To set up TED, you must install TED objects on the servers across your tree. The installation program creates Distributor and Subscriber objects as part of the Policy and Distribution Services installation process. All other TED objects (Channels, Distributions, and External Subscribers) can be created in ConsoleOne.
After setting up the main TED objects (Distributors and Subscribers), you can then create Distributions, assign them to Channels, and associate Subscribers with specific Channels.
Do the following in order for each Distributor object:
This policy allows you to set default values for the attributes of Distributors and Subscribers. The default values become effective when you associate the Service Location Package to a container above where the Distributor or Subscriber object resides.
If you made changes to any default values for Distributors or Subscribers during installation of ZfS, the Use Policy check box will not be checked when the policy package is associated with the Distributors' or Subscribers' containers.
If you did not make changes to any default values during installation, the Use Policy check box will be checked when the policy package is associated with the Distributors' or Subscribers' containers, and the values in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy will be used for the Distributor and Subscriber attributes.
IMPORTANT: The Tiered Electronic Distribution policy replaces, not supplements, the similar fields in a Distributor's or Subscriber's properties. Therefore, if you create a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy, make sure you fill in all of the fields on every tab in the policy that you will want to be applied to the affected Distributors or Subscribers. For example, if your Subscriber has a working directory entered in its object's properties, you don't enter a working directory in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy, then later apply the policy by clicking the Use Policy check box on the Subscriber's properties, the Subscriber will no longer have a working directory available to it.
To configure the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy:
In ConsoleOne, right-click the Service Location Package > click Properties.
Click the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy > click Properties.
If the box under the Enabled column is not checked for the ZENworks Database policy, click it before clicking Properties. A policy must be enabled to activate the Properties button.
On the General Settings tab, fill in the fields:
Input Rate: Sets the default input rate to minimize network traffic for TED objects. This determines the receive rate for Subscribers and Distributors. The default value is the maximum that the connection can handle. You can use this rate to control the use of narrow bandwidth links.
Output Rate: Sets the default output rate to minimize network traffic for TED objects. This determines the send rate for Distributors and Subscribers. The default value is the maximum that the connection can handle. There are three output priorities where you can specify a rate:
High Priority: These Distributions will be sent before any Medium or Low priority Distributions.
Medium Priority: These Distributions will be sent after all High priority and before any Low priority Distributions.
Low Priority: These Distributions will be sent after all High and Medium priority Distributions.
For more information, see Prioritizing Distributions .
Maximum Concurrent Distributions: Specifies a default maximum number of Distribution threads that can be running concurrently for Distributors and parent Subscribers. The default value is unlimited (blank field).
This number can help in load-balancing on a Distributor's sending activity and spread network traffic over an entire scheduling window.
Connection Time-out: Specifies a default number of seconds before the Distributor times out when connecting to another node, or specifies the number of seconds a Subscriber will wait for a response from a Distributor (receiving) or a Subscriber (sending) before ending the connection.
After the time has transpired, a Distributor will end the connection and not retry until the Channel's Send schedule starts again. If a connection is ended during sending or receiving, a Subscriber will not start again until the next time the Channel's Send schedule starts.
The default value is 300 seconds (five minutes). The available range in seconds is 1 to 60,000. You should select a reasonable time to wait for a response from one node to another.
IMPORTANT: This interval must be increased on slow or busy links where longer delays are frequent.
Working Directory: Enter a default TED directory to store Distributions, persistent status, and temporary files on a server. The directory needs to be located where there is enough free space to handle processing of Distributions.
The Working Directory field allows the use of variables to specify the volume/drive and directory names. However, variables will only work with Subscribers.
IMPORTANT: Distributors are not able to resolve variables and will use exactly what is specified in the Working Directory field. For example, if the value was %VOL%TED1\WORKING, the Distributor would create a working directory on the SYS: volume named SYS:\%VOL%\TED\WORKING, because it could not resolve %VOL%.
For more information, see Working Directories .
Parent Subscriber: Subscribers should generally not receive their Distributions directly from a Distributor. You can browse for a Subscriber to be the default parent Subscriber for your whole network that will pass on Distributions when a Subscriber object might not have a parent Subscriber defined in its properties.
