Software Deployment Best Practices

By Author: Jasmine
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The following are the best practices for deploying software with mcse 2008 exam Group Policy:
Assign or publish just once per GPO A Windows Installer package should be assigned or published no more than once in the same GPO. For example, if you
assign Office to the computers affected by a GPO, then do not assign or publish it to users affected by the GPO.
Assign or publish close to the root in the Active Directory hierarchy Because Group Policy settings apply by default to child Active Directory
containers, it is efficient to assign or publish by linking a GPO to a parent OU or domain. Use security descriptors—access control entries (ACEs)—on the GPO for finer control over who receives the software.
Make sure Windows Installer packages include modifications before they are published or assigned Remember that modifications are applied to packages at the time of assignment or publication. Therefore, you should make sure the Modifications tab in the Properties dialog box for the package is set up as you intend before you click OK. If you neglect ...
... to do this and assign or publish a modified package before you have completely configured it, you must either remove the software and republish or reassign it or upgrade the software with a completely modified version.
Specify application categories for your organization It's easier for mcse training users to find an application in Add Or Remove Programs in Control Panel when you use
categories.
Take advantage of authoring tools Developers familiar with the files, registry entries, and other requirements for an application to work properly can author native Windows Installer packages using tools available from various software vendors.
Repackage existing software You can use commercially available tools to create Windows Installer packages for software that does not include natively
authored .msi files. These work by comparing a computer's state before and after installation. For best results, install on a computer free of other application software.
Set properties for the GPO to provide widely scoped control This spares administrative keystrokes when assigning or publishing a large number of packages with similar properties in a single GPO—for example, when all the software is published and it all comes from the same SDP.
Set properties for the Windows Installer package to provide fine control Use the package properties for assigning or publishing a single package.
Know when to use Group Policy Software Installation and Systems Management Server (SMS) Use Group Policy Software Installation for simple software installation and deployment scenarios. Use SMS when scheduling, inventory, reporting, status, and support for installation across a wide
Network+ certification area network (WAN) is required.