Installing and Updating maestro* Using a Group Policy (GPO) Version 3.05 MS SQL

objective

Installing maestro* using a Group Policy (GPO) lets you deploy maestro* automatically on workstations without the user having to be a Windows administrator on their workstation. This document presents the different steps necessary to its deployment.

 

Please read and understand this document in its entirety before starting the procedure.

 

 

This procedure is the responsibility of your IT team and is not of Maestro Technologies. In addition, the following procedure is an example and is not binding on Maestro Technologies: some steps may be performed differently.

 

Prerequisites

  • The server on which the GPO will be created must have Windows Installer 4.5 or a higher version.
  • The target computers must be part of the domain.
  • The target computers must have Microsoft.NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.
  • The target computers must have Windows Installer 4.5 or a higher version.
  • The users on target computers must be logged off of their Windows session to receive updates, otherwise, they may have to restart their computer.
  • Maestro* must be installed on the server first. Maestro* kits must be published after the update.
  • A software which allows the creation of MSI files must be installed. The recommended software is ORCA.

 

Summary

Installing and updating maestro* using a GPO involve the following steps :

 

We invite you to consult the Appendix (Troubleshooting table) at the end of this document.

 

Steps

Initial configuration of the GPO

Preparation of the distribution directory for the GPO

  1. On your maestro* server, create a directory, for example D:\Maestro.GPO and share it on the network.
  2. Add read permissions to the directory and sharing for the Domain Computers group.
 

The network share must be accessible in read mode to the Domain Computers group. If the directory is a sub-directory on an existing share, the share must also be accessible in read mode to the Domain Computers group.

 

Defining target computers with the GPO in the Active Directory

Creating a Security Group
  1. From the Active Directory, create a security group containing all targeted computers in an Organizational Unit (OU) of your choosing. Computer for example.
  2. Using the right clic button on them ouse, select Computer, press New, the Group, and enter maestro.GPO.Workstations.
  3. Check Global and Security, then click on Ok.
Adding Targeted Computer to the Group
  1. Double-clic on the group named maestro.GPO.Workstations and select the Members tab.
  2. Click on Add, then Change Types.
  3. Check Computers, then click on Ok.
  4. Add in this group all computers which must receive maestro* updates from a GPO, then click Ok.
  5. Close the Active Directory.
 

It is very important to target computers for the GPO and not users directly.

 

Creating the group policy to deploy maestro* via GPO

  1. Launch Group Policy Management: type GPMC.MSC in the Run box or launch it by clicking its icon in the Start menu.
 

GPEDIT.MSC is not the correct utility: it only edits local policies and not the domain policies.
  1. Open the Domains node in the Forest: your domain node.
  2. Right click the Your domain node and then Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here…

  1. Name the new GPO maestro.client.

  1. Click the maestro.client item in the Group Policy Management window, now available under your domain name.
  2. In the Scope tab, remove all items in the Security Filtering section and then add the security group you just created.

Other settings to be activated in the GPO

  1. Make a right-clic on the maestro.client GPO, then click on Edit.
  2. Go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates.
  3. Activate the following settings:

Node

Action

System

Activate the Verbose vs normal status message option.

Logon

Activate the Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon option.

Group Policy

Activate the Startup policy processing wait time option.
  1. Enter the value 30 seconds in the Amount of time to wait field and click on Ok.
  2. Close the GPO editor.

 

These settings will not be effective the first time the GPO will be executed. Therefore, the very first time, the maestro*/GPO update may not install until after the 2nd attempt or after the settings have been applied at least once.

To overcome this issue, prepare the GPO in advance without adding any MSI kit. Settings will thus be applied and effective when a maestro* update will be deployed.

 

The initial configuration of your GPO for maestro* deployment is now completed. You may now move to the next step: Updating or installing maestro* using a GPO.

 

Updating or installing maestro* using GPO

MSI kits extraction from the .exe file

In this step of the installing and updating from a GPO process, we will extract the required MSI packages from the .exe file, available from Guide website.

  1. Go to Guide website.
  2. Download the appropriate version from the Downloads tab.
  3. Open a Command Prompt with Administrative rights.
  4. Enter the following command: Maestro3.0X.XX.000.exe /stage_only /extract=1 /ISRootStagePath="C:\maestro_kits" /silent
 

Modify the file name Maestro3.0X.XXX.XXX.exe for the downloaded installation file name.

This command will result in the extraction of the suite packages in such a way they are put in C:\maestro_kits.
  1. Copy the following MSI kits into the Maestro.GPO directory, created previously :
    • Maestro.Kit.msi
    • MaestroThirdParties.Kit.msi
    • MaestroOutlookAddInSetup.3.0X.XXX.msi
    • Maestro Amyuni.msi
    • Redemption.v5.11.ForOutlook.x64.msi or Redemption.v5.11.ForOutlook.x86.msi (depending on the Outlook version used: x64 for Outlook 64bit or x86 for Outlook 32bit).
  2. Rename Maestro.Kit.msi using the current version number, for example Maestro.Kit.msi will become Maestro.3.05.XX.msi.
  3. Rename MaestroThirdParties.Kit.msi with the current version number, for example: MaestroThirdParties.Kit.mis becomes MaestroThirdParties3.05.XXX.XXX.msi.
 

This last step when installing or updating maestro* using a GPO is paramount!

It is very important to only change what is described in the preceding procedure at the risk of seeing your installation not working or failing.

 

Creating a modified installation file for SQL mode

 

The steps toward the creation of a modified installation file must only be made upon the first creation of the GPO.

