[Method] Software Distribution: Server to Client

[Vini]

Whats the best method to have a server side application repository, and install from there onto clients?

Any free methods?

[Moby-Dick]

Group Policy

[Vini]

Group Policy

SMS looks like fun tho.

[Moby-Dick]

SMS is *much* better than GP for Software Distribution , but your post seemed to look towards lower cost options


Altiris do a nice client management application which can do software stuff too.

We do all of our ( accross 500 sites ) with VBS script

[Vini]

SMS is *much* better than GP for Software Distribution , but your post seemed to look towards lower cost options

It might not be feasable, but looks fun

just found appdeploy.com... looks like im in for an interesting friday.

[ikonia]

there is an application deployment tool called "Aim" (Can't remember what it stands for) that is quite reasonable, but most enterprises use SMS, there must be a reason they use that.

[Vini]

there must be a reason they use that.

its MS, prolly.

[alsenior]

if your pockets are deep enough you could be able to strech to novell zenworks but it is quite expensive and relies on novell servers

[badass]

relies on novell servers

A very good reason not to use it

[alsenior]

A very good reason not to use it

why?

• novell is very reliable
• has very little os overhead
• has full support for almost all hardware
• eDirectory is very efficent
• novell servers are very stable

at my collage it supports about 500-700 clients routinley on only 6 servers and not so much as a crash. the is one server that takes all of the strain (elara) and it handles all of the logons and file serving for the entire network. i would like to see win2k3 + active directory do all that on that limited resources

novell over ad anyday for me

[mark19632]

I'm just installing Symantec Livestate Delivery, it works pretty well, we have 2 livestate servers to support 5000 clients. (We used to have 1 On Technolgy CCM server for 5000 Clients !)

I think most companays go for SMS as apparently and microsft do extreamly good deals on the licencing to get people to use it.

[nichomach]

why?

• novell is very reliable
• has very little os overhead
• has full support for almost all hardware
• eDirectory is very efficent
• novell servers are very stable

at my collage it supports about 500-700 clients routinley on only 6 servers and not so much as a crash. the is one server that takes all of the strain (elara) and it handles all of the logons and file serving for the entire network. i would like to see win2k3 + active directory do all that on that limited resources

novell over ad anyday for me

In my experience, edirectory (NDS as was) is a superior directory service to AD in terms of capacity and extensibility. Hardware support is good, and for simple file and print services you don't get faster. That said, my experience of NetWare has been that due to a lack of proper memory protection between running processes they make terrible application servers. A memory leak that on a Windows server would merely require the service to be stopped and restarted abends a NetWare server.