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Showing posts with label Application Packaging Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Application Packaging Training. Show all posts

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Add entries to Hosts File

Following script can be used to append entries in HOSTS file. A text file containing the entry to be appended should be placed in INPUT location as in below script


 Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8
Dim TargetFile,objWshShell,objFSO, Input, ProgramFiles, WinDir
Dim objTextFile, Target
Set objWshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
ProgramFiles = ObjWshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%ProgramFiles%")
WinDir = ObjWshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%WinDir%")
Set Targetfile = objFSO.GetFile(WinDir & "\system32\drivers\etc\hosts")
Set Input = objFSO.GetFile(ProgramFiles & "\Input.txt")

Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile (Input, ForReading)
Set Target = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set TargetFile = Target.OpenTextFile (TargetFile, ForAppending, True)
Do Until objTextFile.AtEndOfStream
Input = objTextFile.ReadLine
TargetFile.WriteLine(Input)
Loop
TargetFile.Close
ObjTextFile.Close
objFSO.DeleteFile(ProgramFiles & "\Input.txt")

Difference between Execute Immediate and Execute Deferred



Immediate Execution
You use this option if the custom action should be executed during Windows Installer’s first pass through the installation database, which executes before any scripts. Custom actions run in Immediate Execution mode can change properties, feature states, component states, target directories, or schedule system operations. They can also be placed in the UI Sequence or in the Execute Sequence. If your custom action requires install files or registry keys, then it should be executed after the InstallFinalize sequence.

Deferred Execution
You use this option if the custom action should be executed later, during the install script installation. This is the best option if your custom action depends on a file that is installed with the installation and if the custom action changes the system directly. Deferred custom actions cannot change properties in the Property table, call another system service, or change the system directly. A custom action using Deferred Execution can only be placed in the Execute Sequence after the InstallInitialize sequence and before the InstallFinalize sequence. When using a custom action set to Deferred Execution, the session handle and the property data set during the installation sequence are not available


Monday 29 August 2011

How To Register DLL

Following Command can be used to register DLL/OCX Files


regsvr32 /s <Path to DLL file to be registered>


Use, regsvr32 /? on command line to see more options available to register DLLs

Active Setup Registry Keys

Following Registries are to be included in package to load User settings(either registries/files) so that by the time User
logs in his current user settings will be available on the machine.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\[ProductCode]]
"StubPath"="msiexec /fup {9A346205-EA92-4406-B1AB-50379DA3F057} /qn"
"Version"="1,0"

MsiLockPermissionsEx table



MsiLockPermissionsEx Table in Windows 7 enhances the functionality over LockPermissions Table. With MsiLockPermissionsEx table, users now have the ability to set access permissions on objects impacted by the application install that previously required using custom actions or other methods outside of Windows Installer


Expanding the set of permissions that can be applied to a resource by incorporating the Security Descriptor Definition Language(SDDL) in Windows Installer. This allows the security settings for an object to be more flexible, including;


o Ability to apply Deny ACLs to objects
o Indicate inheritance properties for permissions
o Expand the set of well-known SIDs
o Ability to set Owner, Group, and SACLs to the objects in addition to the regular access permissions


Security settings can be applied to services as well in addition to Files, Folders, Registry keys


Ability to apply permissions specific to user accounts – including accounts that are newly created on the system during the course of installation
Read more about this in Windows installer team blog

What is Application Packaging

Application Packaging is all about customizing applications according to best practices and User requirements.


Application packaging can help enterprises manage growing volumes of software for desktop and server systems efficiently. By streamlining software
configuration and deployment, application packaging can help reduce application management costs.

Difference between Run, Run Once, Active Setup

Active Setup:



It is used when your application requires installation of components such as files or registry keys on a per-user basis, but application has no advertised entry points or other triggers to initiate the installation process.


Run:



The Run key is processed after every logon, either by the Explorer shell, if it is present, or by First Boot Agent (FBA), if a custom shell, Command shell, or Task Manager Shell is used. If FBA processes this key, it does so after every logon, not during first boot as it normally would. Typically, this flag is used to load Systray applications, launch services in executables, hide autostart applications, or hide background processes


Run Once:



The RunOnce key is processed only once, by FBA, after Plug and Play device enumeration and DLL registration processing have completed. The values of this registry key are deleted from the registry after it is processed, so that it will not run again. Typically, this flag is used when a reboot is required, such as for a DLL or OCX registration, or for cleaning up a setup or an uninstall.

AdminStudio Installshield Online Training Training

New batch of Application Packaging Classroom training using Installshield/Wise Packaging Studio is starting at Hyderabad on3rd September. If you are interested contact me at 91-9963678795 or Virtual.App.Packager@gmail.com


For training details please visit www.AppRepack.in

Application Packaging Video



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quY_a7Ye_WQ

Sunday 28 August 2011

What is Active Setup

Active setup provides a solution when the aim is to deliver user based components when no advertised entry points exist in an MSI package.


Most packages will contain some kind on entry point; commonly an advertised shortcut. When launching this kind of shortcut Windows Installer will check the keypath of the component the shortcut belongs to and verifies that the component is installed. If it is found to be missing Windows Install will kick off a repair.


