Deploy Program

  • Article

Applies To: System Center 2012 - Orchestrator, System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator, System Center 2012 SP1 - Orchestrator

The Deploy Program activity is used to assign legacy application deployments (packages and programs) to a Collection. This activity requires an existing Configuration Manager package and program.

To deploy an application (using the new Configuration Manager application model), use the Deploy Application activity. To deploy a task sequence, use the Deploy Task Sequence activity. To deploy software updates in an update group, use the Deploy Software Update activity. To get status on deployments you’ve created, use the Get Deployment Status activity.

For the procedure to configure this object, see: Configuring the Deploy Program Activity.

Properties and Published Data

The following tables list the properties and published data for this activity. The activity publishes all the data from the required and optional properties into published data.

Deploy Program Properties

Element Description

Deployment Name

The desired name for the new deployment that will be shown in the Configuration Manager console

Package

The display name or ID of an existing package.

Note

When you use the browse feature to look up a package name, or enter a package name manually or from published data, you must set the Package Value Type property to Name or the activity will fail.

Package Value Type

Specifies whether the value in the Package property is a name or an application ID. Options are:

  • ID (default): the value is a package ID

  • Name: the value is a package name

Collection

The display name or ID of an existing collection.

Note

When you use the browse feature to look up a collection name, or enter a collection name manually or from published data, you must set the Collection Value Type property to Name or the activity will fail.

Collection Value Type

Specifies whether the value in the Collection property is a name or a collection ID. Options are:

  • ID (default): the value is a collection ID

  • Name: the value is a collection name

Purpose

The deployment intent or purpose. Options are:

  • Required (default): the application is mandatory to be installed or uninstalled

  • Available: the application is made available but not mandatory

Note

When this property is set to Required, a mandatory schedule must be defined on the Schedule tab or the activity will fail.

Rerun behavior

Specifies whether the program will be rerun on the client computer if it has previously been run before the scheduled mandatory time. Options are:

  • Always rerun program (default): The program will always be rerun on the client when the advertisement is scheduled, even if the program has already been successfully run. This is particularly useful when using recurring advertisements in which the program is routinely updated, as with some virus detection software.

  • Never rerun program: The program will not be rerun on the client if the program has previously been run on the client, even if the program originally failed or the program files have been changed.

  • Rerun if failed previous attempt: The program will be rerun when the advertisement is scheduled only if it failed on the previous run attempt. This is particularly useful when assigning a mandatory advertisement, so that it will rerun according to the assignment schedule if it has not successfully done so.

  • Rerun if succeeded on previous attempt: The program will be rerun only if it has previously run successfully on the client. This is useful when using recurring advertisements in which the program is routinely updated, and in which each update requires the previous update to have been successfully installed.

Distribution Point

The name of a distribution point to where the content for this deployment will be distributed. The name is typically in a UNC format, such as: “\\server1.contoso.com”

Note

If there are no default distribution point groups associated with the collection, and the content is not already distributed, this property or the Distribution Point Group property must have a value or the activity will fail.

Distribution Point Group

The name of a distribution point group to where the content for this deployment will be distributed.

Warning

If there are no default distribution point groups associated with the collection, and the content is not already distributed, this property or the Distribution Point property must have a value or the activity will fail.

Enable peer caching

True or False (Default = True) Select this option to reduce load on the network by allowing clients to download content from other clients on the network that have already downloaded and cached the content. This option utilizes Windows BranchCache and can be used on computers running Windows Vista SP2 and later.

Deploy Program Optional Properties

Element Description

Allow running independently of assignments

True or False (Default = False) Specifies whether or not users may run the program independently, regardless of its assignment status

Allow Software Install Outside of Maintenance Windows

True or False (Default = False) Allows the application to install even if the installation would occur outside of a maintenance window

Allow System Restart Outside of Maintenance Windows

True or False (Default = False) Allows the advertised program to restart the client even if the restart would occur outside of a maintenance window

Allow unprotected distribution point

True or False (Default = False) Specifies whether Configuration Manager will permit a client to use an unprotected distribution point if content is not immediately available on its protected distribution point, or if it forces a client to use the protected local distribution point if it is within the boundaries for that point.

Comment

An optional comment associated with the deployment

Fast (LAN) boundary deployment option

Specifies how a program is run when the client is connected within a fast (LAN) network boundary. Options are:

  • Download content and run locally (default): the client will download the content from the Distribution Point before attempting to run the program.

  • Run program from Distribution Point: The client will run the program from the Distribution Point without downloading it first.

Send Wake-up Packets

True or False (Default = False) Specifies whether the Configuration Manager server will send a Wake On LAN packet to the computer prior to the advertised program.

Note

This setting applies only if the Purpose is set to Required.

Slow boundary deployment option

Specifies the options available when the client is within a slow or unreliable network boundary. Options are:

  • Do not run program (default): The program will not be run when a client is connected within a slow or unreliable network boundary.

  • Download content and run locally: the client will download the content from the Distribution Point before attempting to run the program.

Use default distribution point groups

True or False (Default = True) If distribution point groups are already associated with this collection, the content associated with this deployment will automatically be distributed to those distribution point groups without having to specify individual distribution points or groups.

Schedule Tab Properties

Element Description

Schedule when this deployment will become available

True or False (Default = False) By default, the deployment is made immediately available. If you wish to define a future date or time to make this deployment available, then set this property to True and set the associated date/time below.

Deployment Availability Time

The date/time when this deployment will be made available.

Note

If you set Schedule when this deployment will become available to True, this property is set to the current time unless set otherwise.

Schedule when this deployment will expire

True or False (Default = False) By default, the deployment does not expire. If you wish to define an expiration, then set this property to True and set the associated date/time below.

Deployment expiration

The date/time to use for the installation deadline for this deployment.

Note

If you set Schedule when this deployment will expire to True, this property is set to the current time unless set otherwise.

Mandatory Assignments

See Mandatory Assignment Schedules for more information.

Deploy Program Published Data

The following values are published in addition to the input values above:

Element Description

Connection

Specifies the name of the connection to the Configuration Manager server

Collection ID

Provides the Collection ID value for the collection targeted for this activity (in case the collection name was specified for the input property).

Configuring the Deploy Program Activity

To configure the Deploy Program activity

  1. From the Activities pane, drag a Deploy Program activity to the active runbook.

  2. Double-click the Deploy Program activity icon. The Properties dialog box opens.

  3. Configuring the Details tab:

    1. In the Connection section, click the ellipsis button (...), and then select the Configuration Manager server connection that you want to use for this activity. Click OK.

    2. In the Fields section, enter a value for each of the required properties. If the property is Lookup-enabled, you can click the ellipsis (…) button next to the text box to browse for a value.

      You can also use published data to automatically populate the value of the property from the data output by a previous activity in the runbook.

  4. Configuring the Schedule tab:

    The Schedule tab allows you to define when the deployment becomes available or when it expires, as well as mandatory assignment schedules. Mandatory assignment schedules cause Configuration Manager to automatically run the program at a specific time or according to a specific event, such as user Logon/Logoff. The settings on this tab are optional.

    For more information about mandatory assignments, see Mandatory Assignment Schedules.

    Note

    When a deployment is set to Required, then a mandatory schedule must be defined for the deployment or the activity will fail.

  5. For information about the settings on the General and Run Behavior tabs, see Common Configuration Instructions for all Activities.

  6. Click Finish.

Other Activities

The Integration Pack for System Center Configuration Manager contains the following additional activities: