This whitepaper describes how to use InstallAware for deploying applications running on the Microsoft .NET Framework. Although the .NET Framework makes deploying applications easier thanks to features like the Global Assembly Cache, which eliminates shared resource conflicts often encountered by Win32 applications, there are still unique challenges to the deployment of .NET applications. One significant challenge is the download and installation of the .NET Framework, which requires considerable bandwidth and increases the setup package size dramatically. InstallAware addresses this challenge using a combination of unique deployment technologies, including WebAware Installations, superior compression, and MSIcode scripting.
InstallAware's unique WebAware Installation technology is used to isolate application runtimes from the main setup program, while still providing a self contained installer that works without mandating an Internet connection. This technology works well with the .NET Framework runtime, greatly simplifying deployment by downloading and installing the runtime only when called by the setup.
Another key InstallAware technology is the superior LZMA/BCJ2 compression, which pre-processes data using call jump converters to increase compressibility, and then compresses the optimized data streams using a very large 32 MB data buffer. The LZMA/BCJ2 algorithm is so efficient that it reduces the size of the .NET Framework to literally half its already compressed size.
While offering new and unique technologies, InstallAware is completely standards based - every InstallAware setup is a pure Windows Installer (MSI) package that can execute directly, without requiring a third-party scripting runtime to be previously installed. Windows Installer is the only Microsoft approved installation technology and is a requirement of Microsoft logo certification programs. It offers several other advantages such as elevated-privilege installations in high-security contexts and automated corporate deployment using Active Directory Group Policy. These benefits make MSI packages the only accepted software distribution format for large enterprises.
Creating a .NET Project
To create a simple .NET Project using InstallAware, perform the following steps.
1. Click the InstallAware button on the top left corner of the IDE window, then choose New Project - .NET Setup on the application menu. The New Project window is displayed.
When you're done making your changes to your files, click OK to continue.
13. Next focus on the Registry designer to create the registry entries required by your application. Click Registry.
If you would like to save time during builds, you may also check the Skip on Build check-box. This is a very convenient option, especially for application runtimes that do not change in between different builds of your own application. When Skip on Build is checked, InstallAware will not copy any files belonging to that Web Media Block, nor will it compress any data in that Web Media Block, effectively eliminating that part of the setup from the build process, and therefore improving build speed. As long as you have a pre-built copy of that web media block, you may skip it during builds and save time.
InstallAware 7 also offers the option to individually encrypt each Web Media Block using 256 bit strong AES encryption. Just populate the Password field to turn on encryption. Individually encrypting each Web Media Block makes it harder for your setups to be compromised with the loss of a single global password, as each Web Media Block can potentially be using a unique password.
Coupled with the superior compression provided by the InstallAware engine, Compressed Web-Based EXE builds provide the industry's leading solution for online software distribution. With the new individual encryption options and URL lists in InstallAware 7, online software distribution becomes even more reliable, scalable, and secure.
You may notice that when you perform a CD or Single File build, Web Media Blocks are not created, even though they have been defined; this makes it easier to build for multiple media types when generating your setups. In fact, you can click Batch Build in the Compile group on the MSIcode tab to build for multiple media types in one pass. Just select each desired build type.
19. Finally take a peek at the setup script, which has been automatically generated and maintained for you so far by the visual designers. Choose the MSICode tab, and then choose the My dotNET Setup page next to the Welcome Page.
Use Silent Installs for Automated Software Distribution
Installing and maintaining applications deployed onto thousands of computers on a corporate network can rapidly escalate into a maintenance nightmare. Because InstallAware installations are Windows Installer based, they conform and interoperate well with large scale corporate deployment scenarios. Applications can be silently installed, removed, and monitored - all without user intervention or knowledge. Log files can be created from installations to provide additional debugging data in case deployment problems arise.
Group Policy Deployment
InstallAware setups are fully compatible with Active Directory deployment using Group Policy, as well as other automated deployment technologies. Push installers onto thousands of desktops with a single click.
Shell to and Repackage Installs
Typically, when deploying older software, corporate administrators are required to convert old and nonstandard package formats into the MSI package format. Even when working with MSI based installers, packages may need to be installed with a precisely defined set of configuration settings, to ensure proper operation. InstallAware addresses both these needs. InstallAware's Shell to MSI technology enables the execution of any MSI package, with a specified set of configuration settings, as an integral part of a larger software installation process. In fact the Shell to MSI process is so efficient that it even captures the progress of the spawned installation. With non-MSI packages, the PackageAware tool that ships with InstallAware provides a migration path: PackageAware takes before and after snapshots of the state of the system as a legacy package is installed. It then encapsulates the delta of the system snapshots in a ready-to-build, customizable InstallAware setup project. Both these technologies enable seamless and painless installations of large numbers of interdependent packages across the entire corporate network.
Allow Non-Administrative Installs
Since InstallAware setups are Windows Installer based, they automatically leverage the ability of Windows Installer to perform low level changes to the system even when administrator rights are not present. As long as the Always Install Elevated group policy has been defined by the corporate administrator for user accounts, all InstallAware installations will successfully install inside locked-down user environments, making it unnecessary for a system administrator to manually log on and install the desired product on the system.
Use Advertising for Install-On-Demand and Self-Healing
Advertising is a Windows Installer term for two similar concepts:
1. An installation that runs in advertised mode creates shortcuts, registers file types, and creates registry entries required by the product - overall creating the impression that the application has been installed. However, it does not actually copy any files, until the application has been invoked for the first time, from either the Start Menu, or by double-clicking its associated file in Explorer.
2. Advertised shortcuts and file types both enable the above behavior, and also repair a damaged application by copying missing files whenever they are invoked. They do this by checking that all required files are present when they are being invoked.
InstallAware setups fully support both of these advertising technologies. Plus, InstallAware adds the capability of storing each feature of an advertised installation as a Web Media Block to seamlessly download it on-demand from any desired URL.
Additional Resources
Please visit the InstallAware website publications section at the following URL for more information on InstallAware technologies:
http://www.installaware.com/home/publications.asp
Whitepapers providing an in-depth analysis of InstallAware's scripting and web deployment technologies, as well as a Reviewer's Guide, are available at the above URL.
About the Author:
Candice Jones is employed at InstallAware Software Corporation.