When a job is executed from the managing server, the client executes the required processing on the basis of instructions provided by the managing server. However, sometimes instructions from the higher system do not arrive, because of a communications error or a failure of the client PC to start properly. For such cases, the client uses a process called polling to connect to the higher system and check to see whether jobs addressed to the client system have arrived.

Whether or not polling is to be conducted and, if so, the interval at which polling is to be conducted, are specified on the Default Running Status/Polling page.

Figure 11-4 Default Running Status/Polling page

If jobs will be received with the Install when system starts option specified, you should select the Client will poll the managing server check box and the Start polling when the client program starts check box.

The timing of software installation on the client can vary as follows, depending on whether The first polling is executed is specified as Before the client starts or After the client starts.

Before the client starts

This option performs polling before startup programs are started. Therefore, if the client had not been started at the time for execution of installation jobs, the packages can be downloaded in response to polling before the client is started, and the installation process will be completed all at once (just before the system starts).

After the client starts

This option, which does not conduct polling before startup programs are started, enables the startup programs to start faster. However, because the system had not been started at the job execution time and packages cannot be downloaded until after the system has started, processing of Install when system starts jobs must wait until the next time the system is started.

For example, the following figure shows three installation timings that can occur when a job, scheduled for installation at 05/21/03 05:00 is executed at 01:00 on 05/21/03.

Figure 11-5 Differences in installation timing due to polling settings

Specifying Before the client starts offers the benefit of completing the installation process all at once at one system startup. However, if programs are registered in the Software Distribution Client Setup folder, these programs will not be started until after packages downloaded through polling have been installed, resulting in an installation delay of dozens of seconds. To speed up the startup of programs that are registered in the Software Distribution Client Setup folder, specify After the client starts. In this case, these programs are started without waiting for polling. For details about how to register programs into the Software Distribution Client Setup folder, see (2) Moving startup programs below.

Programs that are registered in the Startup group of the Start menu start automatically when Windows starts. However, because the time at which Install when system starts jobs execute is virtually the same as the time at which Windows starts, an attempt to remotely install programs while startup programs are being started causes the installation process to fail. To prevent such failures when there are programs registered in the Startup group, you can create a Software Distribution Client Setup folder at each client and move the startup programs into this folder. Then, the client will manage the programs registered in the Software Distribution Client Setup folder so that they do not start until after system startup installation processing is completed. As a result, the timing for automatic program startup does not overlap remote installation timing.

The default is that a Software Distribution Client Setup folder is not created. You can create it by taking one of the following actions:

• During installation, from the Set Options dialog box, select Create Software Distribution Client Startup folder.
• On the Startup page of Client Setup, select Create Software Distribution Client Startup folder.

You can move the Software Distribution Client Setup folder to the Startup group either automatically or manually. These methods are explained below.

(a) Automatic moving

You can automatically move the shortcuts for programs in the Startup group to the Software Distribution Client Startup group according to setup specifications. To specify the automatic move option, select the check box Move programs in the Startup group to the Software Distribution Client Startup group on the Startup page.

In addition, you can specify for each program individually whether or not it is to be moved to the Software Distribution Client Startup group. To do this, select the check box Move programs in the Startup group to the Software Distribution Client Startup group, and choose the Browse button.

To move a program, you must first select the check box that is located above the list of programs in the Select the shortcuts to move menu. If this check box is not selected, programs cannot be moved to the Software Distribution Client Startup group.

Figure 11-6 Startup page

If customization of the Startup icon move option results in a program being excluded from the list of programs to be moved and as a result it is left in the Startup group, installation during system startup may fail.

Program shortcuts are moved automatically at the following times:

• After setup is executed
• When the user logs off or the system is shut down
• After a remote installation job is executed

The following program shortcuts are not moved automatically:

• Programs on the list when the check box above the Select the shortcuts to move menu is not selected.
• Programs that are installed and registered in the Startup group manually while the client is shut down.
• Programs that are installed and registered in the Startup group manually while the client is in non-resident status.

(b) Manual moving

If the Create Software Distribution Client Startup folder check box is selected but the check box Move programs in the Startup group to the Software Distribution Client Startup folder is not selected on the Startup page during setup, the startup programs will not be moved automatically. In such a case, you can use a manual procedure to move to the Software Distribution Client Startup folder the shortcuts for the programs registered in the Startup group. In addition, when you register new startup programs, you must register them into the Software Distribution Client Startup folder.

(c) Notes on using Windows NT

• Normally, if you log on under a user ID other than the user ID used when the client was installed in order to specify automatic move of startup programs, the programs in the Software Distribution Client Startup folder will not start. To resolve this problem when the client is to be used by multiple users, deselect the check box Move programs in the Startup group to the Software Distribution Client Startup group.
• When automatic move of startup programs is used, the Software Distribution Client Startup folder is created in both the common program folder and the personal program folder.
• When a program is registered manually into the Software Distribution Client Startup folder, the folder in which the program is created depends on whether the facility for installation with non-Administrator user permissions is used. If this facility is used, the program is created in a common program folder; otherwise, it is created in a personal program folder. If the client is to be shared by users with non-Administrator user permissions and users with Administrator permissions, you should specify that shortcuts be created in the Software Distribution Client Startup folder, so that the client can be accessed using either of the permissions.
• If a program that has been excluded from the list of moved program is already registered in the Software Distribution Client Startup group, it is returned to the Startup program. If the program being returned is already registered in the Software Distribution Client Startup (personal) group, it is returned to the personal Startup program. If the program is already registered in the Software Distribution Client Startup (common) group, it is returned to the common Startup program.

(d) Criteria for selection of shortcuts to be excluded from moving

If you exclude shortcuts in the Windows Startup group from the list of shortcuts to be moved, installation of the programs that use those shortcuts may fail during system startup. Therefore, it is best theoretically if all shortcuts are included in the shortcuts to be moved. However, moving some programs' shortcuts to the Software Distribution Client Startup folder can produce problems with version-upgrade installations or uninstallations. For example, for the Microsoft Office shortcut bar, uninstallation of the program is likely to fail if the associated shortcut is moved to the Software Distribution Client Startup folder. For this program, the associated shortcut should not be moved to the Software Distribution Client Startup folder.

In the case of a version-upgrade installation for a program whose shortcut has been excluded from being moved, you must shut down the program so that the installation processing can be executed while the system is active.