Creating and editing a rollout project
A rollout project can be created for either a software distribution or patch management task. You must choose which type of project it is before you can begin adding steps, because some steps are specific to the project type.
NOTE: You can use rollout projects if you have either the Software Distribution role or the Patch Management role.
You must pause a rollout project or a step before you can edit it. When a project is first created, it defaults to a paused state. If the project has already been created, right-click it and select Pause (exclude project from processing). For more information on what happens when a project is paused, see How a rollout project works.
When you create a rollout project, it has the following project options:
•Project type: Select the project type. You must select the project type and save the project before you can add steps to it.
•State: Determine whether the content in the project is processed by the project processor. If the project is set to Pause, the project processor ignores the project and content stays in the step it is assigned to. When the project is set to Active, the project processor evaluates the content in each step and determines which content needs to move to the next step.
•User scope when creating tasks: When you create tasks associated with the project, the tasks are limited to the scope set for the project. Rollout projects use the same scopes that are used in the rest of Endpoint Manager.
To edit the sender's address, email server address, username and password, click the Email send options link at the bottom of the page.
NOTE: These email settings are independent of other SMTP server settings that may be configured in other places in the Endpoint Manager console.
•Sender's address: The address that appears in the From field. Generally, people use this field to either indicate the purpose of the email, or an email address that the recipient can respond to if there are questions about the email.
•SMTP server: The address of the SMTP server.
•User name: A username to access the SMTP server.
•Password: A password to access the SMTP server.
•Addresses: The email recipients for the emails sent out for rollout projects. This list is for all rollout projects. Every time an email is sent for any rollout project, it is sent to the addresses in this list. If you want to send emails to a recipient only for a specific rollout project, use the Recipients page instead.
•Step duration exceeded: Configure the expected duration of the step, and send an email if content stays in the step longer than expected.
•Exit criteria met: Send an email when content has met the exit criteria for the step.
•Approval: Send an email when content has met all the other criteria for the step, but needs to be approved by an administrator before it can move to the next step.
•Recipients: The email recipients for the emails sent out for the selected rollout project. This list is only for the rollout project that you are currently editing. When an email is sent out for the project, it goes to the addresses on this list and the addresses on the global list (configured on the Addresses page of the project properties).
The Action history page allows you to view what actions have been performed by the rollout project, and what content was involved. Each time content enters a step, has actions applied, or is evaluated against exit criteria, that information is tracked in the action history.
Use the Action history page to search actions, or sort actions based on date, success or failure, or if they were performed for the entire project, a step, or content.
To create a rollout project
1.From the management console, click Tools > Security and Compliance > Rollout projects or Tools > Distribution > Rollout projects. Both paths open the same Rollout projects tool.
2.Click the New project or project step button in the Rollout projects toolbar.
3.Provide a name for the project, select the project type, and click Apply. The project defaults to a Pause state, and is not processed by the project processor until you change the state.
NOTE: You must select the project type and save the project before you can add steps to the project. This is because there are different steps available depending on the project type.
After you have selected the project type and saved the project, you can edit the project settings, add steps, and change the state to Play. For information about adding steps to a rollout project, see Adding steps to a rollout project.
To edit a rollout project
1.Open the Rollout projects tool.
2.Select the rollout project you want to edit. If it is in a play state, click the Pause button on the toolbar.
3.Edit the options for the project and click Apply.
4.To start the rollout project again, click Play on the toolbar.
General