Writing A Script; Server Scripting Commands - Symantec ALTIRIS DEPLOYMENT SOLUTION 6.9 SP4 - V1.0 Manual

Writing a Script

Server Scripting Commands

Comment Flags
Flag
REM
#
'
Deployment Solution
Using the flexibility of tokens and the processing power of the command processor of
your OS, you can develop and deploy scripts ranging from a simple file search to a full
system customization.
This chapter discusses how to effectively create and deploy scripts in your DS
environment.
Scripts can be deployed to the DOS, WinPE, and Linux automation environment, or to
the Windows or Linux production environment. Unlike other tasks, the scripts you write
vary greatly depending on the target environment and OS.
The core of each script you write uses the functionality provided by the command
processor of your OS. There are utilities and commands for each environment to
perform a broad range of management tasks.
One of the biggest advantages to deploying scripts using DS is that a script is processed
independently for each computer. Database values specific to each computer can be
retrieved using the same token in your script, saving you from polling the computer and
executing a database query before you can perform a task. The same %COMPNAME%
token can provide a unique value for each computer that runs this script.
When a script is processed, DS first parses each script for two things: tokens, and
predefined server scripting commands. Tokens are replaced, additional action might be
taken based on the commands found before the script is delivered to the target.
The predefined server scripting commands are keywords defined for replacing tokens in
other files, running vbscripts, performing scripted installs, unloading BootWorks, and a
special deployment command for Blade servers. These additional keywords are
discussed in the Server Scripting Commands section.
DS provides several predefined commands you can use when deploying scripts. These
commands are processed before a script is deployed to a client. Each of these scripting
commands must be marked by the correct comment flag to prevent them from being
processed by the OS:
The following table contains the comment flags for each scripting environment:
Location Used
Batch files.
REM [servercommand]
Linux shell scripts.
# [servercommand]
Visual Basic scripts.
' [servercommand]
Deploying Scripts
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