Technical white paper

HP Softpaq Download Manager and HP System Software Manager A Powerful Combination

Table of contents Executive summary ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Overview of HP SDM and HP SSM .............................................................................................................................................. 2

Use case for HP SDM and HP SSM ......................................................................................................................................... 2

Using HP SDM and HP SSM together .................................................................................................................................... 3

Setup and usage process ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

General requirements and setup ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Supported devices and SoftPaqs .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Downloading and installing HP SDM and HP SSM .............................................................................................................. 4

Setting up and using HP SDM ................................................................................................................................................. 4

Setting up HP SSM (admin mode) ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Setting up HP SSM (client mode) ............................................................................................................................................. 13

Maintenance process .................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Adding and removing SoftPaqs ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Advanced usage of HP SSM ....................................................................................................................................................... 13

Running HP SSM from removable media........................................................................................................................... 13

Updating the HP SSM database and CVA files via the command line .......................................................................... 14

Other HP SSM configuration options .................................................................................................................................. 14

Multiple file stores .................................................................................................................................................................. 14

Installing HP drivers and software using an application in MDT with HP SSM ............................................................... 14

Configuring HP SSM for use with a Task Sequence in MDT ........................................................................................... 14

Other HP solutions ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18

References .................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

For more information ................................................................................................................................................................. 18

Executive summary

Keeping the computers in a business up to date with the latest software and hardware updates presents a number of problems, including time, bandwidth, and logistical issues. HP offers two tools, HP SoftPaq Download Manager (SDM) and HP System Software Manager (SSM) that can be used together to help streamline the update process, reducing IT costs and improving the TCO for your HP PCs.

By using these tools, companies will be able to keep all of their HP computers up to date automatically with the latest SoftPaqs (software packages for updates to the drivers/BIOS and certain software for HP computers), instead of having to run each SoftPaq individually on each machine, not knowing if the SoftPaq actually needs to be installed or not.

The following topics are discussed in this document:

• Overview of HP SDM and HP SSM

• Setting up and using HP SDM and SSM

• Customizing usage of HP SDM and SSM

• Installing HP drivers and software using an application in Microsoft® Deployment Toolkit (MDT) with HP SSM

Overview of HP SDM and HP SSM

HP SDM is a software tool designed to streamline the download, extraction, and installation process of SoftPaqs. Instead of manually searching for and downloading each SoftPaq, IT personnel can find and grab all appropriate SoftPaqs for their machines with one tool.

HP SSM is a software tool designed to simplify the deployment of SoftPaqs to HP computers. The HP SSM tool detects which of the available SoftPaq updates apply to the system and installs them, so you do not have to worry about accidentally installing an older version. HP SSM accesses the SoftPaqs from the local network or local folder instead of downloading them from the internet, cutting down on update time and saving network bandwidth.

For more details on either of these tools visit the following websites:

• HP SDM: http://www.hp.com/go/SDM

• HP SSM: http://www.hp.com/go/ssm

Use case for HP SDM and HP SSM Using HP SDM and HP SSM to manage software updates is ideal for the following:

• Small to medium business sizes (1-100)

• Updating a group of computers outside normal IT maintenance

• Downloading SoftPaqs faster for Enterprise Customers

Note that HP SSM updates computers with SoftPaqs that are marked as HP SSM compliant only.

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Using HP SDM and HP SSM together

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Setup and usage process 1. Download and install HP SDM.

2. Configure HP SDM for the devices that you want to update.

3. Download the desired SoftPaqs.

4. Run HP SSM in Administrator Mode to prepare the download directory for HP SSM usage.

5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for any additional file shares that you want to create and use.

6. Manually share the file share, if necessary.

7. Either configure HP SSM to run at predetermined times on the devices or run HP SSM manually.

General requirements and setup HP SoftPaq Download Manager • .Net Framework 3.5 or later

• Broadband Internet Connection (Authenticated proxies supported: Basic, Digest, KLM, and Kerberos)

• 512 MB RAM minimum, 1 GB recommended

• Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012

HP System Software Manager • Computer to host a Windows-compatible file share

• Supported HP or HP Compaq computers attached to a network, running Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1

Note Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have higher minimum memory requirements.

Supported devices and SoftPaqs HP SDM and HP SSM are supported only for certain HP business products, including desktops, notebooks, tablets, workstations, and blades. Servers and consumer-level products are not supported with HP SDM or HP SSM. HP SDM indicates whether a SoftPaq is HP SSM compliant or not. If the SoftPaq is not marked as HP SSM compliant, HP SSM cannot be used to deploy that SoftPaq.

In addition, certain platforms and operating systems might not be supported by HP SDM or HP SSM. See the documentation that comes with HP SDM and HP SSM for details.

