A complex application such as Novell GroupWise or Microsoft Office requires many files to be installed and many configuration changes to be made to the workstation.
Although you might be able to easily copy the application's files to a network directory (the same as with a simple application), you would probably spend hours configuring the Application object to indicate the target directories where the application files must be installed on the workstation. In addition, you would spend even more time trying to discover what workstation settings (registry settings, INI settings, and so forth) needed to be modified in order to configure the Application object with the correct information.
Some applications, such as Microsoft Office, provide a Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) package that includes the files and configuration settings required by the Windows Installer to install the application to a workstation. Application Launcher supports the use of MSI packages to distribute these applications. The MSI package must reside on a network server (NetWare or Windows) that Application Launcher can access.
For applications such as Novell GroupWise that do not provide a Windows Installer (MSI) package, you can use the ZENworks snAppShotTM utility to create a snAppShot package that includes the files and configuration settings to be distributed. Like a Windows Installer package, a snAppShot package must reside on a NetWare or Windows server that is accessible to Application Launcher.
The following sections provide more information to help you understand and create Windows Installer and snAppShot packages.
ZENworks 6.5 includes InstallShield AdminStudio ZENworks Edition to help you manage Windows Installer and snAppShot packages after they are created. For information about using AdminStudio ZENworks Edition, see Advanced Distribution: Managing AOT/AXT and MSI Application Packages.
The Microsoft Windows Installer is an installation and configuration service that ships as part of the Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems, and is provided in a service pack to Windows 98. Many applications, such as Microsoft Office 2000, are designed to be installed by Windows Installer.
Microsoft Windows Installer installs applications to a workstation from a file package consisting of a .msi file and various support files. When you distribute an MSI application, Application Launcher calls the Windows Installer to perform the installation on the workstation.
Distributing MSI applications through Application Launcher enables you to control who has access to the application while still gaining the installation benefits associated with the Windows Installer (such as on-demand installation, transforms, and source resiliency).
To use a Windows Installer package:
Deploy the package to a NetWare or Windows server by running the application's setup program using the administrative option. For more information, see the application's installation documentation.
or
If the application includes a preconfigured package, copy the package (.msi files and supporting files) to a NetWare or Windows server.
The NetWare or Windows server where the file package resides must be available to Application Launcher in order for the distribution to be successful. For more information about what is required for Application Launcher to access a network resource, see Novell Application Launcher: Managing Authentication and File System Access.
ZENworks 6.5 includes AdminStudio ZENworks Edition to help you manage Windows Installer packages. For example, you can customize the package for your specific environment and even create multiple customizations using the same base package. You can also use AdminStudio ZENworks Edition to deploy a package to various source locations, or use it to create an administrative installation on a network server.
For information about using AdminStudio ZENworks Edition, see Advanced Distribution: Managing AOT/AXT and MSI Application Packages.
The ZENworks snAppShot utility automates the process of creating file packages and Application objects for complex applications that do not have an Microsoft Windows Installer (.msi) package.
You run snAppShot on a workstation that has never had the application installed to it. SnAppShot records the workstation's state (files and configuration) before you install the application and after you install the application. From this information, snAppShot creates the application's file package (.fil files) and an Application object template file (.aot file or .axt file).
The AOT includes information about where the files need to be copied on the workstation and what workstation settings need to be changed. When you create the Application object in eDirectory, the information from the AOT is automatically transferred to the Application object so that you don't have to manually define this information. When Application Launcher distributes the application to a workstation, it uses the .fil files, located on a NetWare or Windows server that it can access, as well as the configuration information (registry changes, INI file changes, and so forth) stored in the Application object.
To use snAppShot to create a file package and an Application object template file:
Set up a "clean" workstation.
This needs to be a workstation where the application has never been installed.
Run snAppShot (snapshot.exe) from the sys:\public\snapshot directory on the ZENworks Server.
Follow the on-screen prompts to create the package. For more detailed information about snAppShot, see Reference: SnAppShot.
Make sure the NetWare or Windows server where you create the snAppShot package (.fil files and .aot/.axt files) is available to Application Launcher. For more information about what is required for Application Launcher to access a network resource, see Novell Application Launcher: Managing Authentication and File System Access.
ZENworks 6.5 includes AdminStudio ZENworks Edition. You can use AdminStudio ZENworks Edition to convert snAppShot packages to Windows Installer packages and then manage the Windows Installer packages.
For information about using AdminStudio ZENworks Edition, see Advanced Distribution: Managing AOT/AXT and MSI Application Packages.