Understanding the BigFix Software Distribution Package

A Package is the fundamental unit of software in BigFix Software Distribution on the BigFix UI — an entity that bundles all installer files and BigFix Tasks needed to deploy, configure, or remove a specific software application on target endpoints.

The Package concept in the BigFix UI is analogous to how packages were defined in the legacy BigFix Console, but is now managed as a first-class entity within the new BFUI. A Package bundles the installer and supporting files together with the BigFix Tasks needed to deploy or remove the software, giving administrators a self-contained unit to manage and reuse.

Package Attributes

Each Package stores the following metadata and content:

Software Title
The name of the software application. Example: NewsPaperCreator.
Software Publisher
The publisher or vendor of the software. Example: PrintingInc.
Package Name
A human-readable display name used as a visual reference in the UI. Example: NewsPaperCreator package.
Version
The version of the software. Example: 2.4.
OS
The target operating system. Example: Windows.
Architecture
The target processor architecture. Example: x64.
Category
The functional category of the software. Example: Content Creation.
Description
A brief description of the software and its purpose.
List of Files
Installer and supporting files stored in the BFUI File Server and associated with this package. Example: NewsPaperCreator.msi, NPC.mst.
List of Tasks
The BigFix Tasks that deploy, configure, or remove the software on endpoints. Example: Install NewsPaperCreator v2.4.

How a Package Appears in the BigFix Platform

Internally, a Package is stored in the BigFix Platform as a standard Task object. However, it is deliberately configured to be non-deployable — its relevance expression always evaluates to false, so it never becomes relevant on any endpoint and cannot be accidentally deployed.

The underlying Package Task uses an intentionally anonymous, non-human-readable naming format:

SWD_Package_xxxxxxxxxxxxx

This format ensures the Package Task can be visually distinguished from actual deployment tasks in both the legacy BigFix Console Fixlet list and the BFUI Fixlet list, where it appears alongside the install and uninstall tasks created within that Package.

CAUTION:
Do not attempt to execute or deploy a task named SWD_Package_xxxxxxxxxxxx. It is a metadata container object, not a deployment action. Use the named install, remove, or upgrade tasks created within the Package to deploy software to endpoints.