Concerns about the final msi location for future autorepair
This is my first post in this site. I bet your pacient. Thanks
My problem is how manage the location and the time I need to keep the original msi in order to manage correctly the future autorepair coming from missing files or different users log on.
When I depploy an msi with user entries (file and registry entries) the autorepair will appear wether there are missing files or new users log on in the same machine. Let us say 6 monts later a new user does a log on so the msi tries to autorepair copying the user entries. The problem here is that the msi needs still the original msi but this one was installed through SMS deployment tool and was cached temporary (I think 6 months only) So now the msi is no more founded and the app can not be repair. Perhaps the solution is to add a repository source in a external server and add this property to the msi. If so please can anybody help with the property I need to set up.
The idea of this post is to share with all of you this problem and receive feedback about different approaches.
Thanks for your time
My problem is how manage the location and the time I need to keep the original msi in order to manage correctly the future autorepair coming from missing files or different users log on.
When I depploy an msi with user entries (file and registry entries) the autorepair will appear wether there are missing files or new users log on in the same machine. Let us say 6 monts later a new user does a log on so the msi tries to autorepair copying the user entries. The problem here is that the msi needs still the original msi but this one was installed through SMS deployment tool and was cached temporary (I think 6 months only) So now the msi is no more founded and the app can not be repair. Perhaps the solution is to add a repository source in a external server and add this property to the msi. If so please can anybody help with the property I need to set up.
The idea of this post is to share with all of you this problem and receive feedback about different approaches.
Thanks for your time
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Posted by:
AngelD
17 years ago
You should keep the media on the DP (Distribution Point) until the application should be removed.
Installing Per Machine will help as when uninstall the application through SMS will remove the application from all users on the client instead of Per User which are much harder to manage through the life-circle of the application.
Installing Per Machine will help as when uninstall the application through SMS will remove the application from all users on the client instead of Per User which are much harder to manage through the life-circle of the application.
Posted by:
ispackager
17 years ago
Thanks AngeID.
The problem with some apps is that they need to have some user entries although we installed the app per machine not per user. Some configuration info is saved per user and need to be included in order to avoid configuration screens the firts time the app is started.
By the way how do you instructs the msi to indicate the Distribution Point path?
Thanks
The problem with some apps is that they need to have some user entries although we installed the app per machine not per user. Some configuration info is saved per user and need to be included in order to avoid configuration screens the firts time the app is started.
By the way how do you instructs the msi to indicate the Distribution Point path?
Thanks
Posted by:
AngelD
17 years ago
how do you instructs the msi to indicate the Distribution Point path?
What do you mean? What are you trying to do? Are you talking about the sourcelist and if so what would you want to do with this?
What do you mean? What are you trying to do? Are you talking about the sourcelist and if so what would you want to do with this?
Posted by:
ispackager
17 years ago
As you suggested the msi should be in the distribution point during the whole life of the app so if I distribute the msi with SMS indicating the msi should be copied locally in the desktop (to avoid net issues and to take profit of the advantage SMS client) then the msi is copied locally but it remains there temporary (I think maxuimum 6 months). So I need to indicate to the windows installer that the original msi will be (if the original one is not found) in the distribution point. What I don´t want is to install the msi from the distribution point because in that case a small net issue will force the installation to start again and again.
I think the sourcelist property is intended for this situation, isn´t it?
I think the sourcelist property is intended for this situation, isn´t it?
Posted by:
AngelD
17 years ago
You are so correct :)
You could add the list during install with this example:
msiexec.exe /I \\server\share\MyPackage\package.msi SOURCELIST=â€Â\\server\share\MyPackage;C:\source\MyPackageâ€Â
You could add the list during install with this example:
msiexec.exe /I \\server\share\MyPackage\package.msi SOURCELIST=â€Â\\server\share\MyPackage;C:\source\MyPackageâ€Â
Posted by:
Gechonet
17 years ago
The best way to do this is to create a redundant repair process, you can do this either in your msi itself or you mst file.
Create at least three methods for your msi to repair, I have a vbs script that I can post here if you would like that would automate the addition of these source paths.
Make sure you place the following:
- Local Path
- UNC Path
- DNS Path
Create at least three methods for your msi to repair, I have a vbs script that I can post here if you would like that would automate the addition of these source paths.
Make sure you place the following:
- Local Path
- UNC Path
- DNS Path
Posted by:
Tone
17 years ago
If you are using sms 2003, have a look at Windows Installer Source Location Manager.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=32F40DB4-6706-4E62-B867-AA1D332B6403&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=32F40DB4-6706-4E62-B867-AA1D332B6403&displaylang=en
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