Ideally, collection servers are mirror images of workstations that will receive the applications. I installed two collection servers on Intel Celeron 500-MHz systems running Windows NT and 2000. The Packager compares these states and notes changes to the registry, desktop and file system, and details these notes in a package comprising four easily edited files. The administration server then collects the package for distribution. I used the Packager to create three packages for distribution.
Distribution rules install and update files on client workstations.
They contain procedures to control and run a number of options on the client workstations before and after a file or application distribution. Distribution rules also contain integrity control options that ensure the physical presence of files and paths and that compare file sizes and dates with original distributions. The administration server collects the packages, consisting of an index file and data file. With my distribution rules complete, I associated the rules to my class object and set a transmission mode. Transmission modes can be unicast or multicast, and bandwidth requirements for speed and buffer length can be set.