Using Systems Management Server for Deployment

Systems Management Server helps you deploy Windows NT Workstation, or any software package, in the following ways.

• Systems Management Server inventories the computers on the network as the computers log on, at the specific time interval you set. The software and hardware detected on each computer is then listed in an SQL database. This means you can have an up-to-date inventory of the computers in your network at all times, without the expense and disruptions of a manual inventory.

• With Systems Management Server, you create SMS packages for the configurations that you want to install. Each package contains all the files and information required to install one or more configurations. Packages can be edited, stored, and re-used as often as needed. This means you can be sure that the same package you perfect in the lab and in pilot tests is used to deploy Windows NT Workstation throughout your production network.

• Query functions in Systems Management Server let you determine which computers meet the criteria for upgrade. You can also use any application that uses SQL to query the database that Systems Management Server creates.

• You can use queries to identify the computers that are not ready for Windows NT Workstation, and perform necessary hardware upgrades (or delete files to free required disk space) before the scheduled upgrade.

• Systems Management Server jobs deliver the package you created to the computers you specify. You can specify that Systems Management Server perform the installation on only the computers that meet the requirements of a query. Or, perform the query in a separate step, and create a Machine Group from the results of the query. Then send the job to the computers in that Machine Group.

• After deployment, you can quickly identify and correct any problems, using information from the job statistics produced by Systems Management Server , and the updated inventory.

• Systems Management Server help desk functions let your support staff provide on-the-spot assistance to your end users, without leaving their own desks.

Systems Management Server gives administrators of large networks an inventory of the computers on the network, which they can query to compile a list of the computers that are capable of running Windows NT Workstation 4.0. Systems Management Server also allows remote administration of utilities to prepare each computer for the installation or upgrade. Systems Management Server can then be used to create a package of installation procedures and a job to execute the package on each workstation with the ability to monitor and evaluate the process while it's carried out.

At this point, it is assumed you have defined your preferred client configurations and set up a LAN in the lab that simulates your production LAN. You should have at least one computer in the lab for each platform (x86, MIPS, Alpha, or PowerPC) you are using in your organization. If you have not already installed Systems Management Server, do so at this time, before proceeding with the lab tests.

Systems Management Server requires an NTFS partition and at least 100 MB of free disk space. You should allow at least 1 GB of disk space for the deployment of Windows NT Workstation. If you did not choose to have Setup convert a partition to NTFS, convert it before beginning the Systems Management Server Setup program. For more information on setting up Systems Management Server, refer to the Systems Management Server Administrator's Guide.

Use Systems Management Server to perform a test deployment in the lab. This involves the following steps, which are discussed in greater detail in the remainder of this chapter:

1. Copy the Windows NT Workstation 4.0 setup files, including any customization files, to a shared directory on the distribution server. This will be the distribution sharepoint.

2. Use Systems Management Server queries to determine which computers on the network can support Windows NT Workstation 4.0.

3. Create Machine Groups of these computers.

4. Create a Systems Management Server package to install Windows NT Workstation on the computers in the Machine Groups.

5. Create a Systems Management Server job to execute the package.

6. Monitor the Systems Management Server job status.

7. Evaluate distribution results.