/build/static/layout/Breadcrumb_cap_w.png

PDSI TeleStaff

Version: 2

Don't be a Stranger!

Sign up today to participate, stay informed, earn points and establish a reputation for yourself!

Sign up! or login
Views: 4.4k  |  Created: 01/11/2007

Average Rating: 0
TeleStaff has 1 inventory records, 0 Questions, 0 Blogs and 0 links. Please help add to this by sharing more!

Deployment Tips (5)

Most Common Setup Type
Not Determined
Average Package Difficulty Rating
Rated 4 / 5 (Somewhat Difficult) based on 1 ratings
Most Commonly Reported Deployment Method
Repackaged (to a setup.msi)
118
Note
Telestaff 2.31

***GPO Installs***
Readme notes claims you can install via GPO but instructions at http://tech.telestaff.com show how to deploy the InstallScript Engine and no mention about the TScomponents.msi.

(to get the instructions, change "What type of installation that you intend to perform?" to "Other" and change "What other type of installation do you intend to perform?" to "Deploy workstation via group policy")

So good luck for GPO installs...

***Command line method #1***
*Step 1*
Edit TSComponents.ini to set
REMOTESERVERNAME=YourServerNAME
ALLUSERS=1

*Step 2*
Configured Setup.ini as follows:
[Startup]
CmdLine= /QR

or even
CmdLine= /L*v "%TEMP%\TELESTAFF_2_3_1.LOG" /QR

(You may not be able to use /QB since Installshield needs to run the User Interface sequence so bad)

*Step 3*
Launch Setup.exe



***Command line method #2*** (Using MST file)
*Step 1*
Edit TSComponents.ini to set anything but what you are setting in the MST.
CAVEAT: The INI will override the changes done inside the MST!!!


*Step 2*
Create MST
save as TELESTAFF_2_3_1.MST

CAVEAT #2: If you use WPS 4.62 to the create the MST, WPS will touch the MSI and make it either work differently or not at all!!! (never seen this before!!!)

*Step 3*
Edit setup.ini
CmdLine= TRANSFORMS=TELESTAFF_2_3_1.MST /L*v \"%TEMP%\TELESTAFF_2_3_1.LOG\" "
NOTE: -Need to get escape character to get " so must use \"

*Step 4*
Launch install
".\TSComponents\setup.exe" /s

Setup Information:
Setup Type: unspecified
Deployment Method Used: unspecified
Deployment Difficulty: unspecified
Platform(s): Windows
117
Note
Company is: PDSI (Principal Decision Systems International)

TeleStaff is a Staff scheduling software for Emergency personnel.

TeleStaff V2.2.1
The original vendor pkg is not a true MSI as it contains dummy features and you cannot see any files, registry entries or shortcut. MSI is used as a wrapper to launch the Installshield installation. A full re-packaging is required.

Things to watchout for:

-The Windows\System32\drivers\etc\services file.
Most Setup Capture utilities will treat it as a normal file. Doing so will cause this file to be deleted when you uninstall your new MSI PKG.

-Unless you use the windows USA defaults, Telestaff will need to have the following Date formats set:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International]
"sShortDate"="MM/dd/yyyy"
"sDate"="/"
"iCountry"="1"
"iDate"="0"
"iMeasure"="1"
"iNegCurr"="0"
"Locale"="00000409"
"sCountry"="United States"
"sLanguage"="ENU"
Setup Information:
Setup Type: unspecified
Deployment Method Used: unspecified
Deployment Difficulty: unspecified
Platform(s): Windows
117
Note
TeleStaff 2.2.2 comes packaged in MSI format in folder \Installs\TSComponents on the CD and unlike the 2.2.1 version, you can see the files and registry entries. I tried to use the MSI and it didn't work because it was made with InstallShield. In fact if you try to install the package unattended with /QR it will not install completely. If you use /QF, it becomes an manuall install! This MSI is not a true MSI file since it doesn't obey standard MSIEXEC switches!

