To ensure that the distribution of software is not 'fitness administration' (ie valuable employees running from PC to PC), a client PC must independently recognize that new software packages or updates are available for it, and install them. These requirements are implemented with opsi with the opsi client agent: the opsi client agent must be installed once on the client PC. Supported as clients are the current Windows versions (Windows 7 - 10 and Server 2008 R2 - 2016) as well as Linux clients from different distributions.
The software deployment runs:
With the automatic software deployment opsi distribute:
The opsi client agent checks, based on configuration information on the opsi server, whether, the respective client PC, e.g. needs Software packages to be reinstalled, uninstalled or updated. This usually happens after each boot and before the user can login into the system.
If there is an action request, the script controlled installation program starts opsi script. The necessary scripts and software packages are kept on a network share. For the user, there is neither the need nor the possibility to change or alter the process during the entire installation process.
In order for software packages to be installed with the opsi script program without interaction, this must be created first. The program opsi script offers different alternatives for this:
Existing setup programs can be started via parameters like 'silent' or 'unattended' mode.
Also a setup program can be started interactively with recorded answers e.g. using the free AutoIt tool (http://www.autoitscript.com/)
The standard setup can 'record' the interactions and then execute the corresponding activities be carried out directly through the opsi installation program opsi script.
In practice, a combination of the three variants will surely meet most of your needs, if not all of them.
