Deploying NI Software Using Microsoft SMS or SCCM

Issue Details

I have already created a batch file to invoke my different NI installers according to this article and need to deploy my software to different groups of computers using Microsoft SMS (Microsoft Systems Management Server) or SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager).

Solution

The following instructions explain how to use Microsoft SMS or SCCM to deploy custom batch files: 

• Create one package for all related NI installers. The package source files should reference a network share or local directory of common NI installer files.
• Create a program for each batch file or custom installation script.  All programs should be dependent upon the common source files contained in the above package.
• For each program, create an advertisement to specify when you would like the batch file to run.
• For each advertisement, specify a collection.  A collection is a group of computers on which you will install the NI software invoked in the program.  

Additional Information

For additional information regarding software deployment with Microsoft SMS, refer to the following documentation:

Microsoft TechNet: SMS 2003: Distributing Software
Microsoft TechNet: SCCM 2012 Software Distribution  in Configuration Manager

Note:  You should not invoke MSI components individually from an NI Installer.  Rather, use a batch file to invoke each installer's setup.exe as outlined in this article.  The NI Installer framework, called from setup.exe, handles the following:

• Dependencies - each MSI component can have hundreds of dependencies
• Installation order of MSIs - each group of MSIs has a specific installation order
• Bookkeeping for software functionality such as Application Builder in LabVIEW
• Maintaining MSIs installations when multiple NI software products are installed on the same computer. 

Installing MSI's individually will likely break the functionality of NI software on that Windows installation.