ALTIRIS APPLICATION MANAGEMENT SOLUTION 6.0 SP1 HELP

Transcription

1 ALTIRIS APPLICATION MANAGEMENT SOLUTION 6.0 SP1 HELP

2 Notice Copyright Altiris Inc. All rights reserved. Product Version: 6.0 Document Date: December 21, 2004 Bootworks U.S. Patent No. 5,764,593. RapiDeploy U.S. Patent No. 6,144,992. Recovery Solution U.S. Patent No. 5,778,395, 5,907,672, , , , , , , , GB , B , Other patents pending. Due to the inherently complex nature of computer software, Altiris does not warrant that the Altiris software is error-free, will operate without interruption, is compatible with all equipment and software configurations, or will otherwise meet your needs. The content of this documentation is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Altiris. Altiris Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this documentation. For the latest documentation, visit our Web site at Altiris, the Altiris logo, BootWorks, Inventory Solution, LabExpert, PC Transplant, RapiDeploy, and RapidInstall are registered trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. Carbon Copy is a registered trademark licensed to Altiris, Inc. in the United States and a trademark of Altiris, Inc. in other countries. Altiris express, Altiris Protect, Application Management Solution, Application Metering Solution, Asset Control Solution, Asset Management Suite, Client Management Suite, Compliance Toolkit, Connector Solution, Conflict Analysis Solution, Contract Management Solution, Deployment Server, Deployment Solution, Energy Saver Toolkit, Education Management Suite, Helpdesk Solution Software, Lab Management Suite, Migration Toolkit, Mobile Client for SMS, Monitor Solution, Notification Server, Patch Management Solution, Problem Management Suite, Recovery Solution, Server Management Suite, Site Monitor Solution, Software Delivery Solution, TCO Management Solution, UNIX Client for SMS, Web Administrator for SMS, Web Reports, and other product names are trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. HP and Compaq are registered trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation. Dell is a registered trademark of Dell Inc. Macintosh is a registered trademark of the Apple Computer Corporation. Palm OS is a registered trademark of Palm Computing, Inc. BlackBerry is a service mark and a trademark of Research In Motion Limited Corporation. Application Management Solution Help 2

3 Notice RIM is a service mark and trademark of Research In Motion (RIM) All other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Application Management Solution Help 3

4 Contents Altiris Application Help Management Solution 6.0 Notice Chapter 1: Introducing Altiris Application Management Solution Application Management Documentation Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding MSI Application Management Tasks Windows Installer Agent Terminology Introduction to Microsoft Windows Installer Introduction to the Altiris Windows Installer Agent Windows Installer Scans Understanding Baseline Tasks File Baselines Registry Baselines Chapter 3: Installing Application Management Prerequisites Installing Application Management Licensing Application Management Installing Application Management Locally Chapter 4: Managing Windows Installer Applications Scanning MSI Applications Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports Repairing MSI Applications Managing MSI Source Paths Updating the Windows Installer Package List Using Reports to Find Inaccessible Source Paths Using Reports to Discover Existing Source Paths of MSI Applications Changing the Source Paths of an MSI Application Using the Application Management Wizard Using Windows Installer Notification Policies Customizing The Windows Installer Agent Chapter 5: Using Baseline Policies and Reports Using Baseline Agent Policies to Create Baselines Using Baseline Agent Policies to Run Compliance Scans Using Compliance Scans To Compare Files on a Computer Over Time Application Management Solution Help 4

5 Contents Using Compliance Scans to Compare a Baseline Against Different Computers Using Baseline Notification Policies Viewing Baseline Reports Viewing Dashboard Reports Using the Clean Utility to Delete Compliance Scan Data Index Application Management Solution Help 5

6 Chapter 1: Introducing Altiris Application Management Solution Today s business environment is more competitive than ever before. To meet the demand, applications are being released at a staggering rate. Typical business networks consist of the newest, most innovative components and peripherals that are constantly being updated and replaced. This state of transition has caused corporate personnel to rely on asset management tools to maintain consistency and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO). The growing awareness among Information Technology (IT) personnel is that asset management must reduce the TCO without jeopardizing end user productivity. Costs can be significantly reduced in three key areas: Assessing and maintaining the accuracy of updates or rollouts to end users Providing help desks with tools to quickly resolve end user support calls involving configuration problems Detecting the use of unauthorized or non-licensed software For packages that were installed using Windows Installer (MSI), Altiris Application Management Solution can help maintain the installed state of the application. Application Management collects information about products installed by Windows Installer and reports the information to Notification Server or Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS). The Windows Installer management agent helps you manage source paths, gather inventory about Windows Installer applications down to an installed feature level, and schedule regular application health check-ups and automatically repair missing or changed files and/or registry values. The File and Registry Baseline features of Application Management provide a simple, accurate way to detect computers with non-standard configurations. After creating the desired configuration of an individual or group of computers, Application Management can be used to create a baseline containing recorded file or registry data. The baseline can then be used as a reference to compare a system and determine the difference from the set standard. Application Management detects which applications are missing and which applications conflict and can report the system path and application position for immediate resolution. Unwanted changes to the registry can also be rolled back to the previous state recorded in the baseline. Application Management Documentation The following documentation is provided with Application Management: Release Notes The Application Management Releases Notes contains a list of the new features and known issues in this version of the product. It also contains any last-minute information that did not make it into the main documentation. Application Management Help The Application Management Help provides instructions for performing tasks through the Altiris Console. Application Management Reference The Application Management Reference provides reference information about using the stand-alone baseline utilities, editors, reports, and command-line switches. Altiris product documentation is available in Microsoft HTML Help (.CHM) and Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) formats. Documentation files are installed in the following directory: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\Help Application Management Solution Help 6

7 Chapter 1: Introducing Altiris Application Management Solution You can access documentation from the Altiris Console by clicking the following icons in the upper right corner of the Altiris Console: Access the contextual online help by clicking the online help icon. Access an index of all help by clicking the index icon. The complete and most current versions of documentation are available from the Altiris Knowledge Base, which is available from the Altiris support Web page at Application Management Solution Help 7

8 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management You can perform two types of management tasks with Application Management: Understanding MSI Applications Management Tasks (page 8) Understanding Baseline Tasks (page 10) Understanding MSI Application Management Tasks Many networks use Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install and manage applications. Altiris Application Management provides these additional capabilities to manage Windows Installer-based applications (referred to as MSI applications): Scan computers for MSI applications and gather inventory data about those applications Generate inventory reports about MSI applications Generate status reports about broken MSI applications Repair broken MSI applications Manage the source files for MSI applications Note: Microsoft Windows Installer is not a software distribution tool. For information on using Altiris products to distribute software applications, see the Altiris Web site at This topic includes the following sections: Windows Installer Agent Terminology (page 8) Introduction to Microsoft Windows Installer (page 9) Introduction to the Altiris Windows Installer Agent (page 9) Windows Installer Scans (page 10) Windows Installer Agent Terminology Microsoft Windows Installer - An operating system service that allows the operating system to manage the application installation process. Windows Installer Agent - An Altiris reporting and maintenance program for Microsoft Windows Installer-based applications (MSI applications). MSI Applications - Applications that are installed and managed through the Microsoft Windows Installer. Introduction to Microsoft Windows Installer Microsoft Windows Installer is an operating system service that allows the operating system to manage the application installation process. Windows Installer manages the installation, modification, upgrade, or removal of applications. Each Windows Installer application has a defined set of rules that are followed when the application is installed and managed. Application Management Solution Help 8

