Using SMS 2003 for workstation installations

[Guest Markus]

Am new to SMS. To do a client push of an application silently onto

workstations using SMS, must I use an MSI package? Can the vendor simply

supply an installation exe that requires no user interaction to install the

app onto a remote workstation thru SMS?

 

Thanks for any and all ideas,

 

Mark

[Guest Ace Fekay [MVP]]

Re: Using SMS 2003 for workstation installations

 

In news:F2CE3499-22F8-4FF5-8678-94D69344BE18@microsoft.com,

Markus <Markus@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> Am new to SMS. To do a client push of an application silently onto

> workstations using SMS, must I use an MSI package? Can the vendor

> simply supply an installation exe that requires no user interaction

> to install the app onto a remote workstation thru SMS?

>

> Thanks for any and all ideas,

>

> Mark

 

This post is better suited for the SMS newsgroup. But in summary, if an MSI

doesn't exist, you can create one. There are numerous utilities available to

create one.

 

I cross-posted this response to the microsoft.public.sms.swdist newsgroup.

Since you are posting from a browser from the Microsoft web community,

cross-posting is not available, so to make it easier for you, I set

follow-ups (all the responses) to populate both newsgroups so you can simply

view the responses here.

 

 

--

Regards,

Ace

 

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and

confers no rights.

 

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,

MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

Microsoft Certified Trainer

 

For urgent issues, you may want to contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please

check http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

 

Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

[Guest Markus]

Re: Using SMS 2003 for workstation installations

 

Ace,

 

Sorry, but MS has so many of these ngs it's hard to find the exact right one

sometimes.

 

Yes, I was aware of the utilities, but was hoping SMS can handle a standard

exe that does not have any user interaction required.

 

Thanks,

Mark

 

"Ace Fekay [MVP]" wrote:

> In news:F2CE3499-22F8-4FF5-8678-94D69344BE18@microsoft.com,

> Markus <Markus@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> > Am new to SMS. To do a client push of an application silently onto

> > workstations using SMS, must I use an MSI package? Can the vendor

> > simply supply an installation exe that requires no user interaction

> > to install the app onto a remote workstation thru SMS?

> >

> > Thanks for any and all ideas,

> >

> > Mark

>

> This post is better suited for the SMS newsgroup. But in summary, if an MSI

> doesn't exist, you can create one. There are numerous utilities available to

> create one.

>

> I cross-posted this response to the microsoft.public.sms.swdist newsgroup.

> Since you are posting from a browser from the Microsoft web community,

> cross-posting is not available, so to make it easier for you, I set

> follow-ups (all the responses) to populate both newsgroups so you can simply

> view the responses here.

>

>

> --

> Regards,

> Ace

>

> This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and

> confers no rights.

>

> Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,

> MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

> Microsoft Certified Trainer

>

> For urgent issues, you may want to contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please

> check http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

>

> Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

>

>

>

[Guest Sherry Kissinger [MVP-SMS]]

Re: Using SMS 2003 for workstation installations

 

Yes, SMS/ConfigMgr can handle a standard .exe, like setup.exe /q

It can also do .bat, .vbs, and of course .msi Basically, if you can run it

manually, you can (usually) get ConfigMgr to run it, too. Actually, I've

never encountered anything I couldn't do; but sometimes I had to be creative!

--

Standardize. Simplify. Automate.

 

 

"Markus" wrote:

> Ace,

>

> Sorry, but MS has so many of these ngs it's hard to find the exact right one

> sometimes.

>

> Yes, I was aware of the utilities, but was hoping SMS can handle a standard

> exe that does not have any user interaction required.

>

> Thanks,

> Mark

>

> "Ace Fekay [MVP]" wrote:

>

> > In news:F2CE3499-22F8-4FF5-8678-94D69344BE18@microsoft.com,

> > Markus <Markus@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> > > Am new to SMS. To do a client push of an application silently onto

> > > workstations using SMS, must I use an MSI package? Can the vendor

> > > simply supply an installation exe that requires no user interaction

> > > to install the app onto a remote workstation thru SMS?

> > >

> > > Thanks for any and all ideas,

> > >

> > > Mark

> >

> > This post is better suited for the SMS newsgroup. But in summary, if an MSI

> > doesn't exist, you can create one. There are numerous utilities available to

> > create one.

> >

> > I cross-posted this response to the microsoft.public.sms.swdist newsgroup.

> > Since you are posting from a browser from the Microsoft web community,

> > cross-posting is not available, so to make it easier for you, I set

> > follow-ups (all the responses) to populate both newsgroups so you can simply

> > view the responses here.

> >

> >

> > --

> > Regards,

> > Ace

> >

> > This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and

> > confers no rights.

> >

> > Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,

> > MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

> > Microsoft Certified Trainer

> >

> > For urgent issues, you may want to contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please

> > check http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

> >

> > Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

> >

> >

> >

[Guest Markus]

Re: Using SMS 2003 for workstation installations

 

Hi Sherry,

 

Good to hear.

 

Am concerned about how SMS would handle the install. I have no need to

specify options for the install, which are handled programmatically in the

install exe. But the install exe must be run directly from the server, which

then loads the app onto the workstation.

 

I assume SMS must have some way to specify the working dir for running the

install exe and that this will serve the same purpose. That is, the install

exe running thru SMS will believe it is being run from the server where it is

stored, and be able to obtain info from the server directory in which the

install exe is stored.

 

Do I understand that correctly?

 

Thanks again for the benefit of your experience,

Mark

 

 

"Sherry Kissinger [MVP-SMS]" wrote:

> Yes, SMS/ConfigMgr can handle a standard .exe, like setup.exe /q

> It can also do .bat, .vbs, and of course .msi Basically, if you can run it

> manually, you can (usually) get ConfigMgr to run it, too. Actually, I've

> never encountered anything I couldn't do; but sometimes I had to be creative!

