Getting Started with User-Centric Management in Configuration Manager v.Next
Published: May 24, 2010
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Contents
Getting Started with User-Centric Management in Configuration Manager v.Next
In This Section
Introduction
Terminology
Concepts
Applications in Configuration Manager v.Next
Deployment Types in Configuration Manager v.Next
Requirement Rules and Global Conditions
User Device Affinity
Deployments
Deployment Purpose
Monitoring Deployments
Using Packages and Programs with Configuration Manager v.Next
The User Experience and Configuration Manager v.Next Application Management
Planning
Example
Appendices
Frequently Asked Questions for User-Centric Management in Configuration Manager v.Next
Terminology Differences between Configuration Manager v.Next User-Centric Management
This is pre-release documentation and is subject to change in future releases.
Getting Started with User-Centric Management in Configuration Manager v.Next
In This Section
Introduction
Terminology
Concepts
Planning
Example
Appendices
Introduction
User-centric management in ConfigurationManagerv.Next provides Configuration Manager administrative users and users of Configuration Manager client devices with tools to manage applications in the enterprise. Unlike previous versions of the product, ConfigurationManagerv.Next is built around user-centric principles. This means that the product is designed to meet the needs of administrative users and users of client devices rather than forcing them to modify their processes to suit the product. For example, ConfigurationManagerv.Next allows you to associate users with devices, so instead of having to remember the name of a user’s device, you can now distribute software to the user as well as to the device. Applications can also be distributed based on the user’s needs without the user needing to intervene. For example, on a computer a user works on every day, you might install a local copy of a software package. On a computer a user works on occasionally, you might deploy a virtual copy of the software package that is then removed when the user logs off. Additionally, in ConfigurationManagerv.Next, users are given much more control over what software is installed on their devices and when it gets installed.
Important
A device in ConfigurationManagerv.Next refers to a computer or a mobile device, such as a Windows phone.
Benefits for administrative users include the following:
Software deployments can target users or groups of users and devices.
A relationship between a user and the devices on which they most often work can be established to ensure that critical software is always available on users’ devices.
If a user gets a new computer, it can be configured automatically with their applications and settings. If a relationship has been established between the user and the computer, the user does not have to be logged in to receive these applications and settings.
Administrative users can control the deployment of applications to computers based on rules. For example, an administrative user could specify that an application can only be installed on computers with more than 2 GB RAM. Any computer that does not meet this requirement will not install the application. ConfigurationManagerv.Next contains a set of built-in rules. You can also define custom rules.
Users can request their software, and administrators can approve or deny those requests.
An administrative user can specify a deployment purpose for an application. This controls whether the application is required or optional. The state of the deployment is periodically monitored, so, for instance, if an application has a deployment purpose of Required and is later removed, Configuration Manager will reinstall the application. You can also change the deployment purpose of an application.
Benefits to the user include the following:
A new client interface, Software Center, provides a user-friendly interface that allows the user of a client computer to perform common administrative tasks.
A self-service application Web site, the Software Catalog, allows users to search for and request applications.
Users can configure when software and updates are installed by specifying their own work hours.
This guide is an introduction to the new features of application management in ConfigurationManagerv.Next.
Terminology
This section lists the main terms used in user-centric management in ConfigurationManagerv.Next.
Term / Definitionapplication approval / An additional action that is required after an end user requests an application and before the application becomes available to install.
Software Catalog / The ConfigurationManager Web-based view of the applications that are available for a user to search, browse, request, and install.
Software Center / The Configuration Manager Software Center allows a user to set preferences for how their software is installed. End users can also use Software Center to request, install, remove, and monitor the software that is deployed by using ConfigurationManagerv.Next.
deployment purpose / An action that is associated with the deployment of software, such as Available and Required.
deployment type / A technology that is used to deploy an application to devices. A deployment type is contained within an application. For example, Visio 2007 MSI could be a deployment type for the Visio 2007 application.
global conditions / A setting that allows an administrative user to define rules that specify if or when an application is installed on client devices. Global conditions can be used by multiple deployment types. They can also be used throughout the hierarchy.
