Managed Software
With acmp Managed Software, you can automatically keep the software on your Clients up to date. The software catalog regularly provides you with the current, quality-assured software packages, which you can subscribe to individually as needed. Once Managed Software is configured, these packages are always downloaded automatically and deployed to the Clients via the test and release process you have selected. As a rule, the latest approved version is always deployed and installed, unless otherwise specified (e.g., by rejecting the latest version or through configurations in the test and release ring).
If a file repository is assigned to the agent, it will be able to download the Managed Software packages and Windows Update Management Updates from there. The Managed Software module is used to manage third-party software, apply patches to it, and enable installation and uninstallation.
Overview of Managed Software
Structure and Functionality
Once you have successfully completed the First Steps Wizard, you can access the Managed Software. The main components are the Dashboard, the software catalog, your individual subscription list, and the test and release process. These components perform the following functions:
| Component | Function |
| Dashboard | Uses widgets to provide a compact overview of specific info about the subscribed software. |
| Software Catalog | Contains all the software packages you can subscribe to. |
| Subscription List | Lists all the software packages you have subscribed to, including the available versions. |
| Test and Release Process | Using distribution rings, it enables you to configure a custom process for testing and approving the updates included in the software packages. This allows you to then securely distribute and install the updates on the Clients in your production network. |
First Steps Wizard in Managed Software
Before you can start working with Managed Software, you must first set up the solution. If this is the first time you're opening Managed Software, the First Steps wizard will display automatically. It will guide you through the necessary configurations step by step.
Tip: If you want to open the wizard later, you can do so via the Ribbon bar > First Steps.
Add an acmp license
On the first page of the wizard, you can add your license for Managed Software. To do so, click the Add License button and enter your license key in the dialog box that opens. Click the Verify button to see how many client licenses your key includes. Then confirm the key by clicking the OK button. Your license has now been added. Click Next >.
If you have already registered your license elsewhere or would like to use Managed Software with the evaluation license, click Next >.
Warning:
Not all software packages are available with an evaluation license. Additionally, with this license, Managed Software Jobs can only be run on a maximum of 15 Clients.
Add an acmp license (Managed Software)
Catalog Update
In the second step, download the Managed Software Catalog. This is necessary so that the latest data can be retrieved from the catalog and later loaded into your acmp Console. To do this, click Download Managed Software Catalog. The acmp server will now connect to the aagon server (msw.aagon.com (Port 443)) and download the catalog.
Make sure you have marked the port and URL listed above as trusted so that the download can finish successfully. For more information, see the chapter Setup Checklist.
Download the catalog
Once the download has finished successfully, the message “Download complete, please continue” will appear. Click Next > again.
Subscribe to Packages
On the last page of the wizard, you can now subscribe to the Managed Software packages. Here, you can select the available packages from the software catalog that you want to make available to your Clients. To do this, click on a software package to display its details.
If you want to select multiple software packages at once, you can use the Ctrl + left-click shortcut to make a multiple selection. Please note that the detail view is not available when multiple packages are selected.
In addition, you can use the search function and filters to find specific software, display software from certain categories, or filter the results based on your license type.
Tip: You can make changes to your software packages at a later time. This means you can easily add or remove packages at any time without any problems.
Subscribe to software packages
Note:
Please note that some Managed Software programs have prerequisites that must be met for a successful installation. These are listed under General Information > Description.
After you have selected the products that are relevant to you, you can click Done to exit the wizard. You will now be returned to the Managed Software dashboard, where you will see the “Download Job Status” widget. There, a value progress bar will show you the progress of the catalog Update and the package download. Once the package download is finished, you’ll find the software you subscribed to in the subscription list on the Managed Software tab. This completes the initial setup of your system, and you can now use Managed Software.
Managed Software Dashboard
The Managed Software Dashboard essentially consists of three widgets that provide you with the current data and information on the various packages and versions. This is based on the reconciliation of the data, which is displayed here in a synchronized manner. These are as follows:
| Status of Download Jobs | Displays the progress of the two download jobs (catalog Update and package download). You can also view the current progress of the job, as well as the start and finish dates and the result, directly from the widget. By default, the two jobs are run once a day. If you want to adjust the start condition, you can do so via Scheduled Server Tasks. What is the difference between the catalog Update and the package download? The catalog Update first downloads the metadata for the Managed Software packages. In the background, a definition file containing all necessary information is downloaded and saved. This allows you, for example, to view new versions or programs that you can subscribe to. The catalog Update serves purely as a display. The package download uses the downloaded metadata and then compares the list with the results from the Managed Software Scanner, thereby determining whether a newer version of the packages you’ve subscribed to is available. Only then are the packages downloaded. |
| New or updated Managed Software packages from the last 30 days | The widget displays all new Managed Software packages that have been added or changed in the last 30 days. The info is clearly organized in a grid and includes, for example, the software name, the manufacturer name, and the latest displayed version. |
| Unreleased Software Versions of Managed Software | Displays all unreleased Managed Software versions of the subscribed packages. This includes, for example, packages that are already undergoing a test and release process but for which the new version has not yet been released. |
Note:
For the last two widgets, you have the option to display the details in a query.
Managed Software Dashboards
Tip: For general notes and details on how to configure widgets, see the Dashboards chapter.