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Minimum number of installs before you package an application

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3 members have voted

  1. 1. What is the minimum number of installs required before you will package an application

    • 1-3
      1
    • 4-6
      0
    • 7-9
      0
    • 10+
      2
    • Package everything
      0


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Hey, I was just wondering if you guys have a minimum install count that you have to reach before you would package an application. Currently where I work there isn't a minimum, its basically however the person who replies to the job feels at the time. What I want to do is have a minimum so for example a job comes through for an application that will only be installed on two machines, that is a manual installation by the desktop support team but if the job has 5 installations then it's packaged and deployed through SCCM.

 

Just wanting to know the thoughts of the wider community.

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This is loaded question.

 

Personally, I looked after 20k of PC and we started with 50 computers was the cut off. But after about 2 years it drop to 20 then to 10. Why because we couldn't handle doing every tiny little app. But as we got better and has time. We kept knocking off the biggest time wasters for the helpdesk.

 

As a consultant I have worked at places where no SW can be installed without CM. IMO This is not truly workable as are you going to play a senior CM guy to package SW in an automated fashion? OR is it ok for helpdesk to install the ones and twos? What about does the SW need to be automated, aka install promptlessly? Or is it ok to install it with prompt is the HD tech does the install.

 

So is your question about having it promptlessly for applications?

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So a little background regarding the question.

 

I currently work for a government agency looking after ~2k PCs. The 'powers that be' are in the process of outsourcing the entire desktop (level 2) and SOE/SCCM work to a private company. At the end that will end up being ~60k PCs across 16 SCCM environments and 26 different domains (politics means there will be no consolidation).

 

In the negotiations the vendor has said that they will not package anything below an install base of 10, as we dont have a minumum I just wanted to know if that number would be a normal number for that or if it was low/high. If it was too high I wanted to get in our standard as being lower before the negotiations are completed so we can say that our current limit is lower so they need to match that.

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Come on, it takes few minutes to create package. Usually was less then connecting to user PC & installing it by hand

 

Sure if you don't automate the install. And that is one of my points too. You can fairly easily do everything if there is no automation. There is even added bonuses in doing so but there are also draw backs too.

 

Pros:

  • You know what content is used to install the SW
  • Your Techy's don't have to keep a "install" SW share
  • User's can do the install if setup correctly.

Cons:

  • You have to have all SW on all DPs
  • You will have SW with unknown owners. aka who is responsible for upgrading it to the next version?
  • Who controls the licenses for it?
  • The install will be different for each computers

 

There is no wrong answer here as to what could be done. But I love the options. :-)

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So a little background regarding the question.

 

I currently work for a government agency looking after ~2k PCs. The 'powers that be' are in the process of outsourcing the entire desktop (level 2) and SOE/SCCM work to a private company. At the end that will end up being ~60k PCs across 16 SCCM environments and 26 different domains (politics means there will be no consolidation).

 

In the negotiations the vendor has said that they will not package anything below an install base of 10, as we dont have a minumum I just wanted to know if that number would be a normal number for that or if it was low/high. If it was too high I wanted to get in our standard as being lower before the negotiations are completed so we can say that our current limit is lower so they need to match that.

Personally, I would define that SLA time for the private company to automate the install. I would ensure that their count of 10 is for an automated install and not just a imported program.

Define who will control licensing

Define who will control reporting

Define HOW application are deployed, to user, computer both. Are they deploy to a security group (either user or computer), direct membership, WQL query, etc.

Define how SW upgrade process works.

Define how SU deployment process works

etc...

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Why would automate be any more difficult?

 

On any normal good software silent option will be available.

On "badly" written software one can most likely cheat in some way, if it is REALLY bad, user will have to click Next few time (I see nothing wrong with it)

 

Seb

 

IMO, only in RARE cases will you fine that the SW will install 100% of the time without any interaction from a user. For example look at MS office, you need to customize it first before you can deploy. That customization maybe as little as adding the license key details.

 

In most companies, If the user is prompted for anything during the install it will mean a call to the helpdesk or worse yet they install it wrong and now a tech has to visit the PC.

 

Automating the install also meaning testing it, defining who the owner of the SW is, therefore is responsible for upgrades and defining EOL for the SW. There is a lot more to it than just adding SW to CM. Do you need WinZip, 7zip, etc? or will one do? Who says yes to one SW and no to the other? Should you?? When something goes wrong who will troubleshoot this issue? This last one is a HUGE issue for custom SW that always exists, in companies.

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Thanks for the input guys. Unfortunately im not a high enough level to be involved with the meetings and negotiations but I have passed on what you have said to someone who is. I don't see this ending well...

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