Create a network share

Before you create a deployment, set up a network share for the administrative image. A network share is an installation folder that all users can access. You create deployments in the network share, from which users can install the software or administrators can distribute it using a tool such as Microsoft Configuration Manager.

Follow these recommendations when you create a network share:

• Keep the share name simple and short, without spaces. Create the share folder at or near the top of the drive, such as \\serverXX\Deployments. If you nest your deployment folder in a series of subfolders, you may exceed the path length limit set by Windows.
• Create a separate folder for each deployment.
• Autodesk recommends UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) shared paths instead of mapped drives. However, if you use drive mapping, make sure that all users map to the same drive letter.
• If you plan to create a network log file, give all users read-write access to the share.
• Include all products for a specific workflow in a single deployment. In this way, it’s easier to distribute the deployment to a user group that uses that workflow.
  

When you create a deployment, you create an administrative image in the process. Administrators can use the image to distribute the deployment with a tool such as Microsoft Configuration Manager. Alternatively, users can install the software through a shortcut or batch file in the deployment folder containing the administrative image.

You can include all available products in a deployment, but the administrative image will be large. To reduce the size of the administrative image, include only a subset of available products. When deciding which products to include in your original deployment, remember that you can remove products when you modify a deployment. However, you can’t add them.