Installation

This sections contains a guide for installing and configuring Specops Command.

When you start the setup, the Specops Command Setup Assistant will guide you through the process of installing and configuring Specops Command step by step. If the prerequisites are met and a working Active Directory is in place the full setup process should take no more than an hour.

If Specops Command is already setup and working you can proceed to the Getting Started section.

Specops Command Components

Specops Command consists of a few different components. The image to the right gives a good bird’s eye overview of the system. Specops command consists of the following components:

  • Specops Command Server
  • Specops Command Administrative Tools
  • Specops Command Client Side extension
  • Specops Reporting

Setting it up

The Setup AssistantMake sure that the files from the Specops Command setup package is on the local hard drive of the computer that is to become the Specops Command Server. From this computer start the Setup Assistant by running the Setup.exe in the root of the download.

The setup assistant consists of a few different tabs, one for each component that is to be installed. Each contains a number of setup steps. The following sections describe the individual tabs.

Server installation

The first step before starting the server installation is to select which database server to use. Click the Select SQL Server in the Microsoft SQL Server step. From the dialog you can then either select an existing SQL server or you can install a local SQL Server Express database, which will create and instance called Specops.

Before starting the actual installation of the server, you will also need to click the create button in the step called “Security groups for accessing feedback on the “Specops Command Server”. This will create the two security groups as described in the Server Security section.

The next step is to run the actual server installation, do this by clicking the install button in the Specops Command Server Installation step. This will configure the database and install the actual server on the computer where the Setup Assistant is running.

Administrative tools installation

Installing the administrative tools only consists of one step, when the prerequisites are met. Clicking the Install button will install the correct package depending on the processor architecture of the computer, x86 or x64. The MSI packages that are used are located in a sub directory to the Setup Assistant.

Client installation

This tab can be used to install the Specops Command Group Policy Client Side Extension locally. This is mostly for testing purposes to get one client up and running quickly. If you install the client with this method you must make sure that Windows PowerShell is installed on the computer too.

Client deployment

This tab will guide you through the deployment of the Specops Command Group Policy Client Side Extension (CSE) to any number of computers using Group Policy. Besides the CSE the Setup Assistant will also assist you in deploying the .Net Framework and Windows PowerShell if required. .Net Framework 2.0 is required, if this is already present on the client computers you can skip the parts referring to this. After performing the steps below the actual installations on the computers will be performed once they are rebooted.

Selecting a Group Policy Object (GPO)

To deploy the CSE (and .Net Framework) you must start by selecting a GPO. When selecting a GPO make sure that it is linked so that it applies to all the computers that should receive the CSE.

Selecting a file share

The next step is to select a file share where the CSE setups, .Net Framework and the Windows PowerShell setups will be made available for the client computers. The dialog will either let you create a share automatically on the local computer or let you select an existing share. If you do the latter, you must copy the required CSE, .Net Framework and PowerShell files to the selected share.

It is recommended to use a DFS share for the setup packages. And make sure that you select a share that is accessible for all the computers where the CSE is about to be installed.

Deploying .Net Framework 2.0

If .Net Framework 2.0 is not available on the computers you are deploying to, click the Deploy button of this step to add the .Net Framework deployment information to the GPO.

Deploying PowerShell 1.0

The next step is to make the PowerShell 1.0 setup packages available for the clients. Since third parties are not allowed to redistribute PowerShell you must download the setup packages from Microsoft and copy them to the selected share. The link for downloading is available in the Setup Assistant. Make sure you download all the required flavors of PowerShell.

This step only makes Windows PowerShell setup files available to the Specops Command Client Side Extension, it does not actually install Windows PowerShell in the clients, this is done in the backround by the Specops Command Client Side Extension when Windows PowerShell is needed and not already installed.

Deploying the Specops Command Client Side Extension

The final step is click the Deploy button of the Specops Command Client installation step. This will add deployment information for the CSE to the selected GPO.

The CSE, and .Net Framework (if selected) will now be installed on all the computers that the selected GPO applies to. Note that the installations will only occur once the computers reboot.

PowerShell will be installed on demand when the computers receive their first script assignments.

Page last modified on July 03, 2008, at 04:34 PM