# Software Deployment Integration in OS Deployement

Software Deployment Integration with OS Deployment lets administrators attach software packages from the Endpoint Central Software Deployment library directly to OS deployment templates. When a deployment runs, the agent automatically installs all attached applications on each target machine the moment the operating system comes online — silently, in the order you specify, without any manual follow-up.

The feature bridges two modules that previously operated independently: OS Deployment and Software Deployment. With this integration, both are driven from a single deployment template.

## Table of Contents

- [How It Works](#how-it-works-heading)
- [Use Cases](#use-cases-heading)
- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites-heading)
- [Creating Packages from Template](#creating-packages-from-template-heading)
- [Adding Software to Deployment Template](#creating-software-package-using-template-heading)
- [Remote Office Deployments](#remote-office-and-branch-deployments-heading)
- [Tracking Deployments](#tracking-deployments-heading)

## How It Works

The integration operates in three sequential stages:

| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Build the template | In OS Deployment, create or edit a deployment template and attach one or more Software Deployment packages to it. Set the installation order, enable Auto-Update per package if needed, and save. |
| 2. OS deploys to the endpoint | When a deployment task runs, OS Deployment images the machine as usual. For endpoints in remote offices, required packages are quietly pre-replicated to the local Distribution Server before installation begins. |
| 3. Apps install automatically | Once the OS is online, the Endpoint Central agent downloads and installs each attached package in the order specified in the template. Progress streams back to the Deployment Status dashboard in real time. |

## Use Cases

- **New employee onboarding**  
  A replacement laptop needs Windows plus the standard application suite (browser, Office, VPN client, endpoint security) before it reaches the user's desk. One deployment task delivers everything.
- **Fleet refresh**  
  Refreshing 50 or 500 machines over a weekend. OS and applications deploy in a single automated run — no manual installation queues or imaging teams required.
- **Branch office rollout**  
  Setting up a new remote site. Packages replicate automatically to the local Distribution Server, so every endpoint installs from the nearest copy rather than pulling across the WAN.
- **Security-sensitive application deployment**  
  Browsers, PDF readers, and other frequently patched tools can be set to Auto-Update in the template, ensuring every newly imaged machine receives the latest published version without template maintenance.
- **Dependency-ordered provisioning**  
  Applications with runtime dependencies (e.g., a .NET runtime before a line-of-business app) can be installed in a defined sequence using the drag-to-reorder Package Install Order.

## Prerequisites

The following must be in place before using this feature:

| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Endpoint Central build | 11.5.2614.04 or later. This is the build that introduced the integration. |
| Role — OS Deployment | Full Control permission on the OS Deployment module is required to create and edit deployment templates. |
| Role — Software Deployment | Read access on the Software Deployment module. This is granted automatically to anyone with OS Deployment Full Control on upgrade. Read-only access is sufficient — write access is not required. |
| Distribution Server (remote offices only) | Must be running the latest version. Required only if you deploy to endpoints in remote offices. |

**Note**  
On upgrade, a one-time confirmation prompt appears the first time you open the template editor. Click "Yes, I Understand" to acknowledge the new Software Deployment read permission and continue. If you see an "Access Required" message, ask your administrator to grant Software Deployment — Read access to your account.

## Creating Packages from Template

1. In the Endpoint Central Console, navigate to **Software Deployment tab > Template**.
2. Select the package from the list of Templates that you want to create and click on the **Create Package** button.
3. The created package will appear under the packages tab.
4. To create packages manually refer to [this article](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/software_installation/create-software-packages.html).

**Note**  
Packages in draft or unpublished state are not visible in the OS Deployment package selector. Always save a package before attempting to attach it to a deployment template.

## Adding Software to Deployment Template

Once your packages are created, follow these steps to attach them to an OS deployment template so they install automatically after every OS image.

### Step 1 Open the Templates page

![Navigation Deployment Template](https://www.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/osd/navigation-deployment-template.webp)

Navigate to **OS Deployment → Deployment → Templates**. You will see a list of every template you have created. Click **Create Deployment Template** to start a new one, or click an existing template name to edit it.

### Step 2 Scroll to the SD Packages field

![Selecting Software Package in Deployment Template](https://www.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/osd/selecting-software-package-in-deployment-template.webp)

Inside the template editor, scroll to the **Computer Settings** section. Below the existing **Applications to install** field, you will find a new row: **SD Packages to install after OS Deployment**. Click **Select Software Packages** on the right side of that row.

**Note**  
A pop-up dialog opens at this point. All subsequent steps happen inside this dialog — you do not need to leave the template editor.

### Step 3 Select the packages to deploy

![Adding Software to Deployment Template](https://www.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/osd/adding-software-to-deployment-template.webp)

The **Select Software Packages** dialog lists every published package you have read access to. Click any package tile to add it — selected packages receive a blue check mark and appear immediately in the **Package Install Order** list on the left side of the dialog. Use the search bar at the top to find a specific package if your library contains many entries.

### Step 4 Set the installation order

The **Package Install Order** list on the left of the dialog controls the sequence in which packages will install on the target machine. The top of the list installs first. Drag the handle (≡) next to any package row to move it up or down.

Define the order carefully when one application depends on another — for example, place a .NET runtime above the business application that requires it, or place a base productivity suite above its add-ons.

### Step 5 Enable Auto-Update — optional

For each package in the **Package Install Order** list, you can toggle **Auto-Update in Template**. When enabled, OS Deployment pulls the latest published version of that package at deploy time rather than the version that was current when the template was saved.

To apply Auto-Update to every selected package at once, check **All Package Auto Update** at the top of the dialog.

| Turn Auto-Update ON for | Turn Auto-Update OFF for |
|---|---|
| Browsers, PDF readers, and other frequently patched apps | Apps where a specific version is required for compatibility testing |
| Standard productivity tools you always want at the latest version | Software under formal change-control or compliance review |
| Internal apps you publish regularly as new builds are released | Packages still in testing or pilot stages |

### Step 6 Save the template

Click **Add** in the package selector dialog. The dialog closes and the selected packages appear as tags next to **SD Packages to install after OS Deployment** in the template form. Review the rest of the template settings, then click **Create Deployment Template** (or **Save** if you were editing an existing template).

![Saving the Deployment Template](https://www.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/osd/saving-the-deployment-template.webp)

Once the Deployment Template is deployed to the every endpoints will receive the OS image along with the attached software packages, which gets installed automatically once the OS imaging in completed.

## Remote Office Deployments

If your endpoints are spread across remote offices, the integration handles replication automatically. Packages do not travel across the WAN for every machine — they are replicated once to the local Distribution Server in the branch office, and every endpoint there installs from that local copy.

Replication starts automatically when a deployment task begins using a template with attached packages. You can also trigger on-demand replication to stage packages ahead of a scheduled deployment.

**Note**  
Deployment automatically waits for replication to complete before installing on a branch-office endpoint.

## Tracking Deployments

Once a deployment is running, navigate to **OS Deployment → Deployment → Deployment Status**.

Select the deployment and open the **Post Deployment Details → Software Deployment Packages** tab.