Contents
1. Overview
1.1. Summary
How to install NEXThink Collector across your organization via Group Policy.
1.2. More Information
This document assumes that you are a systems administrator with a basic understanding of the Windows operating system and deploying enterprise software, and that you are familiar with Group Policy and Active Directory.
1.3. Tested Environnement
The procedures in this document were tested in the following environments:
NEXThink Collector 3.2.0.53
Windows Server 2008 Standard
2. How To Create Group Policy
2.1. Prepare NEXThink Collector MSI
Before you can deploy NEXThink Collector using GPO, you must create a Microsoft Transform file (MST) to add additional parameters specific to your environment. See all Collector parameters MSI on this page: advanced/CollectorReferenceGuide
For adding a some properties (DRV_IP or DRV_PORT are mandatory properties),
Open the .msi file in Orca.(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa370557.aspx)
Go to the Transform menu and select New Transform.
Scroll down in the left pane and select Property.
Go to Tables menu and select Add Row to create a new one.
Note: You must create, by default, 2 rows for these supplementary fields DRV_IP and DRV_PORT
Go to the Transform menu and select Generate Transform.
It will ask you a path to save the MST file. Save MST files in a same directory where all Collector MSI are.
You will now select a distribution point for the package.
2.2. Create a distribution point
The second step in deploying a MSI through GPO is to create a distribution point on the publishing server. This can be done by following these steps:
- Log on to the server as an Administrator user
- Create a shared network folder (this folder will contain the MSI package)
- e.g: \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\
- Set permissions on this folder in order to allow access to the distribution package
- Copy MSI(s) in the shared folder
- e.g: \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\NEXThink_Collector_32bits.msi
- \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\NEXThink_Collector_64bits.msi
- \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\NEXThink_Collector_Win2000.msi
- Copy MST(s) generated (section 2.1) in the shared folder
- e.g: \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\NEXThink_Collector_32bits.mst
- \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\NEXThink_Collector_64bits.mst
- \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source\NEXThink_Collector_Win2000.mst
The next step is to create a Group Policy Object, which will allows to install and parametrize NEXThink Collector installation.
2.3. Create a Group Policy Object
A MSI package is deployed (distributed) through GPO as a Group Policy Object. In order to create an object for your package, you can follow these steps:
Click on the Start button, go to All Programs, select Administrative Tools and then select Active Directory Users and Computers
Right-click your domain name in the console tree, select New and click Organizational Unit.
In the New Object dialog box, type a descriptive name for the new organizational unit, and then click OK.(e.g NEXThink_Collector_Deploy)
In the right Panel, Select Computers and click on Computer that you want add to your Organizational Unit.
Drag and Drop these computers in the name of the Organizational Unit created. In the right Panel, Select NEXThink_Collector_Deploy, you will see all computer tied to your Organizational Unit.
Click on the Start button, go to All Programs, select Administrative Tools and then select Group Policy Management
Right-click your domain name in the console tree and select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here...
In the New GPO dialog box, type a descriptive name for the new policy, and then click OK.(e.g GPO_NEXThink_Collector)
2.4. Assign a MSI package
A package can be assigned per-user or per-machine. Also, if the package is assigned, it will automatically be installed silently. In order to assign a package you can follow these steps:
Click on the Start button, go to All Programs, select Administrative Tools and then select Group Policy Management
Right-click your GPO name and select Edit...
On this Group Management Editor, expand Computer Policies, Software Settings and Software Installation, select New and then click on Package...
In the Open dialog box, browse to the distribution point you created for the NEXThink Collector during the distribution point (2.2). Select the MSI file containing the NEXThink Collector installer you want to deploy, and then click Open.
In the Deploy Software dialog box:
➤ To apply transforms at the time of package installation, select Advanced, and then click OK.
In the Properties dialog box for the package you created
Click the Deployment tab, and then select Uninstall this application when it falls out of the scope of management.
b. Click Advanced on the Deployment tab,
choose Ignore language when deploying this package,
uncheck the option Make this 32-bit X86 application available to Win64 machines,
and then click OK.
b. On the Modifications tab, specify any modification transforms you want to apply when the package is installed by clicking Add and then opening each transform from its network location.
c. On the Security tab, verify the name(s) of any computer(s) to which you are assigning software.
Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.
In the Group Policy dialog box, expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Windows Components.
- In the Windows Components folder, select Windows Installer.
Select Always install with elevated privileges.
- Select Properties.
- In the Always install with elevated privileges Properties dialog box, click the Setting tab, select Enabled, and then click OK.
- In the Windows Installer panel of the Group Policy dialog box, right-click Logging, and then select Properties.
In the Logging Properties dialog box, on the Setting tab, select Enabled. Then, in the Logging text box, type iweaprcv.
Click OK to close the Logging Properties dialog box.
In the Group Policy dialog box, click File, and then click Exit.
Note: The GPO must be propagated to the Active Directory Global Catalog and then to the individual computers. For this reason, allow 5-10 minutes before restarting the computers to which you are assigning the NEXThink Collector, or plan to restart the client computers twice before the system policies are synchronized.
2.5. Testing your results
After the deployment is complete, you should test the application on a target computer.
- Go to a the target PC that is member of the OU you tied the policy to.
Click Start, Run and type "gpupdate /force".
Note: Windows 2000 doesn't support the gpupdate command so you need run a different command instead:
- type "Secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce" for computer settings.
- type "Secedit /refreshpolicy user_policy /enforce" for user settings.
a logoff or a restart message will appear: type "Y" and Enter.
- When you restart, you should see a msg "Installing NEXThink Collector..." for about a minute depending on the speed of your network and pc.
Click Start, Run and type "eventvwr.msc" to show the event viewer message. In the left pane, select Application, you will see some source events "MsiInstaller" logged as a Success Audit event.
- If you have some errors, Go to C:Windows/Temp/Msi.log and see the error log generated.
Note: Windows XP will not install the first or second time it reboots, check here for the reason:
3. Redeploy a MSI package
Sometimes you may need to redeploy a package (for example when doing an upgrade). For redeploying a package you can follow these steps:
click on the Start button, go to Programs, select Administrative Tools and then select Group Policy Management
right-click your domain name in the console tree and select the Properties context menu
go to the Group Policy tab, select the object you used to deploy the package and click Edit
- expand the Software Settings element (per-user or per-machine) which contains the deployed package
- expand the Software Installation element which contains the deployed package
- right-click the package in the right pane of the Group Policy window
- select the All Tasks menu and click Redeploy application
- click the Yes button for reinstalling the application wherever it is installed
close the Group Policy Management Editor, click OK and exit the Group Policy Management
Note: The GPO must be propagated to the Active Directory Global Catalog and then to the individual computers. For this reason, allow 5-10 minutes before restarting the computers to which you are assigning the NEXThink Collector, or plan to restart the client computers twice before the system policies are synchronized.
4. Remove a MSI package
Group Policy also allows you to remove packages which have been deployed in the past. Here are the steps for removing a package:
click on the Start button, go to Programs, select Administrative Tools and then select Group Policy Management
- right-click your domain name in the console tree and select the Properties context menu
- go to the Group Policy tab, select the object you used to deploy the package and click Edit
- expand the Software Settings element (per-user or per-machine) which contains the deployed package
- expand the Software Installation element which contains the deployed package
- right-click the package in the right pane of the Group Policy window
- select the All Tasks menu and click Remove
- select from the following options:
- ➤ Immediately uninstall the software from users and computers
- ➤ Allow users to continue to use the software but prevent new installations
- click the OK button to continue
close the Group Policy Management Editor, click OK and exit the Group Policy Management
Note: The GPO must be propagated to the Active Directory Global Catalog and then to the individual computers. For this reason, allow 5-10 minutes before restarting the computers to which you are assigning the NEXThink Collector, or plan to restart the client computers twice before the system policies are synchronized.
5. Troubleshooting
5.1. Additional Documentation
External documentation:
Create or delete a Group Policy object
Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2008 Group Policy home page
5.2. Contact Information
If you require further assistance regarding the present case or if you want to contribute to the accuracy of published information, please open a case using http://support.nexthink.com.