Using Systems Management Server to Distribute Software

Deploying Windows 2000 is much simpler when you use automated installation However, there are still many tasks involved when you apply automated procedures to multiple servers and client computers throughout your organization. These tasks include:

• Selecting computers that are equipped for Windows 2000 and that you are ready to support.

• Distributing Windows 2000 source files to all sites, including remote sites and sites without technical support staff.

• Monitoring the distribution to all sites.

• Securely providing enough operating system rights to do the upgrade.

• Automatically initiating the installation of the software package with the possibility of allowing the user to control the timing.

• Resolving problems related to the distributions or installations.

• Reporting on the rate and success of deployment.

Systems Management Server can help you with all these tasks. The primary tasks involved in deploying Windows 2000 with SMS are illustrated in Figure 14.1.

Figure 14.1 Deploying Windows 2000 with SMS

SMS provides tools for upgrading your current computers but not for the installation of new computers that do not have an operating system already installed. To use SMS software distribution, you must install SMS client components on the destination computers. These SMS components require that the computer has a properly configured operating system.

Note

The phrase "SMS client" refers to all destination computers regardless of their function.

However, you can use your current SMS clients to initiate the installation of Windows 2000 into a new directory hierarchy or disk partition. In this situation, the Windows 2000 installation is a clean installation rather than an upgrade.

Note

You can also use SMS to help you with other Windows 2000 deployment activities. For more information about using SMS in your Windows 2000 deployment, see "Using Systems Management Server to Analyze Your Network Infrastructure" in this book.