Deploying/updating custom packages
Hello,
I have a number of custom packages for various bits of software that are updated every now and then; both third-party and internal development. They are attached to a schedule that has "stop deployment once successful" enabled.
What is the simplest way to get Deploy to deploy an updated version of the package? Currently, I duplicate the package, update the copy, delete the original, then attach the copy to the schedule again. This is a lot of clicking around, and updating a local package seems like something that happens all the time, so I suspect there is an easier way to do it.
Is there? Simply updating the package version number does not work, and the "DeleteScheduleHistory" command line option only applies to computers, not packages.
Thanks for any hints.
Comments
Hello, i may be confused slightly but if i have gotten the right gist..
The way we have always deployed our updated custom packages is to adjust the already created Schedule, Detach the old package and Attach the new package within the Schedule, then clear the Target History from that paticular schedule itself (not all schedules), this will deploy to our assigned machines/collections again even if they had been succesful previously (prior to the updated package)
Hope it helps, or sorry if i have misunderstood!
Clearing the schedule's target history would be fine, if that package was the only one attached to it. In my case, it's not. I can manually delete the history entries for that one package only, but that is again far too much effort.
What I'd like to see is one of two things: Either schedules should take the package version into account for purposes of "stop deploying once successful", or there should be a button somewhere that deletes the history for that package from either all schedules or any particular one. Or, third, an extension to the DeleteScheduleHistory command line option that takes package names, rather than computer names.
Or, of course, stop service, delete database records, start service. Eww.
Hello Again!
It is possible to delete target history from a schedule with multiple packages attached or select individule package. You can also delete target history for a slected package from all schedules should it be attached in more then one schedule.
Would it not be possible to create a collection based on your softwares current version using custom variables anything not current is considered outdated, this way you could ignore the "stop deploying once successful" as the successful machines are moved from the collection and wont get the deployment again, unless you change your custom variable with the new current software version
Yes, I know I can manually delete target history entries, but that means opening the schedule, filtering the target history list for the package I just updated, and deleting the entries manually. Or is there a faster way to do this?
Creating a dynamic collection based on version number is certainly possible, and I already have that, but again, this only helps if the package has its own dedicated schedule. There are a few too many packages for me to be comfortable with creating separate schedules for each of them. With multiple packages, and target collections, attached to a single schedule, Deploy pushes all packages to any target appearing in any of the collections, after all.