Deployment Packages

A deployment package is the method used to download software updates (either one or several) to a network shared folder, which must be manually created before it is used, and copy the software updates source file to distribution points defined in the deployment. Software updates can be downloaded and added to deployment packages prior to deploying them by using the Download Software Updates Wizard. This wizard provides admins with the capability to provision software updates on distribution points and verify that this part of the deployment process works properly.

When downloaded software updates are deployed using the Deploy Software Updates Wizard, the deployment automatically uses the deployment package that contains each software update. When software updates are selected that haven’t been downloaded or deployed, a new or existing deployment package must be specified in the Deploy Software Updates Wizard, and the updates are downloaded to the package when the wizard is finished.

There is no hard link between a deployment and a specific deployment package. Clients will install software updates in a deployment by using any distribution point that has the software updates, regardless of the deployment package. Even if a deployment package is deleted for an active deployment, clients will still be able to install the software updates in the deployment—as long as each update has been defined in at least one other deployment package and is present on a distribution point that the client can get to. To help prevent software update deployment failures, you should make sure that deployment packages are sent to a group of distribution points that can be accessed by all the clients you are targeting.

Deployment package access accounts allow you to set permissions to specify users and user groups who can access a deployment package folder on distribution points. Configuration Manager makes these folders available to everyone by default, but you can modify this access if required for a specific security need.

Configuration Manager 2012 client computers also have the option of selective download: A deployment package might contain both updates that are required for a client and some that are not, but the client can determine which software updates are applicable and retrieve only those files. This allows admins to have multiple updates in a single deployment package and use it to target clients that might need only some of those updates.