software installation GPO versus vbscript logon script GPO installvia WMI

[wiggum]

I just want to verify if my understanding is correct. Right now I have
the basics working - for example I have created a GPO to install an
ActivePerl MSI. With this approach the policy will be "smart" enough not
to try to install ActivePerl every single time.

Now, the other way I've tried is this - make a GPO that runs a logon
script. In this case it happens to be a vbscript that installs a MSI via
WMI. So for this approach, the downside is it will install no matter
what - the logic that checks if it already exists doesn't come into
play. Do I understand this correctly?

I guess the biggest worry is slowing down logon times if you have too
many of these WMI MSI installations going on -- then again I could just
let the WMI MSI GPO stay until I know that software is installed on
every machine.

Am I making sense?

 

[G Johansson]

You got it but of course you can also build the logic in your vb-script to
check if the package has been installed before or not before trying to
install so whichever approach you choose it should work.

Of course it will slowdown logins but that might be ok considering the
approach where you go to each computer and manually install the program

 

[Roger Abell [MVP]]

I just want to verify if my understanding is correct. Right now I have the
basics working - for example I have created a GPO to install an ActivePerl
MSI. With this approach the policy will be "smart" enough not to try to
install ActivePerl every single time.

Now, the other way I've tried is this - make a GPO that runs a logon
script. In this case it happens to be a vbscript that installs a MSI via
WMI. So for this approach, the downside is it will install no matter
what - the logic that checks if it already exists doesn't come into play.
Do I understand this correctly?

You are recognizing that you forgot to make the script check for
need to install.

I guess the biggest worry is slowing down logon times if you have too many
of these WMI MSI installations going on -- then again I could just let the
WMI MSI GPO stay until I know that software is installed on every machine.

I am not certain what "WMI MSI GPO" is, but I will guess this is the
login script based one. If you have it try to install whenever user logs
in then yes, it will try over and over. If you many such installs of
different MSIs, even more will, again, over and over if you have not
written script to test for need.

Am I making sense?

What you said makes sense, but as to what you did, not really.
Login scripts run in the user account context, which is usually
not able to install software. Hence, the software distribution
capability of GP was designed. You probably should use it
if you have to choose between the two scenarios you mentioned.

Roger