Deploying Adobe Packages with

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012

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2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated and its licensors. All rights reserved.
Deploying Adobe Packages with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
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Contents

Preparation ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
To create a package and program ................................................................................................................................................... 5
To deploy a package and program ................................................................................................................................................. 7



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This document guides you through the process of creating a SCCM 2012 package to deploy an Adobe deployment
package. Since both Adobe and Microsoft use the term package and since there are currently two versions of the
Microsoft software in use, we use the following naming conventions for clarity in this chapter:
When referring to a package created with SCCM 2012, we say SCCM package unless the context is very
clear, when we may say just package.
When referring to a package created by the Adobe Application Manager, Enterprise Edition we say Adobe
deployment package or Adobe package. We never use the term package alone to mean an Adobe
package.
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Preparation
SCCM was designed for a great variety of network configurations. The best choice of deployment configuration for the
Adobe package and its product install folder is the TS option, where the Adobe package and its product install folder
are placed together on the same distribution server or servers.
When you create a package for deployment in Windows, the Adobe Application Manager Enterprise Edition creates
two folders in your specified Save to location, Exceptions\ and Build\.
The Exceptions\ folder contains folders with installers of various kinds (EXE, AIR, MSI) that cannot be
deployed using the main MSI installer (because it cannot contain an embedded installer). Therefore, these
are deployed using Exception Deployer present in the same folder. You must create separate SCCM
installers to run Exception Deployer either in pre or post mode.
The folder can be empty if your package has no dependencies on other installers.
The Build\ folder contains an MSI file whose filename uses the Package Name that you specified, and two
subfolders, ASU\ and Setup\. The subfolders are required to run the MSI file and install the product
successfully.
NOTE: The packages created by the Adobe Application Manager Enterprise Edition silently use the Adobe installer
subsystem, which in turn uses the native Windows installer, MSI. Therefore, you cannot wrap an Adobe install package
inside of a Windows package for use with MSI because Windows prohibits such a recursive use of MSI.
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To create a package and program

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Software Library.
2. In the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management, and then click Packages.
3. In the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Package.
4. On the Package page of the Create Package and Program Wizard, specify the following information:
o Specify Name for the package with a maximum of 50 characters. This field is mandatory.
o Description, Manufacturer, Language, Version fields are optional.
o Check This package contains source files. Click Browse to open the Set Source Folder dialog box
where you can specify the type of path you want to use (UNC or local) and browse for or type in the
path to the Build\ folder that contains the <packagename>.msi file and supporting folders. Click
OK.
Note: The computer account of the site server must have read access to the source folder you specify.
5. Back on Package page of the Create Package and Program Wizard, the path you just selected will be
displayed in the Source folder field. Click Next.
6. On the Program Type page of the Create Package and Program Wizard, select Standard program option
and click Next.
Note:
Select Do not create a program option if you want to create package and dont want to create a
program.
To create a new program for an existing package, select the package and then, in the Home tab, in the
Package group, click Create Program to open the Create Program Wizard.

7. On the Standard Program page of the Wizard, specify the following information:
Name: Specify a name for the program with a maximum of 50 characters.
Note: The program name must be unique within a package. After you create a program, you
cannot modify its name.
Command Line: Click Browse. In the Open File dialog, choose the file type All Files (*.*),
then browse to and select the MSI file. The details of this step may vary for each command you
create.
Back on the Standard Program page of the Wizard, append appropriate flags or options to the
command after the filename in the Command Line text box. You can use the /quiet flag for
unattended installation.

Use the following commands:
a. For installing main Msi :
msiexec.exe /i PS_1.msi /quiet
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b. For uninstalling main Msi :
msiexec.exe /x PS_1.msi /quiet
c. For installing exception deployer in pre mode:
ExceptionDeployer.exe --workflow=install --mode=pre
d. For installing exception deployer in post mode:
ExceptionDeployer.exe --workflow=install --mode=post
Startup folder field is optional.
Run: Specifies the mode in which the program will run on client computers.
Program can run: Specify whether the program can run only when a user is logged on,
only when no user is logged on, or whether or not a user is logged on to the client
computer.
Run mode: Specify whether the program will run with the logged on users permissions or
with administrative permissions.
Be sure that Allow users to view and interact with the program installation option is
unchecked.
Drive mode: Select Run with UNC name option.
Reconnect to distribution point at log on: Specifies that the client computer reconnects
to the distribution point when the user logs on. By default, this check box is disabled.
8. Set fields on Requirements page of the Create Package and Program Wizard as appropriate and click Next.
9. Review the information on the Summary screen. If you need to change anything, go back and do it now.
Then, from this screen, click Next.
10. The Completion screen will appear. Click Close to terminate program creation.
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To deploy a package and program
1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Software Library.
2. In the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management and then click Packages.
3. Select the package that you want to deploy and then, in the Home tab, in the Deployment group, click
Deploy.
4. On the General page of the Deploy Software Wizard, specify the name of the package and program you
want to deploy, the collection you want to deploy the package and program to, and optional comments for
the deployment.
Select Use default distribution point groups associated to this collection if you want to store the package
content on the collections default distribution point group. If you have not associated the selected collection
with a distribution point group, this option will be unavailable.
5. On the Content page of the Wizard, click Add and then select the distribution points or distribution point
groups to which you want to deploy the content associated with this package and program. Click Next.
6. Set fields on Deployment Setting page of Deploy Software Wizard as appropriate and click Next.
7. Configure Scheduling page of the Wizard appropriately.
The options on this page will differ depending on whether the deployment action is set to Available or
Required.
Note: Deployment with an intent of Required must have an assigned schedule specified. Click New and
select appropriate option on Assignment schedule dialog.
8. If the deployment purpose is set to Required, select a rerun behaviour for the program from the Rerun
behaviour drop-down list.
9. Set fields on User Experience page of the Wizard as appropriate and click next.
10. On the Distribution Points page of the Wizard, specify the following information:
Deployment options: Specify the actions a client should take to run program content. You can specify
behaviour when the client is in a fast network boundary or a slow or unreliable network boundary.
Check Allow clients to share content with other clients on the same subnet.
Uncheck Allow clients to use a fallback source location for content.
11. On the Summary page of the Wizard, review the actions that will be taken and then complete the Wizard.
You can view the deployment in the Deployments node of the Monitoring workspace and in the details pane of
the package deployment tab when you select the deployment.