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Closing Comments

Specops Deploy logs pertinent information to the Application log in the Windows event log. However, if you want a more, you may turn on a verbose trace log by setting the following value in the registry: SubKey: HKLM\Software\SpecopsSoft\ Specops Deploy\Client Side Extension\ Debug Value: 1 If you do so, the log file will be updated here: %WINDIR%\Debug\UserMode \SpecOpsGpProcessor.log. However, the information that really matters can be found right in your application event log, so there should never be reason to turn this on.

The simple interface and robust reporting will be appealing to everyone, but one of the biggest benefits to administrators has got to be its support for legacy setup packages. Even with more and more vendors moving to Windows Installer setups, it is still annoying to find that some of these Windows Installer setups to not lend themselves to deployment via Group Policy. There has always been the argument that using a vendor supported command line installation is preferable to repackaging setups. But no matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to this mindset, few will argue that the option to deploy a setup using its command line support is sometimes necessary. Many create MSI wrappers (Microsoft even provides such wrappers for the latest Windows service packs) in order to deploy command line installations via Group Policy. Specops Deploy eliminates this need for added complexity by allowing you to simply specify the command line installation parameters in your deployment package.

The interface can take just a little getting used to when creating deployments and packages. The "Deploy Package Wizard" is a standard wizard interface with a “next” button to advance to the next step. However, actions like creating a new package, deployment or target may be spread across more than one page of options. As these pages have a standard “OK” and “Cancel” at the bottom (and not a "Next" button to proceed to other views) so to move between the options available, you use a simple navigation pane displayed at the left of the screen. The first couple of times you use it you are likely to complete only the first screen and press OK (or hit "Enter") and will need to hit "edit" to get back in and update any other options you wish.

Overall, Specops Deploy is a very impressive offering that takes Group Policy and makes it a whole lot better. The things you tolerate as a result of your decision to employ Group Policy for software deployment can be attained without abandoning Group Policy. Pricing starts at $1900 USD for 100 workstations or servers (including 12 months maintenance) and the folks at Special Operation Software are confident enough in their product to offer a 20 day fully functional trial version of Specops Deploy.
 

3/16/05
Bob Kelly
AppDeploySM

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