# Deployments in FileWave Central

## What

A FileWave Deployment keeps its target rules, Filesets, exclusions, and deployment options together. In FileWave Central 16.4, included targets and Filesets appear side by side in one editor instead of on separate tabs.

## When/Why

Use a Deployment when you want to assign Filesets, applications, profiles, or other content to devices with consistent settings. You can add or remove targets and content later without rebuilding the assignment, and all content in the Deployment uses the same applicable installation, timing, and license-distribution options.

## How

### Use the FileWave 16.4 Deployment list columns

FileWave Central and FileWave Anywhere 16.4 provide the same predefined Deployment columns so administrators can review and organize Deployments consistently across both interfaces:

<table id="bkmrk-columnuse-it-for-ins"><thead><tr><th>Column</th><th>Use it for</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>**Installation Type**</td><td>Distinguish Direct Installation from Kiosk Self-Service Deployments.</td></tr><tr><td>**License Assignment**</td><td>Identify the Device or User assignment model used when VPP/Apps and Books licensing applies.</td></tr><tr><td>**Creation Date**</td><td>Find newly created or older Deployments during review and cleanup.</td></tr><tr><td>**Tags**</td><td>Group Deployments by purpose, owner, rollout, environment, or another organization-defined convention.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Show the columns needed for the current task, then use them for sorting and filtering. A column summarizes the Deployment; open the Deployment before changing targets, Filesets, exclusions, timing, or licensing.

### Create or open a Deployment

Open **Deployments** in FileWave Central, then create a Deployment or open an existing one for editing.

At the top of the editor:

- Enter a clear **Name**.
- Add **Tags** when you want to group or filter Deployments.

### Add targets and Filesets

The left side of the editor contains the included **Targets**. The right side contains included **Filesets or Fileset Groups**.

- Use the **+** beside **Clients** to add devices or groups as targets.
- Use the **+** beside **Filesets** to add Filesets or Fileset Groups.
- Use either search field to find items already included in the Deployment.
- The headings show the number of directly included items and the resulting total number of clients or Filesets.

You can also begin from selected Clients or Filesets elsewhere in Central. Choose **Create Deployment…** to create a new Deployment with that selection included, or **Add to Deployment…** to add it to an existing Deployment.

[![FileWave Central 16.4 Deployment editor showing included targets and Filesets together](https://kb.filewave.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/scaled-1680-/YtMfJmzxKPzobFbG-filewave-central-16-4-deployment-editor.png)](https://kb.filewave.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/YtMfJmzxKPzobFbG-filewave-central-16-4-deployment-editor.png)

*FileWave Central 16.4 displays included targets and Filesets together in the Deployment editor.*

### Exclude devices or groups

Expand **Excluded** when part of an included group should not receive the Deployment. Select **Add devices/groups**, then choose the devices or groups to exclude.

The Exclusions heading shows the number of directly excluded items and the resulting total number of excluded clients.

[![Excluded section in the FileWave Central 16.4 Deployment editor](https://kb.filewave.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/scaled-1680-/cEn0nYinF4gXU7rI-filewave-central-16-4-deployment-exclusions.png)](https://kb.filewave.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/cEn0nYinF4gXU7rI-filewave-central-16-4-deployment-exclusions.png)

*Expand Excluded to add devices or groups that should not receive the Deployment.*

### Configure Deployment options

Expand **Options** to configure the settings that apply to the Deployment's content.

**Installation Type**

- **Direct Installation** delivers applicable Filesets directly to targeted devices.
- **Kiosk Self-Service** makes applicable Filesets available through Kiosk for users to install.

**Timing**

Timing is optional. Select a checkbox to set any supported stage:

- **Start downloading at**
- **Activate files at**
- **Make files inactive at**
- **Delete files at**

**License Distribution**

License Distribution applies to VPP/Apps and Books applications. Use it to choose whether licenses are assigned with the **Device** or **User** licensing model. If none of the selected Filesets are VPP applications that support license distribution, Central reports that no license-distribution options apply.

[![Options section in the FileWave Central 16.4 Deployment editor](https://kb.filewave.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/scaled-1680-/2gL6Bu7PiDOABCLE-filewave-central-16-4-deployment-options.png)](https://kb.filewave.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/2gL6Bu7PiDOABCLE-filewave-central-16-4-deployment-options.png)

*Expand Options to choose an installation type and configure optional timing and license distribution when available.*

### Save and maintain the Deployment

Select **OK** to save the Deployment. You can reopen it later to change the name, tags, targets, Filesets, exclusions, or options.

After saving, update the FileWave Model to distribute the change.

## Automation with the FileWave API

FileWave Server 16.4 and later also provide supported public API endpoints for creating, listing, reading, updating, and deleting Deployments. See [Managing Deployments with the FileWave API (16.4+)](https://kb.filewave.com/books/application-programming-interface-api/page/managing-deployments-with-the-filewave-api-164) before automating Deployment changes.