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Package Deployment through OCS Inventory NG

OCS Inventory NG includes package deployment feature on client computers. From the central management server, you can upload packages which will be downloaded through HTTP/HTTPS and launched by agent on client computer.

A package has 4 main components:

  • a priority,
  • an action,
  • optionaly a ZIP or TAR.GZ file including how many files and directories you want,
  • and optionaly a command to launch.

There are 11 levels of priority, level 0 to 10. Level 0 is the highest priority and level 10 the lowest. Package of priority level 0 will be deployed before package of priority 1. Package of priority level 1 will be deployed before package of priority 2…

Action is associated with file to deploy and command to launch. This triplet may be one of the following:

  • Action Launch: to deploy a ZIP or TAR.GZ file and launch with or without parameters an executable file included in ZIP or TAR.GZ file.
    ZIP or TAR.GZ file will be uncompressed into a temporary directory, and associated command (name of executable file without path!) will be launched into this temporary directory.
    This action allows retrieving result code of launched command.
  • Action Execute: to deploy a ZIP or TAR.GZ file (optional), and launch with or without parameters an executable file included or not in ZIP or TAR.GZ file.
    If executable is not included in ZIP or TAR.GZ file, it must be part of software already installed on client computer. Typcally, it may be a Windows standard command like Windows Installer call, RPM or DPKG or TAR.GZ command on Linux.
    ZIP or TAR.GZ file will be uncompressed into a temporary directory, and associated command (name of executable file with path or parameters if needed) will be launched into this temporary directory.
    This action does not allow retrieving result code of launched command. However, this action allows you running command on client computers, without deploying any file. For example, you can use it to run specific operating system configuration command.
  • Action Store: to deploy a ZIP or TAR.GZ file and only store his content on a folder of client computer.
    There is no command associated with this action, only a path to specify where to store extracted files.

For example, this feature allows you to create a ZIP package including Media Player Classic executable, a sub directory including some MP3 files and a play list for Media Player Classic referencing these MP3 into sub directory. Associated command will be a call to Media Player Classic with command line switch to launch play list. Once this package will be downloaded on Windows clients, users will have Media Player Classic launched and playing MP3 from play list. Beautifull, isn’t it ;-)

You create through administration console your deployment package. It is automatically described by:

  • A reference in database, used by Communication server to ask agent to download the package.
  • An information file, named “info”. It is an XML file describing the package and action agent will have to launch,
  • 0 or more data fragment files. File you will upload (if there is one) will be splitted in small parts to allow agents downloading parts by parts, and then easely resuming a failed download. If download of a fragment fails, only this fragment will be downloaded another time, not all the package. You will be able to choose fragment size according to your network capabilities. It also allows controling network bandwith usage.

Once package is built, you must activate it. It indicates where is located SSL enabled web server (i.e. deployment servers) where agent will able to download information file and fragment files.

Finaly, you must select on which computer you will deploy the package.

From now, agent is able deploying the package.

When agent contacts Communication server, Communication server tell the agent if he has one or more packages to deploy, with the level of priority of each package, and where it can find information files.

Agent then begins downloading, and when completed, it runs package action, and then send back to Communication Server result code of action.


Package deployement schema (click to enlarge)


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