VMware VCENTER CONFIGURATION MANAGER 5.3, Getting Started Manual

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1. Select Administration | Machines Manager | Licensed Machines | Licensed Windows Machines .
2. In the data grid, locate the machines on which you are verifying the existence of the necessary Agent
Extensions, and then verify that the Agent Ext. For Prov. Version column contains a value of 5.3 or
later. If it does not, you need to either install or upgrade the VCM Agent.
Upgrading the VCM Agent
If an earlier VCM Agent is installed on your machines, you will need to upgrade to the latest Agent. See
Upgrade Agent in the online Help.
Using Package Studio to Create Software Packages and Publish to
Repositories
Package Studio is the application used to build software packages for installation on target Windows
servers and workstations.
Windows packages can include in-house and commercial software installation files, including .msi, .exe,
VBScripts, python, PowerShell.
To add a software installer to a package, it must be able to install and uninstall unmanned or quietly using
command line options, response files, or other similar methods.
Creating Packages
A software package provides the files and metadata necessary to install and remove programs. One of the
most useful features of a package is the metadata regarding dependencies, conflicts, and other
relationships that are not represented by software installation files. This metadata is used to determine if
the necessary dependencies are in place so that an installation is successful, and if not, what is necessary to
make the installation successful. This use of metadata is similar to rpm on Linux.
Packages support commercial and custom software that may be installed using any installation
technology, including .msi, .exe, or scripts (Python, VBScript, PowerShell, and others).
Once a package is created and ready for distribution, it is published to a software repository. You use
Package Manager to download the package from the repository to the local machine and install it on your
Windows systems.
Creating a software package includes creating and saving a project. Projects can be used to create
variations based on platform or version that can then be published as separate packages.
General Process
Detailed steps for creating and publishing packages are provided in the Package Studio online Help and in
the
VCM Software Provisioning Installation and User's Guide .
Getting Started with Software Provisioning
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