Deploying Software on client machines can be a painstaking effort for IT Administrators, especially at large enterprises. It therefore becomes a real challenge to roll out software applications to users' desktops across the organization. Desktop Central comes to rescue with its Application Deployment capabilities. Software Distribution using Desktop Central is a sure boon for IT administrators.

Software Deployment - Advanced Options

Desktop Central comes with a feature-set that accommodates the following advanced options that offer greater flexibility:

1. Ability to create Package Repository. Once created, the package can be reused any number of times to install/uninstall software.
2. Supports installing/uninstalling of MSI/EXE/ISS based applications.
3. Provision to install the application as a specific user using Run As option.
4. Provision to copy installables to the client computers before installation using Copy option.
5. Schedule Software Deployment at specific preset timings.
6. Pre-Post Installation Script support, to execute scripts prior to installation/uninstallation respectively.

"Run As" option

Desktop Central supports installing or uninstalling the application as a specific user. For example, if the application has to be installed with administrator privileges, the Run As field should have the username who has administrative privileges in all the client computers.

"Copy" option

Desktop Central supports copying the necessary installables to the client computers before installing or uninstalling the applications. This is optional and when selected will speedup the installation/uninstallation process.

Scheduled Deployment

Options to schedule Software Deployment give administrators the flexibility to choose the ideal time for software installation; such that the end user is least disturbed. The time of Software Distribution can be decided by taking into account various factors including CPU Utilization percentage on local machines or the Network Bandwidth expenses at regular office hours, etc. Scheduling software distribution at off-hours helps bring desired results in terms of cost as well as performance.

Execute pre/post-installation & uninstallation scripts

Many a time network administrators feel the need for executing custom scripts while installing/uninstalling software. Let us say, the administrator desires to deploy a software but prior to that he wants to clean up the hard-disk to avoid a clutter. Desktop Central comes to rescue with options to execute scripts at various stages of software deployment to achieve the desired results. Scripts can be configured to be executed during the following stages:

• Prior to installing the software
• After installing the software
• Prior to uninstalling the software
• After uninstalling the software.

Install/Uninstall Applications using Desktop Central

Using Desktop Central, administrators can install/uninstall MSI/EXE/ISS applications. All the three application types can be installed in the silent mode without having any intervention from the end user. For instance, Desktop Central hosts 35 pre-defined EXE based applications with silent installation options that can be installed on a set of specific computers or users. Likewise the InstallShield EXE files can also be installed silently by recording the inputs in the file (ISS) using a single computer, to be used later for Software Distribution.