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Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL

Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL. Michel Jouvin LAL, Orsay Jouvin@lal.in2p3.fr. Outlines. OS unattended installation strategy Software maintenance through SMS W2000 IntelliMirror technology and tools Evolution of application deployment strategy. Situation 1 year ago.

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Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL

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  1. Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL Michel Jouvin LAL, Orsay Jouvin@lal.in2p3.fr Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  2. Outlines • OS unattended installation strategy • Software maintenance through SMS • W2000 IntelliMirror technology and tools • Evolution of application deployment strategy Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  3. Situation 1 year ago • 100 Windows PCs with 25 more/year • 80% NT • New in 2 waves : 2x10 in 2 weeks • 2,5 FTE to install and maintain • Possible to deal with installation and support with a reasonable response time • Impossible to upgrade OS or applications widely Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  4. NT4 Installation Options • Cloning considered but not chosen • Post cloning work (SID, drivers…) • Difficulty to update the master disk • Network-based installation • Ability to run normal installer in silent mode when necessary (WNT, SP, IE5, Office…) • Almost no post-installation (and by script) • Cloning by application (sysdiff or equivalent) Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  5. W2000 Installation New Options • Remote Installation Services • Advanced cloning through network • Initial boot through DHCP/PXE • built-in in some PC or floppy • Some parts of the setup redone (SID, network) • Active Directory Group Policy • Ability to assign applications to computers • Allow unattended deployment of apps Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  6. NT4 Installation at LAL... • Network based installation • Create an entry for the new PC in a special file (UDF) defining its name and address • Boot a floppy (MSDOS) • Need a MSDOS driver for the ethernet adapter • Doesn’t work for notebooks with PCMCIA adapters • Enter Return at the end of text mode • Run a script for post-install actions • Actions needed to be done after first reboot Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  7. … NT4 Installation at LAL... • Apps installed during OS installation • SP, IE5, Office using installer in silent mode • MS Installer quite flexible in silent mode • Other apps by sysdiff packages (cloning at application level) • Works to install LPR printers • Occurs before end of OS config and first reboot • NT4 SP1 • Some post-install required after first reboot Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  8. … NT4 Installation at LAL • Easy to upgrade a package • Recreate with sysdiff or upgrade installer • 1 install : 1 hour through Ethernet 10 • No intervention required after the first 5 minutes, except Return at end of text mode • All PCs in the lab install by computing division Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  9. W2000 Installation at LAL • Currently, same method as NT4 • Only for OS • Considering RIS • More integrated with 2000 management • Ability to have the install done by the user • Configuration will be pre-staged in AD • Need to solve issues with auto-answer files • Ability to have a non DHCP configuration Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  10. Why SMS at LAL ? • Manpower problem for massive updates • Not solved by automated installation • Regular and controlled update required for some software • Anti-virus signatures, service packs... • SMS cost effective for us • Select through University • Automated inventory of our resources Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  11. SMS Current Configuration • Current configuration • 1 dedicated server for MSQL and SMS • 1 PII 450 - 9 Go - 256 Mo • SQL 7.0 and SMS 2.0SP2 • Installation experience • Easy and fairly quick to install Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  12. SMS Setup at LAL • Client installation at user login • Modification of user login script • Can be done automatically by SMS • At LAL, one common login script for everybody, except Administrator • Done at install time for new PCs • Hardware/Software inventory • Automatically done one a regular basis after client installation Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  13. SMS Software Distribution... • Define a group of target machines • SQL request or direct membership • Define a ‘batch’ for your package • Very easy if you have a package description for SMS (*.pdf or *.sms) • Not so hard if installer has a silent mode • Else repackaging needed • Ex : SMS Installer or MSI tools Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  14. ...SMS Software Distribution • Define a publication • Associates a group of machines and a batch • Several installation options • Use a privilege account or not • Install when a user is logged in or not • Reboot after install or not • Usage examples at LAL • Virus signatures update and NT SP installation Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  15. W2000 IntelliMirror... • Standard config defined by ‘group policies’ • Required software, configuration parameters (audit, DNS…) • Groups of users/computers(organizational unit) to apply the policy to • Security : installation through services • No privilege required by users • Several upgrade strategies • Direct upgrade ore remove before upgrade Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  16. ...W2000 IntelliMirror • Allows automatic installation of software • During boot when applied to computers • At login when applied to users • Group policies defined in Active Directory • Manageable from any computer in the domain • May apply several GPs to one machine (OU) • Flexible GP applicability : determined by ACL Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  17. Change in Installation Strategy • Apps install no longer related to OS install • Happens after end of OS (and AD) config • Works out of OS installation phase • Not so important if we have to install OS manually (notebooks) • Several GPs defined (base, physicist, testing…) • Possible only with MSI • Need tools to produce or tune MSI Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  18. MSI Tools : WinInstall LE • Standard tool in W2000 (server) • Light Edition of Veritas WinInstall • Application repackaging in MSI format • Almost impossible to edit a MSI after repackaging (ex: add a shortcut) • Application files outside MSI • Not able to produce MST for existing MSI • A non LE version (full featured) available Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  19. MSI Tools : Wise for Win Installer • MSI/MST Editor + Repackager • Compact MSI : application files inside MSI • SMS package definition for the MSI • Easy to edit MSI/MST files • Ex: add a shortcut • Cost : 600$ (Professional Edition) • Edition without repackaging less expansive Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  20. MSI Tools : InstallShield Tuner • MST creation/edition only • Impossible to edit MSI directly • No repackaging feature • Less features than in Wise • Nicer GUI but more difficult to use • Complementary tools available • Cost = 450$ Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  21. IntelliMirror and SMS... • Initial installation : IntelliMirror • Immediate installation • W2000 only (15% of LAL PCs) • Upgrade and maintenance : SMS preferred • Log of actions • Required for NT4 machines and OS SPs • Can occur without a PC reboot • GPs are applied at reboot only Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

  22. … IntelliMirror and SMS • Can be used in // with IntelliMirror • Use same MSI do distribute apps with SMS • GPs will detect if the application has already been installed through SMS Software Installation and Maintenance at LAL - JLab 2000

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