9 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding MSI Application Management Tasks This set of rules is contained in a database that is part of the Windows Installer package (.msi) file. Each Windows Installer application has a unique package (.msi) file. An MSI application is comprised of three product elements: products, features, and components. The following table describes each element: Product Element Description Windows Installer Product Windows Installer Feature Windows Installer Component Each component has a designated keypath. The keypath represents the path to the component and is stored in the MSI package s database. Each component also has a key file. The key file can be an executable file or a registry key. For example, the key file for the Microsoft Word core application is winword.exe. Introduction to the Altiris Windows Installer Agent The Altiris Windows Installer Agent (AeXMSIAgent.exe) is part of Application Management and is an MSI product reporting and maintenance program. It collects information about products installed by the Windows Installer service and reports the information to Notification Server in the form of XML and/or MIF output. The Windows Installer Agent is run as a software package that is delivered from the Notification Server when Windows Installer policies are run. The Windows Installer Agent works with Microsoft Windows Installer to perform the following tasks: Windows Installer Scan - The Windows Installer Scan identifies the MSI applications located on a computer and verifies that the application s components are properly installed. Windows Installer Repair - The Windows Installer Repair identifies MSI applications not properly installed and initiates a self-repair. Windows Installer Reports - The Windows Installer Agent collects information about products installed by the Windows Installer service and reports the information to Notification Server in the form of XML and/or MIF output. Change Network Source Paths - Using the Windows Installer Agent, you can change the network source paths of MSI applications. The Windows Installer Agent requires version 1.1 or greater of the Windows Installer. It determines the version by searching for the msiexec.exe file in the Windows system directory and reading its version information. If the file cannot be found, or if the version is less than that required, a message is displayed (if run in visible mode) and the program is terminated. If the Windows Installer is not found on the computer, the Windows Installer Agent will only produce a summary group with the MSI Version column set to Not found. The Windows Installer Agent package that is used by Windows Installer tasks is viewable in the Altiris Console under Configuration > Solution Settings > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Agent. The Windows Installer Agent outputs the gathered information in MIF, XML, or both (the default is both). The default filenames are: AeXMsiAgent.mif (for MIF) AeXMsiAgent.nsi (for XML) A single application or a suite of applications such as Microsoft Office Products are identified by unique product IDs. A feature is a core function of a product such as the spelling checker in Microsoft Office. A collection of files, registry keys, or other resources that are installed together that perform a certain function. Application Management Solution Help 9

10 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding MSI Application Management Tasks These files are placed in the install path\altiris\express\baseline directory. For information on the output data, see the Application Management Reference. Note At program startup, the Windows Installer agent checks to ensure it is not running multiple copies simultaneously. If multiple instances of the program attempt to act on an MSI file simultaneously, it could result in program crashes. In cases where a second instance of the program is started, it is immediately terminated. Windows Installer Scans Application Management scans local computers for MSI applications using the Altiris Windows Installer Agent. The agent is run on the local computer and uses the Windows Installer service to gather information about products that are installed on the computer. Scans are run through Notification Server tasks that you can schedule to run at regular intervals. The information gathered by the Windows Installer Agent is reported to the Notification Server and stored in the Notification Database. The following information is gathered: The application name The application version The state of each application (such as installed, removed, absent, etc.) Any broken application components The date that the application was installed The application s manufacturer The location from where the application was installed The location of the MSI file on the local computer The application product ID The network source path(s) for the MSI package file and whether it is accessible For information on how to perform scans, see Scanning MSI Applications on page 18. Windows Installer Agent Scan Types Application Management provides the following methods for scanning MSI applications: Quick Scan Full Scan Full System Level Scan Quick System Level Scan Quick Repair Full Repair Quick Scan A quick scan identifies MSI application components and verifies that the component s key file is correctly installed. (For information on application components, see Introduction to Windows Installer on page 8.) A quick scan is useful in gathering inventory information about MSI products. A quick scan is also useful in verifying that applications have not been deleted or moved. A quick scan will verify shortcuts, registry entries, and files. For example, a quick scan will query Microsoft Word s package file for its key file and key path. It will then verify that the key file, winword.exe, is installed in the proper path. If winword.exe is not found in the proper path, Microsoft Word is reported as broken. Full Scan A full scan identifies MSI applications and verifies that all elements are correctly installed. If any elements are not correctly installed, the application is reported as broken. Full System Level Scan The full system level scan is almost the same as a full scan, except that it runs with Administrative rights. This means that it will run better in locked down environments, but will not scan applications or settings that are user specific, whereas a full scan policy will scan application and application components (reg values and files) that are installed for both the current user and all users. Application Management Solution Help 10