  1. Download the Windows 10 SDK ISO file using this LINK.
  2. Open ISO in a virtual CD player and open the Installers directory.
  3. Launch Orca-x86_en_us.msi to install it.
  4. Open a Windows explorer.
  5. Open the previously created MaestroGPO directory.
  6. Using the mouse's right button, click on the maestro* kit that was previously named Maestro3.05.XXX.XXX.msi.
  7. Choose Edit with Orca.
  8. Click on the Transform menu.
  9. Click on New Transform and give the application time to open the msi kit.
  10. Select the Feature table.
  11. On the Feature Mertech line, in the Level column, replace the 0 by 1.

  1. Open the Transform menu.
  2. Select the Generate Transform… option.
  3. Browse until you reach the MaestroGPO directory.
  4. Change the name in the File name section for MaestroKit.msi.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Once again click on the Transform menu.
  7. Select Close Transform and then close Orca.

 

Adding maestro* MSI kits to the GPO

  1. In the GPO management console, click the maestro.client GPO and then, right click Edit… This action will allow you to open the Group Policy Management editor.

  1. Go to section Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings.
  2. Right click Software Installation.
  3. Click New then, Package…

  1. Browse until you reach the shared MaestroGPO directory from the UNC path (\\NomServeur\MaestroGPO) and choose one of the previously copied kits, the one extracted from the MSI kits in the .exe file.
 

Use the network share (created when preparing the distribution directory for the GPO) to choose one of the copied MSI kits. It is not possible to access the kits if the specified path is a local one.

Make sure the version number appears in the name of the kits to be selected, for example Maestro.3.4.11.000.msi.
  1. In the Deploy Software window, select Advanced and click OK.

 

There may be a delay of a few minutes while the kit is analyzed and added to the GPO. It will look like nothing is happening on the screen but you need to be patient and wait until the process is complete.

If you receive an error message at this stage, it is likely that your server does not have Windows Installer 4.5. You can install Windows Installer 4.5 using Windows Update. This component is included with Windows 2008 R2 and higher (for servers) and any Windows version after Windows 7.
  1. Repeat these steps for every MSI kit listed below, taking care to indicate which versions are for Maestro.KIT and MaestroThirdParties, then follow the specific method for Maestro.Kit.
    • Maestro Amyuni.msi
    • MaestroOutlookAddInSetup.3.04.010.msi
    • Redemption.v5.11.ForOutlook.x64.msi or Redemption.v5.11.ForOutlook.x86.msi (depending on the Outlook version used: x64 for Outlook 64bit or x86 for Outlook 32bit; only one of the two must be installed).
    • MaestrothirdParties.3.05.XXX.XXX.msi
      • In the General tab, rename the kit with the current version's number, for example: Maestro Third Parties 3.05.0XX.XXX
    • Maestro3.05.XXX.XXX.msi (pay attention)
      1. In the General tab, rename the kit with the current version's number, for example: Maestro 3.05.0XX.XXX.
      2. In the Modifications tab, click on Add then select MaestroKit.msi, which was previousl created.
      3. Click on Ok and give the tool time to generate the package.

  1. Close all windows; your GPO is ready and will be applied to the targeted stations. The maestro* installation will be done upon the opening of each targeted work station, before or during connection. On customer stations, the following message will appear before displaying the user's desktop.

 

Updating maestro* from a GPO

 

The regularly updated kits are Maestro.Kit.msi and MaestroThirdParties.Kit.msi.
  1. In the GPO management console, click the maestro.client GPO and then, right click Edit… This action will allow you to open the Group Policy Management editor.

  1. Go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings.
  2. Right click on Software Installation.
  3. Click New, then click on Package…
  4. Select the MSI that must be updated.
  5. Click Open, select Advanced, then click on Ok.
  6. In the General tab, rename the kit with the current version number, for example: Maestro 3.05.0XX.XXX.
  7. In the Upgrades tab, click on Add….
  8. Leave the Current Group Policy Object (GPO) option checked by default.
  9. Choose the MSI package version that must be updated. For example: Maestro 3.05.024.090. If there are more than one version, choose the most recent.
  10. Select the Uninstall the existing package, then install the upgrade package option.
  11. Click on Ok, then on Ok once more to close the Maestro Properties window.

  1. Close all windows; your GPO is ready and will be applied to the targeted workstations. Maestro* installation will occur when starting the chosen workstations, before or after the connection. Users will see the following message on their workstation screens, before viewing their desktop:

Annex

Troubleshooting Table

Problem/Question

Solution/Answer

Maestro* is not installing and the GPO seems correct. On the failed workstation(s), you observe:

  • In the event viewer, you see events 101, 103, 108 and 1112.
  • The details of event 101 indicate error 1274 when assigning the application.
  1. Check that all of the GPO settings specified in the Other parameters to be activated in the GPO section have been applied.
  2. Enable the Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon policy. To do this, edit your maestro.client policy and navigate to:
 

GPO maestro.client > Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Logon
  1. Double click Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon.
  2. Click Enabled.
  3. Close all editing windows of the maestro.client strategy.

Can I remove old MSI kits in my deployment directory?

In short, no.

We recommend against removing old MSI from your deployment directory because workstations that have installed these kits may reference them in the future, either to repair or uninstall.

We recommend that you always keep at least two previous versions that you deployed in GPO mode in your GPO deployment directory.

When does the group policy apply?

When the workstation is started.

Group policies that install software targeting a workstation (rather than a user) typically perform their functions when the workstations start. Therefore, starting the workstation while the GPO is being applied will take longer than usual because maestro* will be installed.

 

Last modification: September 19, 2024