Group Distribution - Symantec SOFTWARE MANAGER 8.0 - REFERENCE FOR WISE PACKAGE STUDIO V1.0 Reference

Group Distribution

Software Manager Reference
For information on the distribution methods available and instructions on using Package
Distribution, see Package Distribution in the Wise Package Studio Help.
The following types of packages should be distributed through Group Distribution
instead of Package Distribution: device drivers, Group Policy Objects, transforms, and
packages imported using the Universal Import option.
See Group Distribution on page 130.
Use Group Distribution to deploy multiple related packages at once, enforcing package
dependencies and installation order, and defining command lines that run the package
installations. Group Distribution also lets you install packages that you could not
otherwise repackage and deploy.
See Process for Deploying a Group
About the Deployment Wrapper
Distributing a group creates a deployment wrapper .EXE, which contains the files that
will install packages in the group, the command lines that will run the installations, and
any additional files that will be installed. When you deploy the .EXE to the destination
computers, it installs all the packages and files and runs all the command lines that are
contained in the wrapper. The deployment wrapper itself is not installed or added to
Add/Remove Programs on the destination computer.
When a group includes a .WSI package, the deployment wrapper .EXE includes only the
compiled .MSI. It does not include any other files that are compiled from the .WSI
(.EXEs, external .CAB files, or runtime installations). To include those files in the
distribution, add them to a package definition file, or import them as separate packages
where possible and create relationships between them and the original .WSI package.
When the deployment wrapper .EXE is created, an .XML file and a WiseScript file (.WSE)
are created in the same location. The .XML file describes the contents of the deployment
wrapper .EXE. The WiseScript is used to compile the .EXE. Because we cannot support
customization of these files, we recommend that you do not edit them. To make changes
to the wrapper, rerun Group Distribution.
Warning
The deployment wrapper .EXE cannot determine if a package in the wrapper is already
installed on the destination computer.
Distributing the Deployment Wrapper Through FTP
You can copy the deployment wrapper .EXE and its .XML file to an FTP server. Group
Distribution uses the FTP protocol to transfer the files to the server location you specify.
End users can download the files from the FTP server using an FTP client. If the server is
also configured to run a Web server, end users can download the files through their Web
browser (HTTP protocol) as well. Group Distribution does not support passive FTP, which
is required by some firewall and gateway configurations, and it cannot FTP through a
proxy server.
Package Definition Requirements
A package definition containing at least one command line is required for any package
that you include in a group distribution, except for the following formats: .MSI, .WSI,
Preparing Packages for Deployment
on page 112.
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