11 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding Baseline Tasks Quick System Level Scan The quick system level scan is almost the same as quick scan, except that it runs with Administrative rights. This means that it will run better in locked down environments, but will not scan applications or settings that are user specific, whereas a quick scan will scan key files that are installed for both the current user and all users. Quick Repair A quick repair performs a quick (key file only) scan of MSI applications, repairs broken components, and reports the results. A quick repair is useful because the quick scan takes less time and resources than the full scan. Full Repair A full repair performs a full scan of MSI applications, repairs broken components, and reports the results. Understanding Baseline Tasks Application Management lets you quickly and easily compare files and registry keys between different computers or track how computers change over time. Application Management generates a baseline that identifies the files and registry keys that exist on a computer at a point in time. Compliance scans are later run that compare the current files to those in the baseline. You can view reports that show the differences that are found. You can create baselines and run compliance scans in the two following ways: Execute them on multiple client computers through Notification Server policies Install Application Management locally on client computers and run the scans manually For more information on running scans manually, see the Application Management Reference. Application Management provides two different types of baselines: File Baselines on page 11 Registry Baselines on page 12 File Baselines Application Management can track changes in files on one computer, or compare files between different computers. This section describes file baselines and includes the following topics: File Baseline Terminology on page 11 File Baseline Configuration Files on page 12 File Baselines and Compliance Scans on page 12 How File Baseline Data is Stored on page 13 Editing a File Baseline on page 13 Duplicate Files on page 13 File Baseline Terminology File Baseline - A file baseline (.bls) is a starting point of reference from which subsequent compliance scans are derived and compared. Application Management creates a baseline file of the files that exist on the local computer. Subsequent scans compare the contents of a system against the contents of the baseline file to produce a compliance scan data (or delta) file. File Snapshot - A file snapshot is a baseline that records the files that exist on a computer at any given point in time. Application Management Solution Help 11

12 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding Baseline Tasks File Compliance Scan - A File Compliance Scan shows changes that have occurred to a computer. When a File Compliance Scan is run, the current contents of the computer are compared against the contents of the baseline file. The differences are stored in a data file (.nsi). Because a compliance scan represents only the changes, such as adds, deletes, and updates, the data file is typically much smaller than a baseline file. The File Compliance Scan writes the results to MIF and/or XML files and to its own baseline and data files. Baseline Configuration File (baseline.bls) - The Baseline Configuration file contains the values for scan options such as which file extensions to scan, which directories to exclude from the scan, types of files to ignore in the scan, and the set of rules that describe all the files that should be found on a computer. The configuration settings can be modified using the File Configuration Editor. File Configuration Editor - The File Configuration Editor is a stand-alone application that lets you designate the parameters to be written to the.bls file that will be used by the File Compliance Scan. File Snapshot Editor - The File Snapshot Editor is a stand-alone application that lets you view the contents of the baseline created by the File Compliance Scan and modify the file data. Duplicate Files - The File Configuration Editor lets you specify if you want to report on duplicate files on the system. You can scan for duplicate files in the same set of directories that the File Compliance Scan scans, or you can scan all drives on a computer for duplicate files. Files must have the exact name to be considered duplicates. The output MIF and NSI files indicate if the duplicate files have the same or a different version. File Wizard - The File Wizard is a stand-alone application that guides a user through the various component applications that make up the File group of Application Management. Each page presented by the File Wizard describes the procedure about to occur and prompts the user for the appropriate input. Each page then invokes the appropriate Application Management application. When the application completes, control is returned to the File Wizard. The Wizard then displays the results of the application and proceeds to the next step until the baseline operation is complete. Note: Stand-alone applications are documented in the Application Management Reference. File Baseline Configuration Files Application Management can scan ALL files on a computer or can be configured to scan only certain files types and /or directories. For example, you can scan for the following: Only.exe files on all local drives All files in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office folder Only.exe files in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office folder Duplicate files File, directory, and other scan options are stored in Baseline Configuration Files that have a.bls extension. Several sample.bls files are provided. You can use, or copy and edit the sample files or create your own. You can create and use as many.bls files as you want. Baseline Configuration Files (.bls) can be viewed and edited through a text editor. However, due to specific formatting requirements, a Configuration Editor is provided to easily create and edit configuration options in.bls files (see Editing a Baseline on page 12). File Baselines and Compliance Scans Application Management generates a file baseline on local computers. A file baseline, or snapshot, contains the files that were found based on the options specified in the baseline configuration file. After you have a baseline, you can then perform compliance scans that compare the current files to those in the baseline. You can generate a baseline on one computer, then run a compliance scan on the same computer at a later time to identify the changes that have occurred on that computer over time. You can also compare the files of one computer to the baseline of a different computer. For example, you may have a computer that is considered a standard configuration. You can generate a baseline of that computer and then run compliance scans on other computers. Application Management Solution Help 12