> --

> Standardize. Simplify. Automate.

>

>

> "Markus" wrote:

>

> > Ace,

> >

> > Sorry, but MS has so many of these ngs it's hard to find the exact right one

> > sometimes.

> >

> > Yes, I was aware of the utilities, but was hoping SMS can handle a standard

> > exe that does not have any user interaction required.

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Mark

> >

> > "Ace Fekay [MVP]" wrote:

> >

> > > In news:F2CE3499-22F8-4FF5-8678-94D69344BE18@microsoft.com,

> > > Markus <Markus@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> > > > Am new to SMS. To do a client push of an application silently onto

> > > > workstations using SMS, must I use an MSI package? Can the vendor

> > > > simply supply an installation exe that requires no user interaction

> > > > to install the app onto a remote workstation thru SMS?

> > > >

> > > > Thanks for any and all ideas,

> > > >

> > > > Mark

> > >

> > > This post is better suited for the SMS newsgroup. But in summary, if an MSI

> > > doesn't exist, you can create one. There are numerous utilities available to

> > > create one.

> > >

> > > I cross-posted this response to the microsoft.public.sms.swdist newsgroup.

> > > Since you are posting from a browser from the Microsoft web community,

> > > cross-posting is not available, so to make it easier for you, I set

> > > follow-ups (all the responses) to populate both newsgroups so you can simply

> > > view the responses here.

> > >

> > >

> > > --

> > > Regards,

> > > Ace

> > >

> > > This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and

> > > confers no rights.

> > >

> > > Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,

> > > MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

> > > Microsoft Certified Trainer

> > >

> > > For urgent issues, you may want to contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please

> > > check http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

> > >

> > > Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest Sherry Kissinger [MVP-SMS]]

Re: Using SMS 2003 for workstation installations

 

Sorry for the delay in replying.

 

So if I understand this correctly, the .exe absolutely *has* to be launched

from the server hosting the application? Is this a "Click-Once" or something

like that app?

 

We've got a couple of those we have to help deploy. In that case, there are

no "source" files, and all you are doing is asking the client to launch an

executable at a certain time from a network resource. It bugs my innate

desire to have clients only launch applications (like setup executables)

either from a locally cached location or from a local distribution

point--launching something across the network from the remote /slow link

connected offices takes *forever*--but with a clickonce app install we are

limited by the technology.

 

To answer your question; sure, SMS can do that. But I'd take a good look at

what exactly it is, and see if it *has* to install directly from the server.

There's a couple of applications which the installation instructions from the

vendor say the app has to launch from their server, from a shared directory

across the WAN, but it's bogus information. It can install from any source

directory successfully. So test, test, test.

--

Standardize. Simplify. Automate.

 

 

"Markus" wrote:

> Hi Sherry,

>

> Good to hear.

>

> Am concerned about how SMS would handle the install. I have no need to

> specify options for the install, which are handled programmatically in the

> install exe. But the install exe must be run directly from the server, which

> then loads the app onto the workstation.

>

> I assume SMS must have some way to specify the working dir for running the

> install exe and that this will serve the same purpose. That is, the install

> exe running thru SMS will believe it is being run from the server where it is

> stored, and be able to obtain info from the server directory in which the

> install exe is stored.

>

> Do I understand that correctly?

>

> Thanks again for the benefit of your experience,

> Mark

>

>

> "Sherry Kissinger [MVP-SMS]" wrote:

>

> > Yes, SMS/ConfigMgr can handle a standard .exe, like setup.exe /q

> > It can also do .bat, .vbs, and of course .msi Basically, if you can run it

> > manually, you can (usually) get ConfigMgr to run it, too. Actually, I've

> > never encountered anything I couldn't do; but sometimes I had to be creative!

> > --

> > Standardize. Simplify. Automate.

> >

> >

> > "Markus" wrote:

> >

> > > Ace,

> > >

> > > Sorry, but MS has so many of these ngs it's hard to find the exact right one

> > > sometimes.

> > >

> > > Yes, I was aware of the utilities, but was hoping SMS can handle a standard

> > > exe that does not have any user interaction required.

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > > Mark

> > >

> > > "Ace Fekay [MVP]" wrote:

> > >

> > > > In news:F2CE3499-22F8-4FF5-8678-94D69344BE18@microsoft.com,

> > > > Markus <Markus@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> > > > > Am new to SMS. To do a client push of an application silently onto

> > > > > workstations using SMS, must I use an MSI package? Can the vendor

> > > > > simply supply an installation exe that requires no user interaction

> > > > > to install the app onto a remote workstation thru SMS?

> > > > >

> > > > > Thanks for any and all ideas,

> > > > >

> > > > > Mark

> > > >

> > > > This post is better suited for the SMS newsgroup. But in summary, if an MSI

> > > > doesn't exist, you can create one. There are numerous utilities available to

> > > > create one.

> > > >

> > > > I cross-posted this response to the microsoft.public.sms.swdist newsgroup.

> > > > Since you are posting from a browser from the Microsoft web community,

> > > > cross-posting is not available, so to make it easier for you, I set

> > > > follow-ups (all the responses) to populate both newsgroups so you can simply

> > > > view the responses here.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > --

> > > > Regards,

> > > > Ace

> > > >

> > > > This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and

> > > > confers no rights.

> > > >

> > > > Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,

> > > > MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

> > > > Microsoft Certified Trainer

> > > >

> > > > For urgent issues, you may want to contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please

> > > > check http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

> > > >

> > > > Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >