Deployment

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sheldon
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Sheldon

Hello -

I need to deploy an application to 200 users who frequently change
workstations. Also, I will need to make changes to the app at various times
in the future. Can someone give me a best practices recommendation for this,
along with a detailed explanation of how to do it?
 
It might be clickonce that you are looking for.

You can set it, so as soon as they run the program it checks for updates and
automatically updates the exe on their computer. You can also set it so
they "MUST" update when there is one available.

Just a thought? - I am not sure how 'complicated' this program you have is
for these 200 users.

Miro
 
Hello -

I need to deploy an application to 200 users who frequently change
workstations. Also, I will need to make changes to the app at various times
in the future. Can someone give me a best practices recommendation for this,
along with a detailed explanation of how to do it?
Click to expand...

I can't give you a detailed explanation, but this sounds like an ideal use of
Click Once deployment :)
 
Sheldon,

ClickOnce sounds like the best route, but you might also want to consider
investigating the self-updating stack available for free from Microsoft.
Last I looked at it (many moons ago) they'd even integrated it with
ClickOnce in some areas.

Alternatively if you're just starting out writing your app, you could go a
completely different route and consider a Silverlight 3.0 detached
application...

Cheers,
Alex
 
Thanks for responding!

I thought ClickOnce is installed for each individual user so that when they
change seats, they would not have an icon on their desktop, which would
necessitate an install each time they changed workstations. Is this an
incorrect understanding of ClickOnce?

Additionally, our users are not able to install applications.
 
Sheldon said:
Thanks for responding!

I thought ClickOnce is installed for each individual user so that when
they
change seats, they would not have an icon on their desktop, which would
necessitate an install each time they changed workstations. Is this an
incorrect understanding of ClickOnce?

Additionally, our users are not able to install applications.
Click to expand...

Your assumption above is correct. However, this has the advantage of
allowing each different user on a pc to have individual settings for the
application. We use ClickOnce for only about 20 users and it works well. You
do need to have an install icon on each users desktop. One annoying feature
of ClickOnce is that it removes its desktop icon during each update. I have
not found a way to prevent this

Harry

<snip>
 
That is correct,

all you would have to do is point icon's on any desktop not to the exe, but
put a shortcut that points to your server where your manifest is stored.

Example:

Create a dummy form and deploy it using clickonce.
Set the link to the .application file it creates.
If you set the clickonce deployment to create a dummy deploy.htm/or
index.htm

Take a look at where the <Install> button points to.
Thats where you want your link to point to.

When you run that, if it is already installed on the pc, it will run it.
If its not installed, it will install it.
From there on in - you have the automatic updates.

Would that work for you?

When you re-deploy with clickonce it creates a whole new folder with all new
manifest files and application files. You will want your "icon" to
constantly point to this.
So either make a dummy website that always points to the correct manifest
one....

Not sure what exactly you are looking for when someone "flips" machines.
I would assume you would have 2 scenarios:
1. The application is already intalled
-Sweet...they run it...it checks automatically for updates...updates
itself..and continues to run.
2. It is not installed
-(this i am unsure of what you want to happen).
-Somehow you need to get them to point to the latest application file.


Miro
 
That does not happen to me. ( just tested it ).
I created an app...published it..installed it.
It created a desktop icon
Then published a new version
let it update...
icon still exists.

Did you create the desktop icon manually?

If you tell it to create a desktop icon as part of the clickonce parameters
it is always there.
I beleive you dont have that set anymore so it removes it.

If you created it manually you have to change 1 thing about keeping your
icon.
-Keep in mind...when you install clickonce, it has its own NEW folder (under
a 'random name') it creates where it installs, and also a secondary folder
that (under random name) for the files specified as data.
You can get these folder names by code if required ... .. but...

That way one the program is in its own little 'box'.
If you created an icon manually - then it would still be pointing to the
original 'exe' that does not exist anymore.

Your icon should exist under the users with a .appref extention.
Right click on your icon and look at the "object" as to where it points to.
Here is an example of mine:
C:\Users\Miro\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Your
Company Name\Your Program Folder\Your Program Name.appref-ms

-but check your "create desktop icon" setting. I suspect that is going to
be your issue.

Miro
 
Hi Harry -

Thanks for clarifying. I thought that was the way it worked. The problem
then with clickOnce is with 200 users, all switching workstations at various
times, over the period of a few years and assuming one user would at one time
or another sit at each workstation, each workstation could then have 200
duplicate user folders for each of the applications being run!!

That, of course is not to mention they are not allowed to install anything
on their computers which causes a huge installation problem!

I have used ClickOnce for a few applications having only a couple of users
that are updated only occasionally and it works well for that.

At this point, I am unclear how to proceed. I suppose, create a Setup
project. Then when I do updates, just change the project on the server and
use debug mode. When I would want it to be changed on all the workstations,
would I just build it in release mode? Does it automatically write over the
exe like VB6 used to?
 
Hi Harry -

Thanks for clarifying. I thought that was the way it worked. The problem
then with clickOnce is with 200 users, all switching workstations at various
times, over the period of a few years and assuming one user would at one time
or another sit at each workstation, each workstation could then have 200
duplicate user folders for each of the applications being run!!

That, of course is not to mention they are not allowed to install anything
on their computers which causes a huge installation problem!

I have used ClickOnce for a few applications having only a couple of users
that are updated only occasionally and it works well for that.

At this point, I am unclear how to proceed. I suppose, create a Setup
project. Then when I do updates, just change the project on the server and
use debug mode. When I would want it to be changed on all the workstations,
would I just build it in release mode? Does it automatically write over the
exe like VB6 used to?
Click to expand...

Hmmm... Rethinking - you can use an MSI to push out the app to all the
machines (assuming you are on a domain). Or, you can write the app as a wpf
browser app or silverlight app...
 
Sheldon,

You write that you have 200 users who frequently change workstation.

That can mean a lot.

I can think about three situations
They buy every week a new computer.
They share computers with other persons.

I don't assume that those workstations are installed as Dos like computers.

For the first situation, your solution is to keep at least the same type of
computer and operating system and use images to install those computers.

If it is the second situation, then you can install programs to be used for
all persons, which means that the situation is for every user the same as
there is an update but not if that is done.

Cor
 
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