Software Distribution

Web Reporting Portal
PC-Duo's reporting portal is a powerful web-based solution that gives users click-through access from anywhere to IT asset management reports. Users can access information and reports on current and historical system configurations, software utilization, license compliance, and the site information needed to plan for software deployments and migrations.

Reliable Package Delivery
PC-Duo Software Distribution enables support staff to centrally manage organization-wide software installation. From simple applications to complex operating system updates, it provides a fast and easy method to keep your organization's software up-to-date and, because it uses the application's native installer, Software Distribution ensures maximum reliability without the need to generate, edit and validate complex scripts.

Distribution Monitoring constantly updates the Enterprise database with information on distribution job progress. The Distribution Viewer enables support staff to monitor this information in real-time. PC-Duo Software Distribution also generates external log files to record per-package and per-workstation progress and errors, providing easy access from other frameworks such as HP Openview.

Intelligent Deployment
Users can target distributions to subsets of PCs using Enterprise's powerful groups feature. Its ability to identify PCs that have common characteristics, such as specific software packages, or organizational units within Active Directory networks enables simple and easy selection of appropriate PCs.

Pre- and post-installation capability allows users to incorporate other executables or batch processes into the distribution job. For example, you can shutdown other selected applications before you start the package install.

Bandwidth use can also be optimized by automatically spreading multiple PC installations over any period from hours to weeks.

Flexible Distribution Modes
Multiple distribution profiles can be easily defined for each package. This enables distribution jobs to handle the different installation options often required by different operating systems. An operating system check is made at each PC before the installation process can continue ensuring that the correct version of the application is always installed.

Installations can be timed to start when a PC is next rebooted, when a user next logs on, or can be triggered immediately with the real-time mode - particularly relevant for critical updates and security patches. Enterprise's Wake-on-LAN and Wake-on-WAN support can ensure the target system is available when the installation is due to take place.

Friendly User Experience
The Enterprise Software Distribution module makes installations friendly and non-intrusive. Support staff can specify a customized message showing an installation is about to begin, and allow users to postpone the installation when they are busy. Installations can also be made mandatory by a specified cut-off date.

User interaction in the installation process can be customized from full participation, to the more typical zero participation, using the native installer's silent install mode. In addition, both the start and completion dialogs can be suppressed to provide totally silent operation.