How to Configure a Software Deployment Process

  • Article

Applies To: System Center Service Manager 2010 SP1

In System Center Service Manager 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1), use the following procedure to define a process that your organization can use to approve a software deployment request that an end user initiates from the Self-Service Portal. Software packages are imported from Configuration Manager using other procedures; the process you create by using the following procedure allows the software deployment request to be approved.

End users submit change requests in the Self-Service Portal if they want to install software. After all the approval processes are completed successfully, the requested software is installed by Configuration Manager on the end user’s computer. You can define multiple software deployment processes for your organization to manage various software titles and suites and to apply different approval and implementation processes based on change request templates.

If you create a change request template for a custom review activity that requires line manager approval and the template is later linked to a software deployment process, the software request is automatically, although incorrectly, approved. This error only occurs when a Self-Service Portal user who is not a Service Manager user requests the software. Therefore, as a best practice, when you create a change request template, you must add specific reviewers. For more information about adding a change reviewer, see How to Add a Change Reviewer in the System Center Service Manager Operations Guide. This incorrect approval condition has been corrected in Service Manager 2010 Service Pack 1.

Note

Although you can base a software deployment process on your own custom change request template, Service Manager does not correctly display the change request template name in the Software Deployment Process list. However, the software deployment process still functions correctly.

To create a software deployment process

  1. In the Service Manager console, click Administration.

  2. In the Administration pane, expand Portal, and then click Software Deployment Process.

  3. In the Software Deployment Process pane, click Create.

  4. In the General section in the Name box, type the name of the process you want to create. For example, type Standard Microsoft Office Software Request Process.

  5. In the Description box, type a description of the process. For example, type Use this process to approve and deploy Microsoft Office software to end users.

  6. In the Process section under Create a software deployment process, click Select to open the Select objects list, and then view the list of available software packages.

  7. In the list, select a software package, click Add, and then click OK.

  8. Under Templates, select a template to apply to the software deployment process, and then click OK to save and close the form.

Did you find this information helpful? Please send your suggestions and comments about System Center Service Manager documentation to scsmdocs@microsoft.com.