Disk Space Desired To Be Left Free: Use this as the default value to ensure there will be enough free disk space for receiving Distributions where you might not have this value defined in a Subscriber object's properties. A Subscriber will not attempt to receive a Distribution if the disk space value set here is insufficient.
Click the General tab > click Messaging > fill in the fields:
Server Console: Procedure to follow when displaying messages at the server console. The default is Level 4 (Information & Level 3 Messages).
SNMP Trap: Procedure to follow when sending SNMP traps. The default is Level 0 (No Messages).
Log File: Procedure to follow when recording information to a log file. The default is Level 5 (Trace Information & Level 4 Messages).
Filename: Check this option and enter the log file's filename using the following format:
installation_path\directory_path\filename.TXT
For example:
SYS:\ZENWORKS\PDS\LOGFILE\LOG.TXT
Delete Log Entries Older Than __ Days: Controls disk space usage. For log files, it is important to set the message levels at minimal detail and to purge entries older than six days (the default).
E-Mail: Procedure to follow when sending e-mail messages. None or Errors Only are recommended to minimize unnecessary e-mail traffic. The default is Level 0 (No Messages).
Users: Add users, groups, or e-mail addresses.
Address Attribute: Displays the attribute of the associated user or group. You can change the attribute from the drop down list, which displays over three dozen options.
Following are some of these options:
To assign default values to variables used by the Subscriber, click the Variables tab > click Add > fill in the fields:
Variable: Name of the variable. It should indicate how the variable will be used. For example, WORKINGVOL.
Value: The value that the Subscriber will use when this variable is specified. For example, DATA:.
To ensure that extraction will take place, provide an absolute path to the Subscriber. For example, if the path is only the DATA volume, make sure the colon (:) is included, because it is a necessary part of the full path.
Description: Describes how the variable will be used. For example:
Volume for the working directory.
Note that if a variable defined here does not exist in a Subscriber's variables list, it will automatically be added. However, if the variable does exist in the Subscriber's variables list, the definition in the Subscriber will prevail.
To assign a default refresh schedule for all Distributors, click the Schedule tab > click Distributor Refresh Schedule > select a schedule in the Schedule Type field > configure the schedule:
For more information on the refresh schedule, see TED Object Schedules .
IMPORTANT: We recommend the Distributor's Refresh schedule be daily, unless changes to Distributions warrant a more frequent refresh. However, do not refresh the Distributor more often than every three minutes.
To assign a default extraction schedule for all Subscribers, click the Schedule tab > click Subscriber Extract Schedule > select a schedule in the Schedule Type field > configure the schedule:
For more information on the extraction schedule, see TED Object Schedules .
Click OK to close the policy.
You can edit your Distributor object's properties.
Distributor objects are automatically created when you the Distributor's software is installed to a server.
Not all properties associated with the Distributor object are required. Required properties are noted; all others are optional.
To edit the Distributor object's properties:
In ConsoleOne, right-click the Distributor object > click Properties.
Click General > click Settings > fill in the following fields:
Use Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Distributor server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server. If you enable this option, the rest of the fields are dimmed and the policy settings are used instead.
Input Rate: The rate Distributions are sent. The default is the maximum that the connection can handle. This rate is used to control a Distributor's use of narrow bandwidth links.
Output Rates Based Upon Distribution's Priority: Sets the default output rate to minimize network traffic for TED objects. This determines the send rate for Distributors. The default value is the maximum that the connection can handle. There are three output priorities where you can specify a rate:
High Priority: These Distributions will be sent before any Medium or Low priority Distributions.
Medium Priority: These Distributions will be sent after all High priority and before any Low priority Distributions.
Low Priority: These Distributions will be sent after all High and Medium priority Distributions.
For more information, see Prioritizing Distributions .
Maximum Concurrent Distributions: Specifies the maximum number of distribution threads that can be running concurrently. The default value is unlimited (blank field).
This number can help in load-balancing on a Distributor's sending activity and spread network traffic over an entire scheduling window.
Connection Time-out: Specifies the allotment of time before the Distributor server times out when connecting to another node. The default value is 300 seconds (five minutes), after which it will end the connection and not retry until the send schedule starts again. The available range in seconds is 1 to 60,000.
This setting can be increased or decreased to allow messages to pass back and forth between the agents during the distribution process. If one node is expecting to receive a message from another, there should be a reasonable time to wait before assuming that the sender is no longer available.
IMPORTANT: This interval must be increased on slow or busy links where longer delays are frequent.
Working Directory: Specifies the directory to be used by the Distribution. It contains Distributions, persistent status, and temporary working files. The default path for NetWare and Windows servers is:
ZENWORKS\PDS\TED\DIST
For UNIX servers the path is:
usr/ZENworks/PDS/TED/Dist
The working directory defaults to SYS: on NetWare servers. The contents of the directory can become very large. Therefore, we recommend that you change the default from SYS: to a volume with adequate free space.
The Distributor's working directory is also used whenever a Distribution is created. A subdirectory is created under the working directory using the DN of the Distribution object.
For more information on the working directory, see Working Directories .
Click the General tab > Messaging > fill in the following fields:
Use Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Distributor server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server. If you enable this option, the rest of the fields are dimmed and the policy settings for messaging are used instead.
Server Console: Specifies the level of output messages to send to the Distributor console on the server console.
SNMP Trap: Specifies the level of messages to send via SNMP.
Log File: Specifies the level of messages to send to the log file.
Path and Filename: You can specify the log file's name and location. For example:
ZENWORKS\PDS\TED\DIST\DISTRIBUTOR.LOG
The default volume is SYS: on NetWare servers. We recommend that you do not use the SYS: volume because the log file can become quite large.
Delete Log Entries Older Than __ Days: Log file entries for a Distributor will be deleted after they are older than the number of days specified.The default is six days.
E-Mail: Specifies which level of messages are sent via e-mail.
Users: Specifies e-mail users for notification.
Address Attribute: Specifies e-mail addresses for notification.
You can add users or groups stored in eDirectory or enter the e-mail addresses for users who are not contained in eDirectory. The e-mail Address Attribute associated with an eDirectory user is the default attribute.
IMPORTANT: If you select e-mail as a method for receiving notification, be aware that additional network traffic can be created.
Click the Schedules tab.
The schedule for a Distributor determines how often it will re-read the information contained in the TED objects in eDirectory. It reads the Channel, Distribution, and Distributor objects based on this schedule. This should be set up to reflect how often you expect information in these objects to change, or how often new objects might be created.
You can force the Distributor to re-read eDirectory by right-clicking the Distributor object and selecting the Refresh menu option.
Select a schedule > fill in the fields:
Use Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Distributor server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server. If you enable this option, the rest of the fields are dimmed and the policy settings are used instead.
Schedule Type: The Refresh schedule you selects determines when the Distributor reads eDirectory again.
IMPORTANT: We recommend the Distributor's Refresh schedule be daily, unless changes to Distributions warrant a more frequent refresh. However, do not refresh the Distributor more often than every three minutes.
IMPORTANT: Changes made to TED objects (other than Distribution) are not in effect until the Distributor re-reads eDirectory.
For information on available schedules, see Scheduling .
Click the Routing tab > create the Distributor's routing hierarchy.
Subscriber Routing Hierarchy: Configure the routes the Distributor will use when sending Distributions to the Subscribers. You should have planned this hierarchy in advance.
Use the following method to create the hierarchy:
Click the Distributor.
Click Add > select one or more Subscribers > click Select > click OK.
You can have multiple Subscribers directly under the Distributor.
Click one Subscriber.
Click Add > select one or more Subscribers > click Select > click OK.
You can have multiple Subscribers directly under each Subscriber.
Repeat Step 6.c and Step 6.d for each Subscriber until you have created the desired hierarchy.
Click the Distributions tab to view the Distributions being serviced by this Distributor.
To edit a Distribution, click the Distribution > click Details > edit the properties > click OK to exit the Distribution object's properties.
When you have finished configuring the Distributor and its Distributions, click OK to exit the Distributor object's properties.
Subscriber objects are automatically created when you install the Subscriber software to a server.
Not all properties associated with the Subscriber object are required. Required objects are noted; all others are optional.
To configure the Subscriber object's properties:
In ConsoleOne, right-click the Subscriber object > click Properties.
Click the General tab > click Settings > fill in the following fields:
Use Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Subscriber server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server.
If you enable this option, the rest of the fields are dimmed and the policy settings are used instead. The current policy is displayed in parentheses.
Input Rate: The rate Distributions are received or sent. The default is the maximum that the connection can handle. This rate is used to control a Subscriber's use of narrow bandwidth links. This also defines the rate between a parent Subscriber and its subordinate Subscribers.
Output Rates Based Upon Distribution's Priority: Sets the default output rate to minimize network traffic for TED objects. This determines the send rate for Subscribers. The default value is the maximum that the connection can handle. There are three output priorities where you can specify a rate:
High Priority: These Distributions will be sent before any Medium or Low priority Distributions.
Medium Priority: These Distributions will be sent after all High priority and before any Low priority Distributions.
Low Priority: These Distributions will be sent after all High and Medium priority Distributions.
For more information, see Prioritizing Distributions .
Maximum Concurrent Distributions: Specifies the maximum number of distribution threads that can be running concurrently. The default value is unlimited (blank field). This applies to parent Subscribers that will pass on Distributions to subordinate Subscribers.
Connection Time-out: Specifies the number of seconds a Subscriber will wait for a response from a Distributor (receiving) or a Subscriber (sending) before ending the connection. If a connection is ended during sending or receiving, the send will not start again until the next time the Channel schedule starts. It will then pick up where it left off. The default value is 300 seconds (five minutes). The available range in seconds is 1 to 60,000. This setting should be a reasonable time to wait for a response from one node to another.
IMPORTANT: This interval must be increased on slow or busy links where longer delays are frequent.
Working Directory: Specifies the directory to be used by the Distribution. It contains Distributions, persistent status, and temporary working files. The default path for NetWare and Windows servers is:
ZENWORKS\PDS\TED\SUB
For UNIX servers the path is:
usr/ZENworks/PDS/TED/Sub
The working directory defaults to SYS: on NetWare servers. The contents of the directory can become very large. Therefore, we recommend that you change the default from SYS: to a volume with adequate free space.
For more information on the working directory, see Working Directories .
Parent Subscriber: Specifies a parent Subscriber from which all Distributions for this Subscriber will be received.
Because the routing information in a Distributor object's properties only accounts for the parent Subscribers, this field is where you can connect end-node Subscribers into a Distributor's distribution route. End-node Subscribers are those that will not be used to pass Distributions to other Subscribers.
Disk Space Desired To Be Left Free: Use this value to ensure there will be enough free disk space for receiving Distributions. A Subscriber will not attempt to receive a Distribution if the disk space value set here is insufficient.
Click the General tab > click Messaging > fill in the following fields:
Use Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Subscriber server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server.
If you enable this option, the rest of the fields are dimmed and the policy settings for messaging are used instead. The current policy is displayed in parentheses.
Server Console: Specifies the level of output messages to send to the Subscriber console on the server console.
SNMP Trap: Specifies the level of messages to send via SNMP.
Log File: Specifies the level of messages to send to the log file.
Path and Filename: You can specify the log file's name and location. For example:
ZENWORKS\PDS\TED\SUB\SUBSCRIBER.LOG
The default volume is SYS: on NetWare servers. We recommend that you do not use the SYS: volume.
Delete Log Entries Older Than __ Days: Log file entries for a Subscriber will be deleted after they are older than the number of days specified.The default is six days.
E-Mail: Specifies which level of messages to send via e-mail.
Users: Specifies e-mail users for notification.
Address Attribute: Specifies e-mail addresses for notification.
You can add users or groups stored in eDirectory or enter the e-mail addresses for users who are not contained in eDirectory. The e-mail Address Attribute associated with an eDirectory user is the default attribute.
IMPORTANT: If you select e-mail as a method for receiving notification, be aware that additional network traffic can be created.
Click the General tab > click Working Context > browse for a working context.
This is the eDirectory context where the Subscriber will create the objects related to the Desktop Application Distributions it receives.
Click the Schedules tab > select a schedule > fill in the fields:
Use Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Subscriber server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server. If you enable this option, the rest of the fields are dimmed and the policy settings for scheduling are used instead.
Schedule Type: This schedule determines when the Subscriber will extract the Distributions.
For information on available schedules, see Scheduling .
Click the Channels tab > fill in the fields:
Active: To activate a Channel for this Subscriber server so it can receive the Channel's Distributions, click a Channel > check the box to enable it. To deactivate a Channel so that the Subscriber will not receive the Channel's Distributions, uncheck the box to disable it.
Channel: Click Add to create a Channel. Click Details to edit a Channel.
Click the Variables tab > fill in the fields:
Include Policy: Click to use the effective policy if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy. This field will display if a Tiered Electronic Distribution policy has been created, distributed to the Subscriber server, extracted by the Policy/Package Agent, and enforced on the server.
If you click this option, the variables specified in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy will be added to the list of variables. However, if there are duplicate variables, the variables in the Subscriber will prevail.
Variable: Name of the variable. It should indicate how the variable will be used. For example, WORKINGVOL.
Value: The value that the Subscriber will use when this variable is specified. For example, DATA:.
To ensure that extraction will take place, provide an absolute path to the Subscriber. For example, if the path is only the DATA volume, make sure the colon (:) is included, because it is a necessary part of the full path.
Description: Describes how the variable will be used. For example:
Volume for the working directory.
For more information on variables, see Using Variables to Control File Extraction .
To include this Subscriber in a group, click Group Membership > click Add > browse for a Subscriber Group object > click Select > click OK.
When you are finished configuring the Subscriber object, click OK to exit the Subscriber object's properties.
You can create External Subscriber objects for sending Distributions to Subscribers residing on other trees.
The following sections provide steps to create and configure an External Subscriber:
To create an External Subscriber object:
In ConsoleOne, select the container to hold the External Subscriber object > click File > New > Object > TED External Subscriber.
Enter a name for the External Subscriber object.
Make the name unique to help identify the server from the other tree.
Enter the server's TCP/IP address or DNS name > click OK.
This must be a valid TCP/IP address or fully-distinguished DNS name.
To configure an External Subscriber object:
In ConsoleOne, right-click an External Subscriber object > click Properties.
Click the General Settings tab > fill in the Setting fields:
Use Policy: Click this check box if you want to use the values set in the Tiered Electronic Distribution policy that is being enforced on the External Subscriber's server.
If you enable this option, the Parent Subscriber field is dimmed and the policy settings are used instead.
Parent Subscriber: Specifies a parent Subscriber from which all Distributions will be received.
Because the routing hierarchy in a Distributor object's properties only accounts for parent Subscribers, this field is where you can connect an end-node Subscriber to the routing hierarchy. These end-node Subscribers (which in this case are External Subscribers) cannot be used to pass Distributions to other Subscribers.
Click the Network Address tab > verify the IP address of the External Subscriber's server.
IP Address: You entered this IP address when you created the object. Verify that it is correct.
Click the Channels tab > fill in the fields > click OK:
Active: To activate a Channel for this External Subscriber server so it can receive the Channel's Distributions, click a Channel > check the box to enable it. To deactivate a Channel so that the External Subscriber will not receive the Channel's Distributions, uncheck this box to disable it.
Channel: Click Add to create a Channel. Click Details to edit a Channel.
To include this External Subscriber in a group, click Group Membership > click Add > browse for a Subscriber Group object > click Select > click OK.
When you are finished configuring the External Subscriber object, click OK to exit the object's properties.
The following sections provide information on creating and configuring Distributions:
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.
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.
The size and frequency of a distribution depends on the following:
The File type of Distribution sends only the differences between the previous version of the Distribution and the current version on the Distributor or parent Subscriber. There is no option to send the entire 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.
The unique feature of the File type of Distribution is that it calculates the differences at the time the Distribution is built and only builds a delta of it.
The File type of Distribution is a good means of distributing large Distributions that change often (so updates are distributed frequently). It is also effective when changes are substantial because it can build much smaller deltas.
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
If you later decide not to create a Distribution, you can delete the related Channel object.
The following sections provide information on build schedules and maximum revisions:
Most Distributions consist of a set of files that change over time and need to be redistributed on a regular basis. Each Distribution has its own Build schedule that tells the Distributor how often to rebuild the Distribution. When the Distributor builds a Distribution, it automatically compares it with the previous version to see if there are any changes.
For the File type of Distribution, if there are no changes in the current build, no new version will be created. If there are changes, a delta is built consisting of only the changes to be distributed.
For the FTP, HTTP, and Software Package Distribution types, a new version will only be built if there has been a change since the last version. The Distributor will send the complete new version to all target Subscribers.
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 type of 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 type of 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.
There are several TED Distribution types. Each type has unique features that tailor it for specific needs.
The following sections explain each Distribution type and provide instructions on creating a Distribution:
The Distributor will build the entire Distribution (baseline) for the first Distribution. For all subsequent versions it will create a delta file. The delta contains only the changes between the current version and the previous version. The delta file is what is distributed to Subscribers---not the entire Distribution.
When the maximum number of revisions has been reached, the Distributor will delete all previous versions and build a new complete Distribution (baseline). The File type of Distribution is a useful means of distributing large Distributions that change often and have changes that can be substantial.
The Distributor will build the entire Distribution each time the Build schedule starts. It will send each new version of the Distribution to the appropriate Subscribers.
Software Package is the most robust Distribution type. 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. For more information, see Server Software Packages .
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, policies are now distributed for enforcement on the receiving Subscriber servers.
This Distribution type is used in conjunction with ZfD to distribute desktop applications. It automatically distributes a copy of the original Desktop Application object along with its desktop application files from one location in the eDirectory tree to another location, without manually copying files down to servers in the physical area of the eDirectory tree. It performs all of the appropriate hookups to the Desktop Application object to render it fully functional.
To create a Distribution object:
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. Click either Strong or Weak encryption. Encryption is not available for Linux or Solaris servers.
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 type of 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 more 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, see Converting Older Server Software Packages to ZfS 3 .
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 more 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.
The following sections provide you with the steps to create and configure the TED objects with ConsoleOne.
Do the following in order for each Distributor:
In naming Channels, use a descriptive method. For example:
VirusProtect
VProtectPatterns
VirusProtection
NW51patch4
NW6patch1
AUTOEXECNCF000326
You will be able to manage your Channels more easily by:
Channels are used to group Distributions and establish a schedule for passing a Distributor's Distributions to Subscribers that are subscribed to the Channel. A Channel can have Distributions from many Distributors. A Channel can be subscribed to by many Subscribers.
To create a Channel object:
In ConsoleOne, select a container object to hold the Channel object > click File > New > Object > Channel.
Provide a name for the Channel object > click OK.
Create as many Channel objects as needed to group Distributions by type and/or send schedule.
You need to configure a Channel object before you can begin using it.
Not all properties associated with the Channel object are required. Required objects are noted; all others are optional.
To configure the Channel object:
In ConsoleOne, right-click the Channel object > click Properties.
Click the General tab > fill in the fields:
Active: Click the check box to enable the Channel to pass on its Distributions.
Description: Provide a useful description, such as what Distributions the Channel is associated with.
Click the Distributions tab > click Add to add Distributions.
Distributions: List of Distributions that are associated with this Channel. For information on creating Distribution packages, see Creating a Distribution .
Click the Subscribers tab > click Add to add Subscribers to the Channel.
Subscribers Subscribed to This Channel: List of Subscribers and External Subscribers that are subscribed to this Channel.
Click the Schedule tab > select a schedule for when to distribute the Channel's Distributions.
For information on available schedules, see Scheduling .