Deployment best practices

Use these tips to successfully create network deployments.

• Create the deployment in a shared network location from an administrative workstation instead of a server. In this way, you don't need to use the same computer to run the installer, read the media and write the files. Creating the deployment on a server can prolong the deployment and corrupt it.
• Don’t create deployments over WAN or VPN, which are typically slow and can lead to errors.
• When you install from media, first copy the contents of the media to a hard drive. Media is available only for products released before 2022.
• If you’re creating multiple deployments, use a separate folder for each deployment image. Don’t create multiple deployments in a single folder.
• Disable antivirus software before you begin.

• Create a shared directory for the administrative image on either a workstation or server. Keep the share name simple and short. Don't use spaces in the share name and don't nest the shared directory too deeply on the drive.
• Create Windows deployments on FAT/FAT32/NTFS file systems only. Autodesk doesn't test or support other file systems, such as DFS, NFS, AIX, LINUX/UNIX and file systems on network attached storage (NAS) devices.
• Verify that all customers have (1) read access to the network share where your deployments are located and (2) write access to the network log path.
• Place the administrative image folder as close to the root of the drive as possible. (Windows has a maximum 256-character limit for the path.)
• Use a Uniform Naming Convention (UNC) instead of mapped drives. For example, use \\server\share\folder instead of M:\folder. Not all computers use the same mapped drive letters. Using UNC paths prevents problems later.
• Verify the deployment type that you plan to use (user, network, stand-alone). Don't accept the default type before verifying that it's correct.

• To modify the deployment, see Modify a deployment from the classic installer or Modify a deployment from Autodesk Account, depending on where you created the deployment.
• Avoid moving deployments between servers. If you must move a deployment, modify it to insert the new location into the deployment structure.
• Test the deployment by installing it to only one workstation before installing to others.