Policy

When you assign a package to an installation target, the system generates a policy ("set of valid rules"). This policy ultimately determines the desired status of computers.
The policy serves only as a template for the individual policy instances which are created for the associated computers.

The following policy types exist:

Standard: for automatic installation by the AutoInstaller

Job: for the repeated or event-triggered automatic installation by the AutoInstaller.
You can select time intervals (AutoInstall cycle, weekly etc.) and specific installation events (starting of an Installer session, of a Software Set, errors) as event triggers.
This option can be made available in the Software Shop (for example for recurring backup jobs). To do so, specify On  Demand for the job policy's Instance Creation Mode property.

Deny: for prohibiting the installation for a particular installation target

Shop policy: A shop policy serves as a "bonus" for a standard policy. As soon as a user installs a package interactively from the Software Shop, the system creates the respective policy instances and hands them over to the Installer for installation.
A shop policy differs from a standard policy because it has the Instance creation mode property which is set to On demand for the shop policy.

Assignment of packages with the help of policies can be made in the Organization view of the DSMC.
Here, you can either start with a package and specify the desired installation targets or else you can start with an installation target and specify the desired packages - including by drag & drop.

Properties

The characteristics of policies are outlined below:

• A policy has a set of properties which, depending on package type, can be varied.
  (e.g. ID, originator, installation status, execution mode, wake-on-install etc.)
• The priority of a policy helps solve conflicts: If the same package has been assigned to a computer more than once, the actual installation depends on the value of the individual priority. The policy that has the highest priority (=lowest value) 'wins' and will be installed.
• Activation start and Activation end are specified per policy.
  You can specify an activation start for a policy instance; the activation end can only be specified for the policy and therefore is valid for all instances derived from this policy.
  If the activation start is set to a date and time in the future, a WakeUp mode can also be set to start the Installer and possibly the computer in time.
• With the Instance creation mode you can specify whether the system creates instances automatically (with the AutoInstaller) or interactively (with the Software Shop) or whether there will be no more new instances at all. Three values are possible: Automatic, On Demand or Stopped. By changing this property you can change a Shop Policy to a standard policy which will be installed automatically.
• The status of a policy can be either active or inactive.
  Inactive deactivates the policy and all policy instances derived therefrom and allows certain policy properties to be changed.
  This setting has no influence on the status of installed packages.
• One of the special properties of policies is that they can specify whether certain users or computers should be excluded from the assignment.
• A policy can take over installation parameters of packages in order to modify these on a per assignment basis. To this end, the installation parameters have to be pre-prepared accordingly in the Packaging Workbench.

Specifics

Policies have the following specifics:

• For every computer concerned, a policy instance for which certain properties can be altered is derived from the policy.
  In this sense, the policy is a "template" for the resulting policy instances: the properties of the policy are passed on to the policy instance.
  If the policy instance already exists, it will only inherit properties for which no individual instance values have yet been defined.
• A policy is "visible" in the context of the package concerned and in the context of the relevant "installation target container" (domains, OUs and groups).
  When these are "opened", the policy instances for individual computers are displayed.
  (For individual computers, only the policy instance is "visible".
  For Deny policies and Shop policies there are no instances!)
• Software Sets:
  Policies and policy instances are always created separately for each component. Generally, the same rules apply that apply to "normal" packages.

Depending on the package type, certain peculiarities and restrictions may apply to policies:
Patch Packages, Driver Packages and OS Installation Sets can only have the policy type Standard or Deny. Moreover, special properties and behaviors apply to these packages.
Assignments to users are possible for all package types except OS packages (where DSM OSD is used).