netOctopus's Execute PC Installer command can be used to not only launch Windows applications remotely on Agent machines but to also install applications on remote Agent machines. When the netOctopus Administrator sends a request to distribute software to the Agents, it will use the supplied username and password combination to authenticate with the file server that the software to be installed is stored on. In addition it will use the same account information install software on the Agent machine. As a result, make sure the username and password you enter in the Execute PC Installer window is valid on both the file server and the Agent machine. On the file server make sure that the username and password is authorized to access the share that the software to be installed has been placed on. On the Agent machine make sure that this same username and password has administrative privileges to install software if this Agent machine is an NT box. To cut down on authentication issues it is best to place the software to be installed on a share that has guest access, meaning that the Everyone group has read access to this share. This way you only have to worry about authentication issues on the Agent machine. The instructions in this document assume that this is the way that your system is set up. If security is an issue on your network and you don't want users to be able to browse to this share, then create a hidden share by adding a $ to the end of the share name where the software to be installed is stored.
Typically most software installer packages such as InstallShield, WISE, and InstallerVise include a /s or -s switch that allows you to run the installation in silent mode so that no user intervention is required. However, in most instances, the silent install assumes that you have chosen the default options for the software install. Software packaged with InstallShield, however, allows you to customize the silent install by providing an answer file that the setup program can look at to get the answers to its prompts. This is not always possible with software packaged with InstallShield unless the software vendor has programmed this logic into the installer. Check the documentation (that came with the software package to be installed) to see if the software can be installed silently and if there is an alternative method of doing so. These instructions assume that you are attempting to perform a silent software installation of software that has been packaged with InstallShield.
Please do the following on a sample machine that is configured similarly to the machines that you wish to install software on:
- Run the SETUP.EXE program from the command line with the -r option (setup -r).
- Select all the same options and settings for this installation that you want to use later for the software
install with netOctopus
- After the installation has finished, a file called SETUP.ISS is created in the WINDOWS or WINNT directory.
- Copy this file into the same location as the SETUP.EXE file for the application that you want to install (this is usually on a server share).
DISTRIBUTING SOFTWARE TO WIN 9x AGENTS
If you are installing software from a share on an NT server to a Windows 9X machine set everything up according to the screen shot and directions below:
- Within the netOctopus Administrator, create two new simple filters with the following criteria:
"OS Platform contains Windows 98" (Apply to Mac and Windows).
"OS Platform contains Windows 95" (Apply to Mac and Windows).
- Create a Compound filter to include the above simple filters.
- Apply the filter to your Computers window.
- Highlight all machines by pressing Ctrl-A from the Windows Admin or Command-A from the Macintosh Admin
- Select Execute PC Installer from the Commands menu.
- In the Execute PC Installer window, enter information as follows:
- Select Windows Networking but leave the username and password fields blank
- Choose No drive letter
- Executable path: UNC path to location of app to be installed (\\servername\sharename\foldername)
- Executable: file that initiates the software installation (setup.exe)
- Options: usually /s or -s for silent installation (-s for InstallShield but /s for WISE and InstallerVise)
- Click OK
**When the installation is finished, the "Setuplog.txt" contains the result.
DISTRIBUTING SOFTWARE TO WIN NT/2000 AGENTS
- Within the netOctopus Administrator, create two new simple filters with the following criteria:
"OS Platform contains Windows NT" (Apply to Mac and Windows).
"OS Platform contains Windows 2000" (Apply to Mac and Windows).
- Create a Compound filter to include the above simple filters.
- Apply the filter to your Computers window.
- Highlight all machines by pressing Ctrl-A from the Windows Admin or Command-A from the Macintosh Admin.
- Select Execute PC Installer from the Commands menu.
- In the Execute PC Installer window, enter information as follows:
- Select Windows NT networking and enter the username and password of a local administrator account if you are in a workgroup environment. If you are in a domain environment, then enter the username and password of a domain administrator account, as well as the domain that this account belongs to.
- Choose No drive letter
- Executable path: UNC path to location of app to be installed (\\servername\sharename\foldername)
- Executable: file that initiates the software installation (setup.exe)
- Options: usually /s or -s for silent installation (-s for InstallShield but /s for WISE and InstallerVise)
- Click OK
**When the installation is finished, the "Setuplog.txt" contains the result.
For additional information please search for articles Q101901 and Q102394 at the InstallShield support site.