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KACE Systems Deployment Appliance 9.0 Common Documents - Administrator Guide

About the KACE Systems Deployment Appliance Getting started Using the Dashboard Configuring the appliance Setting up user accounts and user authentication Configuring security settings Preparing for deployment Managing device inventory Using labels Creating a Windows or Linux Boot Environment Managing drivers Capturing images Capturing user states Creating scripted installations Creating a task sequence Automating deployments Performing manual deployments Managing custom deployments Managing offline deployments Imaging Mac devices About the Remote Site Appliance Importing and exporting appliance components Managing disk space Troubleshooting appliance issues Updating appliance software Glossary About us Legal notices

Adding tasks

Adding tasks

Add Application
Add BAT Script
Add Custom HAL Replacement
Add DiskPart Script
Adding Managed Installation tasks
Add Naming Rule
Add PowerShell Script
Add Provisioning Package
Add Service Pack
Add Shell Script
Add KACE Agent Installer
Add Windows Script

You can add the built-in pre-installation, mid-level, and post-installation tasks. You also have the option to use the Choose Action menu selections to add your own tasks to a script to run as a pre-installation, mid-level, or post-installation task. The appliance runs the task in the runtime environment that you specify. You can also upload a single file or a ZIP archive containing multiple files to run as tasks. You can duplicate and customize the built-in tasks.

There are different types of tasks you can add, depending on whether you want to run them before, during, or after image deployment. The following table indicates the types of tasks that are available for each stage.

Task type

Pre-installation task?

Mid-level task?

Post-installation task?

See topic:

Application

Yes

Yes

Yes

Add Application

BAT Script

Yes

Yes

Yes

Add BAT Script

Custom HAL Replacement

No

Yes

No

Add Custom HAL Replacement

DISKPART Script

Yes

No

No

Add DiskPart Script

Import Managed Installation

No

No

Yes

Adding Managed Installation tasks

Naming Rule

Yes

Yes

Yes

Add Naming Rule

Powershell Script

Yes

Yes

Yes

Add PowerShell Script

Service Pack

No

No

Yes

Add Service Pack

Shell Script

Yes

Yes

Yes

Add Shell Script

KACE Agent Installer

No

No

Yes

Add KACE Agent Installer

Windows Script

Yes

Yes

Yes

Add Windows Script

If you want to create a ZIP file, and one or more of your files contain Unicode characters in the file name, the tool you use to create the ZIP file must support Unicode characters. If you notice that after uploading a ZIP file one or more tasks whose file names contain Unicode characters appear to be missing, check the contents of the following directories:

•
\\<appliance_hostname>\peinst\applications\<task_ID>\contents
•
\\<appliance_hostname>\peinst\preinstall\<task_ID>\contents

If the files are not found in either directory, use different tool to create a ZIP file, and repeat the process.

You can add a task by going to the appropriate task list page and using the Choose Action menu. Tasks can also be deleted by selecting them in the list and selecting Delete from the Choose Action menu. You can also delete a task from the task detail page. Attempting to delete a task that is associated with an existing system image, scripted installation, or custom deployment prompts a notification, asking you to verify that you want to delete the selected task, and all of its related files.

Add Application

Add Application

You can upload a single file or a ZIP archive containing multiple files to run as a pre-installation, mid-level, or post-installation task.

