The following sections provide concepts and instructions for the Distribution object:
The Distribution (TED Distribution) object contains a list of data packages or data grouping information.
The following illustrates a Distribution's relationship with its Distributor and the Channels:
The Distributor associates its Distributions with the Channels.
The following illustrates that a Distributor sends Distributions to Subscriber servers:
A Distribution is a compilation of software and/or files, or a policy package, that the various servers in your network might need.
A Distribution is owned by only one Distributor. A Distribution keeps a list of its Channel associations, and can be placed into multiple Channels.
When a Distribution is built, it is built according to its type. There are seven types of Distributions:
1 The Desktop Application Distribution is only available when ZENworks for Desktops (ZfD) is installed.
For information on the different Distribution types, see The Distributions Types.
A Distribution has a Build schedule that notifies its Distributor how often the Distribution needs to be built. If a Distribution has changed since the last time it was built, a new one will be created.
Distributions can also be made active or inactive to control whether they should be built.
For information on scheduling, see Scheduling.
After you have configured a Distribution object and set the various distribution schedules, newer versions of existing Distributions are automatically created and distributed according to the following parameters:
Refresh Schedule: This schedule determines when a Distributor will read eDirectory for changes to any of its Distributions. If changes are detected for a particular Distribution, it is rebuilt according to that Distribution's Build schedule.
For more information on the Refresh schedule, see Distributor Object's Refresh Schedule.
Build Schedule: This schedule is set independently for each Distribution. When the schedule starts for a Distribution that has been determined to have had changes to it, the Distributor proceeds to rebuild that Distribution.
For more information on the Build schedule, see Distribution Object's Build Schedule.
Maximum Revisions: This field (in the Distribution object's properties, on the General/Settings tab), determines how many versions of a Distribution will be kept on the Distributor and Subscriber servers' file systems. For some Distribution types, this field determines whether a partial Distribution (delta) or complete Distribution is rebuilt. Otherwise, this field is used mainly to control disk space usage.
For more information on the Maximum Revisions field schedule, see Maximum Revisions.
These parameters determine when a Distribution needs to be rebuilt. The other schedules (Send and Extract) determine when the rebuilt Distribution file is sent and extracted.
Policy and Distribution Services provides several means for securing Distributions:
A certificate is a security mechanism used by Policy and Distribution Services to ensure that the Distribution received by a Subscriber was actually sent by the Distributor owning that Distribution. Without a matching certificate, a Subscriber cannot receive Distributions from the Distributor.
For more information, see Distribution Security Using Signed Certificates and Digests.
Distributions can be encrypted for when you send them outside your secure network.
For more information, see Distribution Security Using Encryption.
Communications between TED components residing inside and outside your secure network can be secured by installing inter-server communications security where needed.
For more information, see Security for Inter-Server Communication Across Non-Secured Connections.
When a Distribution is built, any deletions in the Distribution object or on the Distributor server's file system, such as deleting files or directories, will cause those files or directories to also be deleted from the Distribution when it is rebuilt. However, synchronization must be enabled in order for the files and folders to also be removed from the Subscriber server's file system.
Consider the following in determining your Distributions:
The better you can determine this type of information, the better you will be able to balance resource usage and minimize the use of resources.
Distributions can be configured to copy only files that are different than the target, or copy all files in their original state.
The following sections provide information about Distributions:
This is an attribute found in the Distributor and Subscriber objects. It is used to control the number of Subscribers that can be serviced concurrently when sending Distributions. This is helpful if the Distributor or parent Subscriber is servicing a large number of Subscribers. It prevents the Distributor from spreading itself very thin and sending the Distribution to all of the Subscribers at once.
For example, if a Distributor or parent Subscriber sends to 100 Subscribers and the number of concurrent Distributions is set to 10, then the sender will start with 10 connections. As one connected Subscriber finishes receiving the Distribution, another Subscriber is added in its place in the list of 10. This continues until all 100 have been serviced.
