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Application Control Agent Package page

This page lets you create a package used by Application Control Agent installation policies as needed when performing an agent rollout or uninstallation. Generally, we recommend not changing any settings to this package.

Package tab

Use this tab to configure a package.

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Item

Description

Name

Package name.

Description

Package description.

Publisher

Package Publisher details.

Language

Language for which the package is designed.

Version Package

Version details.

Package Source

Drop-down list with the following options, which are only availablewith Altiris® Software Delivery Solution™ software installed:

  • Package does not contain source files - A command line is sent to the managed computer. Example: A call to a utility, such as Chkdsk.exe. The package contains no source files.
  • Access Package from a local directory in the NS computer - The location of the package exists in a local directory on the Notification Server computer.
  • Access package from Existing UNC - To access packages that exist at a UNC path, you must first enter the credentials that the Notification Server will use when connecting to the UNC path. To do this, go to the Advanced Settings page on the Configuration tab and enter the credentials in the Distribution Point Credential (DPC) section. Next, give these credentials Read Access on the UNC source folder. When the Application Control Agent downloads a UNC package from the Notification Server through HTTP, it will connect to IIS on the Server using the Agent Connectivity Credential (ACC), and IIS will authenticate to the UNC source using the DPC. The Application Control Agent uses the ACC when connecting to sources for download. So, if the Application Control Agent is downloading directly from the UNC package source, instead of through HTTP from the Notification Server, the ACC credentials will also need Read Access on the UNC source location.
  • Access Package from a URL - This option requires a package location URL. Package Location URL - Application Control Agent will access the package through this anonymous URL.+Note:+We recommend you select the Use Agent Connectivity Credential option when setting the DPC on the Advanced Settings page as this ensures only one credential, the ACC, will need to exist on UNC package source locations. This doesn't apply if the Application Control Agent is downloading from a Package Server because the Package Server will apply anonymous access or the ACC to their downloaded package files, and the DPC won't be used.

Package Location

Package location on the Notification Server computer. This can be a local directory, a UNC path, or a URL location depending on the package source.

Package files will be deleted from the client computer if unused for

Drop-down list to specify time frame for package files to be deleted from the client computer if they have been unused for any length of time.

Save changes

Click to save changes.

Cancel

Click to cancel changes.

Update Distribution Point

Click to update this package information as soon as possible on all enabled Package Servers.

Programs tab

This tab is used to configure the programs associated with a package.

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Select a program from the drop-down list to view the details on that program. To add a new program to the package, click New. To delete a program from the package, select the program from the drop-down list, and then click Delete.

Item

Description

Program

Drop-down list that allows you to select the program to be associated with the selected package.

New

Creates a new program definition using the information currently listed in the Program Details section of the page.

Delete

Deletes the program definition selected in the Program drop-down list.

Name

(Required) Program name.

Description

(Optional) Program description.

Command Line

(Required) Command-line entry to run the program, including switches and parameters if applicable. The command-line entry must be in the same location as the package or along the same path as the package.

Working Directory

(Optional) Directory where files needed by the program are temporarily stored during deployment.

Success codes

(Optional) Enter the success codes for the program. Success codes are determined by the exit code that is returned when an application ends. Applications can define their own exit codes for success and failures, but typically a zero value is used for success and a non-zero value for failure. Multiple values can also be specified with a comma delimiter. Example: 0,3000 could be entered as success values.

Failure codes

(Optional) Enter the failure codes for the program. Failure codes are determined by the exit code that is returned when an application ends. Applications can define their own exit codes for success and failures, but typically a zero value is used for success and a non-zero value for failure.

Estimated Disk Space

Multiple values can also be specified with a comma delimiter. Example: 1,5000 could be entered as failure values. (Optional) Estimated disk space is an information field required by the installed program. It is used by the Application Control Agent to ensure at least one physical drive with the amount specified is available before executing the program.

Estimated Run Time

(Optional) Estimated time in minutes required to complete the deployment. This is only an information field.

Terminate After

Terminates running of the program after the specified number of minutes. If this is set to 0 or left blank, the program will automatically terminate after 360 minutes.

After Running

(Optional) Specifies the action to take after running the program.

  • No action required
  • Restart computer
  • Log off userIf you choose to require an action you can choose the number of minutes you want to defer that action for.  You can also choose to force running applications to quit upon logoff.

Starting Window

Specifies the status of the program window when the program is run.

