PDQ: Inventory and Deploy- Part 2 of 2
(Part 2 of 2)

Contents

PDQ Deploy

Terms to know

Setting up PDQ Deploy app

Initializing PDQ Deploy app

What is a package?

Creating a package

Deploying to a single machine

Running the Deployment

Downloading a package from vendor website

Creating a new package

Adding a switch to our package

Stopping the Deployment

Editing the Package

PDQ Deploy

Terms to know

• Deployment
• Package
• Silent deployment
• Switches

Setting up PDQ Deploy app

Let’s set up the PDQ Deploy app on our computer.

We have already downloaded the “Deploy” installation file to our Download folder.

Double-click the file.
(UAC screen displays)

Click Yes.
(“PDQ Deploy Setup Wizard” displays)

Click Next.
(License screen displays).

Check “I accept the terms…”

Click Next.
(“Destination Folder” screen displays)

Click Next.
(“Ready to install…” screen displays).

Click Install.

Click Finish.
(“PDQ Deploy” app is now installed).

Initializing PDQ Deploy app

PDQ Deploy icon has been added to the desktop
(The “PDQ Deploy” app has been installed and now must be initialized.

Double-click PDQ Deploy icon on the desktop.
(“Welcome…” screen displays).

Click Next.
“Initialize…” screen displays.

Ensure Use Free Mode is checked.

Click Next.
(“Credentials” screen displays)

Note that PDQ has already discovered your Domain and User Name.

Enter Password.

Click Next.
(Initialization is complete.
“Welcome to PDQ Deploy” screen displays.)

What is a package?

A package is a collection of files for the deployment of a particular software. If you have an available package already in the Package Library, then you can select and deploy it. Otherwise, a package must be either created, or an install file must be downloaded from the vendor’s website. It may be necessary to edit the package before deploying.

Creating a package.

Scenario: We want to deploy “Mozilla Firefox”.

Click on Packages
(Packages display)

Currently, we have no packages ready to deploy.

Click on Package Library
(Packages display)

Note that, in above screen, most packages are not available (no icons preceding them). However, “Mozilla Firefox” is available to download, so let’s select it. Notice the icon in front of it indicating that its ready to be downloaded.

Right-click on Mozilla Firefox
(Menu displays)

Click Download Selected.
(Sub menu item displays)

Click As Standard Package.
(Selected deploy package downloads)

Click Packages folder
(“Mozilla Firefox” deploy package displays)

Click Mozilla Firefox package.
(package is ready to be deployed).

With the package selected, click Deploy.
(menu displays).

Click Deploy Once.
(“Deploy Once” dialog box displays).

Click Choose Targets
(menu displays)

You can choose a deployment target through the following tools:

• Active Directory

• PDQ Inventory

• Spiceworks

• Target List, or
• Text File

Deploying to a single machine

In the field to the left of Add Computer, type in the target machine name (e.g., “helpdeskdh”).

Click Add Computer.
(Target machine is added).

Running the Deployment

Click Deploy Now.
Target machine (“helpdeskdh”) moves to Target pane.
(Deployment begins)

Upon deployment completion, Target Status changes to “Successful”.

Deployment is complete. In this case we deployed the Mozilla Firefox software to one machine.

Downloading a package from vendor website

Scenario: We want to deploy “FileZilla” software to our client machines. But we don’t have the package in our Package Library.

We will go to the vendor website and download the install file.

Do an internet search for “filezilla download”

Click the link.
(vendor web page displays)

Click Download FileZilla Client.
(“Please select your edition…” screen displays)

Click Download.
(“Opening FileZilla…” displays)

Click Save File.
(Confirmation screen displays)

(File is saved to Download folder).

NOTE: Not every software is deployable. Typically, an engineer would test the package before deployment.

Creating a new package

Now that we have downloaded the “filezilla” install file, we must turn it into a package ready for deployment in our environment.

Click Packages.
(Available packages display).

Right-click Packages.
(menu displays)

Click New Package
(“New Package” screen displays)

Enter a Name (e.g., “filezilla”) for the package.

Click Steps
(“New Step” screen displays)

Click Install
(Step 1 Details pane displays)

In Install File area, click Browse (ellipsis button)…

…and search for install file.

NOTE: In this case, we downloaded the install file to our Download folder. Another scenario could have involved us saving the file to a shared folder.

Select the file and click Open.
(“Install File” information is set).

NOTE: In the Parameters field, you could put “silent switches” which are instructions, e.g., to automatically accept a product license agreement during install.

Click Save (button underneath “File”) to save your deploy settings.
(“filezilla” package has been added to the Packages folder.)

Click Deploy/ Deploy once.
(“Deploy Once” screen displays)

Add “helpdeskdh” computer to the Target area.
(This is the computer that will receive the deployment).

Click Deploy Now.
(Deployment runs)

Notice that in above instance, the deployment is “hanging” – meaning the deploy was not successful.

In this case, the problem is that are deployment package is missing a switch.

Adding a switch to our package

Our deployment of “filezilla” software above failed because it lacks a proper switch. Let’s go to the vendor’s website and download the switch we need.

Do an internet search for “silent install”

• A silent install is an installation that does not require any interaction from the end user.

Click the link.
(Vendor’s “silent setup” wiki page displays)

The “/S” is the switch we want.

First let’s stop the “hanging” deployment.

Stopping the Deployment

In PDQ Deploy, right click the running “filezilla”deployment.
(menu displays)

Click Abort
(Target “status” changes to Failed.)

Now we must edit the package to add the proper switch.

Editing the Package

Click Edit Package
(Package “Details” pane displays)

NOTE: A switch is always added on the Command Line.

Check Custom.
(Command Line becomes editable.)

Add the “ /S” switch to the Command Line.

Save the settings.

Select the “filezilla” package and then right-click the target machine (“helpdeskdh”).
(Menu displays).

Click Redeploy.
(“Deploy Once” screen displays)

Click Deploy Now.
(Deployment runs).

(Target “Status” is Successful).

If we search the target computer for the FileZilla app, it’s there.