See also: requirement rules
primary device / A device that is used most often by a user. A user can have more than one primary device.
primary user / The main user of a device. A device can have more than one primary user.
requirement rules / A setting that allows an administrative user to define rules for a single deployment type that specifies how the application is provided and installed on client devices.
See also: global conditions
software / A collective term for all of the following: software updates, applications, scripts, task sequences, device drivers, configuration items, and configuration baselines.
Software Catalog Web service point / A Configuration Manager site system role that provides software information from the Software Library to the Software Catalog Web site.
Software Catalog Web site point / A Configuration Manager site system role that provides users with a list of available software.
Software Library / The administrator repository that holds software so that it can be deployed by using ConfigurationManagerv.Next.
user device affinity / The mapping of a user to a device, which enables deployment conditions and simplifies the complexity of the deployment.
Concepts
User-centric management in ConfigurationManagerv.Next introduces new terms and concepts you must understand before you can begin to deploy applications. This section introduces many of these concepts.
Applications in Configuration Manager v.Next
An application in ConfigurationManagerv.Next contains the files and information necessary to deploy a software package to a computer or mobile device and the information about the software shared by all deployment types. Applications are similar to packages in Configuration Manager 2007, but contain more information to support smart deployment. An application can contain a range of information about a software installation, including the following:
Information shared by all deployment types, such as the application name, manufacturer, and version number, as well as a description of the application as it will appear to users. This information can be displayed in the Software Catalog in different languages based on client settings.
Contact names of users who can supply information and provide support for the application.
One or more deployment types, which contain information about methods used to install or uninstall the application and the location of files required by the application.
Keywords and categories to help users search for items in the Software Catalog.
When you make changes to an application, a new revision of the application is created. Previous versions of the application are stored and can be retrieved at a later time.
You can also import and export applications from Configuration Manager to a file. This allows you to make a backup of an application independently from Configuration Manager or to move applications to another ConfigurationManagerv.Next site.
Applications are configured with the Create Application Wizard in the Software Library from the Configuration Manager console.
Deployment Types in Configuration Manager v.Next
A deployment type is contained within an application and contains details about the files, commands, and programs used to install software. It also contains rules that specify if and how the software is deployed. Deployments types are similar to programs in Configuration Manager 2007. An application can contain multiple deployment types that each installs a package by using a different method. A single application can have multiple deployment types that use the same technology, for example a single application might have multiple Windows Installer (.MSI) deployment types. The following deployment types are available in ConfigurationManagerv.Next:
Windows Installer – Creates a deployment type from a Windows Installer (MSI) file. Configuration Manager can retrieve information from the MSI file to automatically populate some fields of the Create Deployment Type Wizard.
Script Installer – Creates a deployment type that specifies a script that will run on client devices to install content or to perform an action.
Microsoft Application Virtualization – Creates a deployment type from a Microsoft Application Virtualization manifest. Configuration Manager can retrieve information from the manifest file to automatically populate some fields of the Create Deployment Type Wizard.
Windows Mobile Cabinet – Creates a deployment type from a Windows Mobile Cabinet (CAB) file. Configuration Manager can retrieve information from the CAB file to automatically populate some fields of the Create Deployment Type Wizard.
A typical deployment type contains the following information:
General information about the deployment type, which will be displayed to users in the Software Catalog.
The installation method used by the deployment type, such as the installation program or installation content location.
The required installation command line.
The required uninstall command line.
Requirement rules that must be met for the deployment type to install.
Dependencies that are additional deployment types that this deployment type requires.
Deployment types are configured with the Create Deployment Type Wizard in the Software Library from the Configuration Manager console.
Requirement Rules and Global Conditions
Requirement rules allow administrative users to define one or more rules that represent business or technical conditions that specify how an application is provided and deployed on client devices.
The following are examples of requirement rules:
Do not install this MSI deployment type on computers with less than 2 GB RAM.
Only deploy this virtual application deployment type to a user’s primary device.
Do not install this application deployment type if the client computer has less than 500 MB free disk space.
