Windows

Deploy Software Using Group Policy

How to Deploy Software using Group Policy on Client Computers in Microsoft Windows operating system.

Check out about basic GPO setting

Using Group Policy, you can deploy software to users or computers.

Deploy Software Using Group Policy

In order to install software remotely through Group Policy, we need the Windows Installer package (.msi file).

My Scenario is to deploy Check_MK agent on Client Machines/domain member machines by using windows Group Policy Object (GPO).

By default, all computer objects are created within the computer container. GPO cannot be applied to built-in containers.

Hence created a new organizational unit (OU) called Domain Member Server, which consists of client computers.

Server.Product.com is my Domain controller and CLIENT1 is the client machine which is located on OU- Domain Member Server. Check_MK agent needs to be deployed using GPO for the CLIENT1 machine.

Deploy Software Using Group Policy
                                                ADDS

 

Step 1: On a Server.Product.com machine in local disk C, Copy the software into a folder as shown below.

Check_mk_agent
                                   Check_mk_agent

 

Step 2: Right-click on Check_MK Software folder and select Properties –>select Sharing–>Advanced Sharing–>enable Share this folder and click on the Permissions tab and select Everyone, select needed Permission click on OK.

Sharing the Folder and Providing Permission.
                                    Sharing the Folder and Providing Permission.

 

Step 3: Network Path is the location of software (Check_MK) that we are going to provide in GPO.

Network Path location.
Network Path location.

 

Step 4: Execute gpmc.msc command from the Command Prompt, the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) can be opened to manage and configure Group Policy settings.

Open Group Policy and select your domain -> Group Policy Objects right click and select New and give the name as you like and click on OK. Once it has been created, it will appear under the new Group Policy Object. Right-click on it and select the EDIT option.

Select EDIT option on your GPO.
                  Select EDIT option on your GPO.

 

 

Step 5: Edit the new policy called Check_MK agent deployment, it will redirect to Group Policy Management Editor Console.

The agenda is to deploy a new policy to the computer accounts. select Computer Configuration –>Policies–>Software Settings–>right click on Software installation and select Properties.

At the General tab have to provide the software location Network path as shown in step 3.

 

Provide the software location
           Provide the software location.

 

Step6: Click on Software Installation right side in empty right-click and select the new option–>Package.

Path ( \\SERVER\Check_MK Software ) must be Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. If you provide the local path, it won’t work.

Deploy Software Using Group Policy
                              Select the Path where software is located.

 

After selecting the software, click on OK, and will get Deploy Software options.

 

As you can see, the Published option is grayed out because we are going to deploy the software for the computer account. The assigned option will ensure that the software will be installed automatically while the computer is starting up.

Deploy Software Using Group Policy
Select Assigned Option and click on OK.

 

you can see the Source Path and Deployment Method of the software.

now its ready to deploy
now it’s ready to deploy.

 

Step 7: Now link the Group Policy-Check_MK agent deployment to the Organizational unitDomain Member Server.

Select OU Domain Member Server and right-click on it select Link an Existing GPO option and select the new GPO.

 

GPO has been linked to OU successfully .
GPO has been linked to OU successfully.

 

Step 8: By default, Group Policy is automatically refreshed in the background every 90 minutes, and the time offset is randomly set from 0 to 30 minutes. I want to apply group policy changes instantly, so I will update the policy manually using gpupdate /force command. Logged into client machine called Client1 and executed the command.

Deploy Software Using Group Policy
                         Observer the message Computer Policies are applied only on startup.

After rebooting the machines, login into the machine and run appwiz.cpl command to check the installed software. you can see the below images Check_MK has been installed successfully using Group Policy.

 

Deploy Software Using Group Policy
Check_MK software has been deployed.

conclusion:

Deploy Software Using Group Policy in windows machines has been completed successfully.

Thanks for your time, if you have any questions about Deploy Software Using Group Policy, please leave a comment.

Importing updates manually into WSUS server was discussed in my previous blog as well.

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