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The use of NetInstall at DESY

Learn how DESY WindowsNT Group uses NetInstall for efficient software distribution, user support, and PC configurations. Discover deployment concepts, support classifications, and innovative PC setup options.

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The use of NetInstall at DESY

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  1. The use of NetInstall at DESY Christian Trachimow The DESY WindowsNT Group

  2. Status of Domain • One single domain in Hamburg and Zeuthen • 1500 registered users • 800 workstations online,1000 active during one month The DESY WindowsNT Group

  3. Installing applications under NT • Requirements to a software distribution tool at DESY: • Support existing PCs • Smooth integration into domain • Support local installations as well as server based • preconfigure applications • Market survey: NetInstall, SMS, Seagate, Attachmate, SMSWorks, CompuThought, IBM, Novell, ... • One common method: Imitate original installation script NetInstall 4.2 from NetSupport GmbH The DESY WindowsNT Group

  4. C: Install applications on NT Workstation partFiles HKLM, HKCR registry hives “All Users” profile .ini files User part User profile HKCU registry hive Files in home directory .ini files Workstation partFiles HKLM, HKCR registry hives “All Users” profile .ini files User part User profile HKCU registry hive Files in home directory .ini files The DESY WindowsNT Group

  5. NetInstall synchronisation “Software on Demand” • Application launcher • is invoked when user starts application • analyzes which parts are installed and installs missing part • Start Menu • Shortcuts have to call application launcher • File Extensions • HKCR: application launcher is called • Demo The DESY WindowsNT Group

  6. C: User part User profile HKCU registry hive Files in home directory .ini files Assign applications to Computer Workstation partFiles HKLM, HKCR registry hives “All Users” profile .ini files Shortcut (in All Users Profile) The DESY WindowsNT Group

  7. Workstation partFiles HKLM, HKCR registry hives “All Users” profile .ini files C: Assign applications to User User part User profile HKCU registry hive Files in home directory .ini files Shortcut (in User Profile) roamingprofile The DESY WindowsNT Group

  8. S: S: Installation concepts (1) • All computers are identical perfect travelling user support • Disadvantages: • high network load • unused local disks • all applications are installed on all computers (license problems) Installation on network share S:\ roamingprofile The DESY WindowsNT Group

  9. C: D: Installation concepts (2) • Applications assigned to user perfect travelling user support • install workstation part when invoked for the first time • Disadvantages: • disks get filled • license problems • versioning problem Installation on local disks C:\ or D:\ roamingprofile applications assigned to user The DESY WindowsNT Group

  10. C: D: Installation concept used at DESY • Applications assigned to computer • install user part when invoked for the first time • local profiles guarantee consistency • Travelling user support • all default configurations located in central home directory (e.g. address books, mail folder, preference files) • Disadvantages • no perfect travelling user support(80 %) Install local disks C:\ or D:\ applications assigned to computers local/mixed user profiles The DESY WindowsNT Group

  11. NetInstall features • “Local security management” • Service running as Domain User which is in local administrators group • User does not need to be a local administrator. • Some commands have to be executed with administrative rights. Because you don´t want the installing user to be member of the local administrators, every command which needs administrative rights is delegated to a NetInstall service and executed in the service context • SMS integration • NetInstall can create SMS packages • restrict application installation to a group of users or computers The DESY WindowsNT Group

  12. Classification of Support • The Fully Controlled PC • positioned for task oriented user • Centrally installed, configured, maintained and managed • Full responsibility for the PCs • The User Configurable PC • positioned for sophisticated user • Centrally installed, locally configured and maintained • Partial responsibility: availability of services, applications, etc. • The non-maintained PC • if you think you need it, OK, but abide by the rules • no responsibility taken at all, “good NT-keeping” rules enforced The DESY WindowsNT Group

  13. The Yellow PC • Basic Setup can be installed on every PC • installed applications are not affected • setup takes 1 - 10 minutes • Yellow PC • Install and uninstall whatever you want • During installation the user is asked for a local path • When applications have to be updated the user is asked at logon if the update should be installed right now, at next logon or never The DESY WindowsNT Group

  14. The Green PC • User will never be administrator • Basic setup has to be installed on plain PC • local security restrictions to OS (parts from the ZAK) • User can only install applications, which don´t override existing files • some tools cannot be used, e.g. regedit, Service Manager, ... • Applications • Some applications are preinstalled • Install / uninstall with interactive installer whatever you want • every installation restricts the file access to the files which are installed • Updates are done automatically at logon, but user can delegate it to next logon The DESY WindowsNT Group

  15. DESY setup • Extensions to standard behaviour • 2 drive letters needed: H:\ (home directory) and S:\ (application directory) • Check for required disk space at first installation • Ask for installation path at first installation (Yellow PC) • Exclusion list: Some applications cannot be installed on the same machine, (e.g. English and German version of the same application) • Show price of product if available • On GREEN PC: restrict security • Updates (see later) The DESY WindowsNT Group

  16. Status of NetInstall • 530 from 1000 PCs supported with NetInstall • 100 Green PCs / 430 Yellow PCs • 3 NetInstall databases • Hamburg and Zeuthen are strongly coupled • replication between file servers and dfs servers • Hamburg and the Hera control system are loosely coupled • Hera control system • 40 PCs with special Green PC setup • export the control software packages every day to the central pool of packages • import some standard packages manually The DESY WindowsNT Group

  17. Status of NetInstall (cont.) • 1 MS Dfs server (mapped to S:), 1 application server (cluster) • Load balancing with similar configured MS Dfs servers possible (not activated yet) • 35 applications supported yet • CD-ROM support for laptops in the next future • Good support from NetSupport • 2 days to introduce NetInstall in Zeuthen • 1st day: copying files, setting up Dfs server • 2nd day: finding dependencies from Hamburg The DESY WindowsNT Group

  18. Building Application Packages • Easy installation of local packages • 1. Scan PC configuration • 2. Install and configure application • 3. Scan PC configuration again • 4. Test the script • Green PC • find out which files and directories need write access • perl script analyzing the NetInstall script and create acls commands (good default settings) • Shared installations • separate read only from write data NetInstall script amount of time The DESY WindowsNT Group

  19. Updates / Upgrades • General Problem • updates are asynchronous (no guarantee for being executed) • reinstall application should help • Technical Problem • incremental updates or full check of installation status ? • Resetting user part ? • Automatic updates / upgrades at logon • Yellow PC: install now / install later / install never • Green PC: install now / install later • in future: force special updates • Exclude some PCs from update (we update them manually) The DESY WindowsNT Group

  20. Possible Problems • Updates / Upgrades: peak between 8 - 10 am • 500 Users, 1 hour, 100 MB, --> 50 GB/h --> 14 MB/s • 10 Mbit, 100 kB/s per user -> 8 User / 16 min • time schedule planning, multi server, load balancing • multi database support / multi site support • HKCR / file extensions NetInstall 5 The DESY WindowsNT Group

  21. Conclusion • Application support with local software management • Assign applications to computers • Sophisticated support concept • Easy to build applications • Easy to implement on other sites • NetInstall V5 fixes problems The DESY WindowsNT Group

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