Part III: Software and Package Management

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Part III discusses what is probably an SMS administrator's primary reason for purchasing SMS 2.0—the distribution of software and other packages to client systems through the network with little or no user intervention, and the management of that software once it's installed. This part is divided into four areas of concern. Chapter 11 explains the concept of a collection in SMS 2.0 and describes how collections are created and maintained. Chapter 12 describes the package distribution process, including creating packages and programs, identifying package recipients through collections, and executing package commands at the client system. Chapter 13 illustrates the use of SMS Installer 2.0 to script an installation process and make it potentially invisible to the user. Chapter 14 discusses a new feature introduced in SMS 2.0: software metering, which enables SMS to monitor and regulate software usage on client systems, including validation of licenses and restriction or prohibition of nonstandard software products such as games.