Downloading and installing HP SDM and HP SSM The latest versions of HP SDM and HP SSM are available from HP at http://www.hp.com/go/sdm and http://www.hp.com/go/ssm respectively.

To open HP SDM, go to Start > All Programs > HP > HP SoftPaq Download Manager.

When you install HP SSM, the program is created in Start > All Programs > Hewlett-Packard > System Software Manager; it is also available in Hewlett-Packard\SSM in the Program Files directory for 32-bit Windows systems and in Program Files (x86) directory for 64-bit Windows systems.

Setting up and using HP SDM Option 1: Using HP SDM to find updates for current device 1. Launch HP SDM.

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2. When prompted, select Show software for this model only.

Note To automatically install the updates on the current system, select Check software updates for this model. To download SoftPaqs to install on systems similar to the current platform, select Show software for this model only option.

3. The current platform is displayed and selected in the Product Catalog window automatically.

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4. Select the desired SoftPaqs from the Available SoftPaqs window.

Note Only SoftPaqs that are marked as SSM-compliant are added to the HP SSM database. To help with the selection process, you can have HP SDM select all HP SSM-compliant SoftPaqs by selecting Select SoftPaqs > Auto-Installable (SSM-Compliant).

5. After selecting the desired SoftPaqs, the following options are available in the Downloaded SoftPaqs window:

A. Download Only—This option downloads all selected SoftPaqs to the Download Folder (HP SSM Filestore) location found on the Download tab under Configuration Options.

B. Download & Unpack—This option downloads all selected SoftPaqs to the Download Folder (SSM Filestore) location found on the Download tab under Configuration Options and then unpacks each SoftPaq to the Unpack Directory location found on the Unpack tab under Configuration Options.

C. Download & Install—This option downloads all selected SoftPaqs to the Download Folder (SSM Filestore) location found on the Download tab under Configuration Options and then installs each SoftPaq on the current system via HP SSM.

Option 2: Using HP SDM to download SoftPaqs for multiple platforms 1. Launch HP SDM.

2. When prompted, select Show software for all supported models. If already in HP SDM, select Show All Products.

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3. Before downloading any SoftPaqs, set your preferences in the Configuration Options window. To open this window, select Tools > Configuration Options.

Tip After all the selections have been made, you can save the configuration file for future use and backup. This preserves the download directory, download structure, operating system and language settings, and the products you selected. To save this file, select File > Save Product Configuration.

For each tab, select from the following options:

– Download:

• Download Folder (SSM Filestore)—Set this option to a folder that you can share. This can either be a local folder or a mapped network drive/folder. This is the location of your HP SSM File Store.

• Download Folder Options—Select either Single Folder, to put all SoftPaqs in a single location, or Separate Folders by SoftPaq Name, to separate the SoftPaqs according to name.

– Unpack

• Unpack Directory—Select the location you want the SoftPaqs unpacked to after they are downloaded.

• Unpack Folder Options

i. Legacy Behavior—This option unpacks all selected SoftPaqs in either the established Download Directory or the Download tab.The unpack directory field is locked.

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ii. Separate by SoftPaq IDs—This option unpacks all selected SoftPaqs in the folder designated in the Unpack Directory. Individual SoftPaqs are unpacked in a unique folder based on the SoftPaq number (for example, \SPxxxxx) according to the SoftPaq category (Driver – Video, Driver – Audio, and so on).

iii. Separate Folders by SoftPaq Names—This option unpacks all selected SoftPaqs in the folder designated in the Unpack Directory. Individual SoftPaqs are unpacked in a unique folder based on the SoftPaq name (for example, HP Universal Camera Driver) according to the SoftPaq category (Driver – Video, Driver – Audio, and so on).

Figure 1. Example of Separate by SoftPaq IDs option

Figure 2. Example of Separate Folders by SoftPaq Names option

– OS Filter—Select the operating systems that are running on the network. Note that not all operating systems listed are supported by HP SSM. The list of operating systems supported by HP SSM is included in the HP System Software Manager User’s Guide, which is included in the HP SSM SoftPaq.

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– Language Filter—Select the desired languages for the operating systems on your network.

– Columns—Select which fields are displayed in the Available SoftPaqs window.

4. After all the Configuration Options have been set, select the respective platforms in the Product Catalog window and click Find Available SoftPaqs to display a list of the available SoftPaqs for your selected systems.

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5. Select the desired SoftPaqs from the Available SoftPaqs window.

6. After selecting the desired SoftPaqs, the following options are available in the Downloaded SoftPaqs window:

A. Download Only—This option downloads all selected SoftPaqs according to the settings established in the Download tab in the Configuration Options dialog. The default option is a single folder located at C:\SoftPaqDownloadDirectory.

B. Download & Unpack—This option downloads all selected SoftPaqs according to the settings established in the Unpack tab in the Configuration Options dialog. The default option is Legacy Behavior, which unpacks in the Download directory located at C:\SoftPaqDownloadDirectory.

7. After the download is complete, the SoftPaqs can either be installed directly via HP SSM or imported into a management solution.

Note To quickly view the contents of either the Download folder or the Unpack folder, use the Explore menu in the Downloaded SoftPaqs window.

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8. After the SoftPaqs have been downloaded, unpacked, and installed, they are displayed in the Downloaded SoftPaqs window. Right-click on any SoftPaq in this window to see the following options:

A. View SoftPaq Release Notes—Provides detailed information about the SoftPaq contents, including title, version, description, operating system support, hardware support, and fixes.

B. View SoftPaq CVA—Provides detailed installation instructions, including silent install instructions, as well as any dependencies.

C. Install SoftPaq—Provides the capability to silently install the SoftPaq directly from within HP SDM.

D. Copy SoftPaq to Directory—Provides the capability to copy the SoftPaq EXE, CVA, and HTML files to a designated folder other than the Download folder.

Setting up HP SSM (admin mode)

The HP SSM admin mode setup includes accepting the license agreement, configuring user options, and building a database (called the Update Information Database or UID) of SoftPaq information from the CVAs. This information is used by clients when HP SSM runs in client mode.

Note The HP SSM admin mode setup process must be run after the SoftPaqs have been downloaded.

To run and setup HP SSM in admin mode, perform the following:

1. In the Program Files or Program Files (x86) directory, select Hewlett-Packard\SSM to run SSM.exe.

2. When prompted for the location of the file store, browse to the HP SDM download directory. Enter the name you wish to use for the file store. Click Next.

3. If you are presented with a message about SSM.CAB missing, double-click the specified text to copy the file to the file store, then click Next until you reach client options.

4. Select the box Reboot client upon completion of upgrades. Click Next.

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5. This step is required if the client system has a BIOS setup password and the BIOS needs to be updated. Click Browse to navigate to the location of an encrypted password or click Launch to display the HPQPswd dialog and create an encrypted password.

A. Enter the Password to be encrypted and then Re-enter Password. For example, P@ssw0rd1234.

B. Browse to the local HP SSM file store and save the encrypted password bin file. Note that the password bin can be named any name.

6. Click Next until you reach the Build Database window.

7. Select the Check ftp.hp.com for CVA file updates box. This causes HP SSM to update the specification file for each SoftPaq, which might include bug fixes and expanded coverage.

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8. Click Build Database. Wait for the build process to finish.

9. Click Finish to complete the process.

10. Copy SSM.EXE to the root of the HP SDM download directory. This enables easier execution of SSM from the network.

The devices need access to the file store containing the SoftPaqs to run HP SSM properly. HP SSM tries to create the share automatically; however, this might not work in certain cases, such as domain settings or the share being located on another computer, so you might need to share and/or change the settings of the target folder manually.

Setting up HP SSM (client mode)

In client mode, HP SSM uses the information in the UID database to query for applicable SoftPaqs. If no database is present, HP SSM dynamically creates a temporary database on the device by reading each CVA in the file store over the network. For optimal performance, make sure that the HP SSM database is present in the file store and is up to date.

To run HP SSM in client mode, you must specify the location of the file store and any other desired command-line switches as parameters. SSM.exe should be run from the root of the file store.

The recommended command used to run SSM is:

<file store path>\SSM.EXE . /INSTALL

To prevent network authentication issues, HP recommends mapping the network share to a drive letter, and then using that mapped network drive as the file store path.

There are multiple options to run HP SSM:

• Manual execution

• Scheduled Tasks

• Third-party management tool

You can use the Scheduled Tasks feature in Windows automatically run HP SSM on a regular basis. Depending on the device operating system, the setup process varies.

If you use the Scheduled Tasks feature, HP recommends setting the following options:

• In Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1, select the Run with highest privileges option. No UAC prompt appears when this option is set.

• To ensure that updates are applied, allow HP SSM to run even when the user is logged off, and add the reboot command-line option as a parameter.

Maintenance process

Adding and removing SoftPaqs The HP SDM catalog updates on Monday nights (US CST). If you are looking for the latest updates for your devices, check at that time.

As SoftPaqs are added, you might want to remove older or unnecessary updates from the share to reduce size. This can be done manually by clicking the Explore button in HP SDM. Be sure to remove the .exe and the corresponding .cva file when removing a deliverable. After adding and removing SoftPaqs, reload the configuration file in HP SDM to get an updated list of downloaded SoftPaqs. Note that SoftPaqs deleted from the Download Directory now appear in the Available SoftPaqs list.

