05-12-2024, 01:06 PM
When it comes to deploying software using Group Policy in Active Directory, I find it to be one of those cool, practical tasks that you can really flex your IT muscles with. It's like the secret sauce that makes managing a large number of systems easier and more efficient. So, let me walk you through how I approach this, and some things I’ve learned along the way.
First off, you’ll want to make sure you have the software you’re planning to deploy in a format that’s compatible with Group Policy. Generally, this means either an MSI file or an EXE that can be wrapped into an MSI. I prefer MSI files because they integrate seamlessly into the whole Group Policy setup. If you’ve got an EXE, don’t worry—I’ve occasionally taken the time to wrap them into an MSI using various tools. It’s a bit of extra work, but when you’ve got a long list of machines to hit, it pays off.
Once you’ve got your MSI in hand, you need to choose the right Group Policy Object (GPO) to work with. Typically, you’ll want to create a new GPO if this software deployment is something you haven’t done before. I usually head over to the Group Policy Management Console. You can do this by running "gpmc.msc" in the Run dialog. From there, you’ll see your domain and all the organizational units (OUs) within it.
I like to think of OUs as little neighborhoods within my Active Directory, and I usually try to deploy software to a specific neighborhood rather than just spraying it across the whole domain. You can right-click on the OU where you want to apply the software, and create a new GPO. I often give it a descriptive name so I can keep track of what it’s meant for. For example, if I’m rolling out a new browser, I might name it something like "Browser Deployment."
Now, after creating the GPO, you’ll want to edit it. When you right-click the GPO and select "Edit," it will open the Group Policy Management Editor. Inside, you’ll find two main paths you can take: Computer Configuration and User Configuration. For software deployment, I tend to use Computer Configuration because that ensures the software installs before the user even logs in. This way, when they get to their machine, everything is ready for them, and they don’t run into issues trying to use the software right after they log on.
Next, you’ll need to go to Policies, then Software Settings, and right here is where the magic really happens. You’ll see the option for “Software installation.” Just right-click there and choose "New" followed by "Package." When a new window pops up, you’ll need to enter the path to your MSI file. I typically place the MSI files on a shared network folder that’s accessible to all the machines in the domain. For example, I’ll use a path like "\\servername\sharename\software.msi". It’s crucial to use a UNC path rather than a local path because the machines will need to access this file over the network during the installation process.
After you input the path to your MSI, you’ll have a couple of options. You can choose between “Assigned” and “Published.” I prefer "Assigned" because it automatically installs the software for machines when they reboot. When you click OK, you’ll see the package listed in the Software Installation page of your GPO. If everything looks good, you’re on the right track.
Now, here’s where things can get a little dicey if you’re not careful. You need to make sure the Group Policy applies to the right machines. Sometimes, you might need to check the security filtering on the GPO to ensure that the computers you want to receive the software are included. For this, click on the GPO itself and find the "Scope" tab. Here, you can add the necessary security groups or computer accounts that should have this policy applied.
At this point, it’s usually a good idea to take a moment and consider how you want to test your deployment. I never just go blindly pushing out software to all machines, especially if it’s something new. I usually select a few test machines—maybe just one or two—that are representative of the larger environment. You can either create a special OU just for testing or use existing test machines that are already in the production OU.
Before I go full throttle, I’ll force a Group Policy update on the test machines using the "gpupdate /force" command. This ensures they receive the latest policies without waiting for the normal refresh cycle. After I run this command, I usually log off or restart the machines to see if the installation takes place as I expect.
After waiting for the deployment to occur, I check back in on my test machines. If the software installs as it should, I know I'm good to go for a broader rollout. In the rare case that something goes wrong, I’ve found that checking the Event Viewer is indispensable. You can look under “Applications and Services Logs” followed by “Microsoft” and then “Windows” and find “Group Policy.” This helps pinpoint any issues that cropped up during the installation process.
Once I’m confident that everything is running smoothly on my test machines, it’s time to pull the trigger on the rest of the organization. This is where I usually feel a mix of excitement and nervousness, kind of like sending a rocket into space. If you did everything right, and you double-checked your security filtering and paths, the rest of the machines should start picking up the policy by themselves. It’s typically just a matter of letting them reboot, and they’ll pick up the installation.
From my experience, you can’t help but learn a few tricks along the way. One thing I’ve noticed is that not all software behaves the same way when deploying with Group Policy. Some will install without issues, while others might require specific parameters or pre-requisites. So, being familiar with both the software you're deploying and the environment you’re working within is super important.
I also like to keep communication lines open. If I’ve got a large user base who’ll be affected by this change, I try to send out a quick email letting them know what’s happening. It’s amazing how many questions you can stave off by just giving people a heads-up.
After the deployment, I make it a point to follow up. I check in with the users to ensure they got what they needed and look for any questions or feedback. Monitoring the software’s performance on various machines can also reveal if there are conflicts with existing software or system configurations.
And if something does go south? No worries. I’ve had to learn how to rollback software installations occasionally. If a new app is causing problems, being able to revert back is just as essential as deploying in the first place. Your users will appreciate you for it!
Deploying software with Group Policy is a powerful tool in our IT toolkit, and while it can feel overwhelming, taking it step by step makes all the difference. You get to literally push out applications to hundreds or thousands of machines without a lot of manual work. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it’s a fantastic way to streamline your work, save time, and keep things running smoothly. So just jump in, stick to these principles, and you’ll become the person everyone turns to when they need something rolled out!
