[gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for us....

  • From: "Darren Mar-Elia" <darren@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 08:55:58 -0600

What re-deploy does is tell clients that they need to re-run the MSI install
in "repair" mode. So, essentially the client re-runs the MSI but uses the
updated bits to update the client's copy. 

 

You can't deploy .MSPs directly using GP.

 

 

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Matt Walker
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 8:41 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

OK, I'm getting there.

 

Now, in patching the distribution point, you would then use the command line
from the whitepaper, I guess.  The thing I don't understand is that this
command line patches the administrative image of the original .msi.  When
the initial deployment is set up, you point to the .msi so I'm lost as to
how then the actual redeploy would work.  What is redeployed, the .msi or
the patched administrative image?

 

I thought I read some where that you could simply deploy .msp's via Group
Policy, but I guess I'm mistaken.

 

 

Matt Walker
Installation Development
Synergis Software
472 California Road | Quakertown, PA 18951
Phone: 215.529.9900, x192 | 800.836.5440 
Fax:    215.536.9249
 <http://www.synergis-adept.com/> www.synergis-adept.com 

Simple, Powerful Document Management

 

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From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darren Mar-Elia
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:35 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

What the approach is, and I think I mention this in the whitepaper, is that
you patch the distribution point using msiexec, then issue a re-deploy on
the package in GPO. This tells the clients to essentially "repair" the
package, and they thus pick up the new bits. 

 

Darren

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Matt Walker
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 8:20 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

How do you mean apply the patch with msiexec? Is the patched pushed through
Group policy and kicked off or is there something that has to be done at
each workstation?

 

 

Matt Walker
Installation Development
Synergis Software
472 California Road | Quakertown, PA 18951
Phone: 215.529.9900, x192 | 800.836.5440 
Fax:    215.536.9249
 <http://www.synergis-adept.com/> www.synergis-adept.com 

Simple, Powerful Document Management

 

This message (and any associated files) is intended only for the use of the
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From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darren Mar-Elia
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:18 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

Yes. You have to use msiexec to apply the patch to your distribution point,
but it will work that way.

 

Darren

 

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Matt Walker
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 7:34 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

Ah, so if I deploy an .msi then need to patch, Group Policy can handle just
using the .msp file and get that to the Clients?

 

 

Matt Walker
Installation Development
Synergis Software
472 California Road | Quakertown, PA 18951
Phone: 215.529.9900, x192 | 800.836.5440 
Fax:    215.536.9249
 <http://www.synergis-adept.com/> www.synergis-adept.com 

Simple, Powerful Document Management

 

This message (and any associated files) is intended only for the use of the
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From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darren Mar-Elia
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 7:19 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

Matt-

I will answer the automated updating question first. You could schedule this
using this, for example, a script that ran through Task Scheduler that
issued a reboot across your workstations, since that would trigger the
install.

 

In terms of admin installs and patching, the examples in the whitepaper are
based on products like Office, which support the notion of an administrative
install and also support .MSP patching. .MSP files generally need to be
applied to an administrative install, rather than a regular install, to be
picked up correctly by the clients. However, your own package probably does
not need to worry about this, assuming you patch your files using .MSP. 

 

Darren

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Matt Walker
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 2:01 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

I see in the whitepaper a mention of Windows Installer administrative
install (/a).  Is this always necessary?  Is it something that is done
through normal GPO deployment or is this a manual step?

 

In the whitepaper, it is mentioned in the contact of patching a previously
deployed package, which may occur in our scenario.  In following the paper,
I point to the .msi for the initial deployment with no mention of the admin.
install at that time.  I'm just not sure how to do the patching if the /a
option was not used for initial deployment.  I'm just a little confused with
this part (so far).

 

  _____  

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Nelson, Jamie R
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 2:47 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

Updating will always require some kind of administrator involvement
regardless of what deployment method you use (unless of course you actually
design an auto-update feature that is specific to your application).
Scheduling, as previous mentioned, is not possible because your computer
assigned software installation policy will always be dependent on a reboot
of the machine.

 

Jamie Nelson | Systems Engineer | Systems Support, Information Technology |
I N T E G R I S Health | Phone 405.552.0903 | Fax 405.553.5687 |
<http://www.integrisok.com/> http://www.integrisok.com

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Matt Walker
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 1:27 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Determining if Group Policy Deployment is right for
us....

 

Also, what are the limitations of Group Policy with regard to scheduling,
auto updating, and reporting?  I've read that these cannot be done or are of
limited functionality.  For updating, how automated can it be?  Does there
always have to be Administrator involvement?

 

Any further information appreciated!

 

Thanks much!!

 

 

Matt Walker
Installation Development
Synergis Software
472 California Road | Quakertown, PA 18951
Phone: 215.529.9900, x192 | 800.836.5440 
Fax:    215.536.9249
 <http://www.synergis-adept.com/> www.synergis-adept.com 

Simple, Powerful Document Management

 

This message (and any associated files) is intended only for the use of the
individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information
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