The HP SSM database also needs to be rebuilt to reflect the updated HP SSM file share. Either go hrough the HP SSM setup process again or use the command-line option. For details, see Advanced usage of HP SSM.

Advanced usage of HP SSM

Running HP SSM from removable media HP SSM can be run directly from removable media, such as a USB flash drive or a portable hard drive.

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The setup process is similar to the setup to use HP SSM across the network, except that the HP SSM file store is copied to a USB flash drive instead of being shared across the network. HP SSM is then run directly from the USB flash drive. This can be useful for updating devices not attached to a network or for devices with special considerations.

HP recommends creating a .bat file located in the root of the HP SSM folder with a command that executes SSM with the desired parameters. This allows for easy double-click execution when moving from device to device.

Note Certain SoftPaqs that deal with USB flash drives (such as Bluetooth drivers) might interfere with the operation of the update process in HP SSM, if run from a removable drive. To work around this, copy the HP SSM directory to the local hard drive and run HP SSM from there.

Updating the HP SSM database and CVA files via the command line Instead of using the HP SSM wizard to rebuild and update the database, you can perform the process via the command line. The command is as follows:

SSM /AM_BLD_DB

SSM.exe must be running and located in the root of the file store for this command to work.

This command also updates the CVA files by downloading the updated files from the HP server. Each SoftPaq comes with a CVA file that determines which SoftPaq applies to which devices. Sometimes these CVA files are updated to add supported machines or operating systems, or to fix errors. If you do not wish to update the CVA files, use the /NOCVAUPDATE switch.

Other HP SSM configuration options HP SSM has a number of command-line switches and options that can be used during the setup and execution process. For more details on these options, see the HP Software System Manager User Guide included with HP SSM.

Multiple file stores You can share copies of the HP SSM file store on more than one computer, or use multiple HP SDM configurations and download directories to create different HP SSM file stores. By spreading the load, you might be able to alleviate network performance issues and help simplify the update process when updating a large number of devices via HP SSM.

Installing HP drivers and software using an application in MDT with HP SSM

Configuring HP SSM for use with a Task Sequence in MDT 1. Create a new application in MDT.

A. Open the DeploymentWork bench and navigate to Deploymentbench > Deployment Shares > MDT Deployment Share (C:\DeploymentShare\).

B. Right click Applications and select New Application.

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C. In the New Application wizard, select Application without sources files or elsewhere on the network.

D. Click Next.

2. Enter an application name and details like in the following example.

– Application Name: SSM

– Version: 3.1.10.1

– Language: English

3. Click Next.

4. Specify the required command line options in the command line box.

(It is highly recommended to use the /noreboot switch and let MDT handle the reboot in the task sequence.)

5. In the Working directory box, add the network share that holds the SSM files.

6. Press Next a couple of times, and then click Finish to complete the wizard.

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7. Add the application SSM to the task sequence by double-clicking the desired task sequence in the deployment share and selecting the Task Sequence tab.

In the State Restore group there is a folder called Custom Tasks. This is an ideal location for placing the SSM application and other related tasks.

8. Many HP SoftPaqs require a different version of the .NET Framework than is included in the native OS being deployed. It is recommended that you use the MDT Roles and Features task to install the required prerequisites prior to running SSM.

9. After installing the required prerequisites, click Add > General > Install Application.

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10. Select Install a single application and browse to the SSM application created earlier.

11. On the option tab, add an If statement and select Any.

12. Attach the following WMI query to the if statement to make the step run on only HP computers:

SELECT * FROM win32_ComputerSystem WHERE Manufacturer=”Hewlett-Packard”

13. It is recommended that you add a Restart computer task after running SSM.

Note When HP SSM is executed, it checks the driver’s folder for missing drivers and applications for the device.

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Other HP solutions

For management needs that require more than HP SDM and HP SSM, HP offers a variety of solutions. Go to http://www.hp.com/go/clientmanagement for more details.

References

HP Client Catalog for Microsoft System Center products

• http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/clientmanagement/microsoft.html

HP Client Management Solutions

• http://www.hp.com/go/clientmanagement

Microsoft .NET Framework

• http://www.microsoft.com/net/

Windows XP Corporate Deployment tools and documentation

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321880

System Preparation Tool and Answer File Usage

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314460

Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) download

• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=10333

Windows Automated Installation Kit

• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc748933(WS.10).aspx

For more information

To learn more about HP business notebooks and desktops, contact your local HP sales representative or visit http://www.hp.com/go/notebooks and http://www.hp.com/go/businesspc.

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© Copyright 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are U.S. registered trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under vendor's standard commercial license.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Third Edition: August 2014 First Edition: April 2012