Pushing Client Software with Windows 2003 Group Policies

Pushing Client Software with Windows 2003 Group Policies

Using Windows Server 2003 Group Policy management tools, administrators can easily and inexpensively deploy the Outlook client to desktops using Group Policy software installation functionality. Using Group Policy to deploy the Outlook client, administrators can centralize many of the duties and support tasks requiring administrative overhead and resources when working with other options.

Group policies can provide extremely powerful administration and management options when deploying the Outlook client. Use the information provided in this section to set up and deploy the Outlook.MSI package.

For more detailed information regarding using Group Policy in the Exchange Server 2003 environment, see Chapter 29, "Group Policy Management for Exchange Clients ."

Deploying Outlook with Group Policy Overview

Using Group Policy to deploy the Outlook client is one of the most effective and flexible options administrators can leverage.

However, before creating deployment packages, administrators should understand the basic functionality of Group Policy and Windows Server 2003. Review the information and overview provided in the next sections before planning and setting up Windows Server 2003 Group Policy to support the Outlook client deployment.

Administrative Options

Delegating the proper rights for administrators to manage and manipulate Group Policy when deploying Outlook clients is important. With the Delegation Wizard available with the Windows Group Policy snap-in, administrative rights can be assigned to Exchange administrators to manage and control the deployment Outlook to the desktop without interfering with the day-to-day options of the Windows systems. Using the Delegation Wizard to assign rights, administrators can grant permissions to individual accounts, groups, and Exchange server administrators.

Deployment Options

With Group Policy, the Outlook client can be deployed to the desktop using any of the following deployment methods :

• Assigned to Computers This method of installation creates an Outlook installation package that is applied to workstations when a user logs onto the desktop. Using this option, all users have access to the Exchange client software after it's installed.

• Assigned to Users When the installation package is assigned to users, application shortcuts are placed on the desktop of the user's profiles and in the Start menu of the individual user's profile. When these shortcuts are selected, the application installation is launched and completed.

• Publishing the Installation When Outlook client software packages are published, the installation package is displayed in the Add/Remove Programs Group in the local desktop system control panel. Users can then initiate the installation by selecting the Install option.

With each method, Exchange 2003 administrators use the MSI installation file format to push the Outlook client's software packages from a central location or from Administrative Installation Points to the workstation or users on the network.

CAUTION

When deploying Outlook software using Group Policy, do not assign the option Install to users and computers at the same time. Assigning both options can create conflicts when installing Outlook and possibly corrupt the installation of the Outlook client when applying the update.

Best Practices for Deploying Outlook Clients

As with all aspects of Group Policy, the choices and configuration options of Outlook client deployment are numerous . Regardless of what method of Group Policy deployment is being used, some basic best practices apply to assist in avoiding unforeseen issues when deploying Outlook clients:

• Software packages must be in the format of an MSI package. Any other format type cannot be pushed using Group Policy.

• Always plan and configure Software Pushes at the highest levels possible in the domain tree. If the push is going out to more than one group or organizational unit, the software update should be configured to be pushed at the domain level. If the software update is being pushed to only a few groups or one organizational unit or multiple update packages are being pushed, configure the push at the group or organizational unit level.

• Deploy the Outlook client to the Computers Configuration rather than the User Configuration. Doing so avoids the installation from being applied more than once when a user logs on a different desktop system.

• When pushing updates in multiple locations, use Administrative Installation Points and Windows Distributed File System (DFS). This enables software installations to be installed from packages located closest to the client being installed.

Pushing Outlook Client

The steps in this scenario enable administrators to push the Exchange 2003 Outlook client package to workstations on the domain.

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To enhance functionality when using Windows Server 2003 Group Policy, download and install the Microsoft Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) from Microsoft.

Open the Group Policy Management Console by selecting Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools, Group Policy Management. To create Outlook client software Group Policy Objects:

1. Select the Default Domain Policy for your domain by expanding Forest/Domains/YourCompanyDomain/Group Policy Objects .

2. Select the Default Domain Policy, click Action, and then click Edit. This opens the Group Policy Editor to create the Software Push.

3. Select Computer Configuration and then Software Installation.

4. From the Action menu, select New/Package.

5. Navigate the Open dialog to the network share where the Outlook.MSI was placed and select the MSI package being applied. Select Open to continue.

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   If prompted that the Group Policy editor cannot verify the network location, ensure that the share created to store the installation files has permission to allow users access to the share. Select Yes to continue when confirmed.

6. At the Deploy Software dialog, select Advance and click OK to continue. Windows Server 2003 will verify the installation package; wait for the verification to complete before continuing to the next step.

7. After the package is visible in the right pane of the software installation properties, highlight the install package and click Action/Properties.

8. On the Package properties page, select the Deployment tab. Review the configuration, click Assign, and ensure that the Install this Package at Logon option is selected, as shown in Figure 28.5. Select OK when complete.

   Figure 28.5. Outlook update properties.

   

When the new package is ready to deploy, test the update by logging on to a workstation and verifying that the package has installed using the steps listed in the section "Configuring the SMS Package for an Unattended Installation," later in this chapter. If problems exist, redeploy the package by selecting the software update; click Action, All Tasks, Redeploy Application to force the deployment.

Testing the Outlook Client Deployment

Using Group Policy, administrators cannot determine whether a software package was pushed successfully without additional management software such as Microsoft Systems Management Server. When viewing installations and managing deployments, all evidence of client installation using Group Policy can be seen only at the client desktop. Using the following two areas on the client desktop, administrators can determine whether a software installation was successful, and view the following manually:

• Look for MSI Installer events that are written into the Application Event Logs.

• On the local machine, view Add/Remove programs to see whether the Outlook update package is listed.