The Webdeploy Process - Symantec WINDOWS INSTALLER EDITOR 8.0 Reference

The WebDeploy Process

Phase 1:
When you develop the installation, you:
Compile the installation to an .EXE that contains the .MSI
Configure WebDeploy by specifying the location of installation files on the Web
server
Upload the installation files to the Web server
Notify end users of the Web link to the .EXE
Windows Installer Editor Reference
Create an .EXE that runs an external .MSI
Windows Installer and .NET runtimes, and prerequisite files, if any, are external to the
.EXE. The resulting .EXE is very small. When an end user runs the .EXE, it connects to
the Web location of the .MSI and runs the .MSI. The runtime and prerequisite files are
downloaded only if they are needed on the destination computer.
Prerequisite and runtime files that you add on the Prerequisites page are always
included in the .EXE.
This method is best used over a corporate intranet. Because the .MSI is run directly
from the Web, if a self-repair or install-on-demand is needed, the end user must have
immediate access to the original Web location of the .MSI.
Create an .EXE that runs an external .MSI, and an external .INI that
contains download and installation information
Use this method to change the download information dynamically, perhaps as a result of
end user input. You compile to an .EXE and .INI and then distribute the .EXE on a CD or
other media along with an Autoplay program.
Example:
You want to let the end user select from multiple download sites. You write an Autoplay
program that presents download site options to the end user. When the end user selects
a site, the Autoplay program copies the .EXE and .INI to a temporary directory, then
edits the .INI file, adding the URL of the selected download site. The Autoplay program
then runs the .EXE, which connects to the appropriate Web site based on the updated
information in the .INI file, and runs the .MSI file it finds there.
See also:
Tips for Creating an Efficient WebDeploy Installation
Creating a WebDeploy Installation
Uploading a WebDeploy Installation to the Web
The following diagram shows how the WebDeploy™ process works when you distribute
an .EXE with an embedded .MSI over the Internet.
Your Computer
Upload files through FTP
Organizing Your Installation Into Releases
on page 206
on page 207
on page 208
Your Web Server
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