13 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding Baseline Tasks Compliance scans record the differences that exist between a baseline and the files at the current time. Compliance scan data is stored as.nsi files in the Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Baseline folder. The data is reported to your Notification Database, your SMS database, or both. Application Management provides reports that detail the compliance scan results, such as which files have been added or which files are missing or different. Note: The data gathered in a baseline scan is not reported to the Notification Server. When you run a compliance scan, only the differences between the baseline and the data on the computer is reported. How File Baseline Data is Stored When a baseline is generated on a computer, the scan uses a baseline configuration file (.bls) that contains the configuration options for the scan. The data that is gathered during that initial scan is added to the same.bls file. The baseline (.bls) then contains two parts: The configuration options that determine what is scanned The data (list of files) that was collected in the scan. To run a compliance scan, select the baseline (.bls) file that you wish to compare against. The scan is executed using the configuration options in the.bls file by comparing the computer s files to the data contained in the baseline (.bls) file. Editing a File Baseline Two editors can be used to edit baselines: Configuration Editor Snapshot Editor The Configuration Editor allows you to define configuration options, such as the file types and paths that you want to scan. The Snapshot Editor edits the file data after the baseline has been generated. For example, you can remove, add, or modify individual file properties to the baseline before running a compliance scan. The Configuration Editor and Snapshot Editor are run through locally installed application files. For information on using the editors, see the Application Management Reference. Duplicate Files Application Management can also report on duplicate files that are found on a computer. It reports files that have the same name in different directories and indicates if the files are the same version or a different version. This makes it much easier to track EXE, DLL, and OCX conflicts in your environment. This option is set using the Configuration Editor. Registry Baselines Application Management can track changes in registry keys on one computer, or compare registry keys between different computers. This section describes registry baselines and includes the following topics: Registry Baseline Terminology on page 14 Registry Baseline Configuration Files on page 14 Registry Baselines and Compliance Scans on page 14 How Registry Baseline Data is Stored on page 15 Editing a Registry Baseline on page 15 Application Management Solution Help 13

14 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding Baseline Tasks Registry Baseline Terminology Registry Baseline - A registry baseline is a starting point of reference from which subsequent compliance scans are derived and compared. Application Management creates a baseline file during its initial run and records the registry settings of a computer. Subsequent scan compare the registry settings of a computer against the contents of the baseline file to produce a compliance scan data (or delta) file. Registry Snapshot - A registry snapshot is a baseline that records the registry settings of a computer at any given point in time. Registry Compliance Scan - The Registry Compliance Scan shows changes that have occurred to a computer. When a Registry Compliance Scan is run, every key and that key s value/data attributes for a computer s registry are compared against the contents of the registry baseline file. The differences are stored in a data file (.nsi). Because a compliance scan represents only the changes, such as adds, deletes, and updates, the data file is typically much smaller than a baseline file. The Registry Compliance Scan writes the results to MIF and/or XML files and to its own baseline and data files. Registry Configuration Editor - The Registry Configuration Editor is a stand-alone utility that lets you designate the parameters to be written to the INI file that will be used by the Registry Compliance Scan. Registry Snapshot Editor - The Registry Snapshot Editor is a stand-alone utility that lets you view the contents of the baseline created by the Registry Compliance Scan and modify the registry data. Registry Wizard - The Registry Wizard is a stand-alone utility that guides the user through the various component applications that make up the Registry group of Application Management. Each page presented by the Registry Wizard describes the procedure about to occur and prompts the user for the appropriate input. Each page then invokes the appropriate Application Management application. When the application completes, control is returned to the Wizard. The Wizard then displays the results of the application and proceeds to the next step until the baseline operation is complete. Note: Stand-alone applications are documented in the Application Management Reference. Registry Baseline Configuration Files You can select to include specific registry keys that will include all children of that key. You then can specify subkeys of the included files to exclude that will then exclude that key and its children. Configuration options for registry baseline scans are contained in.ini files such as AexRegScan.ini. Registry Baselines and Compliance Scans Application Management generates a registry baseline from the local computer or a computer on the network to which you have access. A registry baseline contains the registry keys that were found based on the options specified in the registry configuration file. After you have a baseline, you can then perform compliance scans that compare the current registry keys to those in the baseline. You can generate a baseline on one computer, then run a compliance scan on the same computer at a later time to identify the changes that have occurred on that computer over time. You can also compare the registry keys of one computer to the baseline files of a different computer. For example, you may have a computer that is considered a standard configuration. You can generate a baseline of that computer, and then run compliance scans on other computers using the baseline file from the computer with the standard configuration. You can also scan multiple remote computers registries over the network from the local computer. Compliance scans record the difference that exists between a baseline and the registry settings at the current time. Compliance scan data is stored as.nsi files in the Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Baseline folder. The data is reported to your Notification Database, your SMS database, or both. Application Management provides reports that detail the changes, such as which registry keys have been added, or are missing or different. Application Management Solution Help 14

