Software Deployment through GPO?

[nickbrandson]

Dear guru,

We have a cab package wants to deploy on 6000 of non-admin WinXP
clients

1. Possible to use GPO to deploy cab? Actualy, the cab = msi + inf
2. Possible to deploy msi with /inf parameter through GPO? How?

Please advise,
Thanks
Nick

 

[Darren Mar-Elia \(MVP\)]

Nick-
Its not possible to deploy a CAB directly from GP, but if you extract the
MSI, you can use that for deployment. Its also not possible to modify an
GP-based installation using an .inf file but if the .inf is used to modify
the install, then you can create a transform (.mst file) instead and that
can be deployed via GP.

Darren

--
Darren Mar-Elia
MS-MVP-Windows Server--Group Policy
Check out http://www.gpoguy.com -- The Windows Group Policy Information Hub:
FAQs, Training Videos, Whitepapers and Utilities for all things Group
Policy-related
And, the Windows Group Policy Guide is out from Microsoft Press!!! Check it
out at http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/8763.asp
GPOGUY Blog: http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/gpoguy

 

[Harj]

Hi,

Now that is the downfall of GPSI where you can only deploy MSI's.
You could use an MSI wrapper for the CAB there are a few tools out
there that would help.
There is also third party deployment tools that you can use to deploy
legacy software one being SpecOps Deploy. This product uses the
existing Active Directory infrastructure and with the Client Side
extension on the client end utilizes group policy to deploy any exe,
bat, cmd, msi, msp without having to create another package.
It also give detailed feedback on the success and failures.

More information can be found at the following
http://www.specopssoft.com/products/specopsdeploy/Default.asp

Harj Singh
Software Deployment done right
www.specopssoft.com