Installing software on offline computers – Apple Remote Desktop User Manual

Page 112

112

Chapter 8

Administering Client Computers

Choose Manage > Install Packages.

Select a .pkg or .mpkg file to install.

Alternatively, you can drag an installer package on to the package list window.

Select whether to restart the target computers after installation.

If you select “Attempt restart, allow users to save documents,” users can allow or cancel
restart after installation.

Select the option to run the task from “This application.”

This option is preferable when installing on computers that are all currently online.

If you want to install the software via a Task Server, see “Installing Software on Offline
Computers” on page 112.

Select other installation parameters, as desired.

For more information on the available options, see “Copy Options” on page 116.

Note: Client computers are not restarted automatically after an installation is complete
unless explicitly selected in the task command.

Click Install.

During installation, a progress bar appears in the task header in the main window. No
progress bars appear on the client computer. The copied package is deleted from the
client computer if an error occurs during installation. However, a failed installation may
leave behind other files created by the installer.

Installing Software on Offline Computers

Using Apple Remote Desktop, you can install software on a computer that is not
currently connected to the network (with a status of “Offline”). This is referred to as
AutoInstall. The installation does not occur when initially ordered, but when the offline
computer next becomes available. The installation itself is handled by a designated Task
Server. The installation uses unicast network traffic (in client groups of 10) instead of
the multicast traffic used when the Remote Desktop application performs the
installation.

Remote Desktop first copies the installation package to the Task Server, and gives the
Task Server the necessary instructions to install the package to all the selected
computers, even if some of them are offline. The Task Server monitors the network for
the next time the offline client comes online again. When the client comes online, it
contacts the Task Server and notifies it of its network state and any setting changes
(like a DHCP-assigned IP address change). The Task Server then begins the installation.
If a client goes offline during AutoInstall, the installation fails and restarts from the
beginning when the client comes back online.