can be configured to be installed automatically
when the user logs in.
This means regardless of which computer the user logs into the domain
with, when they log into this computer the software assigned to that user will automatically
install.
The next way that software can be installed is via a shortcut, usually found
in the start menu or the desktop.
When the user launches the shortcut the application
will automatically be installed.
Assigned software can also be installed automatically when a document for that application is opened.
For example, Microsoft Office could be installed automatically when the user attempts to open
a Microsoft Word document.
If the user does decide they do not want the software, they can uninstall it.
Just remember if you configure the option to install on
login, the software will be installed next time the user logs in.
The last point to cover with the different deployment options is a Zap file.
A Zap file will be covered in more detail later on in
this video.
If you have old software that does not support the modern way of installing
software a script called a Zap file can be associated with the install to install the
software.
The modern way to install software is using the Windows Installer.
The Windows Installer provides a standardized way to install software.
With a standardized way to install software there is also standardized file formats.
The first file format is the MSI format.
The MSI format contains all the files and configurations
for the application.
MSI files define the features that are available in the application
and also additional information like which shortcuts should be created where.
It is essentially a small database containing all the information
the Windows Installer will need to install the application.
When you install an application, you are able to choose the options you want setup to use.
In some cases there may be options you may want to configure but the setup does not always
give you the chance to choose these options.
When you deploy an application using an automated install system like Group Policy, the software
is installed without any user interaction, thus the default options are used.
use low level tools to modify the MSI package,
a transform file.
The transform file or MST
the MSI file when it is installed.
These include
directory and choosing which components to
to create these transform files.
For example,
Multiple MST files can be created with different
administrator choosing which MST file they
changes they are very small and required the
The next file is a patch file or MSP file.
packs.
If you can obtain an update in an MSP
after the MSI package has been installed.
the MSI is not already installed, you will
computer.
as such a large amount of software has been
to get an MSI file for your application you
The Zap file is a script that will install
There are some limitations to ZAP files and
First a ZAP file does not support elevation.
set of credentials to install the software.
to install the software.
This means that the
require administrator access.
In order to
enough access to install the software which
Software that uses a Zap file cannot be reinstalled
fails, Group Policy does not attempt to install
Policy simply runs the commands in the Zap
was successful or not.
do not support rollback.
If you deploy software
remove that software.
If you use a Zap file,
the software at a later date.
If the software
use this to remove the software, but there
Policy.
you need in order to start using Group Policy
look at how to start using Group Policy to
this video from IT Free Training, see you