  • Normal
  • Hidden
  • Minimized
  • Maximized

Run With Rights

Specifies whether the program is run with the System Account, Logged in User, or Specified User account. If you select the Specified User, you must specify the user domain in the field below this one.

Program can run

Specifies the conditions in which the program can run.

  • Only when a user is logged on
  • Whether or not a user is logged on
  • Only when no user is logged onIf you select Only when a user is logged on, you can select User Input required if you want to allow user input. The User Input required option is only valid when a user is logged on. This option is available if the program run on a computer brings up a user interface that may require user input to complete its process. Usually, it is safe to keep this option selected, which is why it is selected by default.

Minimum Connection Speed

Select the minimum connection speed for Software Delivery programs to be executed. Before the program is run, the connection speed from the Application Control Agent to the Notification Server is tested. If the connection speed is below the selected speed, the program will not be run. The default is no network connection required. This means there is no default minimum connection speed for Software Delivery programs to run. If a _ kByte/sec speed is chosen, before the Application Control Agent executes a Software Delivery program, it checks the connection speed between the Application Control Agent and the Notification Server. If the connection speed is faster than this speed, then the program gets executed. This only applies to program execution, not package download. The package must already be downloaded.

Save changes

Click to save changes.

Cancel

Click to discard changes.

Update Distribution Point

Click to update this package information as soon as possible on all enabled Package Servers.

Package Servers tab

This tab is used to specify Package Servers associated with a package.


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Item

Description

Package Destination Location on Package Servers

Enter the desired package destination location on the Package Servers if you do not want the default.

Assign package to

Select the destination Package Server from one of the following:

  • All Package Servers - Assign the package to all Package Servers.
  • Package Servers Individually - Assign the package to selected Package Servers.
  • Package Servers by site - Manually assign sites to packages from a list of sites configured in the Site Maintenance page. When a site is assigned to a package, all Package Servers within the selected site will host the package.
  • Package Servers automatically with manual prestaging - Sites are automatically assigned to packages according to the clients and Package Servers requirement for that package. Example: An administrator creates a task, associates it with a package assigned to Package Servers automatically with manual prestaging, and also assigns a collection to the task. Now, all members of this collection require the package and need to download it. The next time Package Refresh runs, or the Update Distribution Points button is clicked, the package is assigned to sites according to the collection members. So, if ClientA is a member of the collection assigned to the task, and ClientA is a member of SiteA, then SiteA will get assigned to the package. When SiteA is assigned to the package all Package Servers in SiteA will host the package. So, when ClientA needs to download the package, all the Package Servers within its own site will have already downloaded and prepared the package, or be in the process of doing it. This option also lets you manually assign packages to sites as desired. So, if a site has not been automatically assigned to the package, the user can potentially assign it to a number of other sites manually.

Save changes

Click to save changes.

Cancel

Click to discard changes.

Update Distribution Points

Click to update this package information as soon as possible on all enabled Package Servers.

Advanced tab

This tab is used to specify advanced settings with a package.


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Item

Description

Agent display name

The name of the package that will be displayed on the Application Control Agent. This can be different than the package name you specified on the Package tab. The purpose of this field is to supply package names to the end user that makes sense to users and to have package names that make sense to you on an administrative level.

Agent display description

The description of the package that will be displayed on the Application Control Agent. This can be different than the package description you specified on the Package tab. We recommend you enter a description here that will let the end user know what the package will do to the managed computer.

Enable Verbose Reporting of Package Status Events.

Controls whether the Application Control Agent sends package status events for this package to the Notification Server. Select the check box to enable sending package status events to the Notification Server. Disabling events for this package prevents Application Control Agents from sending AeX SWD Package events to the Notification Server. The following types of AeX SWD Package events are not sent if package events are disabled:

  • New Package
  • Package Updated
  • Package To Be Removed
  • Package Removed
  • Unable To Check Package
  • Insufficient Disk To Download Package
  • Download Complete
  • Package Download Blocked For information on capturing events in large environments, see "Scalability" in the Altiris Notification Server Reference.

Use Alternate Download Destination on Client

Use an alternate package download destination to the managed computer besides the default. This option makes it possible to deliver package files to computers at alternate destinations. When the task executes, the package files will be copied from the internal cache location to the location specified. Copied package files will never be deleted by the Application Control Agent. They will be recopied every time the task is run; so if the task is on a recurring schedule, the files will be copied repeatedly. This can be useful to ensure the user does not delete a required file.

Save changes

Click to save changes.

Cancel

Click to discard changes.

Update Distribution Points

Click to update this package information as soon as possible on all enabled Package Servers.