1. Overview
1.1. Summary
How to install NEXThink Collector across your organization via SCCM 2007.
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 SCCM.
1.3. Tested Environnement
The procedures in this document were tested in the following environments:
- NEXThink Collector 3.2.0.53
- Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007
2. How To Deploy
2.1. Prepare NEXThink Collector
Before you can deploy NEXThink Collector using SCCM, you must create an executable file allowing to deploy Collector on all computers with different OS versions.
For creating, please follow this link: http://doc.nexthink.com/advanced/NEXThink%20Installer%20and%20Deployer#NEXThink_Installer
2.2. Create a collection
This section provides the details for using direct membership rules to create a collection in System Center Configuration Manager. This allows for selecting the computer resources of the targeted computers.
To create a collection,
Click on the Start button, go to All Programs, select Microsoft System Center, select Configuration Manager 2007 and then select ConfigMgr Console
- In the Configuration Manager Console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management.
Right-click Collections, and then click New Collection.
On the General dialog box of the New Collection Wizard, enter a name for the collection. (In this example, it is named “Collector-Computers”).
Click Next and click the computer icon, which opens the Create Direct Membership Rule Wizard. Click Next.
On the Search for Resources dialog box,
➤ Click the Resource class drop-down menu and select System Resource.
➤ Click the Attribute name drop-down menu and select Name.
➤ In the Value field enter %, and then click Next.
On the Collection Limiting dialog box, click the Browse... button, select All Windows Workstation or Professional Systems, and then click Next.
On the Select Resources dialog box, select the check box for each of the targeted computer resources. (In this example, Computer01 and Computer02 were selected).
Click Next, and then on the Finished dialog box, click Finish.
On the Membership Rules dialog box of the New Collection Wizard, click Next.
On the Advertisements dialog box, for now, do not assign an advertisement because it is not yet created.
Click Next. On the Security dialog box, accept the defaults, click Next, and then click Close.
The next step is to create a source directory for the package.
2.3. Create a package source directory
In this example, the steps are provided for creating a package manually. Once the package has been created, you will create a distribution point for the package.
To create a package,
Click on the Start button, go to All Programs, select Microsoft System Center, select Configuration Manager 2007 and then select ConfigMgr Console
- Navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution
Right-click Packages, point to New, and then click Package.
On the General dialog box of the New Package Wizard, enter the
➤ Name,
➤ Version,
➤ Manufacturer,
➤ and Language.
Click Next and do the the following:
➤ Select This package contains source files.
➤ Set button and then enter the path for the location of the source files in the Source directory field. For example \\src_computer\share\Applications_Source, which contains a copy of the NEXThink Collector installation.
Click Next and accept the default settings on all of the following dialog boxes: Data Access, Distribution Settings, Reporting, and Security.:
On the Wizard Completed dialog box, click Close.
- The package, in this example named NEXThink Collector 3.2.053, is now created. You will now select a distribution point for the package.
2.4. Create a distribution point
To use a server as a distribution point for providing packages to distribute packages to your client computers, you must first designate a site system as a distribution point. In this example, the single site server, named CONFIGMGRR2, was initially configured as both a management point and a distribution point.
To select a distribution point for the newly created package NEXThink Collector 3.2.053,
Right-click Distribution Points, click New Distribution Points, click Next, and then click the check box for the distribution point (in this example, CONFIGMGRR2).
Click Next. Upon completion of the New Distribution Points Wizard, click Close.
The next step is to create a System Center Configuration Manager program, which will contain the setup and install parameters for the NEXThink Collector.
2.5. Create a program with setup and install parameters for the NEXThink Collector
To create a program for the NEXThink Collector package,
Right-click Programs, point to New, and then click Program.
On the General dialog box,
➤ Enter a name for the package in the Name field, which in this example is named SCCM Program for NEXThink Collector installation.
- ➤ In the Command line field, browse and select NEXThink_Collector[qa1950.intra.nexthink.com].exe.
➤ In the Run field, click the drop-down menu and select Hidden.
➤ In the After running field, verify the default of No action required is selected.
Click Next and accept the defaults on the Requirements dialog box.
On the Environment dialog box,
➤ Click the Program can run drop-down box and select Whether or not a user is logged on. This will enable Run with administrative rights for the Run mode.
- ➤ Leave the default for Drive mode to Runs with UNC name.
Click Next
On the Advanced dialog box, select the check box for Suppress program notifications, and then click Next.
To view the Summary dialog box, click Next. To finish the process of creating the new program, click Next, which will then display the Wizard Completed dialog box. To exit from the New Program Wizard, click Close.
Now, the package, NEXThink Collector package, which now contains both the System Center Configuration Manager distribution point and program information for deploying a installation of the NEXThink Collector system.
Before advertising the package, first verify that it was installed on the distribution point.
- ➤ Navigate to System Center Configuration Manager, Site Database, Computer Management, Software Distribution, Packages, NEXThink Collector 3.2.0.53 English, Package Status, Package Status, [YOUR_SITE_NAME]
➤ Check the status changing from Install Pending to Installed
The next step is to create an advertisement that offers the SCCM NEXThink Collector package to the clients.
2.6. Creating the advertisement
To create an advertisement,
Right-click Advertisements, point to New, and then click Advertisement.
On the General dialog box of the New Advertisement Wizard,
➤ Enter a name for the advertisement in Name field, which in this example named Collector 3.2.0.53 Advertisement.
➤ Click the Browse button for the Package field, and click on the package you want to advertise, which in this example is NEXThink Collector 3.2.053 English, and then click OK.
- ➤ Click the Browse button for the Collection field, click on the collection, which in this example is Collector-Computers,
Click OK, and then click Next.
On the Schedule dialog box, enter the date and time in the Advertisement start time fields for when the advertisement will begin, and then click the asterisk button for Mandatory Assignments.
➤ On the Assignment Schedule dialog box, click the Schedule button and enter the same date and time that you previously entered in the Advertisement start time fields on the Schedule dialog box. To return to the Schedule dialog box, click OK.
Accept the default values on the Distribution Points, Interaction, Security, and Summary dialog boxes. Upon successful completion of the New Advertisement Wizard, click Close on the Wizard Completed dialog box.
The package will now be advertised to the targeted collection and the silent installation of the NEXThink Collector will begin.
Note: On the client wait for the next Machine Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle.
2.7. Testing your results
After the installation is complete, you should test the application on a target computer. This section details the tests you can perform to ensure that you installed NEXThink Collector successfully.
- Go to a the target PC that is member of the Collections you have created to deploy.
Click Start, Run and type "eventvwr.msc" to show the event viewer message.
In the left pane of the Event Viewer, 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.
3. How To Remove the package
To remove the package,
- Open the Systems Management Server console and expand the Package that contains NEXThink Collector.
Open the Program Properties dialog box, and then on the General tab:
- ➤ In the Command line field, browse and select NEXThink_Collector_Uninstaller[qa1950.intra.nexthink.com].exe
Note: On the client computer, at the next Machine Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle, the package will be removed silently.
4. Troubleshooting
4.1. Additional Documentation
External documentation:
For more information, including trial downloads, visit
System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 POC Installation Guidelines
4.2. 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.