1.
Complete one of the following steps:
a.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Pre-installation Tasks to display the Pre-installation Tasks page.
b.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Mid-level Tasks to display the Mid-Level Tasks page.
c.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Post-installation Tasks to display the Post-installation Tasks page.
2.
On the list page that appears, select Choose Action > Add Application.
3.
On the page that appears, in Name, enter a logical name for the task, such as Install Adobe Reader 11.
4.
Select a Runtime Environment:
◦
Pre-installation and mid-level applications: Select SDA Boot Environment (Windows), SDA Boot Environment (Linux) or SDA Boot Environment (Mac OS X), as applicable.
◦
Post-installation applications: Select Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X, as applicable.
For more information, see About runtime environments.
5.
Select the file that you want to upload by completing one of the following steps.
◦
To upload a file, under Upload File, click Browse and select the appropriate file, or drag and drop the file into the Drop file here area. A progress bar appears, indicating the state of the file upload process.
* 
NOTE: You can only upload files that are up to 1.8 GB in size. For larger files, use the clientdrop Samba share.
◦
To select a file from the clientdrop Samba share on the appliance, under Select file from clientdrop share, click Select clientdrop file, and choose the file.
* 
NOTE: You can upload a file using only one of the above steps. If you use both, the last one takes precedence.
6.
In Full Command Line, enter the command-line parameters for the task.
7.
Select the Reboot Required check box to reboot the appliance and run the next task in the sequence.
8.
In Expected Return Code, enter a code that the task should return, if applicable. Otherwise, leave the default value of zero '0'.
In general, most tasks exit with a zero '0' code, indicating success, but you can set it to any positive value, as applicable. Some installers exit with a different code, even when the install is successful. For example, anti-virus installers are typically successfully installed but exit with a different return code because they require a device reboot.
9.
In Notes, add a note to identify the task.
10.
Click Save.
The task is now available to assign to scripted installations, sysprepped system images, and non-sysprepped system image deployments.

Add BAT Script

Add BAT Script

You can create your own batch scripts to run as a pre-installation, mid-level, or port-installation task in the KACE Boot Environment for Windows before or after installing the operating system, or re-imaging a target device.

1.
Complete one of the following steps:
a.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Pre-installation Tasks to display the Pre-installation Tasks page.
b.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Mid-level Tasks to display the Mid-Level Tasks page.
c.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Post-installation Tasks to display the Post-installation Tasks page.
2.
On the list page that appears, select Choose Action > Add BAT Script.
3.
On the page that appears, in Name, enter a logical name to identify the task.
The task runs in the KACE Boot Environment (Windows).
4.
In BAT Script, enter the script.
You can use the following commonly used commands available from within the KACE Boot Environment (KBE):
◦
bcdedit.exe
◦
bootsect.exe
◦
chkdsk.exe
◦
format.com
5.
Select the Reboot Required check box to reboot the appliance and run the next task in the sequence.
6.
In Expected Return Code, enter a code that the task should return, if applicable. Otherwise, leave the default value of zero '0'.
In general, most tasks exit with a zero '0' code, indicating success, but you can set it to any positive value, as applicable. Some installers exit with a different code, even when the install is successful. For example, anti-virus installers are typically successfully installed but exit with a different return code because they require a device reboot.
7.
In Notes, add a note to identify the task.
8.
Click Save.
The task is now available to assign to scripted installations, sysprepped system images, and non-sysprepped system image deployments.
See Assign tasks to system deployment or Assign tasks to scripted installation deployment.

Add Custom HAL Replacement

Add Custom HAL Replacement

You can replace the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) using a mid-level task to customize the target device's HAL.

HAL replacement is only supported for system images.

1.
On the left navigation pane, click Library to expand the section, then click Mid-level Tasks to display the Mid-level Tasks page.
2.
Select Choose Action > Add Custom HAL Replacement to display the Mid-level Task Detail page.
3.
In Name, enter a logical name for the task.
The task runs in the KACE Boot Environment (Windows).
4.
Click Browse to upload the following files:
◦
Upload HAL DLL
◦
Upload NTKRNLPA.EXE
◦
Upload NTOSKRNL.EXE
* 
NOTE: If a filename is different from what displays in the Upload field, the files is renamed when uploaded to the appliance.
The files are copied to the target devices Windows\System32 directory as part of the mid-level task.
5.
In Expected Return Code, enter a code that the task should return, if applicable. Otherwise, leave the default value of zero '0'.
In general, most tasks exit with a zero '0' code, indicating success, but you can set it to any positive value, as applicable. Some installers exit with a different code, even when the install is successful. For example, anti-virus installers are typically successfully installed but exit with a different return code because they require a device reboot.
6.
In Notes, add a note to identify the task.
7.
Click Save.
The task is now available to assign to scripted installations, sysprepped system images, and non-sysprepped system image deployments.
See Assign tasks to system deployment.
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