Deleting a machine

To delete a machine:

1. Select Dists→ All Machines. The List Machines table opens.

2. Select the check box next the machine you want to delete. Click Delete. A dialog box opens (Figure 4-84 on page 162).

3. Click OK to delete the machine name. The List Machines table opens (Figure 4-85 on page 163). Click Cancel for no action.

4.12 Managing schedules

From the Schedule Management page, you can view, add, edit, and delete schedules. Schedules are a window of time for each distribution to install a software package or bundle to a set of client machines. This process enables the Software Distribution server to perform push distributions to the Software Distribution Agent.

The initial Schedule Management page enables you to view a list of schedules with their associated package name, distribution list, start date, end date, and whether each schedule is enabled for distribution to the client machines.

The daily start and daily stop times are based on the time on the server. The time window is specific to the server time zone and is evaluated locally on the server as each client checks for schedule availability. Group scheduled distributions to

Note: The Name field value is case-sensitive; therefore, you need to enter the exact name or perform a wild card search using the percent symbol (%) in the Name field.

machines in time zones different from the server into a separate distribution list to adjust the times for any server to client differences.

When adding a schedule, give the schedule a unique name to distinguish it from the other schedules and provide any additional information in the Description field. The schedule can be enabled or left in an inactive state. After selecting the distribution list that will determine the target list of machines, decide the daily start time and end time of the schedule, as well as the start date and end date, before selecting the package or bundle to be distributed.

When editing a schedule, you can update the description, enable the schedule, and change the distribution list. You can modify the daily start time and end time along with the start date and end date. You can also change the package or bundle, but we recommend that you create a new schedule for each application distribution.

When adding or editing a schedule, perform a search for packages or bundles to include in the schedule. The search is a logical condition that enables the option to search on the name of the package or bundle, package type, or operating system.

You can delete schedules that are no longer needed from the Schedule Management page.

4.12.1 Scheduling information

Use the descriptions and options in the Add Schedule table:

򐂰 General tab

– Schedule: The name of the schedule.

– Description: A short description of the schedule.

– Enable: Enables the schedule for distribution of software to client machines.

– Distribution Name: A drop-down menu that enables you to associate a distribution list to the schedule.

– Enable Deferral option: Enables a software installation to be deferred by the end user.

– Daily Start Time: The start of the time window each day that the scheduled distribution will be available to the Software Distribution Agent.

– Daily End Time: The end of the time window each day that the scheduled distribution will be available to the Software Distribution Agent.

– Start Date: The start date for a range of days in which the scheduled distribution will be available to the Software Distribution Agent. The format is YYYY-MM-DD.

– End Date: The end date for a range of days after which the scheduled distribution will no longer be available to the Software Distribution Agent.

The format is YYYY-MM-DD.

򐂰 Package tab

– Query Packages/Query Bundles: Specifies if a package or a bundle will be included in the distribution.

– Package/Bundle Name: This list is the result of a search performed by the administrator. From the list, select the package or bundle to include in the schedule.

– Name: The name of a software package or bundle to search for to include in the schedule. The name is case-sensitive; therefore, type the exact name or search using the wild card percent symbol (%) in the Name field.

– Package Type: Enables you to limit the search of software packages by package type. The following are the package types:

• Download(Open)

– OS: Enables you to limit the search to the operating system on which the software package can be installed.

4.12.2 Adding a schedule

To add a schedule:

1. Select Dists→ Schedules→ New Schedule to display the Add Schedule table (Figure 4-87 on page 167).

2. In the Add Schedule table:

– Enter the name of the schedule and add any additional description information, if wanted.

– Select Enable to activate the schedule for distribution, or leave it cleared to allow the schedule to remain inactive until a later point.

– Select the distribution list from the drop-down menu to define the list of target machines to be included in the scheduled distribution.

– If you want the end user to have the opportunity to defer the installation to a later time, select Enable Deferral Option, select the number of times the installation can be deferred, and select the duration between deferrals.

– Set the daily start time and daily end time and set the start date and the end date for the distribution.

Click Next to display the package/bundle search.

Figure 4-87 Schedule Management: Add Schedule

3. From the Package tab, select either Query Package or Query Bundle to specify what will be distributed (Figure 4-88 on page 168).

Click Add.

Figure 4-88 Schedule Management: Add Schedule package

4. The Add Schedule page, with a message that says “Schedule_name has been added successfully” (Figure 4-89), opens.

Figure 4-89 Schedule Management: Add Schedule message

4.12.3 Searching for a specific schedule

To search for a specific schedule:

1. Select Dists→ Schedules→ All Schedules. The List Schedules table opens (Figure 4-90).

Figure 4-90 Schedule Management: List Schedules

2. Click the Search tab. The Search table opens (Figure 4-91).

3. Enter the name of the schedule or leave the Name field blank to return all created schedules. The Name field value is case-sensitive; therefore, to return a valid search, type the exact name or perform a wild card search using the percent symbol (%) in the name field. For example, search for all

schedules that start with A by typing A% in the Name field and clicking Search.

Otherwise, use any logical conditions from the search table to search for schedules by using the following fields:

– In the Schedule Name field, enter the schedule name.

– In the Distribution Name field, select the distribution name to which the schedule belongs.

– In the Start Date field, select the schedule date designated to start a search for a schedule.

– In the End Date field, select the schedule date designated to end a search for a schedule.

In the Page Size field, type the maximum number of entries per page to display.

Click Search.

The List Schedules table displays the results of the search with the schedule name, package name, distribution name, start date, end date, and if the schedule is enabled, as shown in Figure 4-90 on page 169.

4.12.4 Deleting a schedule

To delete a schedule:

1. Select Dists→ Schedules→ All Schedules. The List Schedules table opens (Figure 4-90 on page 169).

2. Select the check box next the schedule you want to delete. Click Delete.

3. Click OK to delete the schedule name (Figure 4-84 on page 162). The List Schedule table shown in Figure 4-90 on page 169 opens.

Click Cancel for no action.

4.13 Using Tivoli Provisioning Manager for Software Distribution logs

This section provides information about using the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for Software Distribution logs.

Note: The Schedule Name field value is case-sensitive; therefore, type the exact name or perform a wild card search using the percent symbol (%) in the Schedule Name field.