Also, you can't repacakge into another MSI because the main EXE tried to do something like "Install on 1st use" and looks for the original MSI on the computer.

I called PDSI's Telestaff support at 1-800-850-7374 and waited 30 minutes only to told that they don't support silent installs.

Ended up being a manual install to 100+ PCs. Thank you PDSI!
Setup Information:
Setup Type: unspecified
Deployment Method Used: unspecified
Deployment Difficulty: unspecified
Platform(s): Windows
117
Note
Our package has been in testing for 3 months and works great. We've gotten calls from all over the country on how we did it.

We used Wise to create the package but you could use any package creator software.

On a clean machine take a before snaphot, install Telestaff, take after snapshot.

On a clean machine install the MSI you just created. It will give you a bunch of errors saying that certain files cannot be registered. Make note of them.

On a clean machine take a snapshot, install Telestaff, take an after snapshot. Before saving the package you just created Wise gives you the option to delete files before saving. Delete all the files you made note of in the previous step.

I couldn't find exactly what all the deleted files did but many of them are .Net files which you don't need if you install .Net separately (do this before you deploy the Telestaff package you create). The files that are .Net related are DLL files and only give registration errors. You don't need to register .Net DLL's because Windows can call them without registering, therefore, as long as they're on the computer they do not need to be registered. Many of them are also XML rendering files you don't need if you're installing on a computer with with IE6.

When you deploy the MSI you need to include the ALLUSERS=1 switch or it will give the user an ActiveX error when they try to run it. In regards to the above post about "Install on 1st use..." you just need to deploy the package from a UNC path that everyone can get to such as a "Public" network share.
Setup Information:
Setup Type: unspecified
Deployment Method Used: unspecified
Deployment Difficulty: unspecified
Platform(s): Windows
0
Note
Telestaff v2.5x

CAVEAT:
If the install is launched using SMS 2003 with the Advanced Client on the PC and your SMS site uses the "advanced security mode" (a best practice) it causes the TSComponents.ini to not be found. ("Unable to set defaults using TSComponents.ini")

-In fact, with ProcMon you can see the Installshield installer do a "BAD IMPERSONATION" just before it looks for the ini in \system32\ (?!?) (I have a screenshot but AppDeploy doesn't support attachments)

-You can the install with the locally cached file via a RunAs

-Changing /QR to /QN changes nothing

-If you launch the install via a RunAs (via SMS), RunAs displays a message and disappears before you can read the message.

-If the RunAs is launched using the Exec object in VBS (Via SMS), RunAs displays a message and disappears faster than VBS can get a STDout stream!

-if the application install is replaced with CMD.exe and the PC is slowed down (using turbo.exe), you can see the RunAs being denied for some reason. (Unable...user.) before the screen closes (SMS launched)

-The same script runs fine without SMS

-IOW: RunAs = IMPERSONATION and SMS forbids it

Workarounds:
PSexec ? (still investigating)

FYI: when I did TeleStaff v 2.22 I called Telestaff support at 1-800-850-7374 and waited 30 minutes only to told that they don't support silent installs.
Setup Information:
Setup Type: unspecified
Deployment Method Used: unspecified
Deployment Difficulty: unspecified
Platform(s): Windows

Inventory Records (1)

View inventory records anonymously contributed by opt-in users of the K1000 Systems Management Appliance.

Versions

TeleStaff

Version

2

Questions & Answers (0)

Questions & Answers related to PDSI TeleStaff

Blogs (0)

Blog posts related to PDSI TeleStaff

Reviews (0)

Reviews related to PDSI TeleStaff

 
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site and/or clicking the "Accept" button you are providing consent Quest Software and its affiliates do NOT sell the Personal Data you provide to us either when you register on our websites or when you do business with us. For more information about our Privacy Policy and our data protection efforts, please visit GDPR-HQ