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Deploy clients through group policy?


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Hello,

 

I am trying to figure out how to deploy the .msi file AND the pubkey.dat file at the same time through Group Policy. It is beyond me why EMC did not include a remote install tool in their software like other manufacturers, but ok. Anyway, if someone has any tips for me I would really appreciate it. So far, my guess is that I would do the following:

 

1 - Access the group policy editor for my "Default Domain Policy" (I only have 1 domain)

2 - Create a new, assigned software installation package under computer configuration

3 - Choose the retrospect 7.5.msi file

 

But I have no idea how to include the pubkey.dat file along with this.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Scott

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Yes, I'm aware that it is the client installer ".msi" package that I need to assign in the software installation section of the group policy snap-in. And I have copied the pubkey.dat file into the public_key folder in the same location as the .msi file. What I'm not sure of is how to tell the group policy deployment wizard where that pubkey.dat file is located.

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I know how to use group policy to deploy software, however it was unclear how to ensure that the pubkey.dat file also gets pushed to the client.

 

In any event, I have been unsuccessful with almost all attempts to push the client. I have created a test OU, with 3 computers in it. 1 pushed successfully and I was able to log the client in. The other 2 seemingly installed during restart, however retrospect does not show up in the control panel or add / remove programs. Each time I restart the failed computers, they appear to try and install the client again. It never works. Any ideas? Thanks,

 

Scott

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

<BIG RANT>

 

I'm not sure if you are criticizing me or not, but if you are I don't appreciate it, and I don't think it's warranted.

 

Either way, this was not an easy problem to figure out, considering the documentation in Retrospect is misleading. I thought I had figured it out by pushing ISScript9.msi, but I couldn't have been farther from the truth. I was told to push ISScript9.msi and Retrospect Client 7.5 Client.msi through GPO. However, doing so caused ISScript to be installed incorrectly, and thus the Retrospect Client install failed. Not only that, but after the push, I was unable to install any other software packages on these client computers that required ISScript. The push appears to install successfully, but I assure you it does not. There are countless articles on the subject. Check here for one of them:

 

http://www.appdeploy.com/packages/detail.asp?id=725

 

The problem is, and I quote:

 

"This installer never actually registers itself properly with Windows Installer and is not really designed for use with Group Policy...If you install it with GP directly, standalone installers that use ISScript will fail...Also, all of the versions of ISScript (7,8,9,10,11) use the same Product Code which means that more than one version won't install properly in GP."

 

Just to inform those of you who attempt to push the ISScript9.msi package through Group Policy...DON'T. That is of course you follow the instructions in the above article. Otherwise it will screw up your systems. You must first create a wrapper package (as described in the above article). Once I did this, all went well, and I have had no problems since.

 

So you can see that this was not just an easy fix, that I could have avoided with "basic troubleshooting", and thus avoiding a "big rant" on this forum. To all those who attempt to push the client through GPO, you have been warned. In addition, if you have problems, don't bother calling EMC, because they "don't support Microsoft products."

 

</BIG RANT>

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hi scott,

 

Quote:

I'm not sure if you are criticizing me or not, but if you are I don't appreciate it, and I don't think it's warranted.

 


 

i'm very surprised that you'd let yourself get all worked up about a comment on a messageboard. no i did not mean to offend you. however i do think you are off the mark here in some specific ways:

 

Quote:

the documentation in Retrospect is misleading.

 


 

if you think this is so, could you quote the parts from the manual that are misleading? i've read through them and had no problem, so i don't see what you are talking about. don't you think it would be helpful to others to document a problem rather than just say, "it's bad"? if the documentation is bad, perhaps it can be fixed.

 

Quote:

I was told to push ISScript9.msi and Retrospect Client 7.5 Client.msi through GPO. However, doing so caused ISScript to be installed incorrectly, and thus the Retrospect Client install failed. Not only that, but after the push, I was unable to install any other software packages on these client computers that required ISScript. The push appears to install successfully, but I assure you it does not.

 


 

now this is something specific. but it's not in the Retrospect manual, so it's hard for the reader to figure out who 'told' you to do this. perhaps it was EMC support, if so, you should say that.

 

Quote:

The problem is, and I quote:

 

"This installer never actually registers itself properly with Windows Installer and is not really designed for use with Group Policy...If you install it with GP directly, standalone installers that use ISScript will fail...Also, all of the versions of ISScript (7,8,9,10,11) use the same Product Code which means that more than one version won't install properly in GP."

 

Just to inform those of you who attempt to push the ISScript9.msi package through Group Policy...DON'T. That is of course you follow the instructions in the above article. Otherwise it will screw up your systems. You must first create a wrapper package (as described in the above article). Once I did this, all went well, and I have had no problems since.

 


 

this is all good info. thanks for posting it.

 

Quote:

So you can see that this was not just an easy fix, that I could have avoided with "basic troubleshooting", and thus avoiding a "big rant" on this forum.

 


 

ahh, but wasn't it checking the event viewer on the problem clients that lead you to the problem? you indicated this in your post. perhaps i read it wrongly. i consider checking the event viewer to be pretty basic.

 

Quote:

In addition, if you have problems, don't bother calling EMC, because they "don't support Microsoft products."

 


 

nor should you expect them to. Microsoft does not support EMC products either.

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Man, you’re rough!

 

I was not all worked up about your comment. It just seemed like an attack, and after the many problems I have had with Retrospect thus far (and it’s not even in production), I was a little frustrated. (if you want to hear about my other problems, and offer suggestions, I would be happy to talk offline since it doesn’t pertain to this topic)

 

Yes, I realize that checking an event viewer is a basic troubleshooting step, however there is certainly no need to throw that in my face. I will admit that it was a stupid thing to overlook before posting in the forum, but nonetheless it was overlooked. No need to bash me for it. The point I was trying to make in my last post was that finding it still didn’t help me, and was the least of my problems. You have to understand that all of us are not Retrospect experts like you are. That’s why there are forums. That’s why nice people like you answer our dumb questions. Insulting us does no good.

 

Technically, the Retrospect documentation just says that ISScript9.msi also needs to be installed along with the client (if it's not already present), so you are right on that. I was not mislead by the documentation. In my opinion, it was just incomplete. So I will retract that statement. However, in response to your comment about who told me to push it through GPO, yes, it was in fact a Retrospect technician.

 

I think many customers will agree that if Retrospect does not include a software installation push (like Symantec BackupExec for example), then they should support the install of the client through other means (aka Group Policy or SMS). At the very least, the documentation should mention that ISScript9.msi does not install correctly through a direct GPO push.

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hi scott,

 

i apologize if i seem rough. i am by nature very detail oriented and i readily admit that this can seem offputting--i assure you that i am not trying to offend you. i would add in my defense that message boards, much like email, can seem harsher than the person originally intended. i'll try to keep that in mind as i post.

 

i agree that after looking again the Retrospect documentation could seem a little vague-->that is good feedback. if you do see a problem you should definitely post it and be specific.

 

also, it seems that you did get some bad advice from EMC. i do not feel that they need to support Group Policy or SMS directly, but i would point out that no advice is better than bad. you and i may have to respectfully disagree about how much support should be offered.

 

finally, i also would agree that it would be a nice to include a software installation push. perhaps you could add this in the 'Windows Suggestions' area of this board?

 

http://forums.dantz.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/Windowssuggestions

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No problem waltr. I will also try to make sure I have exhausted all posibilities before asking for help on the forums. I certainly don't want to waste anyone's time.

 

I will definitely post the software installation push feature request in that forum. I think that would be an excellent addition. Thanks for all of your help.

 

Scott

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  • 1 month later...

Hi All

 

Will I have just run into the problem of the isscript installer V9 was stopping one of our machines from installing some other software.

 

Have upgraded isscript to version 10.5 pushed from the server this has fixed the machine with the problem.

 

Will retrospect still install with this version?

 

Sorry don't understand all the above bits about putting it in another script.

If I keep the server GP at the most current isscript I have this should be ok shouldn't it!

 

P.S. EMC do need to have a push as some of the machines we have are not local (reps) and not even in the country.

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Ian,

 

From what I understand, Retrospect 7.5 absolutely requires using ISScript version 9 to install properly. Even if a client machine has a later version such as 10.5, it will still need version 9 to install. If you assign version 9 (or any other version as far as I know) through GP, it will cause the problem you are experiencing. That's why you have to re-package the ISScript9.msi file, as in the instructions above. Good luck!

 

Scott

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