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?
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Nested installations
Started by
Sunny_xms
, May 05 2004 12:21
3 replies to this topic
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"
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"
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. 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 ". I've tested this part of installation on hundreds of computers already, but almost each week a new bug report is recieved So this is the reason why this post come into the world...
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.
BTW InstalShield X (and also DevStudio 9) natively suport COM+, with no need for nested installs.
Stefan Krüger
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