This provides a great solution for installing current user data when the package is not installed in the user context. It is also a very good reason why you should never mix machine and user data in the same feature.

On logon the following registry keys are compared:


HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\<UID>
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\<UID>


<UID> has to unique; it is good practise to use a GUID.


If the HKCU key is not found the contents of the string value StubPath is executed. The HKLM key is then copied to HKCU.


The executable in StubPath can be anything (a VBS script, a regsvr32.exe call, etc), but our aim, in this example, is to deliver missing current user data from a previously installed MSI. To do this we need to force the package to repair so Msiexec.exe will be used:


Msiexec.exe /fpu /qn


/f - Repair
/p - only if file is missing
/u - all required user-specific registry entries
If you choose to, the entire installation can be repaired:



Msiexec.exe /fomus /qn


[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44CCA842-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015B}]
"Version"="1"
"StubPath"="Msiexec.exe /fpu {44CCA842-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015B}"


Where a version is included; StubPath will only execute if the version of HKCU is less than the version of HKLM.


When a new user logs on Windows will find the HKCU active setup key missing, run Msiexec.exe with the repair arguments from StubPath and copy the HKLM key to HKCU. Next time this user logs in the repair won't run as the key already exists in HKCU.

Advantages of MSI Application Packaging


  • Customize Applications to suit the user needs.
  • Simplify the Installation and Un-installation Procedures.
  • Saves Time in both Installation and Un-installation.
  • Once packaged, applications can be quickly installed on a range of desktops in multiple locations, saving administrative costs, simplifying the manage of licensing fees and minimizing support and repair expenditures.
  • Saves Space of the product by doing apt modifications to applications.
  • Has a great flexibility of obtaining the lost files through a phenomenon called Self Heal, this reduces the down time of application. If a critical file (a .DLL or .EXE file, for example) that is part of the distribution is corrupt or is deleted, the user can be prompted to repair the installation by presenting the original .MSI distribution. Additionally, if the installation media is available (for example, on a network share), the repair simply happens automatically.
  • Can be advertised. So that on demand installation could take place.
  • Upgrading of the application can be done with ease.
  • Clean installation and Un-Installation is achieved by a process called Roll-Back.
  • Simplifies management of new user set-up along with the revision and distribution of software repairs and new applications to existing users. Application recovery can also be improved.
  • Helps eliminate uncontrolled software downloads and installation, enables applications to be safely removed and reduces non-business traffic on a corporate network.
  • Using .MSI format, can automate software distribution process and ensure that the installation doesn't break other applications that have already been installed.
  • Application is installed via an OS service.
  • State management is maintained. In the past, it's been difficult to know whether an application is installed on a machine. You would have to query for a .DLL with a specific version number or determine whether an .EXE file with a specific name was present. Windows Installer provides an application programming interface (API) that lets programmers and administrators see whether a specific application is installed on a machine.
  • Scriptable API. This whips together a VBScript to help us with the MSI file manipulations. The API to manipulate MSI files is so powerful that it can create, validate and update packages, trigger installs and uninstalls, examine the MSI repository data on computers, and perform some custom actions.
  • Served installs. Because MSI files can be housed in a share point and delivered via a server, we can keep our installation files all in one place or move them around -- closer to the users if necessary.

Custom Action Conditions in MSI

You can execute a custom action or make the component install using conditions as per the requirement.

  1. Action run only during Install
    Condition: NOT Installed

  2. Action only runs during removal of MSI
    Condition: REMOVE="ALL"

  3. Action runs during Install and repair
    Condition: NOT REMOVE

Difference Between Self Heal and Repair

Self Heal and Repair are two different concepts in Windows Installer which people many times consider to be the same thing, however there is difference in these two.

Self Heal is triggered by advertised shortcuts, or other advertising information in the package which eventually Repairs the application.

When the application is launched by advertised shortcut, it checks for all the key paths of the Current Feature, if any of the key paths is missing it will launch Repair.

Note that if there are multiple features then it will not check the missing key paths of the other features, but only the feature of which the advertised shortcut is launched.

Repair of an MSI can be triggered by
  • Repair from  Add/Remove programs
  • Command -     msiexec /f{other option} {MSI path}
  • Self Heal by advertised shortcut or other advertising information.
  • Active setup
Once the repair of the package is triggered then the whole of the MSI is reinstalled by which I mean, all its features are reinstalled.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Application Packaging Training - September Batch

New batch of Application Packaging Classroom training is starting at Hyderabad on 3rd September. If you are interested contact me at 91-9963678795 or Virtual.App.Packager@gmail.com


For training details please visit www.AppRepack.in

Friday 18 March 2011

Application Packaging Training

Infrastructure services is hot and fastest growing domain across the Globe. Application Packaging is one domain


within Infrastructure services which is in peak demand.


Few points about Application Packaging:


What is Application Packaging
i) History of Operating Systems
ii) Evolution of Windows Installer Technology
iii) Why applications are Packaged


Application Packaging Tools
i) Wise Package Studio
ii) Install Shield
iii) Orca


For more information on Application Packaging Training. Please visit www.msipackaging.in


I can deliver Classroom and Online training. Pls contact me If you are interested to learn Application Packaging


Training on virtual.app.packager@gmail.com OR 91-9963678795