Using the Desktop Application Distribution Wizard to Create a Desktop Application Distribution

Now that you understand how the Desktop Application agent works to distribute a Desktop Application Distribution through a TED channel, you need to know how to create the Desktop Application Distribution object. ZENworks for Servers 3 includes a Desktop Application Distribution wizard to ease the creation of Desktop Application Distributions. The wizard allows you to specify an Application object that you want to distribute and then enables you to set properties that will determine how it is delivered. The following sections discuss creating a Distribution object, running the Desktop Application Distribution wizard to add an Application object to it, and setting the properties to distribute the application.

Create a Distribution Object

The first step in creating a Desktop Application Distribution is to create a TED Distribution object. Use the following steps to create a TED Distribution object from within ConsoleOne:

1. Select the container you want to create the TED Distribution object in.

2. Click File, New, TED Distribution.

3. Enter the name of the Distribution object in the object creation window shown in Figure 17.1.

   Figure 17.1. Distribution object creation window in ConsoleOne.

   

4. Use the browse button to select the Distributor object that you want to distribute the application. The source files for Application objects that will be part of the distribution must exist on the local file system of the Distributor you select.

5. Click OK.

NOTE

The source files for the Application objects you add to the distribution must reside on the Distributors' local file system. The subscriber must have Novell's eDirectory installed on it to extract the Application object and apply it.

Configure the Distribution Type Using the Desktop Application Distribution Wizard

Once you have created the TED Distribution object, you need to define the distribution type as a Desktop Application. That way, you can use the Desktop Application Distribution wizard to define the Desktop Application properties and make the TED distribution a Desktop Application Distribution.

Use the following steps to define the Distribution type and start the Application wizard:

1. Right-click on the TED Distribution object you just created and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2. Choose the Type tab, shown in Figure 17.2.

   Figure 17.2. Type tab for the TED Distribution object in ConsoleOne.

   

3. Select Desktop Application from the drop-down Type list to set the distribution type as a Desktop Application Distribution.

4. Then click the Setup button to open the Desktop Application Distribution wizard shown in Figure 17.3.

   Figure 17.3. Desktop Application Distribution Wizard for the Desktop Application agent in ConsoleOne.

   

WARNING

Do not edit Desktop Application Distribution objects manually from their ConsoleOne properties windows. Always go through the wizard to make changes to these objects.

The following sections describe how to navigate through the Desktop Application Distribution wizard to define the settings used when distributing the Desktop Application through the TED channel.

Configure the Application Source Options

Once you click Next from the initial window in the Desktop Application Distribution wizard, you will see a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 17.4. From this screen you can configure settings that control what properties of the source Application object you want to maintain when it is distributed through the TED channel. You also define whether load balancing and fault tolerance are used.

Figure 17.4. Application Source options screen of the Desktop Application Distribution wizard in ConsoleOne.

The following is a list of the properties that you need to define in the application source options screen of the wizard:

• Maintain Source Tree Structure Selecting this option duplicates the source tree's directory structure at the destination's location, which is the target subscribers' working context. This tree structure is then used to create the ZENworks for Desktops Application objects. You must enable this option if you want to use chained applications.

• Maintain Associations Selecting this option will maintain the group and container associations of the Application object in its source tree, by replicating the associated groups or containers at the target location if they do not exist. User and workstation associations in the source location are not replicated.

• Source Root Context This field specifies a container object to be used as the root container for the ZENworks for Desktops Application objects. The distributor will record directory data only from that container and its subordinate containers; therefore, when the subscriber extracts the package it will apply the Application object to its working directory as if the container had actually been the root. You can select Application objects from this root container and its subordinate containers.

• Load Balancing and Fault Tolerance This setting allows you to specify whether to use automated load balancing, fault tolerance, or neither. If you use load balancing, ZENworks will automatically spread the Desktop Application Distributions of the servers being used. Fault tolerance is effectively accomplished through load balancing because multiple servers are involved. If you specify fault tolerance, ZENworks will allow a server currently being used for Desktop Application Distributions to assume the distribution role of another server that's down, however. If you select None, you can manually configure each Application object for load balancing or fault tolerance.

Configure the Application Source Objects

Once you have configured the options for maintaining information about the source Application object and clicked the Next button, you will see a screen similar to the one in Figure 17.5. This screen allows you to configure which Application objects you want to be part of the Desktop Application Distribution.

Figure 17.5. Application Source objects screen of the Desktop Application Distribution wizard in ConsoleOne.

You must first specify at least one valid ZENworks for Desktops Application object. ZENworks for Servers 3 TED supports Application objects that are chained together. When you add an Application object that is chained, all associated objects will be shown on the Type panel of the Distribution object once you have completed the Desktop Application Distribution wizard.

From the Application Source objects screen, shown in Figure 17.5, click the Add button and select Application objects to be added to the Desktop Application Distribution.

Configure the Application Destination Options

Once you have selected the Application objects and clicked the Next button, you will see a screen similar to the one in Figure 17.6. From this screen, you can configure settings that control where the Application object's source files are extracted when it has been distributed through the TED channel to a subscriber. It is important to verify that the destination nodes have enough disk space to receive the Application objects.

