Automate USER BASED PACKAGE installations in SCCM 2012

Question

Hi All,
I want to automate the installation of software(in my case a user based package) from the Application Catalog.
Here is just some general information:
1. All software(Applications and Packages) deployed to Device Colllections will be published in Software Center
2. All software(Applications and Packages) deployed to User Based Collections will be published in the Application Catalog
3. Once software has been deployed from the Application Catalog, it is also available/visible in Software Centre .. this could be confusing for (scripted) test purposes!
To Automate installations i tested the following (Powershell) methods:
Methode 1 - Install Device Based Packages (This works)
$SoftwareCenter = New-Object -ComObject UIResource.UIResourceMgr
# to show applications
$Application = $SoftwareCenter.GetAvailableApplications() | where {$_.name -like $APPNAME}
# to install an application
$SoftwareCenter.ExecuteProgram($Application.id, $Application.PackageId, $true)
(once an User Based Package has been installed from the Application Catalog, it will be shown in the results of this method .. but initially it don't!!)
Method 2 - Install Device based Applications (This works)
Invoke-WmiMethod -Namespace root\ccm\clientsdk -Class CCM_Application -Name Install -ArgumentList 0,"xxAPP scope IDxx",$True,$False,1,1
Method 3 - Install User based Applications
Invoke-WmiMethod -Namespace root\ccm\clientsdk -Class CCM_Application -Name Install -ArgumentList 0,"xxAPP scope IDxx",$False,$False,1,1
(once an User Based Application has been installed from the Application Catalog, this method can be used .. but initially it can't!!)
Method 4 - Install User Based Packages (NOT WORKING)
This solution is based on an (scripted) installation from the Application Catalog. Information can be found on the following sites:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2012/09/19/extending-the-application-catalog-in-system-center-2012-configuration-manager.aspx
http://allthingsconfigmgr.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/application-catalog-uncovered/#more-284
You can see the usable operations/methodes, by using the following URL in your SCCM 2012 environment:
http://YOURSITE/CMApplicationCatalog/ApplicationViewService.asmx
The method i tried for an installation part is 'installapplication', see example below:
$service.Installapplication($appid, $deviceid, $null)
This syntax is correct because it's giving a result that indicates the my command was correct(when i change the variables it produces an error), but that's it ... no application is installed.
For the record: the operations/methods 'RequestApplicationForUser and GetApplications' are working fine.
There is also log file 'ServicePortalWebService.log' on the Application Catalog Server in
C:\Program Files\SMS_CCM\CMApplicationCatalogSvc\Logs, where i can see that Installation call is (correctly) be done.
To be short:
Is there anybody who can tell me how to automate (with Powershell) an USER BASED PACKAGE installation?
With kind regards,
Hayo Veenstra

Answer 1

Thanks for your reaction.
What i want is creating shortcuts in the startmenu of a user, that initiates a SCCM software installation. We also use this method for our SCCM 2007 environment by initating advertisments. I do not want a required user deployments, because when that user
logs on on another machine (for a short time) .. all his/her software will be deployed. So i do not want to install unnescessary software .. only what a user initiates.
Do you have other suggestions?
I'm not sure about the shortcuts.  But, as for required deployments to users installing on all machines they log onto:  Not if you have User Device Affinity running for you.  You can set a requirement in the application to only install on a user's
primary device.  Another option that we often deploy is to use App-V to deploy a virtual version of that app if the device they logged onto is not their primary.  When they log off, it goes away.  This is all done using User Device Affinity. 
This is new in 2012.