This document describes how to deploy an image to multiple computers using multicast.

LANDESK Provisioning can take advantage of a feature called "self-organizing multicast".  Please review this presentation to learn more about this feature.

The following are the steps that you need to take to ensure that multicast is being used so that you can efficiently deploy images to multiple devices while saving both bandwidth and time.

Create a template

1. Open the OS Provisioning tool from within the Provisioning tool group.
2. Either go to "My templates" and then "All my templates" to create a template only you are going to be using or go to "Public" and then "All public templates" to create a template others can use.
3. After highlighting one of those groups click on the "New Template" drop-down above the "Provisioning templates" tree.
4. Select "Deploy Template"
   
5. Give your template a name.
6. Select the type of image you will be using. 
   
   Choices are:
   
   
   • LANDESK ImageW V2
   • Symantec
   • ImageX
   • Other  (Note: When using other you must have a tool that supports command line options.  When selecting "Other" you will need to provide those command line options for LANDESK Provisioning to process.
     
     
7. Enter the full path and filename for your image or browse to and select it.
8. Select an Agent Configuration name if you want a specific LANDESK Agent Configuration to be installed after deploying the image.
9. Check the box for Hardware Independent Imaging if you have that setup and want to deploy an image to differing hardware.  For further information about Hardware Independent Imaging, start here.
10. If you have sysprepped your image in order for it to be an unattended install select the drop-down under "Script Name" and select an unattend file and click "Create"

You will then see your newly created image in the right-hand pane of the Operating System Provisioning tool.

Ensure that your default Distribution and Patch setting has the Multicast option selected

1. Within the "Configuration" tool group select the "Agent Settings" tool.
2. Go to "All Agent Settings" and look at the properties for the default Distribution and Patch setting.   This is the setting that will have the green checkbox next to it.
   

   The other option is to make a setting your default setting by going to the Properties of the setting and in the lower left select "Set as default"

3. Under the "Network Settings" section in the right-hand pane check the box next to "Use Multicast and then click "Save".
   
   

Distribute the Deploy Image template to client computers

1. Back in the "OS Provisioning" tool within the "Provisioning" tool group right-click the newly created template and select "Schedule Template"
   This will cause the Scheduled Tasks tool to open with the newly created template highlighted.
2. Drag the desired computers to the newly created task.  These computers will need to have been turned on and will need to have attempted to network boot so that their mac addresses have been sent to the core server.
   If this has happened the MAC addresses should show up in the list of computers.
3. Right-click the task and select "Properties".
4. Go to the "Schedule Task" section and choose when you would like to start the task and then click "Save".