SupportAssist for Business PCs Deployment Guide for Partners

Generate the SupportAssist deployment package

1. Go to the directory where you downloaded the Deployment Package Manager file from TechDirect, and then extract the files.
2. Double-click SupportAssistDeploymentManager.exe to launch the Deployment Package Manager wizard.
3. On the Welcome page, click Next.
   The Activation page is displayed.

   NOTE:If a network connection is unavailable, an error message is displayed. To proceed with creating the deployment package, you can either connect to a network or enter the proxy details.
4. By default, the activation file is validated for a site. To activate a different site, perform the following steps:
   1. From the TechDirect dashboard, go to Connect and manage > Manage PC Fleet > Setup and connect > Download.
   2. Select the site and download the activation file.
   3. Import the activation file in Deployment Package Manager and click Validate activation file.
   The Deployment Mode page is displayed.
5. To modify the existing settings, optionally install any software add-ons, and configure the proxy, select Modify an existing SupportAssist deployment and click Next.
   The Software add-ons page is displayed.
6. Select your preferences for the following software add-ons and click Next:
   • Central Resource Manager—enables you to store BIOS administrator passwords for your PC fleet. SupportAssist uses the stored passwords to install BIOS updates on BIOS password-configured PCs. If you chose to download Central Resource Manager, perform the following steps:
     1. Enter the numeric seed value.

        The seed value is used for encrypting the BIOS passwords. You can use the same seed value to reinstall the Central Resource Manager without redeploying SupportAssist.

     2. Enter the IP address, hostname, or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the system on which the Central Resource Manager is installed.
     NOTE:All Central Manager Resource versions have expiry dates. You can view the expiry date for your version from Central Resource Manager version and validity and update to the latest version to ensure continued support.
   • Dell Trusted Device—a security agent that provides the security information for the connected PCs and enables you to verify the integrity of components in your PCs. For more information, see the SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Administrator Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs documentation page or see the Trusted Device manuals available on the Dell Trusted Device documentation page.
   The Proxy page is displayed.
7. If the PCs and the system on which the Central Resource Manager is installed, connects to the Internet through a proxy server, perform the following steps:
   1. Select Connect to the internet through a proxy and enter the address and port number.
   2. If the proxy server requires authentication, select This proxy requires authentication, and enter the username and password.
      NOTE:For the proxy server authentication, it is recommended that you provide the username and password of a service account that does not have an expiration date.
   3. In the Server certification validation section, select one of the following options:
      After deployment, SupportAssist validates the server certificates from remote servers, and verifies the certificate chain and certificate revocation status. If the certificate chain verification check fails, SupportAssist will not communicate with Dell, rendering it non-operational.

      • Perform check—SupportAssist performs the certificate revocation check and is operational only when the check has passed. If the check fails, SupportAssist is non-operational.
      • Skip check and continue—SupportAssist performs the certificate revocation check, and continues to be operational even if the revocation check fails.
   4. Click Next.
   The Preferences page is displayed.
8. To generate an encrypted deployment package, enter a key for encryption and click Next.

   The deployment key is similar to a password that you must create for encrypting the deployment package. You must use the same deployment key while deploying SupportAssist on your PCs. The same deployment key can also be used to create multiple deployment packages.

   NOTE:Ensure that you enter a key between four and ten characters that contain alphabets, numbers, and one of these special characters # & $.
   The Output page is displayed.
9. Perform the following steps:
   1. Select one of the preferred file formats for deployment—Windows Installer Setup Transform (MST) or Administrative Template Files (ADMX/ADML).
   2. Browse and select the folder where you want to extract the deployment package.
   3. Click Generate output.