15 Chapter 2: Understanding Application Management Understanding Baseline Tasks Note The data gathered in a baseline scan is not reported to the Notification Server. When you run a compliance scan, only the differences between the baseline and the data on the computer is reported. How Registry Baseline Data is Stored When a baseline is generated on a computer, the scan uses a registry configuration file containing the configuration options for the scan. The registry keys that were gathered during that initial scan are saved to an.rbl file. Editing a Registry Baseline If you want to change the registry keys in a baseline (.rbl) before running a compliance scan, you can make changes using the Snapshot Editor. The Snapshot Editor allows you to edit the baseline file after the baseline has been generated. Application Management Solution Help 15

16 Chapter 3: Installing Application Management Prerequisites Application Management Solution is a solution that runs on an Altiris Notification Server. You can also install Application Management stand-alone utilities on local computers without Notification Server in order to create and edit baselines, run compliance scans, and perform MSI application scans. Notification Server Notification Server 6.0 For requirements and instructions on installing Notification Server, see the Altiris Notification Server Help. Client computer Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP computer To use the Windows Installer Agent, the Altiris Agent 6.0 must be installed. For instructions on how to install the Altiris Agent, see the Altiris Notification Server Help. Installing Application Management To install Application Management Solution on a Notification Server, use the Notification Server Solution Center. For instructions on using the Solution Center, see the Altiris Notification Server Help. Licensing Application Management Each Altiris product comes with a 7-day trial license that is installed by default. You can register and obtain a 30-day evaluation license through our Web site at or purchase a full product license. To view your current license, open the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab and then Licensing. For more information, click the help button on the Licensing page. Installing Application Management Locally Application Management stand-alone utilities can also be installed on a local computer without Notification Server being installed. To install Application Management locally 1 Obtain the Application Management setup file Altiris_ApplicationMgmt_6_0.exe. You can download it the from the Altiris Web site. 2 Run the setup file on the computer on which you want to install Application Management. Application Management Solution Help 16

17 Chapter 3: Installing Application Management 3 When installed locally, the standalone applications (scans, editors, and wizards) are available by clicking Start > Programs > Altiris > Solutions > Application Management. Application Management Solution Help 17

18 Chapter 4: Managing Windows Installer Applications Application Management provides tools to manage Windows Installer-based applications (referred to as MSI applications). This section describes how to use Application Management to perform the following tasks: Scanning MSI Applications (page 18) Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports (page 19) Repairing MSI Applications (page 19) Managing MSI Source Paths (page 20) Using the Application Management Wizard (page 23) Using Windows Installer Notification Policies (page 25) Customizing The Windows Installer Agent (page 25) Scanning MSI Applications Application Management scans computers for MSI applications using the Altiris Windows Installer Agent. For introductory information on Windows Installer Application scans, see Windows Installer Scans on page 10. Windows Installer scans are performed by executing a policy through Notification Server that runs the Altiris Windows Installer Agent on the computers that you specify. The computers you scan are specified by using collections. You can use predefined collections or create your own. When enabled, scan policies can be configured to run on a specified schedule and/or as soon as possible. The predefined scan policies are not enabled by default. You can also include/exclude certain applications in the scan. This is useful if you want to manage only one specific application or exclude applications that have a custom installation and always report as broken. For more information, see Customizing The Windows Installer Agent on page 25. For a list of the types of scans you can run, see Windows Installer Agent Scan Types (page 10). Note It is best to run only one type of scan at a time because the data from the latest scan will be stored in the database. However, by using reports, you can save the data from different scans. For example, you can run one type of scan, generate and save reports based on that data, and then run a different scan. For information on Windows Installer Agent Reports, see Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports on page 19. To perform a Windows Installer Scan 1 Open the Altiris Console on the Notification Server by clicking Start > Programs > Altiris > Altiris Console. 2 Click the Configuration tab. 3 In the left treeview pane, click Configuration > Solution Settings > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Agent. 4 Click the scan type you want to run. Application Management Solution Help 18

