With group policies, you can advertise and install a program by assigning a deployment to computers. A deployment that is
assigned to a computer can be used by any user of that computer. Generally, you would assign the deployment to a computer
that is shared by several users.
NoteAutodesk products are designed to be installed on a computer so that any user who logs on to the computer can run the software.
If you assign a deployment to a specific user rather than a computer, you may encounter problems when a second specified user
tries to install or uninstall a copy of the program.
The following section outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using group policies.
Advantages
- Works well with deployment functionality.
- Allows you to add custom files to a deployment.
- Allows deployment to computers rather than to users.
Disadvantages
- Prohibits the passing of command-line parameters to an MSI executable. You must use scripts instead.
- Prohibits customization of application settings, other than what is set while creating a deployment.
Autodesk products typically have software prerequisites that must be installed on a computer to support the Autodesk product.
In particular, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0, Fusion, and the Fusion plug-in must be installed prior to using group policies.
Before deploying products, consult the System Requirements for each product, and ensure that these are installed on the computer where the program will being installed.
Distributing a program through group policies involves three main steps:
- Create an application distribution share point. The application distribution share point is created when you create a deployment. See Create an Original Deployment to create a deployment.
- Assign the deployment to a computer. See Use Group Policies to Assign a Deployment to Computers.
- Verify the installation. Confirm that the program has been correctly installed. See Verify a Group Policy Deployment.
