Appendix: Additional software distribution information

This chapter explains how to use LANDesk Management Suite's software distribution (SWD) to distribute software and files to devices throughout your network.

Read this chapter to learn about:

• Processing custom scripts
• Scripting guide for deployment scripts (.ini) files
• Understanding software distribution error codes

Processing custom scripts

Custom scripts that control scheduled tasks (Tools > Distribution > Scheduled tasks) are processed in three sections:

• Premachine: The Premachine section of the custom script is processed first, and only once at the start of the task. Use this section for tasks that have no targeted device, and/or for Targeted Multicast. During the Premachine section of the script, only local commands, LOCxxx, should be used.
• Machine: The commands in this section of the script run second and only once per targeted device. These commands can use either the remote or local execution commands, and are primarily used for remotely executing SDCLIENT.EXE. Before the commands in this section of the script can be performed, the SWD agent must be installed on the targeted devices.
• Postmachine: This section is processed last, and again, only once after all devices have been processed. Software distribution does not add commands to this section, and it only supports the local commands, LOCxxx. The commands in this section won't be processed if devices in the task can't run them. The InventoryScanner.ini script that comes with Management Suite contains details about the script commands.

Custom Script Commands

Custom scripts support various local and remote commands:

• LOCEXEC: Local execute, this command is used to execute an application on the local device, which is always the core server.
• LOCDEL: Local deletion, deletes a file on the local device.
• LOCMKDIR: Local make folder, creates a folder on the local device.
• LOCRD: Local remove folder, this command is used to remove a folder on the local device.
• REMCOPY: Remote copy, copies a file from the local device to a remote device.
• REMEXEC: Remote execution, executes an application on the specified remote device.
• REMDEL: Remote deletion, deletes a file on the remote device.
• REMMKDIR: Remote make folder, this command creates a folder on the remote device.
• REMRD: Remote remove folder, this command deletes a folder on the remote device.

Command-line parameters

Software distribution is facilitated by a deployment script. SDCLIENT.EXE manages the packages using command-line parameters from the script file that are passed to the application.

SDCLIENT.EXE supports the following command-line parameters:

sdclient.exe /p="<package path>" [/g=<pkg guid>] [/All] [/R] [/N] [/An] [/Ac] [/Ab] [/fui] [/msi] [/exe] [/bw=xxx] [/E]

HTTP and UNC paths

These are examples of software distribution .ini files that reflect the differences between HTTP and UNC path script files.

HTTP path script file:

; This file was generated by Desktop Manager

[MACHINES]

REMEXEC0=C:\Program Files\LANDesk\LDClient\sdclient.exe -p=http://<web server>/packages/test package.exe -g={6DD454C0-11D3A0D1-a000B3B5-9BACBBC99CFC6D-9CE3504801A0D4B2FZ0829F08} -Ac -Ab

UNC path script file:

; This file was generated by Desktop Manager

[MACHINES]

REMEXEC0=C:\Program Files\LANDesk\LDClient\sdclient.exe -p=\\sample_core\onefile\test package.exe -g={6DD454C0-11D3A0D1-a000B3B5-9BACBBC99CFC6D-9CE3504801A0D4B2FZ0829F08} -Ac -Ab

Notice that both .ini files have similar elements. In the MACHINES section, the -P option designates the path where the device will download the software package. In the HTTP example, the path is http://<web server>/packages/test package.exe.

The next option is the -G option, which is the GUID, a unique number identifier for each package. This number identifier is generated by the Package Builder, and it helps prevent confusion during installation between packages with similar names.

Scripting guide for deployment scripts (.ini) files

You don't have to use the Create software distribution script window to create the deployment script file. A deployment file is an .ini file containing the settings the device should use for installing a package. You can create your own deployment files in a text editor such as Notepad if you prefer.

A software distribution .ini script file has these components:

[MACHINES]

REMEXEC0=C:\Program Files\LANDesk\LDClient\sdclient.exe

/p="http://computer_name/95Packages/Acro32_95.exe"

/g={281B46C0-11D3766F-a0008bab-F9751AC966F808-66E3BC2DF01A0D4B2F88670DE4}

/Ac

/N

REMEXEC0 command parameters

The parameters for the REMEXEC0 command have been placed on separate lines to make the components more visible. When placed in an .ini file, the command needs to be on one line.

REMEXEC0 is the Remote Execute command. If you want to use more than one REMEXEC0 command in a single script file, increment the command each time it is used. For example, if you used three REMEXEC calls in a single .ini file, they should be REMEXEC0, REMEXEC1, and REMEXEC2. These commands don't need to increment if they're in separate files.

The C:\Program Files\LANDesk\LDClient parameter is the correct path to the SWD agent.

Understanding software distribution error codes

From the console, the right panel in the Scheduled tasks window displays the task status. If you click Failed under the task, you can see devices that failed the job and the resulting messages and logs. The status and errors are logged to the following files:

• If the error occurred while attempting to access the package, the error is logged in the AICLIENT.LOG file.
• If the error occurred while processing the package (for example, copying files), the error is logged in the INST32.LOG file.
• The SDCLIENT.LOG file contains general summary information about each installation request received from the core server.

These log files are stored on each device. The following table lists the error codes you may encounter in these files.