curious - software deployment in companies

[Rambler]

I was wondering how the companies which have like 50+ computers do software deployment. I'm aware of the possibility of pushing SW through Active Directory or use some forms of scripting, but what do you do when there's let's say new version of antivirus software (or any other) that needs to be installed and it cannot be scripted nor pushed via AD - it requires some clicking and user input etc. Do you install that by going to each of the computers, login as admin, installing the SW, then moving to other? Wouldn't you go insane after doing this on 100 or more computers?
Just wondering how this is achieved :)

[nerk01]

Well, can't speak for any other company, but mine currently ignores software updates and only pushes out virus defs via logon script ( go figure, I can't convince them to do otherwise ).

[nuclearfly]

The last company I worked at, they had about 200 machines. Software deployment was handled by the poor IT guys walking around manually installing software on every machine that needed it. I was one of the poor IT guys. I attempted many times to get some kind of software depolyment working, but the company was run by ignorance, therefore I gave up hope.

http://www.hardfolding.com/utag.php/mem/1242.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=36&id=1242)

[PTNL]

i work for a software development firm. the network admin has symantec corp. edition on a antivirus server to check the other servers. developers are allowed to customize their laptops with whatever software deemed appropriate for work and security.

[Whatsisname]

very little software can be pushed out via Domain Policy. AD is pretty much only good for windows updates. Where i work software is pushed out by either deployment installers (norton corporate has a pretty sweet remote deployment installer) otherwise i just use a logon script to see if anything needs to happen.

I was wondering how the companies which have like 50+ computers do software deployment. I'm aware of the possibility of pushing SW through Active Directory or use some forms of scripting, but what do you do when there's let's say new version of antivirus software (or any other) that needs to be installed and it cannot be scripted nor pushed via AD - it requires some clicking and user input etc. Do you install that by going to each of the computers, login as admin, installing the SW, then moving to other? Wouldn't you go insane after doing this on 100 or more computers?
Just wondering how this is achieved :)

[djnes]

SMS is probably going to be the most common answer. 50+ isn't usually big enough to develop something in house, like we have done at HP. Most of the client sites I go to from other companies are using SMS though.

[ktwebb]

SMS. Lots of enterprise solutions that do similar work. Groupwise from Novell, some already mentioned. If your a pure windows environment then SMS 2003 works very well, IF you can afford it.

[Qualm]

For companies that are too small or too cheap to afford SMS, software installs and upgrades = IT job security. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth :p

[ColinR]

Our apps are put on at os installation time by a script that has been customised on a per-machine basis using a Wizard style front end. A wrapper surrounds the installation of apps (as all machines have exactly the same drive structure). Not sure how AV is handled. Windows Hotfixes are rigorously tested and grouped into a bunch before SMS deployment (and tagged on to the end of the script for new machines). We install approximately 20 machines *per day* this way (max we've done is about 35). About 3,000 employees in London (so I'm told) and everyone has at least one PC.