Using server to update internet software on PCs

Comprox

I have a new job at the local library where we have about 50 PC's on the floor for the public to use. In my few short weeks here so far I've noticed one problem that is a big hassle to fix: updating internet software. We constantly have to go around to every PC and update Flash, Java, Quicktime(eww, I know), etc by hand at each machine.

Is there some way to be able to do this via one of our servers? We already use it for things like windows updates, but specific software is available to handle that. I did some browsing on things like quicktime and can't find any specific software for just it, so is there any general solution out there?

And to help: everything is running Windows XP Pro. I could remote desktop into each, but that really doesn't make it much easier <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

locallyunscene

At our work they use something called LANDesk, I doubt it's free though.

Comprox

Yah, I guess I should have stated that I wasn't expecting anything free. Thanks for that one, I'll look into it.

Spooge

Where I work we've been using a program called <a href="http://www.bmc.com/products/products_services_detail/0,,0_0_0_1301,00.html" target="_blank">Marimba</a>. Apparently it's been renamed after assimilation but it looks like the same features are available. I'm not sure if we're using it anymore because I'm on 64bit XP now and don't have it installed.

I can't tell you how much it costs but I can tell you it worked very well.

Faskalia

Use an Imaging software, like Ghost.

Then just update one PC, create a new image and use a PXE boot solution to update every other PC.

You need a tftp server and a program that can create boot disks for this (Ghost boot disk creator). Also have a look at PXE linux, to help you boot the Ghost/Imaging client.

Also your clients NICs have to support PXE and the less different NICs the better, or it will be quite a hazzle to add all those different drivers manually to the boot image.

Gwahir

what Faskalia said. Image based updating is quite common.

Browser_ICE

The previous floor where I used to work, we were doing this on a much larger scale throughout the world. We were using Tivoli to create software packages and using a list of endpoints (PCs), distribution was done to all the targeted PCs. They were setup to take in account if the PC had to be rebooted at one point. Users could also have option softwares in another kind of packaging we were doing.

The whole process was being called Staging and Re-Staging.

We were also using Active Directory.

So briefly, all the PCs had to have a small software installed on them that would communicate with the Tivoli & Active Directory database to be registered. There was also a way of auto-populating the PCs once they connected to these database (ex: after being formated it would get everything back it had according to the database).

Process is called Software Distribution.

Scythe

Yep, if they're all identical computers and there's no data stored locally, ghosting them is the best bet. Keep one clean, up-to-date template computer, take an image from it and pipe it out to every other computer. Removes any virii and suchlike too.

--Scythe--

Comprox

We already using ghosting exactly as you mentioned when setting up small pods of computers, but sadly that doesn't work so well in this case. Our computers vary wildly around the library (many are donated), so we would need to be making 10 or more images and have them all updated and computers to setup those images on since the hardware varies so much.

Thanks for the idea though <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

We are using AD already as well for content on the computers (desktop, my docs, etc) but that doesn't help the software issue.

SkulkBait

I use the free-for-personal-use version of a product called <a href="http://www.altiris.com/Products/SoftwareVirtualizationSolution.aspx" target="_blank">Altiris</a> for somewhat different purposes, but from what I understand the pay-for version could do what you want.