How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager

How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager

You can use Configuration Manager 2007 software distribution to upgrade the client software on computers in your enterprise. A package definition file is supplied with Configuration Manager 2007 which populates the package properties with commonly used values. You can customize the behavior of the client installation by specifying additional command line properties.

Note
Software distribution can only be used to upgrade the client software. It cannot be used for new client installations.

When you have created the package, you can use software distribution to advertise it to collections of computers on your Configuration Manager 2007 site.

Important

Microsoft Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a prerequisite for client installation. When BITS is installed on client computers a restart is generally required. If BITS is being installed during client installation (by CCMSetup.exe), then the client installation will not complete until the computer is restarted. For this reason, it is recommended that you pre-deploy BITS on client computers before you install or upgrade the Configuration Manager 2007 client.

Use this procedure to create a Configuration Manager 2007 package which can be distributed to computers to upgrade the client software:

To create a Configuration Manager Package containing the client software:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages.

2. Right click the Packages node, click New and then click Package From Definition.

3. On the Welcome page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, click Next to Continue.

4. On the Package Definition page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Microsoft from the Publisher drop-down list, select Configuration Manager Client Upgrade from the Package Definition list and then click Next.

5. On the Source Files page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Always obtain files from a source directory and then click Next.

6. On the Source Directory page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Network path (UNC Name) and enter the network path to the computer and folder containing the Configuration Manager 2007 client installation files.

   Note
   The computer on which the Configuration Manager 2007 advertisement runs must have access to this network location. If it does not have access then the installation will fail.

7. To continue, click Next.

8. Click Finish to close the Create Package from Definition Wizard.

9. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages / Microsoft Configuration Manager Client Upgrade 4.0 ALL / Programs.

10. Right-click the program Advanced Client Silent Upgrade and then click Properties.

11. In the Advanced Client Silent Upgrade Dialog box, make any required changes or additions to the setup properties in the Command Line field and then click OK. The default installation properties are /noservice SMSSITECODE=AUTO.

12. Copy the package to all required Configuration Manager 2007 distribution points.

    Note
    You should specify the name of the site fallback status point if one has been defined using the client.msi property FSP=<fallback status point name>. For a list of all installation properties, see About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties.

    Important
    If any installation properties are specified after the CCMSetup.exe command, the client will not search Active Directory for additional installation properties.   Enjoy, PaddyMaddy