19 Chapter 4: Managing Windows Installer Applications Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports 5 In the right content pane, enable the policy by selecting the Enabled check box. 6 Configure the policy by doing the following: a b Select the computers you want to scan by clicking the Applies to Collection link. Select the scheduling options. For more information on configuring policies, click the help button. 7 Click Apply to save the configuration. To view the results of Windows Installer scans through reports, see Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports on page 19. Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports After Application Management has scanned computers for MSI applications, you can view several reports that give information about your applications. Several reports are predefined and you can create your own. To view Windows Installer Agent reports 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Reports tab. 2 In the left treeview pane, click Reports > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Agent. 3 In the right content pane is a list and description of the available reports. To get information about a report, you can also click the report, then in the right pane, click the information icon. 4 Click the report you want to run. 5 If prompted, enter any variable information, such as the number of days or computer names. Note: Use % to specify all computers. 6 Click Refresh. You can print or save reports for use at a later time. For more information about reports, click the help button. For information about creating your own reports, see Using the Report Builder Wizard in the Altiris Notification Server Help. When generating reports, the Windows Installer Agent creates both XML data (for Notification Server) and MIF data (for SMS) output. For more information about report output, see the Application Management Reference. Repairing MSI Applications Application Management can repair MSI applications using the Altiris Windows Installer Agent. Application Management provides two methods for repairing MSI applications. Quick Repair A quick repair performs a quick (key file only) scan of MSI applications, repairs broken components, and reports the results. A quick repair is useful because the quick scan takes less time and resources than the full scan. Full Repair A full repair performs a full scan of MSI applications, repairs broken components, and reports the results. Application Management Solution Help 19

20 Chapter 4: Managing Windows Installer Applications Managing MSI Source Paths How The Agent Repairs a Component To repair an application, the Windows Installer Agent issues a repair command to Microsoft s Windows Installer service. The Windows Installer Agent queries the Windows Installer service until the repair is finished. The broken components group reports on the number of broken components, whether a repair was attempted, and whether the repair was successful. Performing a Windows Installer Repair Windows Installer repairs are performed by executing a policy through Notification Server that runs the Altiris Windows Installer Agent on the local computers that you specify. The computers you repair are specified by using collections. You can use predefined collections or create your own. When enabled, repair policies can be configured to run on a specified schedule and/or as soon as possible. The predefined repair policies are not enabled by default. You can also include/exclude certain applications in the repair. This is useful if you want to manage only one specific application, or exclude applications that have a custom installation and always report as broken. For more information, see Customizing The Windows Installer Agent on page 25. To perform a Windows Installer Repair 1 Open the Altiris Console on the Notification Server by clicking Start > Programs > Altiris > Altiris Console. 2 Click the Configuration tab. 3 In the left treeview pane, click Configuration > Solution Settings > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Agent. 4 Click the repair type you want to run. 5 In the right content pane, enable the policy by selecting the Enabled check box. 6 Configure the policy by doing the following: a Select the computers you want to repair by clicking the Applies to Collection link. b Select the scheduling options. For more information on configuring policies, click the help button. 7 Click Apply to save the configuration. To view the results of Windows Installer repairs through reports, see Viewing Windows Installer Agent Reports on page 19. Note: If a repair occurs on a file that is currently in use, the Windows Installer Service will repair the file, but indicate that a reboot is required in order to complete the repair. Since the MSI Agent re-scans the file immediately after a repair, the original broken file will still exist pending the reboot, so the value in this field will be No. In this case, if the value in the Repair Return Code property is A reboot is required to complete the install, then the agent will continue to report this component as broken, until the machine is rebooted. Managing MSI Source Paths MSI applications can be installed from a wide range of sources such as network shares, CDs, Web sites, etc. MSI applications use the source package file for maintenance and repairing (when the locally cached.msi file is insufficient). If the source package file is not available, the application cannot be managed properly. MSI applications keep a record of the path of the source package file. Application Management can be used to manage the source paths of MSI package files. For example, you can point all installations of Microsoft Office to a common package file on a network share. This will help users maintain a healthy installation without having to remember where they installed it from or finding a CD that was used. Application Management Solution Help 20

