Automate application deployment

[5kinner]

Hi All,

I'm looking for ideas/suggestions on ways to automate application deployment. We're going through a project to implement ServiceNow and discussions about automating software installations has been bought up.

My first thought was that we get ServiceNow to add a computer via API to a static computer group which will make the software available via Self Service. Is this possible? Is this the best way? What other ways if any should i look at?

[davidacland]

If the devices are already in Casper and ServiceNow, it just depends on what you want to trigger the deployment of software to them.

There's a range of options in the JSS, group membership, building, department, network segment, beacon proximity etc so you could use any of those.

If you want it to be controlled via ServiceNow, you just need to change the respective value in the JSS via the API.

The only catch is that might be making it a bit too complicated and high maintenance. If the process doesn't work for some reason, you'll be very limited as to who can look into it and get it fixed. If you have the resources available to maintain it then it would be fine, but personally I would make it as "off the shelf" and simple as possible. Otherwise a simple JSS upgrade could break the whole thing.

Just my view though :)

[5kinner]

Hi David! (adam from the CCE course in London)

So it would be something controlled via ServiceNow thus cutting a tech out of the loop. E.G. A user wants software, makes a request through ServiceNow, bits in between approvals etc, Can have the software, ServiceNow changes machine group membership via API, then kicks off policy etc.

We will have someone to maintain it .... not me so good.

[davidacland]

Ah cool (hi Adam!), that makes sense.

Group membership sounds like a good option. You could either do it directly through the API, or use smart groups linked to AD that read what security groups the computer is in.

The second AD option would be easier to maintain, but might suffer delays if the inventory in Casper isn't run that often.

I suspect the API / static JSS computer group route would be the most effective option.

[Chris]

We did something like this recently, not with ServiceNow but a similar system.
At first i thought about the static group/API approach too, but ditched that as it didn't seem flexible enough.
Now we have the user (not the computer) added to an AD-Group and a Self Service policy scoped to that AD group which allows them to install the software they requested.
The system also sends them an automated email telling them that their requested software is now available in Self Service.
This way users can keep their "purchase history" when they get a new computer.

[5kinner]

Thanks Guys, @Chris do your users login to Self Service for the policy to be available to them?

[Chris]

Hey, yes, they need to log in when the policy is scoped to an LDAP user group