Contents

Creating OS Deployment applications

Summary

OS Deployment Applications enable self-service OS Deployment that includes a web-based OSD Wizard. An administrator creates an OS Deployment Application in the Shopping Admin Console that is associated with a specific Configuration Manager OS Deployment Task Sequence. Unlike other Applications in Shopping, OS Deployment Applications are made available in the Shopping portal using a banner. Rather than request the application, the user clicks a Launch button on the banner to launch the OSD Wizard, which walks them through a few steps and allows the user to schedule the deployment. Shopping deploys the Task Sequence to the target machine at the scheduled time.
On this page:

Preparation

Before creating an OS Deployment Application in Shopping, you must

  1. Create and test the Task Sequence in Configuration Manager
  2. Create an empty Collection in Configuration Manager that will become the target of a Task Sequence Deployment. Shopping will add machines to this Collection as requests are made 
  3. In Configuration Manager, deploy the Task Sequence created in step 1 to the Collection created in step 2. The Deployment should be Required with the schedule option As soon as possible selected

Create a new OS Deployment Application

To create a new OS deployment application.

  1. In the Shopping Admin console, right-click the Applications node and from the context menu, choose New OS Deployment.
  2. On the Welcome screen, click Next.
  3. On the General Details screen, populate the attributes for this OS deployment:
    Populating the General Details screen for an OS deployment
    1. In Name, enter the name for this OS deployment – it's displayed in the Shopping Admin console and in the Shopping Web
    2. In Description, enter a description for the OS deployment
    3. In Change Icon, select an icon to associate with the OS deployment
    4. Cost (displayed in the currency locale set in the Shopping central server) is an optional field to show cost for the OS deployment – it appears in the Shopping Web, Shopping basket and approval emails.
    5. In Application Ref, enter a unique identifier for the OS deployment which is used in conjunction with the Shopping API.
    6. Click Next.
  4. On the SMS/Config Mgr collection screen, select the Configuration Manager collection and the OS deployment the application is associated with.
    Choosing the Configuration Manager collection for the application
  5. Click Next.
  6. On the Permissions screen, set the permissions for the users and machines that can request the OS deployment. 

    Granting application request permissions for users and machines

  7. Click Next.
  8. Click Finish.

Managing core applications and delivery schedules

Once the OS deployment application has been created, set the core applications and delivery schedules by selecting properties for the application.

To manage the properties for an OS deployment application:

  1. Right-click an OS deployment application and from the context menu, choose Properties.
  2. In the General tab, you can:
     
    • modify the name, description, icon, cost, application reference

    • disable the option for users to choose which applications they want re-installed during a self-service OS deployment 

      If this option is not disabled, users and administrators will see the reinstall page as step 3 in the OSD wizard, and have the opportunity to select which applications will be re-installed after the task sequence is completed succesfully.

      If Shopping is not integrated with AppClarity or the SLA Platform, available applications are restricted to only those that were installed using Shopping.

      If Shopping is integrated with AppClarity or the SLA Platform, applications available are determined by OSD mapping rules.

  3. In the ConfigMgr Collection tab, you can modify the collection and advertisement the OS deployment application is associated with.
  4. In the Permissions tab, you can modify the user and machine permissions.
  5. In the Core Applications tab, you can add the names for applications that are already built-in to the OS image. These applications are displayed in the OS migration wizard, and the Shopping Web to assist the user in choosing the application they want migrated to the new OS.

    Adding applications that are already in the OS image

  6. In the Schedule tab, choose when the OS deployment becomes available to users.

    Scheduling an OS deployment

    • Maximum Deployments Per Day – enforces a site-wide limit on the number of times the OS deployment application is deployed during a day (from 0000h-1159h). You can modify this with the UTC offset field (in minutes) to allow for different time zones.
    • Enable Scheduling Restriction – enforces the date range where the OS deployment is available from
    • Enable Time of Day Scheduling Restrictions – enforces the times during the day when the OS deployment application is unavailable for deployment.

      Scheduling time of day restrictions

    • Exclude the Following Days – enforces the days when the OS deployment application is unavailable for deployment

      Scheduling days to exclude for the OS migration

Creating a Banner

OS Deployment Applications do not appear in the Shopping portal as tiles like other Applications. Instead, they are published using a Banner. Banners are a feature of the Shopping portal that allow admins to highlight certain applications at the top of the page, but are also used to make OS Deployment Applications available for users to deploy through the OSD Wizard.

Follow the process in Managing banners and featured items to create a banner for OSD Applications.