In Case of Fire, Break Glass Software distributions fail for any number of reasons, including incompatibilities with target machines and a lack of network bandwidth. In the case of failure because of incompatibilities, most distribution applications will continue to distribute to designated targets should one fail. Most provide feedback regarding job successes and failures. This creates steps in a distribution job with conditional logic. Additionally, should a portion of a software distribution fail, another stream in the job can attempt to install another package, without the e ntire distribution to that target failing.
Vendors employ a number of techniques to ease network congestion.
The mo st common approach is to send a single distribution package to remote servers, which then fan out copies to distribution servers located on local clients' networks. This is an absolute necessity for packages crossing slow WAN links. It also can be a big help when rolling out large distributions, such as the Microsoft Office suite. A second method statically throttles the amount of bandwidth to be used and can take either a direct or indirect form. This method requires an administrator to understand network layout and make the best choice for bandwidth, weighing link capacities, utilization and the timing of the transfer.