[dropscience]

I AM OFFICIALLY FRUSTRATED.

Our corporate environment takes applications and distributes them centrally to end-user PCs through an "image". It's actually through Novell's AOT/SUSE distribution process, much like WSUS.

Anyhow, we created an image for DTM 4.2. Sent it out to users who have the Blackberry Pearl and this is where we run into an issue. Installation works but the Pearl is NEVER detected. "Mass Storage Device" is found but NEVER the Blackberry.

FINE. Start, My Computer, Hardware, Device Manager, USB Controllers, Blackberry Device. Update the driver to the USB Drivers in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion. It updates the driver to the latest one dated 2006/10/05. At this point, the Blackberry is detected now by DTM 4.2.

Unfortunately, this solution only works 50% of the time. Half the time the Blackberry Device doesn't even show up in the Device Manager so I can't even force the driver to be "updated".

There is TOO MUCH inconsistency here to get it to work. As a result, we have held off on activating/ordering any Blackberry Pearls. I'm going to guess this problem is going to carry-over to the 8800 as well. Windows doesn't have the correct drivers off the bat to communicate with these Blackberry units and apparently the driver push down from DTM 4.2 isn't always for sure either.

And if that wasn't enough, if users had previous versions of DTM installed, the DTM 4.2 installation wouldn't work 1/2 the time.

Thanks for hearing me gripe!! I'm open to suggestions!

[dcolpitts]

Originally Posted by dropscience

I AM OFFICIALLY FRUSTRATED.

Our corporate environment takes applications and distributes them centrally to end-user PCs through an "image". It's actually through Novell's AOT/SUSE distribution process, much like WSUS.

Its been a while since I've look at AOTs, but since it appears you are using Zenworks (although you don't mention which version), why not simply deploy it via msiexec with a customized mst. Seems to me Zenworks 4.x and above support this...

Personally, what I would do if I were you in this case, is write a script that Zenworks force runs. When the script runs, the first thing it does is use fver.exe (freeware - google it) to determine the installed DTM version. If the installed DTM is current, then the script immediately exits. If the installed DTM is not the current version (or is not installed at all), run msiexec two times (don't forget to do it as a "start /wait msiexec") - the first time uninstalls the existing DTM, and the second installs the current DTM.

I do roughly the same thing with Groupwise to ensure it is always the same build on the workstations compared to what is on the server. Of course, I only do this with the login script calling the fver script at client locations how do not use any other management software.

Just my two cents worth.

dcc

[dropscience]

^ Hey, thanks for the reply. Glad to know there's someone in a Novell environment out there ;)

Yes, we are running Zenworks. Unfortunately, that is where my expertise in the AOT department ends. I do, however, follow the gist of what you are saying and will definately pass your comments over to our individual responsible for creating our corporate AOTs. I'm actually going to work on this with him tomorrow afternoon so I'll mention that freeware app "fver.exe".

Have you run into any DTM 4.2 problems ensuring the USB driver is properly installed to support 8100 and 8800 devices?

Again, thanks for your input. Truly appreciated!

[dcolpitts]

No - we don't deploy it to any end users at client locations - infact we only have only have installed in two places - my notebook in a VMware XP machine and my business partner's notebook in a VMware XP machine - from there we do anything that needs done to client Blackberries when we are actually onsite - we find the end users have a tendency to screw the bb up less this way We use the VMware XP machines to keep our own machines client and stable.

Below is a sample script I use for upgrading Symantec Antivirus with fver (sorry - I don't have any other scripts handy at this minute that are more appropriate for this discussion). I also call this from the login script at client sites that don't use another other management software and thus far, in three years of doing this with Netware 5.1, 6.0 & 6.5 and Windows 2003, I haven't ran into issues yet.

