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Package Definition Files

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A package definition file (PDF) is a template that describes the default values for a package and its programs. The package section of the template defines the application, and the program section defines any variations. For example, the Microsoft® Excel package could have program sections for a typical installation, minimum installation, and custom installation. For complete details of the PDF format and content, see About the Package Definition File Format in SMS Help.

Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) ships with package definition files for commonly-installed Microsoft applications. Additional package definition files and updates to existing files are located on the SMS Web site at https://www.microsoft.com/smsmgmt.

The PDF is imported into the SMS PDF Store where it is used as a template for creating SMS packages (SMS_Package). The following diagram shows the flow from importing a PDF template to creating an SMS package from the template.

For more information, see Creating a Package and Programs Using a PDF Template.