Presentation on how to effectively deploy software to multiple platforms

1. Software Deployments
Challenges with deploying to
Multiple Platforms

2. Who am I?
• Mick Pletcher
• SCCM Administrator in the Architecture and
Engineering Industry
• Podcaster: DeploymentCast.com
• Blogger: mickit.com
• iOS Developer

3. What goes into deploying
Software?
• Business Owners & Stakeholders
• Communications
• Preparation
• Packaging
• Deployment

4. Business Owners
• Identify the Business Owner(s)
• Obtain the specification requirements
• Goal: (What goal is intended to the accomplished by the
deployment?)
• Audience: (What group or individuals need to be deployed to?)
• Business Owner Communications: (What updates does the business
owner expect during the deployment?)
• Start Date: (What date does the deployment to users need to begin?)
• Due Date: (What date does the deployment need to be completed?)
• Packaging Time: (Amount of estimated time required to package and
test the software to be deployed)

5. Business Owners
• Requirements: (What requirements are necessary for the
deployment to take place? i.e. prerequisites)
• Installation Method: (What method will take place to install the
software? PowerShell, VBScript, Executable.)
• Deployment Method: (Will the users be able to selectively install the
software? If so, is there a mandatory install date? If not, do users
need to be aware of the installation?)
• Failures: (How will failures be handled? Redeployment, psexec,
remote desktop)
• User Communications: (What communication techniques will take
place to give users notice of the deployment? 411, Homepage alerts,
email, Tech Coordinator)

6. Business Owners
• Monitoring: (How will the deployment be monitored? How will the
business owners be able to monitor the deployment?)
• Testing: (What steps will take place to test the deployment package
to make sure it deploys the software correctly? Who needs to be part
of the testing? )
• Training Materials: (What training materials, if any, will be made
available to users during the deployment?)

7. Stakeholders
• Identify the stakeholders
• Identify persons with a vested interest in the
deployment, such as developers of integrated
software
• Resolve any conflicts the upgrade will have with
the stakeholders
• Verify functionality through testing
• Sign off on upgrade

8. Communications
• Business Owners
• Continue with updates throughout the project
• Stakeholders
• Update as needed on arising issues with the
stakeholders vested interest

9. Communications
• Information Technology
• Keep the help desk up to date
• Keep the build team up to date
• Inform colleagues and any other pertinent staff of
the project
• Report to management

10. Communications
• Clientele
• Prepare key clients, such as administrative
assistants, of the project by piloting the software
to them first.
• Alert all pertinent clients of the upcoming
deployment
• Create a deployment schedule to be able to keep
the clients in the loop as to when they will receive
the upgrade

11. Communications
• Communicate the deployment to the end-user
the night before the push
• Follow up with the users
• Follow up with the business owner(s)
• Follow up with the stakeholders

12. Preparation
• Hardware Requirements
• Software Requirements
• User Requirements
• Training
• Documentation

13. Packaging
• Tools
• Scripting
• SMS Installer
• MSI Packager
• ORCA
• SCCM

14. Deployment
• Deployment through SCCM, SMS, Kace, etc.
• Verification
• Verify with end-users the application is installed
• Compliance
• Make sure all users are complying with the
deployment
• Troubleshooting
• Troubleshoot systems where the deployment is
failing

15. Thank You
Mick Pletcher
Making software deployments much more fun