Manage GPOs - MCSA Windows Server 2012 R2: Installation and Configuration Study Guide - page 330

sections, you will walk through the steps required to create an application distribution
share point, to publish and assign applications, to update previously installed applications,
to verify the installation of applications, and to update Windows operating systems.

Preparing for Software Deployment

Before you can install applications on client computers, you must make sure that the neces-
sary files are available to end users. In many network environments, system administrators
create shares on file servers that include the installation files for many applications. Based
on security permissions, either end users or system administrators can then connect to these
shares from a client computer and install the needed software. The efficient organization of
these shares can save the help desk from having to carry around a library of DVDs, and it
allows you to install applications easily on many computers at once.

One of the problems in network environments is that users frequently
install applications whether or not they really need them. They may stum-
ble upon applications that are stored on common file servers and install
them out of curiosity. These actions can often decrease productivity and
may violate software licensing agreements. You can help avoid this by
placing all of your application installation files in hidden shares (for exam-
ple, software$ ).

Exercise 6.7 walks you through the process of creating a software distribution share
point. In this exercise, you will prepare for software deployment by creating a directory
share and placing certain types of files in this directory. To complete the steps in this
exercise, you must have access to the Microsoft Office 2010 or Microsoft Office 2013
installation files (via DVD or through a network share) and have 2,000MB of free disk
space. For this exercise, I used Microsoft Office 2013.

exercise 6.7

creating a software deployment share

1. Using Windows Explorer, create a folder called Software that you can use with appli-

cation sharing. Be sure that the volume on which you create this folder has at least
2,000MB of available disk space.

2.

Create a folder called Office 2013 within the Software folder.

3. Copy all of the installation files for Microsoft Office 2013 from the DVD or network share

containing the files to the Office 2013 folder you created in step 2. If you prefer, you
can use switches to install all of the Office 2013 installation files. You can find these
switches at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624360.aspx .