Ways to speed up deployment / Install procedure? Scripts, Batch

[mdhutchinson]

Have 8 years experience with deployment / installations here. We have perhaps 3 dozen CAD computers.

How do those that have 100's do this?

First some explanation...

We have a primary 3rd party software that cannot be installed to support multiple product years on the same machine (short of setting up virtual computers on the same machine)

So when we move to new release most all our adesk software needs to be upgraded.

Plus 3rd party object enablers are not backward compatible... i.e. can enable objects only in the same product year otherwise we have to export their custom objects to vanilla native AutoCAD objects. 

Current approach - beginning with a total uninstall, clean machine per adesk standards, takes hands-on 3 - 4 hours for one machine. We can overlap machines near each other, or I can remote to 2 or 3 machines and do them from my machine which can save some time.

I am wanting to find ways to safely do this faster via automation, script, batch, etc.

Do the batch txt files here work well?  >  ...\2017\BDSU\SMS_SCCM scripts

Image below shows the typical process I use.

Note: you may note that we've used IT to create an image that can be deployed, but we've had limited success with this - plus some machines get slightly different.

 

[Otto]

Hello mdhutchinson

It looks like you want to transfer AutoCAD to a new computer. The following article(s) should help you resolve the problem:

Using the License Transfer Utility to Transfer Licenses Online

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[mdhutchinson]

BOT Answer does not apply to my question.

Thanks.

[Darin.Green · Accepted solution]

Hi @mdhutchinson

There are multiple ways you can approach a faster deployment method to your users like such..:

1. SCCM - Microsoft SCCM scripts are generated with each deployment. Your IT personnel has to enable this on the server through the server manager > add roles and features. Once that completed, you can use this guide for help deploying to the entire company at one shot.
   
   • SCCM can also uninstall the previous versions as well.
2. GPO - Group policy object can also be used to deploy the software throughout the network. Guide for help with GPO

Both of these approaches require a ND (Network Deployment) so everything is pre-packaged with licensing and application configurations. That being said, you'll still need to use a ND.

In regards to your remark:

---

@mdhutchinson wrote:

...Note: you may note that we've used IT to create an image that can be deployed, but we've had limited success with this - plus some machines get slightly different.

---

You should build a complete deployment of the entire suite (I thing that's what you're deploying), then use the create/modify deployment tool found in the deployment location /tools directory. Within the create/modify deployment setup give the new deployment a name similar to what's being installed (i.e. CAD Users) then select only the necessary software for them (i.e. ACAD MEP, ACAD Arch, ACAD...).

Hope that make sense.

[mdhutchinson]

Darin Green,

Can you help me with this?... We are having someone outside fashion SCCM deployment for a move company wide to 2018 Autodesk. Doing SCCM for Autodesk software is new to this individual as well as myself.

Some history first: When I deploy a new product year I traditionally thoroughly clean all the old off and provide for a clean install (per Autodesk recommended process), cleaning off left behind folders, Registry edits and clearing out %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp and  %SystemRoot%\TEMP folders. I'll be doing this manually to all the machines because over time the uninstalls get messy. On one occasion we had the users do the uninstalls. When we did we had huge issues with failed uninstalls, and I had to get support from our 3rd party provider. in that process I learn about Revo Uninstaller Pro. 

I know now that SCCM can actually uninstall also - which I may do in the future.

However, with this attempt at SCCM... I have some concerns I could loose sleep over as follows:

• Should I be concerned that all the individual components get installed as necessary.
• What about building necessary Reboot between installations
  AutoCAD, AutoCADMEP, Revit, NavisworksService Packs and Updates. Can SCCM build in Automatic Reboots and credential login?
• Is it wise to attempt to push all the main programs and service packs all in an Automatic Required fashion... perhaps as only a few SCCM packages.
• If I understand correctly, due to issues of some sort, the individual is building in copying the deployment down to each target machine then running the SCCM from the copy instead of from the location where I had created them. He is telling me that after 2-3 days SCCM will automatically remove the copy. So, I am very concerned that when I go to install future updates, or need to uninstall, the process will not be able to find the original source media as many times Updates and Service Packs need access to that source. This concern is well founded as at one point in the past IT had eliminated a deployment location that I used for another office. The solution I had to do it to copy a nearly identical deployments from another resource - then registry hack 50+ places to point to the revised location. This was somewhat of a nightmare in the R&D to fix this issue. 

HELP!

I'd really like to get someone to look these concerns over and comment in-line on each.

Are my concerns valid?