I hope you found this post useful. Do you have a secure backup solution for your Windows Servers? Check out this post.
First off, you’ll want to make sure you have the software you’re planning to deploy in a format that’s compatible with Group Policy. Generally, this means either an MSI file or an EXE that can be wrapped into an MSI. I prefer MSI files because they integrate seamlessly into the whole Group Policy setup. If you’ve got an EXE, don’t worry—I’ve occasionally taken the time to wrap them into an MSI using various tools. It’s a bit of extra work, but when you’ve got a long list of machines to hit, it pays off.
Once you’ve got your MSI in hand, you need to choose the right Group Policy Object (GPO) to work with. Typically, you’ll want to create a new GPO if this software deployment is something you haven’t done before. I usually head over to the Group Policy Management Console. You can do this by running "gpmc.msc" in the Run dialog. From there, you’ll see your domain and all the organizational units (OUs) within it.
I like to think of OUs as little neighborhoods within my Active Directory, and I usually try to deploy software to a specific neighborhood rather than just spraying it across the whole domain. You can right-click on the OU where you want to apply the software, and create a new GPO. I often give it a descriptive name so I can keep track of what it’s meant for. For example, if I’m rolling out a new browser, I might name it something like "Browser Deployment."
Now, after creating the GPO, you’ll want to edit it. When you right-click the GPO and select "Edit," it will open the Group Policy Management Editor. Inside, you’ll find two main paths you can take: Computer Configuration and User Configuration. For software deployment, I tend to use Computer Configuration because that ensures the software installs before the user even logs in. This way, when they get to their machine, everything is ready for them, and they don’t run into issues trying to use the software right after they log on.
Next, you’ll need to go to Policies, then Software Settings, and right here is where the magic really happens. You’ll see the option for “Software installation.” Just right-click there and choose "New" followed by "Package." When a new window pops up, you’ll need to enter the path to your MSI file. I typically place the MSI files on a shared network folder that’s accessible to all the machines in the domain. For example, I’ll use a path like "\\servername\sharename\software.msi". It’s crucial to use a UNC path rather than a local path because the machines will need to access this file over the network during the installation process.
After you input the path to your MSI, you’ll have a couple of options. You can choose between “Assigned” and “Published.” I prefer "Assigned" because it automatically installs the software for machines when they reboot. When you click OK, you’ll see the package listed in the Software Installation page of your GPO. If everything looks good, you’re on the right track.
Now, here’s where things can get a little dicey if you’re not careful. You need to make sure the Group Policy applies to the right machines. Sometimes, you might need to check the security filtering on the GPO to ensure that the computers you want to receive the software are included. For this, click on the GPO itself and find the "Scope" tab. Here, you can add the necessary security groups or computer accounts that should have this policy applied.
At this point, it’s usually a good idea to take a moment and consider how you want to test your deployment. I never just go blindly pushing out software to all machines, especially if it’s something new. I usually select a few test machines—maybe just one or two—that are representative of the larger environment. You can either create a special OU just for testing or use existing test machines that are already in the production OU.
Before I go full throttle, I’ll force a Group Policy update on the test machines using the "gpupdate /force" command. This ensures they receive the latest policies without waiting for the normal refresh cycle. After I run this command, I usually log off or restart the machines to see if the installation takes place as I expect.
After waiting for the deployment to occur, I check back in on my test machines. If the software installs as it should, I know I'm good to go for a broader rollout. In the rare case that something goes wrong, I’ve found that checking the Event Viewer is indispensable. You can look under “Applications and Services Logs” followed by “Microsoft” and then “Windows” and find “Group Policy.” This helps pinpoint any issues that cropped up during the installation process.
Once I’m confident that everything is running smoothly on my test machines, it’s time to pull the trigger on the rest of the organization. This is where I usually feel a mix of excitement and nervousness, kind of like sending a rocket into space. If you did everything right, and you double-checked your security filtering and paths, the rest of the machines should start picking up the policy by themselves. It’s typically just a matter of letting them reboot, and they’ll pick up the installation.
From my experience, you can’t help but learn a few tricks along the way. One thing I’ve noticed is that not all software behaves the same way when deploying with Group Policy. Some will install without issues, while others might require specific parameters or pre-requisites. So, being familiar with both the software you're deploying and the environment you’re working within is super important.
I also like to keep communication lines open. If I’ve got a large user base who’ll be affected by this change, I try to send out a quick email letting them know what’s happening. It’s amazing how many questions you can stave off by just giving people a heads-up.
After the deployment, I make it a point to follow up. I check in with the users to ensure they got what they needed and look for any questions or feedback. Monitoring the software’s performance on various machines can also reveal if there are conflicts with existing software or system configurations.
And if something does go south? No worries. I’ve had to learn how to rollback software installations occasionally. If a new app is causing problems, being able to revert back is just as essential as deploying in the first place. Your users will appreciate you for it!
Deploying software with Group Policy is a powerful tool in our IT toolkit, and while it can feel overwhelming, taking it step by step makes all the difference. You get to literally push out applications to hundreds or thousands of machines without a lot of manual work. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it’s a fantastic way to streamline your work, save time, and keep things running smoothly. So just jump in, stick to these principles, and you’ll become the person everyone turns to when they need something rolled out!
I hope you found this post useful. Do you have a secure backup solution for your Windows Servers? Check out this post.