--- begin cut & paste of savce_updater.cmd ---

@ECHO OFF
REM - 2004.11.29 /
REM - SET THIS SCRIPTS VARIABLES BELOW. SAVCE_VER IS THE VERSION YOU WANT TO
REM - CHECK FOR. FVER_LOC IS THE NETWORK LOCATION OF FVER.EXE. UPGRADE_SCRIPT_LOC
REM - IS THE NETWORK LOCATION FOR THE UPGRADE SCRIPT.

SET SAVCE_VER=9.021000
SET FVER_LOC=\\MONCTON\SYS\PUBLIC\FVER.EXE
SET UPGRADE_SCRIPT=\\MONCTON\SYS\ROLLOUT\COMMON\SYMANT EC\SAVCE_UPDATE.CMD

:OS_VERCHECK
REM CHECK FOR OPERATING SYSTEM VERSION. SAVCE 8.XX AND NEWER
REM DOES NOT SUPPORT WINDOWS 95!!! IF WINDOWS 95 IS FOUND, SCRIPT
REM SHOULD IMMEDIATELY EXIT.
CLS
SETLOCAL
VER | FIND "NT" > NUL
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO CHECK_SAVCEVER
VER | FIND "2000" > NUL
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO CHECK_SAVCEVER
VER | FIND "XP" > NUL
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO CHECK_SAVCEVER
VER | FIND "98" > NUL
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO CHECK_SAVCEVER
VER | FIND "95" > NUL
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO UNSUPPORTED_OS
GOTO UNSUPPORTED_OS

:UNSUPPORTED_OS
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO WHOA - SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!!!
ECHO AN UNSUPPORTED OS HAS BEEN DETECTED!
ECHO SETUP CAN NOT CONTINUE!
ECHO.
GOTO EXITSCRIPT

:CHECK_SAVCEVER
REM - CHECK TO SEE IF SAVCE IS INSTALLED ON MACHINE
REM - IF NOT INSTALLED, THEN SCRIPT SHOULD EXIT
IF NOT EXIST "C:\PROGRAM FILES\SYMANTEC ANTIVIRUS\VPC32.EXE" GOTO EXITSCRIPT

REM RUN THE ACTUAL SAVCE VERSION CHECK ON MACHINE AND PROCESS THE RESULTS
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO THE CURRENT VERSION OF SAVCE ON THE SERVER IS %SAVCE_VER%
ECHO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE THE FOLLOWING SAVCE VERSION INSTALLED:
%FVER_LOC% -F "C:\PROGRAM FILES\SYMANTEC ANTIVIRUS\VPC32.EXE"
%FVER_LOC% -F "C:\PROGRAM FILES\SYMANTEC ANTIVIRUS\VPC32.EXE" -V %SAVCE_VER%

IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO VERSION_NOT_CURRENT
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO VERSION_CURRENT

REM - AN EXPECTED ERRORLEVEL WAS RETURNED - ALERT THE USER
ECHO WHOA - SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!!!
ECHO AN UNSUPPORTED ERRORLEVEL HAS BEEN DETECTED!!!
ECHO CALL FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT!!!
PAUSE
GOTO EXITSCRIPT

:VERSION_CURRENT
REM SAVCE IS CURRENT - REPORT THIS FACT AND GOTO THE END OF THE SCRIPT TO EXIT
ECHO.
ECHO YOUR SYMANTEC ANTIVIRUS VERSION IS UP TO DATE!!!
GOTO EXITSCRIPT

:VERSION_NOT_CURRENT
REM SAVCE IS NOT CURRENT - REPORT THIS FACT AND CALL THE UPGRADE SCRIPT
ECHO.
ECHO WHOA - YOUR SAVCE IS NOT CURRENT!!! YOU NEED TO UPDATE TO VERSION %SAVCE_VER%.
ECHO PLEASE WAIT.... NOW UPDATING YOUR SAVCE TO VERSION %SAVCE_VER%.... PLEASE WAIT....
ECHO.
ECHO NOTE - YOUR COMPUTER WILL REBOOT WHEN THIS PROCESS IS COMPLETE!!!
START "PLEASE WAIT - NOW INSTALLING SAVCE %SAVCE_VER% UPDATE" /WAIT %UPGRADE_SCRIPT%
GOTO EXITSCRIPT