Each Distribution allows you to determine how many versions of the Distribution will be kept by the Distributor and Subscribers in their working directories. The default is infinite for all Distribution types (except File and Desktop Application, which is 10 for both), so make sure you fill in the Maximum Revisions field attribute when creating Distributions. Consider disk space availability when calculating the maximum number of revisions.
If you enter 1, the Delete Previous Revision Before Receiving Next field becomes accessible. This allows you to control disk space by only maintaining one copy of a Distribution on the server's file system.
The File Distribution only builds a complete Distribution the first time it creates the Distribution. All subsequent versions are just the differences (deltas) between a current version and its previous version. However, when the File Distribution reaches its maximum number of revisions, it will delete all previous versions and build an entirely new Distribution (called a baseline), and start from 1 in counting the number of revisions.
When the maximum number of revisions is met for FTP, HTTP, and Server Software Package Distribution types, the agent will delete the oldest version of the Distribution and add the current version to the revisions. Therefore, it never exceeds the maximum number entered in the Distribution object.
This is an attribute found in the Distributor and Subscriber objects. It is used to control the amount of bandwidth used by the Distributor or parent Subscriber when sending Distributions. The default is unlimited, meaning the sender will use all the bandwidth available in sending Distributions.
The Distributor must be updated with the configuration information contained in the TED objects in eDirectory.
Configuration changes include any changes made to the attributes of the Distributor object, Distribution objects belonging to that Distributor object, or Channel objects to which the Distributor object is associated.
The Distributor has a schedule that determines how often it reads eDirectory for configuration information. Set this schedule to coincide with the frequency at which TED objects are modified in eDirectory.
You can also force an eDirectory refresh by right-clicking a Distributor object and selecting the Refresh menu option, or by using the ZfS Management role in iManager (see Forcing TED Agent Actions).
The Distribution's schedule tells the Distributor the frequency at which the Distribution should be checked for changes.
For example, the Distribution schedule might specify a weekly build. The Distributor will rebuild that package and compare it to the previous version to see if there have been any changes.
You can distribute whatever you can represent on the file system. This includes server applications and files. For example, the applications or files could fulfill one of the following purposes:
Use a descriptive method for naming the Distributions. These names can be used to key the naming of Channels. For example:
VirusProtect
VProtectPatterns
NW51patch4
NW6patch1
AUTOEXECNCF000326
The following sections explain the different Distribution types and issues related to determining your Distributions:
There are several TED Distribution types. Each type has unique features that tailor it for specific needs.
For information on how to configure each Distribution type, see Creating a Distribution (specifically, Step 6).
For the File and FTP types of Distributions, a Distribution Wizard is available for automating the process of creating them. For more information, see "Using the Distribution Wizard" under "Installing on NetWare and Windows Servers" in "Installing Policy and Distribution Services on NetWare and Windows Servers" in the Installation guide.
With this type you can select files and/or directories from the Distributor server's file system for distribution, and select a destination location for extraction on the Subscriber.
The File type is sequential, meaning it controls the order for the building and extraction of Distributions. This prevents the building and extracting processes from being performed out of sync.
IMPORTANT: UNIX* file systems are case sensitive to allow paths and filenames that are identical except for case differences. However, if you select two such files, only the first file selected during extraction will be distributed, because the File type is not case sensitive. Therefore, do not place two files into a File Distribution where their paths and filenames are identical except for case differences.
By default, Cache and Forward is used. This process allows a parent Subscriber to begin sending a Distribution to subordinate Subscribers before it has finished receiving the Distribution. This allows entire Distributions to be sent more quickly through a chain of parent Subscribers in the Distributor's routing hierarchy than if they each had to wait until each Subscriber had completed receiving the Distribution before it started sending.
The File Distribution is useful for distributing large Distributions that change often, thus requiring updates that need to be distributed frequently.
For the first version of a Distribution, the Distributor builds the entire Distribution (creating a baseline). A unique feature of the File type is that for all subsequent versions it calculates the differences at build time and only builds a delta of the Distribution.
