Installing with the Distribution Server

The PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server can be installed locally to a single computer or remotely to multiple computers using the Distribution Server. 

Details about installing a product across an enterprise to multiple computers by using the Distribution Server are beyond the scope of this book. However, this section does describe how to import the PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server product into the Distribution Server. It also provides a high-level overview of the enterprise installation process.

Distribution Server features

You use the Distribution Server to perform remote installations or uninstallations of BMC distributed systems products across multiple systems from a central location. 

With the Distribution Server you can perform the following actions:

• Install, uninstall, upgrade, and reinstall products on remote systems from one central location.
• Create collections of products and system groups to distribute multiple products to multiple systems in one distribution.
• Schedule a distribution for a specific date and time.
• Maintain multiple product versions to be distributed.
• View reports to check distribution status, gather distribution data, and diagnosis problems.

To import PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server into the Distribution Server, see Importing a CD or customized installation package into Distribution Server.

Once you have imported the PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server into the Distribution Server, you must perform the following tasks within the tool. The tasks can be grouped into three stages.

To set up products

1. Import components into the Distribution Server repository on the Components tab of the Distribution Manager.
2. Arrange components in collections on the Collections tab of the Distribution Manager.
3. Configure the collections on the Configurations tab of the Distribution Manager.

To set up systems

1. Create accounts in the operating system of the computers to which you want to distribute PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server.
2. Add accounts and create profiles for the systems on the Systems tab of the Distribution Manager.
3. Add the systems and install the Distribution Client on the Systems tab of the Distribution Manager.
4. Arrange systems in system groups on the Systems tab of the Distribution Manager.

To distribute products

1. Distribute configurations of collections to system groups on the Distributions tab of the Distribution Manager.
2. Run reports to review distributions on the Reports tab of the Distribution Manager.
    For detailed instructions about how to perform remote installations with the Distribution Server, see the Distribution Server Getting Started Guide.