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There is a new Specops in town and this one is called v3.1. A minor point release? Yes. Significant updates worth covering? Very yes! For the full AppDeploy review of Specops 3.0, please click here. If you don't know Specops or have not worked with it already, please jump back to the 3.0 review to get all the details- here we will focus primarily on what is new in version 3.1. So let's jump right in!

Installation

The setup process provides a very simple interface to assist you in getting the prerequisite dependencies and configurations taken care of- it is not difficult, but it is made much easier by this helpful front end (see image at right).

If you are running on a Windows 2000 Server, you can install the server portions (you’ll need to install the v2.0 of the Microsoft .NET Framework) on your server, but he management console requires Windows XP or Server 2003.

The client installation requires MMC 3.0, which even on my very up-to-date PC required installation, but as with all requirements- Specops does a good job of walking you through it, with source provided in the distributable to ensure you you get what you need.

What's that MMC 3.0? What is that you ask? As a tool geared toward those frustrated with group policy- the Specops Deploy Management Console is available from within the familiar Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) interface (see snapshot below).

The same controls in the same easy to manage interface are also provided via its own Specops Management Console, but the full functionality is available from both of the available methods- so choose whatever you like best!

Adding Packages

Adding a package is simple, yet still very configurable- simply you choose what type: an MSI package, an MSP patch (new in this release), or a legacy setup. When choosing a Windows Installer package, the descriptive property fields are automatically populated. You may specify additional properties (bypassing the need to create a transform for every little property value!) and you can choose pre and post installation and uninstallation commands which may save you from spending lots of time conditionalizing custom actions to accomplish the same in the MSI itself. 

Got your package set? Next we choose a target...

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