:EXITSCRIPT
REM END OF SCRIPT, CLEANUP THE SAVCE_VER VARIABLE AND EXIT
SET SAVCE_VER=
EXIT

--- end cut & paste of savce_updater.cmd ---

The %UPDATE_SCRIPT% basically contains some variable declarations and a line like this:

START /WAIT MSIEXEC /i %SAVCE_MSI_LOCATION_AND_FILE_NAME% /qb-

Don't forget you would need to define the %SAVCE_MSI_LOCATION_AND_FILE_NAME% in the %UPDATE_SCRIPT%. You will also note i like to use variables - by doing this, it allowed me to quickly adapt my scripts from one client location to another (or new version numbers) by simply changing one or two variables, instead of completely revising the entire script a hundred times.

Please let me know how you make out - I'd be interested to know.

dcc

[dcolpitts]

You can get fver.exe here:

http://sedivy.com/utils/fver.zip

dcc

[dropscience]

Thanks again! We are reviewing your comments right now.

It's interesting to note that your corporate environment chose not to deploy the DTM application to end-users. What was the reason behind this? besides them tampering with their handhelds. Do you guys run a BES solution? and prior to BES, how did users receive their Calendar, Address Book items to their Blackberry? On a NON-BES solution I am guessing there's no corporate email integration between the two other than simple email forwarding.

I'd like to move towards removing DTM to end-users altogether. I just need justification and solutions that will warrant this initiative to my management. Why did we deploy it originally? that decision predates me as I'm just picking up the pieces of the existing infrastructure I was handed. Our BES solution is in the early stages of fruition and not everyone has been placed on the server yet.

[dcolpitts]

All of our clients are pure BES environments, and just as of last month, all are running in a pure Microsoft environment (prior to that we had a mix of some clients running Netware 6.5 / Groupwise 7.0 and some Windows 2k3 / Exchange 2k3).

Our reasoning for avoiding the DTM was not so much to do with tampering, as it was we simply decided we would only support Blackberrys on a BES - it cut down the number of phone calls saying - "I'm on the road and not getting any email", followed by "Oh - you mean I need to leave my computer on in the office and logged in all the time to get my email?"

We are the primary IT provider in almost all our client sites, which ranges from a 3 seat insurance company to a 1175 seat university, with all shapes, sizes, and industries in between. We try and run a pretty tight and managed ship, and part of that is we do it our way, or we don't do it all - thus it was done our way - via BES and not DTM. Our client's rely only on us, so we need to make sure things are bullet proof when we do them - this goes a long ways towards that. It's always been my experience that doing it any other way simply ends up biting us in the rear eventually.

Obviously, not everyone else is so lucky as to be able to completely control the environment they have to work in / with.

dcc

[marduo]

Have you tried:

A device may not establish a connection with a desktop computer when you try to connect the device to the desktop computer through an external USB port hub in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003
A device may not establish a connection with a desktop computer when you try to connect the device to the desktop computer through an external USB port hub in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003

Mike

[maddmax]

hello buddy
i am or should i say we are having the same issue. i have a posted my issue with no help as of yet. The above remarks sometimes do work but not all the time. i know they just left out the driver that i need for w2k. we still support this os. I would love just to have the one of two drivers i need to push this back up to the team that does this for my company. if any one has any ideas. thanks later dudes

[maddmax]

yes i am simply having the same issue as you are. i only have this issue with my w2k os and would like to find just the driver or drivers i need. if any one has anything to offer they can also e-mail me at
I know they just left out the w2k crap i need to install it via the network push. they has to be a fix and i have to be the one to show them how to fix it. you know i love that crap. i am not allowed to just simply install it from the disk. thanks later dudes