Scripting

Yeah, that unknown is what I am trying to figure out. The example I used was just the easiest one to explain. Many of those sort of scenarios I can still implement using CIR, but some of my other use cases CIR is just not reliable enough. The issue is the ordering. Depending on when Kace applies labels it could have a major impact on Inventory and Software Deployment. I would hope that Kace runs an inventory, applies the proper labels, and then does Software Deployment. I am not even sure if applying labels is just integrated in to the inventory or if it is a separate process. The question is, does it attempt another inventory before trying to do 2nd and 3rd installations of Managed Installs. If I add a runkbot.exe 4 0 to the end of a script, this seems to work properly. The software gets installed and is removed from the label upon finishing the runkbot 4 0. However, I hate doing that sort of thing without knowing exactly what Kace is doing on the backend. I can see this causing potential issues and creating a lot of unneeded stress on the endpoints, the K1000 and bandwidth.

In regards to CIRs, I would rather unload the logic to a Label and just have dumb CIR or software versions. In practice, I would like to be able to even make a fake CIR that will 100% register as being uninstalled. Then just use a Label to handle installing the software, then immediately removing the Device from that label right after it is installed. This would also simplify my original issue of having to constantly check hundreds of items to ensure all OSes are still checked. Every time I go back and audit those there are things that have been unchecked in at least a few places. It drives me absolutely crazy that this has not been addressed. Though, I would likely still need to make 1 per managed install since you can't have multiple items attached.

I tend to stretch the limits of my K1000 and am using it to do a bit more than I think was intended. I use a very large number of labels, CIR, scripts, MIs, and have them all connected in some form or fashion. I use Kace as a form of config management more of less. I put all of my scripts in the KScript section, and then have a wrapper that I use in MIs to deploy my Kscripts. In my MIs I just use a custom command line where I run "wrapper.bat 243" where the 243 is the Script's ID number in the scripting section. That way I can just write a script once and also get a sort of "Run Now" capability to a Managed Install without doing it twice.

I was using CIR to monitor for the desired configs, settings, software, files, folder permissions, etc etc etc, but it is becoming a nightmare to manage due to Kace only being a 32 bit application. I just want to offload as much of that to labels as possible and try to lower the number of headaches I have to deal with caused by the 32bit issues or issues caused by trying to get around the 32bit limitation.

I have another new Idea I have been tossing around in my head. I am thinking of making a script that runs at maybe checkin. I am still thinking about how I would implement it, but it would basically be a single script that I build all of my logic into. I would just keep adding to that one single script. The script would either update an xml file or some form of config file that has the information I normally would have used a CIR to pull. It just runs at inventory, gathers everything in one swoop, and then I just build CIR that monitor that single XML or config for the improper values. I'm still thinking about this and might continue brainstorming about this sort of topic.




When did they add the ability to order Managed Installs? I was encountering some issues with this a while back and Support told me there was no way to Order them. I found out I could be watching one of the new KKEs that were uploaded a few days back. - gerane 8 years ago