Application Support with MSI

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Application Support with MSI

• Christian Caro
• DESY

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Windows Installer

• Synonyms MSI
• During development phase MSI Microsoft
  Installer
• Today (sometimes ...) Managed software
  installation (.MSI)
• OS integration
• WinNT/2000 service running LocalSystem
• Windows 9x system program
• Optimized for Active Directory
• Integration in Group Policies
• Integration in Add / Remove Programs
• Support for locked down workstations

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Installation Process

• Installation process
• Validate MSI and Transform, check resources
• Build Installation script depending on
  environment
• Execute script step by step and build rollback
  script in parallel
• Log installation

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Advantages of Windows Installers

• Improvement of the installation process
• Automatic rollback if something fails
• Installation on demand
• Protection of the OS, version control of dlls
• Stability and consistency of an installation
• Diagnostic and repair of problems during
  installation
• Deinstallation without DLL conflicts(the newest
  version of a dll is kept on machine!)

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Charakteristik des Windows Installers

• Database oriented installation
• Definition of the Post-Install-State in MSI
  file
• Description of final state
• Installation is based on roles, not on scripts
• Achieving the final state
• Archived status must be maintained
• Maintaining the final state
• State Management

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Example MS Office (simplified)
Product (Office)
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Example Registry tables
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Windows Installer und Transforms

• Customizing of MSI based installations
• Description of deltas between original MSI
  packaged and customized installation
• Saved in MST files
• Multiple transforms for one MSI packages can be
  applied
• Single execution of transform(s)
• MSI packaged is executed with transform(s)
• Not able to apply an additional or changed
  transform after installation (only solution
  uninstall software completely, reinstall the
  software with different transforms)

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Mode of Operation
Step 1preparation
Step 2Customizing
Step 3Installation
Individualtoolkit fromvendor
MSTTransform
MSIPackage
MSTTransform
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Extensions

• Custom Actions
• Only chance to make actions outside the MSI
  engine
• Supported are EXE, DLL, VBScript or Jscript
• Example installation of device drivers ...
• MSI cannot control Custom Actions
• Every action can be done (reboot, ...)
• Important extensions, but potentially dangerous

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Problems with MSI

• MSI was developed by Office 2000 team
• Focus was a robust setup technology
• Technical problems with MSI
• Cannot replace a dll with an OLDER version
• Cannot install system files
• Cannot install device drivers
• Service installation under a special account
  stores clear text password in MSI file
• Configure on first use dialogues
• Configuration - Transforms
• No universal tool to create transforms
• The quality and functionality depends on tools
  from software vendor
• ? You need luck if vendors toolkit fullfils all
  your needs
• Example Mail clients
• Transforms can only applied once

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Problems with MSI

• Software life cycle
• ????
• Microsoft
• Office 2000 many custom actions, manipulation
  MSI tables after execution (!!!)
• Resistance from other Microsoft groups (SP1,
  Visual Studio)
• ?1. Focus was installation process, not software
  management !!!
• 2. MSI is a grand father robust state machine
• 3. How can we use MSI based installations in
  an distributed environment ... ?

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Overview

• Software distribution
• packaging, distribution, installation of software
• Rollout as single process

Software-Management

• Software maintenance
• Customization and maintenance
• Time or role based execution (multiple)

• Client management
• Customization and maintenance of OS or system
  software
• Create, deploy and execute configuration scripts
• Time of role based execution (multiple)

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Overview
15
Overview
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Targeting - Windows Installer

• Targeting in a pure Win2000 environment with
  Active Directory and GPO
• Group policies (GPO)
• GPOs managed and applied in Active Directory
• GPO can contain MSI packages and transforms
• Set access rights to GPO, MSI, MST and source
  files
• Set access rights to OUs
• High complexity !!
• No targeting for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 9x
• No detailed execution planning
• Time frame, number of execution, ...

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Targeting with Group Policies
Use cases
Domain
OU
Active Directory Object(Domain, Site or OU)
membership
Group Policy Object
permission
Software 1...n package
permission
complexity
MSI file
permission
x MST files
permission
Source files
permission
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Conclusion

• A tool is needed for repackaging and creating
  transforms
• Needed for legacy software and customization
• Pool of software can be offered with AD
• User can install all applications he needs
• Some apps are preinstalled
• For a comprehensive system or software management
  an additional tool is needed for
• Targeting, customization, support for NT4/Win9X,
  deployment, applying changes, ...

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Maintain
Customization of Windows 2000 applications
without NetInstall
with NetInstall
Customization
NI Projekt
Group policies,First Start Wizard, ...
NI Spy
Configuration
NI Projekt
firstInstallation
Installation
Windows OS
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Maintain
Customization of Windows 2000 applications
without NetInstall
with NetInstall
Customization
Group policies,First Start Wizard, ...
No action needed NetInstall checks customization
Configuration
NI Projekt
Installation
Windows OS
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Reference

• Microsoft (SMS)
• www.microsoft.com/sms
• Wise Solutions (Wise)
• www.wisesolutions.com
• InstallShield/NetSupport (NetInstall)
• www.netsupport-gmbh.de
• www.installshield.com
• Seagate (WinInstall)
• www.seagatesoftware.com