21 Chapter 4: Managing Windows Installer Applications Managing MSI Source Paths You can change the source path to a MSI package or you can add resilient paths to the path list. Updating the Windows Installer Package List Application Management provides a policy that updates the list of Windows Installer packages that are currently managed by Notification Server. By default, the policy is set to run once a week, and is enabled. Executed this policy whenever packages are added or removed from Notification Server to ensure that the Application Management Wizard operates on the latest package list. To use a policy to update the Windows Installer Package List 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab. 2 In the left treeview pane, click Configuration > Solution Settings > Software Management > Application Management > Utilities. 3 Click the Update Windows Installer package list policy. 4 In the right content pane, enable the policy by selecting the Enabled check box. 5 Configure the policy by doing the following: a b Select the computers to get updated package lists for by clicking the Applies to Collection link. Select the scheduling options. For more information on configuring policies, click the help button. 6 Click Apply to save the configuration. The policy is enabled and will be run according to the settings you configured. Using Reports to Find Inaccessible Source Paths After a scan is run, you can view reports to find inaccessible source paths. You can identify inaccessible source paths as reported by either computers or applications. To use reports to find inaccessible source paths 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Reports tab. 2 In the left treeview pane, click Reports > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Agent. 3 Click the Computers Reporting Inaccessible Source Paths or Products Reporting Inaccessible Source Paths report. 4 In the right pane, click View report in a new window. 5 Specify a computer or product name or use % to view all computers and application products. 6 Click Refresh. Using Reports to Discover Existing Source Paths of MSI Applications When a Windows Installer Scan is run, the source path to the MSI package file is reported in the MSI Source Paths group. To view the source paths for MSI package files 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Reports tab. 2 In the left treeview pane, click Reports > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Agent. 3 Click the Product Summary by Computer report. 4 In the right pane, click View report in a new window. Application Management Solution Help 21

22 Chapter 4: Managing Windows Installer Applications Managing MSI Source Paths 5 Specify a computer name or use % to view all computers. 6 Click Refresh. If you specified multiple computers, the data is sorted by computer by default. To sort by application, click the Product column title. 7 To view the package file source path, look at the Install Source column. Changing the Source Paths of an MSI Application You can use the Windows Installer Agent to change the install source path for one or more computers. Application Management includes the Windows Installer Source Path Wizard that will help you create a policy to change source paths. The wizard lets you change source paths either for a single Windows Installer application, or for all Windows Installer applications that are managed by Notification Server. Note If you plan to update source paths for all applications, you might need to update the Windows Installer package list before running this wizard. Enable the policy on the Notification Server. Do this by selecting Configuration tab > Solution Settings > Software Management > Application Management > Utilities > Update Windows Installer package list. See Updating the Windows Installer Package List on page 21. To use the Windows Installer Source Path Wizard 1 In the Altiris Console, click the Tasks tab. 2 In the left treeview pane, click Tasks > Software Management > Application Management > Windows Installer Source Path Wizard. 3 In the right pane, click Run Windows Installer Source Path Wizard. 4 Choose what you want to update the source paths for: Single Application. Updates source paths for only one Windows Installer application. a b c In Application, use the Browse button to specify an application. The Select Application dialog appears, where you find the application based on its name or manufacturer. Select an application and click Apply. In New Source Path, enter or browse to the new location from which the application can be reinstalled or repaired. To make this path the only used source path, select the Set this source path as the only available path check box. All Applications. Updates source paths for all Windows Installer applications that are managed by Notification Server. To optimize network bandwidth, choose which package servers will serve as source paths for applications in the event of a reinstall or repair. If all fields below are left blank, it defaults to using the fastest-responding package servers to the slowest, ending with the Notification Server itself. Otherwise, the package servers between First and Last, in order of response speed, are used. Make sure that the package servers you choose below are accessible to the collections you plan to specify. a In First Package Server to use, browse to the package server on your network that will be the first package server that is checked for source files if an application needs to be updated. b In Last Package Server to use, browse to the package server on your network that will be the last package server that is checked for source files if an application needs to be updated. c In Maximum number of servers, specify how many package servers will be checked. If only Maximum number of servers is specified, then just the first n package servers are checked, where n is the number you enter in this field. Example: If you enter package servers in the two fields above, and enter 2 in this field, then just the First and Last package servers specified above are used. 5 Click Next. 6 Select the computer or collection to which the source change will apply by doing one of the following: Application Management Solution Help 22