The File type does this by keeping a list of the files and directories contained in a Distribution on the source machine (the Distributor or a parent Subscriber). If a source file changes, a new Distribution is built the next time its Build schedule starts. However, this new Distribution only contains the files that are different between the previous version and the current version. This is known as a delta of the original Distribution.
This delta of the Distribution file is what is distributed to the Subscribers-not the entire Distribution.
The File type is also effective when changes are frequent because it can build much smaller deltas.
There is no option to send the entire File Distribution. However, once the maximum number of revisions has been met, the Distribution will be completely rebuilt and all deltas and previous revisions will be deleted. Therefore, if you set the maximum number of revisions to 1, deltas will not be used and the entire Distribution will be built and sent every time.
For example, the first build will be the baseline Distribution (version 1), the first update (Delta 1) will be version number 2, the second update (Delta 2) will be version number 3, and so on until the number of revisions you set is reached, which triggers a new baseline rebuild. By default, this number is 10.
The maximum number of revisions can be set in the Distribution object.
If synchronization is enabled, the File type can be used for removing files and directories from the Subscriber server's file system upon extraction of the Distribution in one of two ways:
Edit the Distribution object: Remove files from the list of files and directories in the Distribution object. When the Distribution is built again, those files and directories will not be included.
Remove files from the Distributor's file system: Remove files from the Distributor's file system that were part of the Distribution. When the Distributor is refreshed, it will rebuild the Distribution without those files and directories.
In both cases, upon extraction of the Distribution, and with synchronization enabled, those files and directories will be removed from the Subscriber server's file system.
To manually force a Distribution to be built, you can use iManager (see Forcing TED Agent Actions).
With this type you can create a Distribution consisting of files from one or more FTP sources. Each source can contain one or more directories and/or files.
When an FTP site directory entry is a directory, all of its files and subdirectories are built for the Distribution.
Whenever a Distribution's Build schedule starts:
A maximum number of revisions can be set in the Distribution object to conserve disk space. By default, the number is unlimited.
With this type you can create a Distribution consisting of one or more HTTP sources. Each source can contain one or more target entries.
Whenever a Distribution's Build schedule starts:
A maximum number of revisions can be set in the Distribution object to conserve disk space. By default, the number is unlimited.
You can distribute any Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) packages that you have previously created to your Linux and Solaris servers using the RPM Distribution.
For Solaris, RPM must first be installed on the server, because it is not installed with Solaris software by default.
Whenever a Distribution's Build schedule starts:
A maximum number of revisions can be set in the Distribution object to conserve disk space. By default, the number is unlimited.
A Server Software Package is created in ConsoleOne in the Server Software Package namespace. For more information, see Server Software Packages.
Software Package is the most robust type of Distribution. It includes installation prerequisites, pre-installation instructions, post-installation instructions, and the ability to modify text fields, SET parameters, registry settings, and the PRODUCTS.DAT file.
With the Software Package Distribution you can select .CPK files for distribution. This allows you to place a software product into a Distribution for automatic installation on the receiving server. This can include software updates to existing server software on the server.
Multiple .CPK files can be selected for one Distribution. Then, individual .CPK files will be applied on the Subscriber, depending on whether the .CPK file's prerequisites are met.
IMPORTANT: The order that the .CPK files are applied on a server is not guaranteed, and .CPK files contained in one Distribution that may start in a certain order might not all finish in that same order. Therefore, place each .CPK file in its own Distribution if you want them to be installed in a particular order and use Distribution scheduling to determine the order. For more information, see Forcing the Software Package Distribution Order.
Distributes the Application objects (that are created in ZENworks for Desktops) and the application's associated files to specified locations on the eDirectory tree and target Subscriber servers. This Distribution type allows you to solve geographic, workload, and redundancy issues for applications distributed by Novell Application Launcher that otherwise might require much of your time in manual configuration work in ZENworks for Desktops. For more information, see Desktop Application Distribution.
The Desktop Application Distribution type is not supported for Linux and Solaris servers.
This Distribution type automatically distributes a modified copy of the original Application object to a context in the eDirectory tree (a Subscriber's working context), and automatically copies the application's files to the Subscriber server that can locally service its users and workstations. It performs all of the appropriate hookups to the modified Application object to render it fully functional.
For the Desktop Application Distribution, you can set the maximum number of revisions in the Distribution object. When the version number reaches the number that you set, the Distributor rebuilds the entire Distribution. By default, this number is 10.
You can send Desktop Application Distributions to Subscriber servers on a tree that is different from the Distributor server's. However, the recipient server's Subscriber object must reside in the same tree as the modified Application objects that are created by the Distribution. The External Subscriber object is used on the Distributor's tree to send a Desktop Application Distribution to a server on another tree.
This type provides the mechanism for applying policies to servers. In previous versions of Policy and Distribution Services, policies were enforced through eDirectory object and container associations. With ZfS 3.0.2, policies are now distributed Subscriber servers for enforcement using the Distributed Policy Package. However, policies for Distributors continue to be enforced through context associations using the Container Package or Service Location Package.
With the Policy Package Distribution, you send policies directly to servers as Distributions, which are extracted on the receiving Subscriber server. The contained policies are then enforced on that server.
A maximum number of revisions can be set in the Distribution object to conserve disk space. By default, the number is unlimited.
For more information on each policy, see Server Policy Descriptions.
A Distribution's size and frequency of being built and sent depends on the following:
In ConsoleOne, select the container where you want the Distribution to be created > click File > click New > click Object > select the TED Distribution type > click OK.
Enter a Distribution name.
IMPORTANT: Periods (.) are not allowed in Distribution names. Instead, use dashes (-) or underscores (_) as word separators. If you use a period in the Distribution name, the Distribution will not be sent, and the Distributor will not reload after it has been exited.
To give the Distributor ownership of the Distribution, browse to select the Distributor object > click Define Additional Properties > click OK.
The Distribution object's properties are displayed.
Each Distribution belongs to a single Distributor that will build and send the Distribution.
Click the General tab > fill in the Settings tab fields:
Active: Required. In order to make a Distribution available to Subscribers, it needs to be active.
Use Digests: Digests are used by Distributors and Subscribers to verify that Distributions have not been tampered with while in transit. The digest provides a checksum for the Subscriber to compare.
Creating a digest takes more time on larger Distributions. The number of minutes per megabyte is dependent on the hardware configuration of the server where the digest is being created.
Encrypt: You can have the Distribution encrypted if you will be sending it across non-secured connections. Encryption provides security for the Distribution during transit between the Distributor and Subscriber when they are not within the same firewall. Click either Strong or Weak encryption. You also must have the same version of NICI 2.4 installed to each of these servers for encryption to work (see Installing NICI 2.4).
Maximum Revisions: This number helps you to control disk space usage by determining how many versions of a particular Distribution are kept in the Distributors' and Subscribers' working directories. The default is 10 for the File Distribution, and infinite for all of the other types. Increase the number if data is changing often and the changes are minimal (smaller delta files). Decrease the number if data is not changing very often, or if a significant amount of data is changing (larger delta files). If you select 1, the Delete Previous Revision field will be checked.
Delete Previous Revision Before Receiving Next: This option is available if you selected 1 as the number for the Maximum Revisions field. If the Distribution is so large that it might compromise the available disk space on the Subscriber server, you can conserve disk space by checking this option, which will cause the previous version to be deleted before receiving the next version. If you leave the check box empty, the new version will be received in its entirety before the older version is deleted. Either way, you will have only the one version of the Distribution in the Subscriber's working directory after the Distribution has been received.
Priority: You can give the Distribution a priority that determines how it will be sent in relation to other Distributions. A High priority means it will be sent before Medium or Low priority Distributions. For information on prioritizing Distributions, see Prioritizing Distributions.
