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Nested installations


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Sunny_xms

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Posted 05 May 2004 - 12:21

I've read a lot around that using nested installation is "not recommended", "higly discouraged" (i.e. here: http://forum.install...showtopic=9776) and so on. But can one name this disadvantages? In MSDN I've found a number of limitations about this matter, but nothing really important... May be I missed something.


Thank you!

Well, to be more certain - I'm about registering COM+. Since COM+ Export feature generates an MSI file that can be succefully executed even without UI, why not to nest it into the main installation?


installer_wow

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Posted 05 May 2004 - 13:24

Hi,

Let me be very specific with registering COM+ using nested MSIs and tell u what will happen.
First of all if u use nested installation for deploying COM+, u can't control the progress bar. (it doesn't really matter if u have only one component to register and u really don't bother about the looks of ur installer)

Secondly, u need to take care of the product registration info that will be entered in the machine's registry (and finally end up showing in add/remove programs).
There is a work around for this anyway, u can remove ResigterProduct, RegsiterUser, PublishFeatures, PublishProduct Actions but for that u need to open the child MSI evert time and change it. (headache, specially is u have an automated build creation process)

Also the binaries will be copied in a folder created under <Program Files>/COMPlus Applications/<App ID> in 2000 and XP machines. this will make ur installatin scattered all over.

and finally u have to take care of the uninstallation.

I think the better way is to write your custom action and use COM Admin catalog library that exposes number of APIs for actual creation and deployment of COM+ applications.

Akshay Arora.

New Delhi.

"One of these days, my installation will work"




Sunny_xms

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Posted 05 May 2004 - 14:46

QUOTE
First of all if u use nested installation for deploying COM+, u can't control the progress bar

Yeh, progress bar is not very important because COM+ MSI is a solid program component. It makes sense only of it's full installation.

QUOTE
Secondly, u need to take care of the product registration info that will be entered in the machine's registry

You mean that nested installation will write it's own info to "add/remove programs"? Well, that's a headache...

QUOTE
I think the better way is to write your custom action and use COM Admin catalog library that exposes number of APIs for actual creation and deployment of COM+ applications.

You see the problem is, that my current installation actually do this. wink.gif And sometimes, on some computers, some users accounts, some ... and e.t.c. registration fails. I do not know why is it so and I very-very much tired of hearing almost the same every day from our users, my managers something like "ActiveX component can't create object.... bla-bla-bla mad.gif ". I've tested this part of installation on hundreds of computers already, but almost each week a new bug report is recieved sad.gif So this is the reason why this post come into the world...



Stefan Krueger

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Posted 05 May 2004 - 18:13

As you have read there are several problems with nested installs, such as not being able to install updates. From my experience I would not recommend it.
BTW InstalShield X (and also DevStudio 9) natively suport COM+, with no need for nested installs.