Requirement rules are evaluated by the ConfigurationManagerv.Next client to determine the correct deployment type that will be used to install an application. The rules are re-evaluated (by default, every seven days) to ensure compliance. The administrative user can define a custom evaluation period.
You can define requirement rules that are used by a single deployment type, or you can define global conditions that are available to use with any deployment type.
Requirement rules are configured by using the Deployment Type tab of the application properties or the Deployment Type page of the Create Deployment Type Wizard in the Software Library.
Global conditions are configured by using the Global Condition dialog box in the Software Library from the Configuration Manager console.
User Device Affinity
User device affinity is a method of associating a user with specified devices. This can remove the requirement to know the names of a user’s devices when you deploy applications. You can define primary devices that are typically the device that a user uses on a daily basis to perform their work. When you create an affinity between a user and a device, this provides further options for deploying software. For example, if a user requires Microsoft Office Visio, you can install it on the user’s primary device by using a Windows Installer deployment. However, on a nonprimary device, you might deploy Microsoft Office Visio as an App-V virtual application. You can also use user device affinity to pre-deploy software on a user’s device when the user is not logged in.
User device affinity can be defined by using any of the following methods:
The user specifies that the device is a primary device in the Software Catalog.
A file is imported containing a list of users and devices.
The site can be configured to automatically create user device affinities based on collected usage statistics. The administrator can then approve the detected user device affinity.
An administrative user can manually create affinities.
During mobile device enrollment, a mobile device is associated with the user who enrolls it.
User device affinity can include the following:
A single user to a single device.
Many users to a single device.
A single user to many devices.
User device affinities are managed in Assets and Compliance from the Configuration Manager console.
Deployments
Deployments in ConfigurationManagerv.Next are used to distribute applications to devices in your organization. The Deploy Software Wizard allows you to specify information about the application, including the following:
The name of the application.
The Configuration Manager collection to which you want to deploy the application.
The distribution points or distribution point groups that will host the content associated with the application.
The purpose of the deployment; for example, whether installation is Required or Available.
Scheduling information for the deployment.
The client notification and restart settings for the deployment.
Monitoring and System Center Operations Manager alert settings for the deployment.
The Deploy Software Wizard can also be used to deploy imported Configuration Manager 2007 packages.
Note
The Deploy Software Wizard in ConfigurationManagerv.Next replaces the New Advertisement Wizard in Configuration Manager 2007.
Deployment Purpose
When you deploy an application in ConfigurationManagerv.Next, you can choose settings that define what the deployment should do and that represent the administrator’s intent. The available settings are as follows:
Available – The user sees the published application in Software Center and can choose to install it on-demand. If the deployment is targeted to the device, the user will see it in the Software Center.
Required – The application will be installed on the client device according to the settings in the Software Center.
When you specify the purpose of a user-targeted deployment, you can specify whether users need to request approval from an administrative user before they can install the application.
The purpose of a deployment is specified by using the Deploy Software Wizard in the Software Library from the Configuration Manager console.
Monitoring Deployments
Unlike Configuration Manager 2007, which used the separate Status Message Viewer to track the installation of software, in ConfigurationManagerv.Next, you can monitor the deployment of all software (software updates, compliance settings, applications, task sequences, packages and programs) by using the Monitoring navigation button in the Configuration Manager console.
Note
In ConfigurationManagerv.Next Beta 1, monitoring is limited to applications, packages and programs.
Applications in ConfigurationManagerv.Next support state-based monitoring, which allows you to track the last application deployment state for users and devices. These state messages display information about individual devices. For example, if an application is deployed to a collection of users, you can view the compliance state of the deployment and the deployment purpose in the Configuration Manager console.
An application deployment state has one of the following compliance states:
Success – The application deployment succeeded.
In Progress – The application deployment is in progress.
Unknown – The state of the application deployment could not be determined.
Requirements Not Met – The application was not deployed because it was not compliant with a dependency or a requirement rule.
Error – The application failed to deploy because of an error.
You can view additional information for each compliance state, which includes subcategories within the compliance state and the number of users and devices in this category. For example, the Error compliance state contains three subcategories: