Standard Users - Install Updates

[it]

I'm guessing this has come up a million times, but searching hasn't led me very far. How can we either push or allow standard user's (no administrative privileges) to install their Autodesk updates? This becomes burdensome for the user and IT as these updates are released so frequently. How are all you handling?

[TravisNave]

This issue has always been a point of contention because there are so many
factors. Some IT, like me, refuse to install any updates unless absolutely
necessary. At the same time, all of my users nationwide have full admin
access to their machines. I understand that this is just one combination.
Many users don't have rights but also want every single update released.

My pipe dream would be to see Autodesk move away from the Desktop App and
more into an update server similar to WSUS. I currently run a WSUS server
and do not approve updates. So, as you'd expect, I rarely if ever have
software issues from my users. With the forced push of Windows 10 updates,
the WSUS server has literally saved my life. Ha!

I'm from the school of, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

That being said, there is no absolute best process for you because on one
hand, you restrict users but want them to update themselves. Have you
considered a GPO or login script push?

[it]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was almost positive Autodesk had a WSUS type of solution but it's looking like it's not. There's various reasons our user's don't have admin rights but that's another story. I suppose we could use SCCM or another application delivery system like PDQ Deploy which we use, but this still increases the overhead of the IT staff, and there's really no automation, as we'd need to grab the updates, package them, and push.

You would think a software company as large as Autodesk who's main client's are enterprise customers would have a governing update vehicle.

Holding breath.

[CADdaddy.com]

I too am looking for the right method for this.  Sometimes it is essential that EVERYBODY is  up to date with a certain service pack or hot fix.  If you just tell architects to use the Desktop App at least 70 percent of the users don't know what it is and even if you tell them and demonstrate it to them the will never look at it again after the initial demonstration.

We need a way to enforce updates on our CAD systems officewide with minimal interaction with IT.  Any helpful replies would be much appreciated.

James LeVieux

[pendean]

Professional grade software required IT controls: I'm not sure what you and the user before you are trying to circumvent, most enterprise customers NEVER allow end users to patch or update any business critical software. Never Ever.

FWIW There are no IT/Management controls available OOTB in AutoCAD LT: you will need full AutoCAD and a server-based licensing scheme to control updates from a system management level that lowers IT involvement in day to day updates. Server-based Licensing is not available in LT.

[CADdaddy.com]

In this case the IT person wants to put that burden on me, the "CAD Consultant" because he thinks (rightly so) that I would be more aware of the specific needs of AutoCAD than he would.  Some smaller offices that I work with barely have IT support at all.  

So, lets say the office has full version AutoCAD so I can use the CAD management tools included.  I know I can create a deployment using Autodesk tools....I guess my core question is, can I use that same tool to update existing deployments?  If so, does it operate by simply performing a complete install of AutoCAD or can it perform just the installation of the latest update.

What I'm looking for is how to perform a forced office-wide update after the initial deployment.

James 

[pendean]

Got it.

I believe you want to do this https://knowledge.autodesk.com/search-result/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-install-service-p...

I think you might also be looking for this http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/nag.pdf

Post back if you meant something else.

[CADdaddy.com]

Hi Dean,

What I'm looking for is a better system than a simple script.  I have a script that is operational but, for instance, the current update for AutoCAD 2017 is 500MB so It takes about 50 seconds just to load the update program file from the local machine (I'm presuming is would take longer from a network share).  After it loads the file, the program discovers whether the update is already loaded.  If it is already loaded it does nothing, if not, it installs the update.

It's doing exactly what I want it to do but taking too long to do it.  I would like a higher performance solution that doesn't mercilessly slow down the users already super-lengthy login time.   The solution would need to have two parts;  1) A quick test to see if the update is installed and 2) installation of the update only if not installed.  It seems super simple to do...the only hard part is how to detect if a particular update is loaded.  It would be nice if the Desktop App had an API we could use to do this.  It's kind of frustrating because that information is already known to the Desktop App software running on every machine.

Anybody out there gone down this rabbit hole?

James

[steven]

I would love it if they allowed command line arguments to the Autodesk App so I could just have a script kick if off to do updates. They have a tool that does all the heavy lifting of updates (discovery of both software and needed patches, handling pre-requisites, downloading, installation) but there is no way for admins to take advantage of it.

Most of my machines are remote. I'm not going to push 500MB-2GB patches/installers to remote clients from my network because that would be insane. Best practice is not to grant admin rights. So IT is burdened with arranging a time with the user just so somebody can type a password.

All we need is to be able to issue a command. Such as: autodeskdesktopapp.exe /update <option>. Application update kicked off.

[pendean]

>>>... if they allowed command line arguments to...<<<
You can access all the updates through your Accounts Log-in for that purpose.

ADA is a single-user type program, it's not designed for Network Admins to use.

[darrelldixon]

---

@pendean wrote:

ADA is a single-user type program, it's not designed for Network Admins to use.

---

They should provide a tool for Network Admins. I have over 40 users to manage over two locations and it takes a lot of time to handle each machine.

[steven]

---

@pendean wrote:
>>>... if they allowed command line arguments to...<<<
You can access all the updates through your Accounts Log-in for that purpose.

ADA is a single-user type program, it's not designed for Network Admins to use.

---

That doesn't assist the with the deployment of updates.

Best practice is not to have your users run as an administrator meaning they cannot use ADA to update their products. So now it is up to the admin to update their products. The point being raised is that if ADA was modified to--at the very least--be controlled via command-line, it would greatly reduce the burden on administrators to keep products up-to-date. It has a much greater potential than being the end-user's tool.

To put this a bit in perspective. It takes far more time to download and deploy updates to my users than it does for me to just remote into their computer and run ADA. It would save me even more time if I could just set a script to make ADA download and install updates. It could easily become a set-and-forget type of thing. Deploy one script one time and you're done--completely automated, low-effort updating achieved.

[pendean]

That is a wishlist that has yet to be fulfilled.

[darius.petersonii]

I have a solution that needs to be worked on. I'm assuming everyone here is in IT...so here goes. 

My current solution runs in SCCM (tanium, manage engine, and big fix would probably work as well...just haven't had a chance to test it. ).  

******Create it as a package (so we don't need a detection method and it can be re-run whenever there are updates), check the option to run the package w/ admin rights (not user rights), check the button to allow user to interact w/ the program.*********

Now to explain the script:

     - It prompts the user for the autodesk downloads location 

     - Stores the download location as a variable, searches it recursively for files

     - AutoDesk updates are .msp or .exe, however, this script grabs the .exe and runs the /e handle to extract the .msp from autodesk .exe updates. In other words, this script only runs .msp files. This is good because in the worst case scenario that the autodesk downloads location is the users default download location, it will only run .msp files-- .msp files can only install if the software and version match the update file. 

Bad things:

It's written very literally. The script needs to be cleaned up. I just don't have time to develop it. Also, it runs outside of the AutoDesk Desktop App. This means that during my proof of concept, end users have to open up the desktop app, hit download on each update, wait for it to download, then run my script. I'm willing to put what I have out there, but to avoid pain points like that, it still needs to be worked. 

But it works. If the updates are in a directory, this thing will run it. If any of you are interested, respond to this, and I'll load it on github. 

[abelanger]

I would be interested to see the script

[darius.petersonii]

I'll clean it up and have it ready tomorrow...it has a few specific details from my environment. 

[jeff_howard1]

I too have been bugging Autodesk to provide a better way to install updates and new software via the Desktop app.  Currently I have to log into every computer in the office to install updates and new software.  I have suggested to them that they need to make the desktop app have admin privileges the same way Adobe does with there creative cloud software.  With Adobe, I just need to install the Creative cloud app on each computer, once the user signs in with there adobe account ID they have the ability to download and install any software they have assigned to them.  They can also install updates either manually or automatically.

Autodesk, please make your software more user friendly and stop making things so difficult.

[jggerth]

Doing it that way would require assuming that patches, hot-fixes, and updates from Autodesk are always reliable, and never create any issues that would mandate not installing them - given the overall history, I would consider that a dubious assumption to make..

[darius.petersonii]

up to you...whether you guys use it or not is your preference...i'm not offering anything other than an idea that should spark ideas...completely forgot to post it...i'm going to sanitize it and post it soon...

[darius.petersonii]

Alright...a few points:

• I posted the file as a .txt, just change it to a .ps1. 
• This installer is user facing and assumes that it will be run w/ SCCM--you can make the adjustments for tanium, manageengine, etc. 
• The user must use the AutoDesk Desktop App to download updates. 
• It will need to be setup as a PACKAGE, not an Application. No detection method needed, it will need to be run interactive, as admin (system account), and it will be able to run multiple times. 
• It only runs ".msp files". I set this up because in order to install .msp files, the software to be updated has to be installed and have the correct version to be updated. 

1.                         Although some updates are ".exe" files, autodesk has a "/q" handle that will extract an ".msp" from it. 
2.                         This script does it automatically. It also extracts ".zip" files, dumps out the installers, and handles 
3.                          based on extension. 

•     I used no methods, and created to this to be as simple as I could. Feel free to clean it up as you see fit. 

Please write me back w/ updates, better ways to do things, or maybe even a way to use the AutoDesk API maybe to download updates. All help is welcome, we're in this together.