Software Distribution

Technology Overview

Diversity of application software requirements to satisfy increasing business demand presented IT personnel with new challenges. Traditional manual software installation is inefficient and costly. Allowing end user to individually install however will result in vastly different configurations and settings that makes future support task difficult and inefficient. In addition, the lack of auto deployment makes management policy execution difficult. Heterogeneous and distributed environment adds another layer of difficulty to uniform software distribution policy.

Function description

Software distribution is part of StarSoftComm's Remote PC management and maintenance solution; it is an effective tool for distributing software under complex IT infra-structure automatically. This flexible solution provides outstanding features and serves multiple platforms, allows IT personnel to continue modifying and expanding business software deployment plan, and yet maintain uniformity throughout corporation. Software distribution has following features:

Auto Support mainstream installation format
StarSoftComm's software distribution solution automatically recognizes and support mainstream installation format like InstallSheild Wise Installer, MS Installer format. IT personnel only needs to upload to central server, the system will auto-recognize, auto-configure for static installation policy. No pre-processing work is needed.

Software distribution based on "playback"
IT personnel can perform installation using a sample machine for unconventional software package, and the system will record all operational steps and keep in a script file. The agent program in client machine will mimic the installation steps in the recorded script file to perform software installation during software distribution.

Flexible distribution policy and target machines setting
IT personnel normally groups selected machines based on certain criteria for group distribution prior to actual deployment. Right before execution, policy can still be fine-tuned like whether formatting or other adjustments are necessary, to increase reliability and flexibility of OS distribution.

Support flexible policy configuration
Policy can be configured to be executed immediately or at a scheduled time. This allows IT personnel to schedule OS distribution job to be executed after office hour or on non-working days to minimize interference to the work environment. In addition, IT administrator can set the policy to switch off the machine after successful distribution to ensure safety in unmanned condition.

Client Centered software Distribution
An outstanding feature of StarSoftComm's software distribution is its support for Client-Centered software distribution. Based on policy setup by IT personnel, with appropriate rights assigned, client can select self-install software automatically and time of installation. This approach significantly reduces workload of administrator and increase flexibility of PC management.

Unattended Software distribution based on policy
Unattended and quick client software installation. Installation interface is same as manual installation interface but faster by several times and short-cut menu may be added to the desktop after software installation. New software installation or upgrade can be performed in the background with concurrent installation of multiple software without affecting other programs. The complete installation and upgrade process does not affect user's normal operation.

Detail report of software distribution process
Software distribution process is logged to the server whether successful or aborted. IT administrator does not have to be on site to understand execution details.

Technology highlight

Diversity of application software requirements to satisfy increasing business demand presented IT personnel with new challenges. StarSoftcomm's Software distribution module as part of remote PC management and maintenance platform provides IT personnel an effective tool to meet the challenge with ease and achieves quick return for corporation. Outstanding features of software distribution are:

Support remote, centralized, mass, multiple distribution points to concurrently distribute software, significantly reduce cost of corporate IT asset management and maintenance.

Completely unattended installation.

Automatically integrate with mainstream installation package format, eliminate IT personnel's need to create and distribute installation package.

Support central distribution by administrator. User is also able to initiate software distribution function.

Complete auto and high speed installation without manual intervention.

Supports cross LAN segments remote installation.

Simple to operate, can be completed without assistance from technical specialist. Reduce IT training cost.