Distributor: The DN of the Distributor object that will build and send this Distribution.This attribute cannot be modified. You selected the Distributor when you created the Distribution object.
Description: Enter useful details about the Distribution, such as the name of the desktop application, the files and directories it contains, intended user groups, and so on.
Click the General tab > click Restrictions > select a platform restriction:
Platform Restrictions: If you want to select specific operating system versions as a prerequisite to receiving this Distribution, uncheck No Restrictions and select the desired operating system version. You can select from the following:
No Restrictions
NetWare All
NetWare 4.x (ZfS 2)
NetWare 5.0 (ZfS 2)
NetWare 5.1
NetWare 5.x
NetWare 6.x
Windows Server
Solaris
Linux
No Restrictions means that the Distribution can be sent to any platform.
If you select NetWare All, you do not need to select any of the individual NetWare platforms.
Click the Type tab > fill in the fields:
Select Type: The type determines the type of Distribution. This field has a drop-down box where you can select the type. The options are:
File: Use this option when a Distribution consists of files on the Distributor's file system that are to be copied to a Subscriber server's file system.
Use the following buttons to create the Distribution's file structure:
The File type has the following fields:
FTP: With this type you can create a Distribution consisting of files from one or more FTP sources. Each source can contain one or more directories and/or files.
If a target file is found to be locked during extraction, the Subscriber will throw an exception stating that the file could not be copied. The Distributor will receive this information from the Subscriber and log the failure in the reporting database.
Use the following buttons to create the Distribution's file structure:
The FTP type has the following fields:
Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Files To Be Distributed |
An expandable tree structure showing paths and filenames. |
Binary Transfer |
Enables file transfers in binary. |
HTTP: With this type you can create a Distribution consisting of one or more HTTP sources. Each source can contain one or more target entries.
If a target file is found to be locked during extraction, the Subscriber will throw an exception stating that the file could not be copied. The Distributor will receive this information from the Subscriber and log the failure in the reporting database.
Use the following buttons to create the Distribution's file structure:
The HTTP type has the following field:
Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Files To Be Distributed |
An expandable tree structure showing paths and filenames. |
RPM: Any Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) packages you have created can be distributed to your Linux or Solaris servers through TED.
Use the following buttons to add RPMs to the Distribution:
The RPM type has the following fields:
Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Selected Packages |
Lists the RPM packages you have added. |
Installation Parameters |
Lists the RPM installation parameters you have added. |
Desktop Application: Use this option when the Distribution consists of a ZENworks for Desktops (ZfD) application.
If a target file is found to be locked during extraction, the Subscriber will throw an exception stating that the file could not be copied. The Distributor will receive this information from the Subscriber and log the failure in the reporting database.
Use the following button to create the Desktop Application Distribution:
Button | Explanation |
---|---|
Setup |
Starts the Desktop Application Distribution Wizard. |
After exiting the wizard, the following fields and options are available:
Also, the Setup button is renamed to:
Button | Explanation |
---|---|
Modify |
Click to open the Desktop Application Distribution Wizard, where you can change the displayed configuration. |
Software Package: Use this option when the Distribution consists of one or more software packages created in the Server Software Package namespace in ConsoleOne.
For instructions on converting older .SPK and .CPK files to ZfS 3.0.2, see Converting Older Server Software Packages to ZfS 3.0.2.
Use the following buttons to add software packages to the Distribution:
Button | Explanation |
---|---|
Up / Down |
Rearranges the order that the software packages will be installed. |
Add |
Adds a software package to the Distribution. |
Delete |
Deletes the software package from those listed. |
The Software Package type has the following field:
Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Selected Software Packages |
Lists the software packages to be distributed and the order of distribution. |
Policy Package: Use this option when the Distribution consists of one or more policy packages containing enabled and configured policies.This is how Subscribers receive policies.
For information on creating specific policies, see Server Policies.
Use the following buttons to add policy packages to the Distribution:
The Policy Package type has the following field:
Field | Explanation |
---|---|
The Following Policy Packages Will Be Distributed |
Lists the policy packages to be distributed and the order of distribution. |
When entering information into a field, such as a directory name, be sure to press Enter or the change will not be saved.
IMPORTANT: For the FTP, HTTP, RPM, Software Package, and Desktop Application types of Distributions, if a target file is found to be locked during extraction, the Subscriber will throw an exception stating that the file could not be copied. The Distributor will receive this information from the Subscriber and log the failure in the reporting database.
Click the Schedule tab > select a schedule:
The Build schedule determines how often the Distributor will build a new version of the Distribution.
Send Distribution Immediately After Building: Click this check box if you want the Distribution to be sent immediately, rather than the next time any schedules allow. However, the Subscriber's Extract schedule will determine when it is extracted for use.
Build Schedule for File Distributions: This type builds a new Distribution and compares it with the previous version for changes. If there are changes, the File type builds a file consisting of the differences between the current version and the previous version. When the maximum number of versions is reached, the type will build a complete Distribution (not just a file containing the differences) and delete all previous versions.
Build Schedule for HTTP, FTP, and Software Package Distributions: These types build new versions of the Distribution each time the Build schedule starts, regardless of whether the Distribution has changed. It will send this new version to all Subscribers.
When sending a Distribution, the sender will retry every 2 minutes for 30 minutes, then stop. It will not begin sending again until the Channel schedule starts again.
Click the Channels tab > fill in the field:
Channels: Each Distribution must be associated with at least one Channel if it will to be sent to a Subscriber. A Distribution will be sent to all Subscribers of the selected Channel or Channels.
Click OK > click Yes to resolve the certificates.
This will copy the security certificates from the Distributor to Subscriber that is subscribed to the Channel.
For information on resolving certificates, see Resolving Certificates.
Distributions can be prioritized in two ways:
Send Queue: You can prioritize the order in which Distributions are sent: High, Medium, or Low. For example, in a given Channel, all High priority Distributions are sent first, then the Medium priority Distributions are sent, and then the Low priority Distributions are sent.
Because Distributions with mixed priorities cannot be sent concurrently, you can control the order in which Distributions are sent by the priorities that you assign them.
Output Rate: You can configure different output rate settings for a Distribution, based on a priority: High, Medium, or Low. This allows you to control the bandwidth a Distribution will use. For example, if you want your High priority Distributions to utilize the most bandwidth, you would configure their output rates with the High priority.
The Maximum Number of Concurrent Distributions value is affected by prioritizing. This value is subordinate to the priorities set for the Distributions. For example:
If you delete a Distribution object, you must immediately refresh the Distributor that owned the Distribution; otherwise, the following can happen:
By immediately refreshing the Distributor, you will prevent both of these errors from occurring, because:
If you delete a Distribution object, you should also clean up the temporary files for the Distribution from the working directories for both the Distributor server and every Subscriber server where the Distribution was sent. You will need to do this manually on the Distributor server. You should also do this manually on each Subscriber server. You can also create a Server Software Package to automatically remove these files on the Subscriber servers.
The following sections explain how to handle the Distributions of a deleted Distributor object:
Because Distributions belong exclusively to their Distributors, you will no longer be able to build and send those Distributions if you delete a Distributor object from eDirectory. The Distributions associated with the deleted Distributor will become orphaned and no longer usable.
Any orphaned Distributions that have already been sent and extracted before you delete the Distributor object will be usable by the Subscriber servers where they were extracted. However, these servers will no longer receive updated versions of the orphaned Distributions.
You will still be able to see the orphaned Distribution objects in eDirectory, but no current or future Distributor object can be associated with these orphaned Distribution objects.
For all Distribution types, you can delete the Distribution directories on the Subscriber servers' file systems for all orphaned Distributions. We recommend that you delete the Distribution directories for any Distributions that you intend to re-create.
For most Distribution types, deleting the orphaned Distributions' directories is all you need to do in order to clean up for management and disk space conservation purposes. These Distribution types are:
However, for the Policy Package and Software Package Distribution types, you might need to undo the processes that the Distributions initiated when they were extracted and installed.
For example, a Policy Package Distribution might require that you use iManager to remove the policies that the Distribution set for the server. For more information, see Step 5 under Managing the Policy/Package Agent from the Remote Web Console.
You need to re-create each orphaned Distribution that you want to continue to use. You can do this using an existing Distributor object, or after you install a new Distributor.
After you have re-created a Distribution, all Channels previously associated with the orphaned Distribution need to be associated with the newly created Distribution.
In re-creating the Distributions, you can use the configuration information from the orphaned Distribution objects. When you no longer need the orphaned Distribution objects, you can delete them and they will no longer be displayed on the Distributions tab of the Channel object.
Exporting and importing are useful for:
The following sections provide information on exporting and importing Distributions:
You can manually export a Distribution from a Distributor server by writing to a media source, such as a floppy disk, ZIP disk, CD, or DVD, then you can import it from that media to a Subscriber server.
The export process copies Distribution information to a UNC path or drive mapping, such as a hard drive, floppy disk, or ZIP disk. From the copy on the hard drive, you can then burn the information onto a CD or DVD.
The Distribution information includes the Channel and Distribution data from their eDirectory objects, and the content of the Distribution's file. The Distribution information is copied to a filename.TED file that you name when running the Manual Distribution Wizard. You should use the .TED extension with the filename. You should also use a descriptive filename so that you can recognize the Distribution when reviewing the media content.
When the exported .TED file is imported, the eDirectory object information and the Distribution's content are used to create the Distribution on the Subscriber server's file system. Thereafter, deltas of the Distribution can be sent over the wire, because they are usually much smaller than the original Distribution that was exported and imported.
Distributions can only be exported and imported within the same tree where the associated Channels are known to all Distributors and Subscribers involved.
Depending on when you want imported Distributions to be extracted, you might want a different set of schedules set up before exporting the Distribution.
For example, if you want the exported Distribution to be extracted at different times by different Subscribers where it is imported, then:
Set the build schedule for the Distribution to be exported to Immediate.
Add the Distribution to a Channel with a Send schedule set to Never.
This prevents Subscribers that have not yet had the Distribution manually imported to them from receiving a Channel's notice to trigger extraction of the yet-to-be-received Distribution.
Add all of the Subscribers where the Distribution is to be imported to the Channel you used in Step 2.
Refresh the Distributor that owns the Distribution to be exported.
After the Distribution has been built, continue with Exporting a Distribution.
If you do not need a specialized schedule, you can just follow the instructions in the next two sections, which assume that existing schedules are acceptable.
In ConsoleOne, click Tools, then click Manual Distribution to start the Manual Distribution Wizard.
Click Export, then click Next.
Select a Channel, select a Distribution from that Channel, then click Next.
This Channel's ID is retained in the .TED file for use when importing the Distribution.
For the Distribution, provide a path (UNC or drive mapping) and filename (descriptive for identifying which Distribution is on the media), then click Next.
The filename should have .TED as its extension.
If you are satisfied with the summary, click Finish.
The .TED file is saved to the path that you specified.
If your path was to a hard drive, you can now burn the .TED file to a CD or DVD.
In ConsoleOne, click Tools, then click Manual Distribution to start the Manual Distribution Wizard.
Click Import, then click Next.
Provide the path and filename to the .TED file, then click Next.
This is the .TED file that you exported to a media source.
Select parent Subscribers in the top box and individual Subscribers in the bottom box, then click Next.
If you select a parent Subscriber that is in the routing hierarchy, all of the Subscribers below it in the hierarchy have the imported Distribution passed on to them, but only if they are already subscribed to the Distribution's Channel.
The Subscribers displayed in the bottom box are those who are currently subscribed to the Distribution's Channel. The heading displays the Channel that is associated with the Distribution being imported. This information is contained in the .TED file being imported.
External Subscribers are not listed in the bottom box because they cannot receive manual Distributions.
If you are satisfied with the summary, click Finish.
The Distribution is copied from the media source you specified and placed in the working directories of the selected Subscribers. The Channel and Distribution objects' information is written to eDirectory.
At this point, imported Distributions are not viewable in iManager.
If you set up specialized schedules for the imported Distribution (see Setting Up Specialized Schedules), restart the ZENworks Server Management process on each Subscriber server where it was imported; otherwise, skip to Step 7.
The Distribution is extracted on the Subscriber servers according to their individual Extract schedules. After extraction, you can view the Distribution's information in iManager.
To make the Subscribers recognize that they have received a new Distribution:
Under the ZfS Management role in iManager, click Remote Web Console.
Identify the Distributor owning the imported Distribution in either of the following fields:
Click OK.
In the Display field, select Tiered Electronic Distribution.
Click the Channels tab, then select Distribute Channel.
Click the Channel associated with the imported Distribution, then click OK.
The Subscribers can now act as though they had received the Distribution across the wire. The Distributor begins to send the Distribution listed in the Channel to the Subscribers, but the Subscribers reply that they already have the Distribution, then begin to extract it.
If a Subscriber is a parent Subscriber that needs to pass the imported Distribution on to subordinate Subscribers, it does so when the Distribution's Channel starts.
ZfS provides the TED Distribution Wizard to help you learn the process involved in creating and sending a Distribution. This wizard can be used to create and send either a File or FTP Distribution.
To use the TED Distribution Wizard:
In ConsoleOne, click the container where you want the Distribution object created > click Tools > TED Distribution Wizard.
Review the information on the Introduction page > click Next.
On the Distributor Selection page, browse for and select the Distributor that will own this File or FTP Distribution > click Next.
On the Subscriber Selection page, click Add > browse for the Subscribers that will receive this Distribution > click Select > click OK > click Next.
On the File Source page, select the file source (the Distributor's file system, or a remote FTP site) > click Next.
On the Destination Volume or Drive page, select an option and fill in its field > click Next.
Use the Same Volume or Drive for All Subscribers: If each target Subscriber will have the exact same volume or drive available, select this option and enter the volume label or drive letter.
Use a Variable for the Volume or Drive: If your target Subscribers will be using different paths (for example you have NetWare, Windows, and UNIX Subscriber servers), you can enter a variable value. This value must be defined on each Subscriber in order to receive the Distribution.
On the Additional Destination Directories page, enter any additional path information for the target Subscriber servers > click Next.
Note that your path information is displayed under the "Data Will Be Placed In Path" heading as you type it. Use this information to verify that the path is valid before continuing.
On the File Selection From Distributor Server page, click Add > browse for the files or directories to be included > click Select > click OK > click Next.
You are browsing the Distributor's file system, not the local machine's.
Repeat clicking Add until you have all of the files and directories you want in this Distribution.
On the Distribution Name and Context page, fill in the fields > click Next.
Distribution Name: Enter a unique name for the Distribution.
Context: Browse for and select the container where you want the Distribution object to be created.
On the Additional Options page, check or uncheck the options as applicable > click Next.
The following options are all enabled by default:
Copy the Distributor's Security Certificate To All Subscribers: This is necessary for the Subscriber to be able to receive and extract this Distribution. This might not be necessary if you run the wizard again with the same Distributor and Subscribers.
Verify That All Subscribers Are Up and Running: If you want to make sure your target Subscribers will be able to receive this Distribution, check this option.
Notify the Distributor To Read eDirectory For New Information: This will cause the Distribution to be built immediately.
On the Summary page, review the steps that will be take by the TED Distribution Wizard > click Finish to create the Distribution.
Information will be displayed as the Distribution is created and sent.
To review the log file, click Yes when prompted.
If you click Yes, you can review the log file. Click Close to exit the log window and the TED Distribution Wizard.
If you click No, the TED Distribution Wizard is exited.