Managing Software Profiles

Software profiles allow you to organize and configure software for deployment to AIDC devices. Add software packages to the profile, configure them, and schedule how and when they are installed. When the profile is enabled and applied to a folder, the software packages associated with the profile are installed on devices meeting the selection criteria for the profile and packages.

Selection criteria determine which devices receive the software profile. Only devices that meet the selection criteria for the software profile will receive the software associated with the profile. For information about creating selection criteria, see Building Selection Criteria.

Software profiles only distribute software to AIDC devices. For information about distributing software to smart devices, see Software Payload.

Creating Software Profiles

Use software profiles to organize and configure software for deployment to AIDC devices. The folder selected when you create the profile will be the profile's home folder.

To create a software profile

1.From the Profiles tab, click New Profile.
The New Profile dialog box appears.

2.Click Software.
The New Profile page appears.

3.Type a name for the profile in the Name text box. Software profile names are case-sensitive and must be unique.

4.If desired, enable the profile.

5.Click Launch wizard to use the Selection Criteria Builder to determine which devices the software profile will be applied to. For details about creating and using selection criteria, see Using Selection Criteria.

6.Click Save.
The software profile is created and can be enabled and configured.

To clone an existing software profile

1.From the Profiles tab, select the profile you want to clone.
The profile's details page appears.

2.Click Clone.

3.Edit the new profile's details as needed and click Save.

4.Click Close.
The new profile appears in the original profile's folder location and is unassigned.

Managing Software Packages

After creating a software profile, add software packages to it for distribution. A software package bundles files so they can be installed together. This includes any support utilities used to configure or manage the application from the Avalanche Console. Avalanche software packages usually have default selection criteria that cannot be changed.

The Software Packages panel on the Software Profile Details page allows you to add and configure the software packages associated with that software profile. You can enable the package, configure how the package is activated and distributed, and use the package utilities to configure it.

In order to use package utilities to configure a package from the Web Console, you must have a current JRE installed on the computer where you are using the Web Console. Avalanche will download the configuration utility to the local computer to allow you to configure the package, and then save your changes to the package in the Enterprise Server database. You will be given a single-use password when you click Configure and download the configuration utility. When you open the utility, you'll be prompted for the single-use password in order to continue configuration.

The following details are displayed in the Software Packages Panel:

Package Name

Displays the name of the software package.

Configure

Displays the date, time, and user for the most recent package configuration.

Status

Displays the enabled/disabled status of the software package.

Type

Displays the type of the software package. Software packages are divided into the following categories:

Control. An internally used package specific to the Avalanche Console. For example, network profile.

Application. These packages install an application which can be run from the Application Menu screen on the mobile device. For example, the Telnet Client.

Support. These packages deliver files and do not add new items to the Application Menu screen on the mobile device. For example, a package that updates an existing file.

Auto Run. These packages automatically run after download but do not appear in the mobile device’s application list. For example, an Enabler Update Kit.

Version

Displays the version of the software package.

Title

Displays the title of the software package.

Vendor

Displays the vendor associated with the software package.

For information about creating and configuring software packages, see the following topics: