This topic describes the procedure for deploying Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE) via System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).

Using SCCM to deploy the product

There are several steps involved in deploying FPE via SCCM. Each step is discussed separately.

  1. Deploying from a share

  2. Extracting the setup file

  3. Creating a package

  4. Creating a program for deploying the package

  5. Advertising the package

  6. Creating a distribution point

  7. Updating the distribution point

Deploying from a share

If you deploy FPE via SCCM, you cannot run the installation program (setup.exe) from a share, because it is a .NET executable and the default policy is to disallow running from a network share. You must therefore do one of the following.

  • Change the policy for allowing managed executables from the intranet zone. For more information, see the following Knowledge Base article:  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=155152.

  • In the advertisement wizard, indicate that you want to download from a distribution point and run locally by performing the following steps. For more information about the advertising wizard, see Advertising the package.

    1. In the Configuration Manager Console, click Site Database, click Computer Management, click Software Distribution, and then click Advertisements.

    2. Create a new advertisement or edit an existing one. On the Distribution Points dialog box, ensure that you have selected both instances of Download content from distribution point and run locally.

    3. Click Finish to complete the Advertisement Wizard.

Extracting the setup file

Before you can deploy the product, you must extract the setup.exe file. For more information, see "Unpacking the installer" in Installing from a command prompt - specifying parameters.

When the setup.exe file has been unpacked, move it to a convenient location for use in creating the package.

Creating a package

Create a package, which is the actual item that is deployed (along with the program for deploying it, which is discussed in Creating a program for deploying the package).

To create a package
  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, expand Site Database, expand Computer Management, and then expand Software Distribution.

  2. Right-click Packages, point to New, and then select Package.

  3. In the New Package Wizard, configure the following settings:

    1. General—Enter the name of the product and any other relevant information, such as version, manufacturer, language, and comments. Click Next.

    2. Data Source—Select This package contains source files and then click Set. Indicate that the source directory is on the local drive on the site server, and then use the button to navigate to the folder in which you placed the setup.exe file (see Extracting the setup file).

      Select Update distribution points on a schedule, click Schedule, and set the schedule to update the distribution points. In the section, select a date and time to schedule updates. The more frequently a package can be updated, the more frequently it should be checked and the distribution points updated. Use the section to set the updating frequency.

      Keep the default values in the other fields and click Next.

    3. Data Access—Specifies where the package is stored on the distribution points. These are global settings that apply to all distribution points. Keep the default settings and click Next.

    4. Distribution Settings—Specifies the sending priority and the preferred sender to use when sending the package to child sites. Make sure that the Sending priority is set to High and then click Next.

    5. Reporting—Specifies how Management Information Format files generated by clients apply to this package. Keep the default settings and click Next.

    6. Security—Specifies the security rights for the package. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=161131. Click Next.

    7. Summary—Review your selections. To modify one or more choices, click Previous. When you click Next, the package is created.

    8. Progress—Displays a progress bar while the package is being created.

    9. Confirmation—Displays the outcome of the package creation. Click Close to exit the wizard.

Creating a program for deploying the package

Create a program that tells the system how to deploy the package (for example, indicating a silent installation).

To create a program for deploying the package
  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, expand Site Database, expand Computer Management, expand Software Distribution, and then expand Packages.

  2. Expand the node for your newly-created package. In that node, right-click Programs, point to New, and then select Program.

  3. In the New Program Wizard, configure the following settings:

    1. General—Indicate a name for the program you are creating and enter any relevant comments.

      In the Command line field, enter the command to be executed, including parameters for silent installation. For more information about parameters, see "Performing a silent installation" in Installing from a command prompt - specifying parameters.

      Click Next.

    2. Requirements—Specify the estimated disk space (if known) and the maximum allowed runtime (in minutes). Use the check boxes to select the platforms on which the program can be run and then click Next.

    3. Environment—Specify the conditions that must be met in order for the program to run. In Program can run, select Whether or not a user is logged on and then click Next.

    4. Advanced—Accept the defaults and then click Next.

    5. Windows Installer—This only pertains to installing .msi files. You can ignore this screen and click Next.

    6. MOM Maintenance—To receive alerts in Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 if the program fails, select Generate Operations Manager alert if this program fails and then click Next.

    7. Summary—Review your selections. To modify one or more choices, click Previous. When you click Next, the program is created.

    8. Progress—Displays a progress bar while the program is being created.

    9. Confirmation—Displays the outcome of the program creation. Click Close to exit the wizard.

Advertising the package

You advertise the package in order to make the newly-created program available to specified clients.

To advertise the package
  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, expand Site Database, expand Computer Management, and then expand Software Distribution.

  2. Right-click Advertisements, point to New, and then select Advertisement.

  3. In the New Advertisement Wizard, configure the following settings:

    1. General—Give the advertisement a name and enter any relevant comments.

      • Click the Browse button associated with the Package field and select the appropriate package.

      • Select the program within the selected package from the Program drop-down list.

      • Click the Browse button associated with the Collection field to select the collection. A collection is a logical grouping of computers that you have already created in SCCM. For example, you may have created a collection of all your Exchange servers and called it "All Exchange servers".

      • Select Include members of subcollections in order to specify that the program is also advertised to clients and users in the specified collection's subcollections. This is selected by default; clear the check box in order to avoid sending advertisements to subcollections.

      • You may receive a message that the package has not been copied to distribution points. Click Yes to ignore the message. The distribution points will be created in a subsequent step.

      • Click Next.

    2. Schedule—Specifies when the program is advertised to members of the target collection.

      • Set the Advertisement start time (date and time).

      • Set the Priority to High.

      • In Mandatory assignments, click the yellow star icon. In the Assignment Schedule dialog box, select Assign immediately after this event, and select As soon as possible from the drop-down list. Click OK and then click Next.

    3. Distribution Points—Specifies how to run the content for the advertised program on a fast or slow LAN. In both cases, select Download content from distribution point and run locally and then click Next.

    4. Interaction—Specifies the custom countdown length. Set Use custom countdown length (minutes) to 15 and then click Next.

    5. Security—Specifies the security rights for users. Review these for correctness and then click Next.

    6. Summary—Review your selections. To modify one or more choices, click Previous. When you click Next, the advertisement is created.

    7. Progress—Displays a progress bar while the advertisement is being created.

    8. Confirmation—Displays the outcome of the advertisement creation. Click Close to exit the wizard.

Creating a distribution point

Select the distribution points to which you want to add the package. The package is then copied to and deployed from these distribution points.

To create a distribution point
  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, expand Site Database, expand Computer Management, expand Software Distribution, and then expand Packages.

  2. Expand the package that you want to deploy, right-click Distribution Points, and then select New Distribution Points.

  3. In the New Distribution Points Wizard, configure the following settings:

    1. Welcome—Click Next.

    2. Copy Package—To specify the distribution point to which the package is copied, select your SCCM server. Click Next.

    3. Progress—Displays a progress bar while the package is being copied.

    4. Confirmation—Displays the outcome of copying the package. Click Close to exit the wizard.

Updating the distribution point

After the distribution point has been created, you must update it in order to ensure that the latest installer image is being used.

To update the distribution point
  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, expand Site Database, expand Computer Management, expand Software Distribution, and then expand Packages.

  2. Expand the package that you want to deploy, right-click Distribution Points, and then select Update Distribution Points.

  3. In the Confirm Update Distribution Points dialog, click Yes. This updates all distribution points with the latest version of the image.

At this point, the update is available to the client computers and is automatically installed.