Automating Deployment By Computer Make and Model

In this scenario, you are automating the deployment by the make and model of the target computers—that is, the names associated with the computers’ Make and Model properties. Automating deployment in this way allows you to configure property settings based on the make and model of the target computers.

For example, Woodgrove Bank defined a unique make and model combination for the computers within its organization. Then the bank associated property settings, packages, roles, and user accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group for each unique make and model combination.

Although you can configure the make and model database queries directly in the CustomSettings.ini file, the recommended method is to perform the customization by using Deployment Workbench. Doing so helps eliminate configuration errors and reduce the effort required to maintain the configuration.

To automate your deployment by using make and model

1. Identify the make and model combinations in your organization.

2. Create the make and model combinations and corresponding settings by using Deployment Workbench.

3. Configure CustomSettings.ini to perform the appropriate database queries by using Deployment Workbench.

On This Page

Identifying the Make and Model Combinations
Creating the Make and Model Combinations and Settings
Configuring CustomSettings.ini

Identifying the Make and Model Combinations

First, identify the make and model combinations in your organization and how you will use them to apply configuration settings to the target computers. The make and model combinations are based on the Make and Model properties of the target computers.

After you create the make and model combinations, specify configuration settings for properties for the computers that match them. These configuration settings are stored in the database and are retrieved by ZTIGather.wsf.

In addition to querying the locations directly by the make and model combination, you can associate a combination with a group of computers that performs a specific role by using the Role properties associated with the role within each location. Do so by configuring the Roles tab in the properties sheet of a make and model combination item in the Make and Model node in Deployment Workbench.

After you identify items in the Make and Model node, identify the configuration settings you want to associate with each item. Deployment Workbench allows you to associate the following with a make and model item (based on the tabs in the UI):

• Details. Configure specific properties to target computers that match the make and model.

• Applications. Configure the applications (defined in Deployment Workbench) to be deployed to the target computers that match the make and model.

• Packages. Configure the packages (defined in Deployment Workbench) to be deployed to the target computers that match the make and model.

• Roles. Configure the roles (defined in Deployment Workbench) to be associated with the target computers that match the make and model.

• Administrators. Configure the user accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers that match the make and model.

Creating the Make and Model Combinations and Settings

After you identify the make and model combinations and configuration settings for each combination, create the combinations and corresponding settings by using Deployment Workbench.

Perform the following steps for each make and model combination you identified in the previous section:

1. Start Deployment Workbench.

2. In the console tree, expand Deploy, expand Database, and then click Make and Model.

3. In the console tree, right-click Make and Model and then click New.

4. In the Properties dialog box, on the Identity tab, in the Make box, type make_name (where make_name is the user-friendly name to associate with the make of the manufacturer of the target computers).

5. Also on the Identity tab, in the Model box, type model_name (where model_name is the user-friendly name to associate with the model of the target computers).

6. Click the Details tab and then configure the appropriate property values that you identified earlier in the process.

7. Click the Applications tab and then configure the applications to install and the order of the application installations.

8. Click the Packages tab and then configure the packages to install and the order of the package installations.

9. Click the Roles tab and then configure the roles that you wish to associate with the computer.

10. Click the Administrators tab, configure the accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers, and then click OK.

Configuring CustomSettings.ini

Next, configure CustomSettings.ini to perform the appropriate database queries and set the properties that you configured for each make and model combination.

Perform the following steps for each deployment point that you want to configure:

1. Start Deployment Workbench.

2. In the console tree, expand Deploy and click Deployment Points.

3. In the details pane, right-click deployment_point and then click Configure DB (where deployment_point is the name of the deployment point you wish to configure).

   The Configure DB Wizard starts.

4. Complete the Configure DB Wizard by using the information in Table 11.

   Table 11. Completing the Configure DB Wizard for Make and Model Only

   On this wizard page	Purpose
   Select computer query options.	If you defined computer-related settings for the target computers, select or clear the appropriate check boxes. If you are not using computer-related queries, clear all the check boxes.
   Select role query options.	If you defined role-related settings for the target computers, select or clear the appropriate check boxes. If you are not using role-related queries, clear all the check boxes.
   Select location query options.	If you defined location-related settings for the target computers, select or clear the appropriate check boxes. If you are not using location-related queries, clear all the check boxes.
   Select make and model query options.	If you want to query for the settings you configured for each make and model earlier in the process, select the Query for model-specific settings check box. If you want to query for role-related settings that are associated with the make and model, select the Query for roles assigned to computers with this make and model check box. If you want to query for applications to be deployed to the target computers with the make and model, select the Query for applications to be installed on computers with this make and model check box. If you want to query for SMS packages to be deployed to the target computers with the make and model, select the Query for SMS packages to be installed on computers with this make and model check box. If you want to query for accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers with the make and model, select the Query for administrators to be assigned to machines with this make and model check box. Select or clear other check boxes as appropriate. If you are not using other computer query options, clear the other check boxes.

   Note   Each query check box that you select results in the ZTIGather.wsf script performing a corresponding database query and logging. Selecting unnecessary check boxes can increase the time required to deploy to a target computer.

Listing 9 illustrates the CustomSettings.ini file after completing the Configure DB Wizard and selecting only the options specified in Table 11.

Listing 9. CustomSettings.ini file After Completing the Configure DB Wizard

Note Some parts of the following code snippet have been displayed in multiple lines only for better readability. These should be entered in a single line.

[Settings]
Priority=MakeModelSettings, MakeModelPackages, MakeModelApplications,
MakeModelAdministrators, MakeModelRoles, Default
Properties=MyCustomProperty
[Default]
OSInstall=Y
ScanStateArgs=/v:5 /o /c
LoadStateArgs=/v:5 /c /lac
[MakeModelSettings]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelSettings
Parameters=Make, Model
[MakeModelPackages]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelPackages
Parameters=Make, Model
Order=Sequence
[MakeModelApplications]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelApplications
Parameters=Make, Model
Order=Sequence
[MakeModelAdministrators]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelAdministrators
Parameters=Make, Model
[MakeModelRoles]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelRoles
Parameters=Make, Model

Note   The [Default] section should typically be at the end of the list of sections in the Priority property.

The Configure DB Wizard configures the Priority property and creates the corresponding section in CustomSettings.ini. Table 12 lists the sections created and a brief description of purpose for each section.

Table 12. Sections Listed in Listing 9 and their Purpose

MakeModelSettings

MakeModelPackages

MakeModelApplications

MakeModelAdministrators

MakeModelRoles

For more information on the view and tables in the database managed by Deployment Workbench, see “Tables and Views in the Deployment Workbench Database” in Configuration Reference.

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