Chapter 2 Configuring Servers

Applies to: Forefront Server Security Management Console

Deployment jobs give administrators a way to deploy full installations, hotfixes, configuration templates, product activation keys, and license agreement numbers to managed servers.

For more information on managing deployment jobs, please consult the “Manage Jobs” chapter in the Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management Console User Guide.

In this chapter

Configuring your server

Create a deployment package

Configure the installed deployment job

Run a deployment job

Configuring your server

To create a deployment job you take the following two major steps:

1. First, you create a deployment package.

2. Then you configure the deployment job. The job can then be scheduled for a specific time or run on demand.

Create a deployment package

The steps below use a deployment package that consists of the Forefront Security installation image files or the hotfix installation file and the install parameters as configured by Forefront Server Security Management Console (FSSMC).

To create a deployment package

1. Under Job Management at screen left, click Packages.

2. In the Manage Packages work pane, click Add.

3. In the Add Package work pane, type a Package Name following your organization’s naming scheme.

   A package name may contain alphanumeric characters only.

   

4. In the File to Upload box, type the path to the installation .exe or .cab image, or click Browse to find it on your machine.

5. Click Add.

   Forefront Server Security Management Console uploads the installation files to its database. Depending on network speed and server usage, the upload time may vary. It may take several minutes if the upload is going through your local Web browser, or be even longer if you’re working from a remote computer.

6. In the Configure Installation Package work pane, complete all fields relevant to the package as shown below. For information about all the fields, refer to “To create a deployment package” in the Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management Console User Guide.

   

7. Click Finish to complete the package configuration.

   Forefront Server Security Management Console adds the new package to the Package Names list in the Manage Packages work pane.

Configure the installed deployment job

After you create the deployment package, you must configure the deployment job before you run it.

To configure the installed deployment job

1. Under Job Management at screen left, click Jobs.

2. In the Manage Jobs work pane, click Deployment Jobs, and then click Create.

   

3. In the Deployment Job work pane, type a name in the Job Name box.

   Job names may contain alphanumeric characters only.

   

4. In the Select Package section, select the package to be deployed from the list.

   If the package name does not show up in the field, click Add Package to browse for it.

5. In the Schedule Install section, schedule the installation:

   • Clear the check from Do not schedule.
   • Set the Start Date and Start Time.

   Note

   If you want to start the deployment job manually, leave the check in the Do not schedule box. In this case, if the job is not scheduled, you must run it manually, following the instructions in Run a deployment job.

6. In the E-mail Notification section, type the e-mail address of the person who should receive notice of success or failure of the deployment.

   Enter as many addresses as you want, one at a time. Use the Test button to make sure the address is correct.

7. Click Next to continue.

8. In the Assign Job work pane, select all the servers and server groups where the package will be deployed.

   

9. Click Finish.

   Forefront Server Security Management Console completes the job configuration and adds it to the Manage Jobs work pane in the Deployment Jobs section.

Run a deployment job

Note that when you run a deployment job, Microsoft Forefront Server Security Administrator must not be running on the target servers. If it is, the job will fail. If you have scheduled the job, it will run at the time you set. If not, you can run it at any time. Note that after an installation package or a hotfix is deployed to a remote server, the installation starts up automatically.

To run a deployment job

1.