Introduction to the Deployment Manager

1 The two functions

The Deployment Manager does two jobs. Use the first to start a deployment and the second to follow it.

Function	What you do
Deploy software and operating systems	Click Create Deployment Plan in the left menu. The window that opens lets you install or uninstall software, or reinstall computers.
Monitor all your deployments	All your deployments are listed in the centre of the window, including those made from Manage Software, Reinstall Computer or Import Computer. Click View to see the status of each computer.

2 Deploy software and operating systems

Click Create Deployment Plan in the left menu. The window offers Deploy Software, to install or uninstall software, and Deploy Operating System, to reinstall computers. The steps are in Deployment Plan.

Only some roles see the button Create Deployment Plan is shown only to roles that have the DeploymentSoftware or the ReinstallOperatingSystem button. If you cannot see it, ask your administrator.

3 Monitor your deployments

Every deployment you have made is listed in the centre of the Deployment Manager, with its status. Click View on a row to open the Deployment Monitor, which shows the status of each computer in that deployment.

Earlier version of the Deployment Manager: a list of deployments with Created, Name, Start and End columns, a View and a Remove link on each row, the left menu with Create Deployment Plan and the filters, and the Deployment Manager pane on the right. — Earlier version of the Deployment Manager, with a **View** and a **Remove** link on each row. The names in this picture are masked. The current window has four tabs, and the link that removes a deployment from your list is **Delete** on the **Deployment Jobs** tab, as described below.

4 Remove a deployment from your list

To remove a deployment from your list, open the Deployment Jobs tab and click Delete at the end of its row. SoftwareCentral asks Remove Deployment Plan 'name' from your list? Click Remove to confirm, or Cancel to keep it.

Removing does not cancel the deployment Removing a deployment plan does not cancel a scheduled installation. To stop a scheduled installation, go to Tools › Edit Schedule.

You should remove finished deployments, so that your list only shows the ones you still need. The tab and its columns are described in The Deployment Manager window.

5 Where to go next

To do this	Read
See every tab, filter and button in the window	The Deployment Manager window
Create a deployment of software or an operating system	Deployment Plan
Follow a deployment, see each computer's status	Deployment Monitor
Set how the Deployment Manager behaves	Deployment Manager Configuration
The whole Deployment Manager, in one place	Deployment Manager

6 Best practice

Remove finished deployments. Deployment jobs stay in your list until you delete them. Your administrator can also remove old jobs automatically: the Settings option Automatically remove Deployment Jobs older than (months) removes them after the number of months you enter, and 0 keeps all of them.
Check the schedule before you remove a plan. Removing a plan does not stop a scheduled installation. Stop it under Tools › Edit Schedule first if you do not want it to run.
Give the deploy buttons to the people who deploy. Create Deployment Plan appears only for roles with the DeploymentSoftware or ReinstallOperatingSystem button.