Using software distribution bundles

A bundle is a collection of software distribution packages and/or bundles that you can schedule and run as if it were just a single package. A bundle can also be used in place of a package. For example, when scheduling a distribution task, you can use bundles in the package order (preliminary, main, and final).

It's possible to create bundles within bundles, but you can only adjust the installation order for items at the selected bundle's root level. Each bundle and sub-bundle has its own installation order.

In the bundle properties you can specify that the bundle can't be scheduled. This is useful for bundle organization and helps prevent accidental deployments of those organizational bundles. For example, you could have a "Microsoft" bundle that contains all of the Microsoft applications you support.

The bundle properties also allow you to insert Reboot and Continue on install failure inter-package actions. A reboot action on a package will reboot the device after that package installs and the bundle then continues where it left off. If it's OK for a particular package to not install correctly, assign it the Continue on install failure action.

A bundle can contain both Windows and OS X application packages. If an application is available on both operating systems, you can provide a package for each operating system in the same bundle. In this case, the bundle will automatically install the correct package for the target device.

To create a bundle
  1. Click Tools > Distribution > Distribution packages.
  2. In the Distribution packages tree, right-click a category or a bundle in a category, and click New package bundle.
  3. Edit the bundle name and click enter.
  4. Drag packages and other bundles onto the bundle you created to add them.
To change the package order in a bundle
  1. Right-click the bundle you want and click Properties.
  2. On the Bundle package settings page, use the Up and Down buttons to reorder the root-level items in that bundle.
To add an inter-package action
  1. Right-click the bundle you want and click Properties.
  2. On the Bundle package settings page, in the right pane select the package needing an inter-package action.
  3. In the left pane under Inter-package actions, select the action you want and click >>.