Deployment and Imaging Group

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  • 1.  Prestaging packages in a hierarchy

    Posted May 04, 2017 03:40 AM

    Hi,

    We are having a infstrastructure with 1 Parent NS and 4 Child NSs. The packages are created and managed on the parent NS. Because we do not need packages on all Package Servers and also to save disk space we use generally the setting "Package Servers automatically with manual prestaging". This works out quit well.

    However, we would like certain packages to be prestaged. These packages are used during deployment phase. And we would like them to be ready before we even start the first deployment of computer.

    Unfortunately trying to assign the package to the site for example using ASDK does not work because all "manual" assignments are removed whe replication is run. This is the current implementation. Here the idea posted to get this changed:

    https://www.symantec.com/connect/ideas/do-not-overwrite-site-assignment-package-replication

    I thought maybe somebody has faced the same challenge and found some workaround. Please share if you have an idea how this could be achieved.

    Thanks.

    Stefan

     

     



  • 2.  RE: Prestaging packages in a hierarchy
    Best Answer

    Posted May 04, 2017 10:10 PM

    Stefan,

    How do you guys have your Hierarchy setup?  Do you have sites configured on the parent and then assign site servers to those sites on the children? Or do you guys create the sites locally on each child SMP?

    We too have 1 Parent and 4 Children SMPs and we have our Parent replicate all site information downward to all the child notification servers.  Then we assign our Site Servers to those sites.  Once we have this done, we then make sure we upload all our software to the parent.  Once the software is on the parent, we prestage it to what sites we want it at.  So during replication, the software is only replicated to the parent's core site server and all the children's core site server and any prestaged sites.

    This works out very well as we can pick and choose what software is pre-staged where via on console, the parent console.

    Let me know if you have any questions as I can elaborate more.

    Hope that helps.



  • 3.  RE: Prestaging packages in a hierarchy

    Posted May 09, 2017 01:50 AM

    Hi,

    We have the sites configured locally (child ns). I might give it a try to export a local site and import it to the parent NS and assign a package and see how this goes.

    I do not know exactly why it was chosen to have the setup like this. Maybe this was to avoid a "mess" on the parent NS. We have around 1300 remote sites.

    Stefan



  • 4.  RE: Prestaging packages in a hierarchy

    Posted Jun 07, 2017 04:53 AM

    Hi frickea86,

    I am right now looking into the way your doing the assignment. However, I am facing a problem and I am wondering if this is a bug or not. When assigning additional sites. In version 7.6 and earlier the sites which already are assigned have to be saved and the old sites and new sites have to be added to the package.

    However now I am testing this out I am trying to receive the assigned sites and the list of sites is empty when using the ASDK. For example using this call:

    http://localhost/Altiris/ASDK.NS.SoftwareDelivery/SWDSolnPackageManagementService.asmx?op=GetPackageExByGuid

    I should get SelectedPackageServers.

    Or the same with this call:

    http://localhost/Altiris/ASDK.SMF/SoftwarePackageManagementService.asmx?op=GetPackage

    PackageServers.

    Just wondering if you have the same or not. I am using 8.0 HF6.

    I might have to raise a call to Support to check what is wrong.

    Stefan

     



  • 5.  RE: Prestaging packages in a hierarchy

    Posted Jul 07, 2017 04:37 AM

    Stefan,

    We have also 1 parent and 4 child NS. By default we asssing the package distribution to all package servers. This way all software is always available for immediate installation. 

    1. Edit software resource

    2. Click the package tab

    3. Edit the package

    4. Click Package Server tab

    5. Assign package to All Package servers.

    This way you can assing the individual packages so that are always ready for deployment.

    Let us know how it worked for you.

    Tomasz



  • 6.  RE: Prestaging packages in a hierarchy

    Posted Jul 07, 2017 07:01 AM

    Hi Tomasz,

    Our Package Library together with all the Security Patches is about 600 GB in size and growing. That is why I do not want to replicate everything to all our 1300 package servers.

    I am going the way suggested by frickea86. Exporting the sites from the child ns importing them into the parent ns and assign the packages on the parent ns. This seems to work fine.

    Stefan