Piloting App when Old version is required in AutoPilot ESP

[swoonhusker]

We have GlobalProtect 5.2.9 required to our autopilot device group so that it installs in the ESP.

I want to pilot GlobalProtect 6.2.2 but I'm not sure how to avoid 5.2.9 re-installing automatically.

In our testing it looks like we have to have an app (5.2.9) required for it to install in the ESP. If it is just in the ESP without a required deployment, then it will not install, so it has to be required.

So to pilot 6.2.2 the options I've found are:
1. Add a requirement script to version 5.2.9 so that it won't install if a newer version is installed.
2. Exclude a pilot collection from the 5.2.9 deployment.

If I did option 1, I see that PMPC gives the option on Intune Apps/Updates to "Override Win32 application options" and then to "Copy the requirements from previously created applications or updates when an updated application is created". This would stop a newer version such as 5.3.0 (if it existed) from installing if it was released and packaged by PMPC.

Option 2 isn't ideal if the pilot group was made available and some people are choosing to install it and some are not. We would have to get their devices and add it to a device collection.

I also considered turning on supersedence for 6.2.2 but I believe it would automatically upgrade everyone in the pilot users group (that's only an available deployment) from 5.2.9 to 6.2.2 and we don't want that to happen.

Is adding a requirement script to the old version (and using PMPC's option to copy the requirements) the best option we have in this scenario? Or do you have any better suggestions? I wonder if others have found a better way to make an available deployment of a new version of an app that has an old version of the app required because of the autopilot ESP.

[Wes Mitchell]

SH
The easier thing may just be to have a machine group for your pilot(test) of 6.2.2, exclude it from the 5.2.9 assignment.  Then have the 6.2.2 required to your test group, that way you are managing the devices by taking them in and out of the group instead of potentially breaking assignment by adding complexity.