Pre-Install Schedule

This property page enables you to distribute portions of the application to a workstation before the user launches the application the first time. Because you can schedule the distribution, you can perform an off-line, or lights-out, distribution of the application and save the user some of the wait typically associated with a distribution. For example, you could pre-install the application after work hours so the application is ready to use the next day.

With a pre-install, all workstation-related distribution processes are performed prior to launching of the application. When the user launches the application, the user-specific distribution processes are completed.

You can pre-install an application that is associated with either workstations or users:

• For user-associated applications, the user must be logged in and Novell^® Application Launcher^TM must be running. Application Launcher uses the logged-in user's credentials (authentication and file system access) to distribute the application.
• For workstation-associated applications, the workstation must be running but Application Launcher does not need to be running. If the application is a non-MSI application (for example, an AOT application), NAL Workstation Helper uses the workstation's credentials to distribute the application. If the application is an MSI application, NAL Workstation Helper uses the logged-in user's credentials. If you want it to use the workstation's credentials rather than require a user to be logged in (for example, to perform a lights-out distribution of the MSI application), you must enable the Distribute in Workstation Security Space if Workstation Associated option (Distribution Options tab > Options page).

When pre-installing a workstation-associated application, you should also be aware of the following:

• Any shortcuts, registry settings, application files, INI settings, and text file modifications that are marked as Track Distribution Per User must also be marked as Distribute Always. Otherwise, they are not distributed. To do so, use the Track Distribution Per User and Distribute Always options on the Icons/Shortcuts page, Registry page, Application Files page, INI Settings page, and Text Files page.
• On Windows* NT*/2000/XP workstations, if a user is not logged in, any user-specific macros (Common > Macros page) point to the default user directories. This scenario affects the ability to place folders and icons on the Start menu. There are two ways to solve this issue: 1) Mark the macro entries in the Application object as Track Distribution Per User or 2) change the user-specific macro to an All Users macro (such as %*PROGRAMS% to %*COMMONPROGRAMS%).

Pre-Install Application
Check this option to enable the application to be pre-installed.

Schedule Type
Select the type of schedule you want to use. You can choose None, Specified Days, or Range of Days.

None
Use this option to indicate no schedule. The application is pre-installed as soon as the application is associated with a user or workstation (Associations page).

Specified Days
Use this option to select specific dates when you want to pre-install the application. You cannot select more than 350 specific dates.

Date Range
The Date Range list displays all dates when the application will be pre-installed. To add a date, click Add, select the date you want, then click OK to display it in the list.

Time for Selected Dates
Select the availability start time and end time. The times apply to all dates in the Date Range list. Note that the time increments in 5 minute intervals, with the earliest available start time being 00:00 (12:00 a.m.) and the latest end time being 23:55 (11:55 p.m.). This means there will always be a 5 minute time period from 11:55 p.m. to 12:00 midnight when the application is unavailable. If you want the application to be available the entire day, you need to use the Range of Days schedule type.

Spread from Start Time (in Minutes)
The Spread from Start Time option spreads out user access times over the number of minutes specified so the application doesn't become available to all users at the same time. If you anticipate all users launching the application as soon as it becomes available and the application is being distributed or run from the network, you can use this option to avoid possible network overload.

For example, if you want to distribute an application to 100 users, you could use the Spread from Start Time option to specify a one-hour block of time (starting at the scheduled start time) in which to randomly distribute the application to the various users.

Range of Days
Use this option to select a range of days to pre-install the application. You can also use this option to pre-install the application only on certain days of the week within a given range of dates.

Date Range
To define the range of days, select a start date and an end date, then select the days (Sunday through Saturday) within the established date range. By default, all days are selected; a day is selected when the button is depressed.

Times for Selected Range
Select the availability start time and end time. This option works differently depending on whether the date range includes one day, multiple days, or all seven days. If the date range includes one to six days (but not all seven days), the application is available between the start and end times on those days. For example, if you make the application available on Monday between 8:00 and 5:00, it is available during those hours. However, if the date range includes all seven days, the times are ignored and the application is available every day, 24 hours a day.

Spread from Start Time (in Minutes)
The Spread from Start Time option spreads out user access times over the number of minutes specified so the application doesn't become available to all users at the same time. If you anticipate all users launching the application as soon as it becomes available and the application is being distributed or run from the network, you can use this option to avoid possible network overload.

For example, if you want to distribute an application to 100 users, you could use the Spread from Start Time option to specify a one-hour block of time (starting at the scheduled start time) in which to randomly distribute the application to the various users.

Use this Schedule in GMT for All Clients
The schedule is based on the workstation's time zone. If your network spans different time zones and you schedule an application to run at 1:00 p.m., it runs at 1:00 p.m. in each time zone. You can select this option to have workstations run applications at the same time regardless of their time zones (for example, 1:00 p.m. Rome time and 11:00 p.m. Los Angeles time).

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