Figure 17.6. Application Destination options screen of the Desktop Application Distribution wizard in ConsoleOne.

The following is a list of the properties that you need to define within the application destination options screen of the wizard:

• Destination Volume or Shared Folder This option allows you to specify a NetWare volume or shared folder that will store the source files of the Application object at the destination subscriber node. This volume must exist on the destination node. The default is %DEST_VOLUME%, which is a macro that indicates the use of the same volume name as where the source files are stored on the distributor.

• Destination Directory Path You also have the option to use the default directory for the Application object to store the Application object source files, or you can enter a user-defined directory. If you select user-defined, the path is added to the destination path between the destination volume and the parent directory of the Application object's default path. For example, if the Application object's default path is \APPS\APP1\and you enter VOL1 as the destination volume and \CTREE\as a user-defined path, the effective path is VOL1:\CTREE\APPS\APP1\.

View the Application Distribution Summary

Once you have configured the application destination options and clicked the Next button, a Desktop Application Distribution summary window similar to the one in Figure 17.7 is displayed.

Figure 17.7. Site Distribution summary in ConsoleOne.

Review the information on this screen carefully. If any problems exist, you can click the Back button and make changes. Otherwise, click the Finish button. The Desktop Application Distribution object is created and you can see the settings in the Type tab shown in Figure 17.2. If you need to modify these settings, you can run the Desktop Application Distribution wizard again by clicking the Modify button.

Configure the Desktop Application Distribution Object

Once you have set up and configured the TED Distribution object to be a Desktop Application Distribution, you need to finish setting up the Distribution object and schedule it to be distributed through the TED channel. The following sections discuss configuring the Distribution object's settings, channel, and schedule.

Configure Settings for a Desktop Application Distribution Object

You can configure the Desktop Application Distribution object's settings from the General, Settings tab shown in Figure 17.8. From this screen, you can specify the following settings, which the Distribution object has as it is distributed through the TED channel:

• Active Activates or deactivates the distribution. If a distribution is inactive, the distribution is not sent to subscribers even if it is in a channel.

• Use Digest Activates the TED system to use a digest on the distribution file.

• Encrypt Activates distribution encryption, thus providing security for the distribution during transit between the distributor and subscriber. Typically, you would only encrypt a distribution that is sent through a firewall. You have the option to select strong or weak encryption.

• Maximum Revisions Enables you to specify the number of revisions of the distribution that you will keep. Each time that a distribution is collected and a distribution file is created, this constitutes a revision. When the maximum number of revisions has been created, the oldest revision is discarded from disk (unless it is currently being sent to a subscriber, in which case it is discarded on the next distribution cycle). Each subscriber that receives this distribution will keep this number of revisions. This includes subscribers that act as parent subscribers but do not actually subscribe to the channel. You can also delete previous revisions prior to accepting the next. This is extremely useful in the case of large distributions because the subscriber frees space for the new version before receiving it.

• Priority Specifies the priority of this distribution. The priority determines how it will be sent in relation to other distributions. A high priority means it will be sent before all medium- and low-priority distributions.

• Distributor A display-only field that identifies the distributor that collects and transmits this distribution. This distributor is specified when the Distribution object is created. This distributor is the owner of this distribution. The owner of a distribution cannot be changed.

• Description Enables you to have a free-flowing text description of the distribution. This is helpful in understanding the files and the purpose for the distribution package.

Figure 17.8. General Settings tab for the TED Distribution object in ConsoleOne.

Configure Channel for a Desktop Application Distribution Object

Once you have configured the general settings for the Desktop Application Distribution object, you need to configure the channel you want it to be distributed through from the Channels tab, shown in Figure 17.9. From the Channels tab, you can select the channels that contain this distribution. This distribution can be placed in any number of channels. All of the subscribers associated with each channel are sent this distribution by the distributor associated with this Distribution object.

Figure 17.9. Channels Settings tab for the TED Distribution object in ConsoleOne.

To add this distribution to a channel, press the Add button and browse through eDirectory to select the channel. Once you have selected the channel, it is placed in the list displayed in the Channels box. To delete the channel from the list (thus removing the distribution from being distributed), select the channel and press the Delete button. To go to the property pages of the channel object, select the object and press the Details button.

Any distributions that are associated with channels also appear in the channel object under the Distributions property page.

Configure Schedule for a Desktop Application Distribution Object

Once you have configured the channels to distribute the Desktop Application Distribution object through, you need to configure the schedule from the Schedule tab shown in Figure 17.10. The Schedule tab enables you to specify how often and when this distribution should be gathered. Each time the server clock hits the specified scheduled time, the agents are activated and the distribution gathered and compared with the previous version to determine whether any changes have been made. If there have been changes, a new version of the distribution file is created. The actual distribution of the file occurs based on schedules of the channels.

Figure 17.10. Schedule tab for the TED Distribution object in ConsoleOne.

The following choices are available to you for the scheduling of the distribution: Never, Daily, Monthly, Yearly, Interval, Time, or Run Immediately.