Software Installation and Maintenance for the Windows® 2000 operating system allows administrators to manage software for their organizations, including applications, service packs, and operating system upgrades. This overview guide explains how to use the Software Installation extension of the Group Policy Microsoft Management Console snap-in to specify policy settings for application deployment for groups of users and computers.
Introduction
This document is part of a set of step-by-step guides that introduce the Change and Configuration Management features of the Windows® 2000 operating system. This guide presents an overview of Software Installation and Maintenance. It also explains how to use the Software Installation extension of the Group Policy Microsoft Management Console snap-in to specify policy settings for application deployment for groups of users and computers.
Software Installation and Maintenance is dependent upon both the Active Directory and Group Policy. Administrators who are responsible for Software Installation and Maintenance should be familiar with both of these technologies.
Publish vs. Assign
Administrators can use Software Installation and Maintenance to either publish or assign software:
-
Publish. Administrators publish applications that users may find useful, allowing users to decide whether to install the application. You can only publish to users, not computers.
-
Assign. Administrators assign applications that users require to perform their jobs. Assigned applications are available on users' desktops automatically.
For a comparison of these capabilities, see Table 1 below. Administrators deploy applications in Group Policy objects (GPOs) that are associated with Active Directory containers such as sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs).
Table 1 Publishing and Assigning Software
| Publish to Users | Assign to Users | Assign to Computers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| After the administrator deploys the software, it is available for installation: | If an application is deployed in a GPO that is already applied to the user from a previous logon, it is available for installation in the current logon session (from the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel). If the application is deployed in a new GPO that is not already associated with the user, then it is available at the next logon. | If an application is deployed in a GPO that is already applied to the user from a previous logon, it is available for installation in the current logon session (from the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel). If the application is deployed in a new GPO that is not already associated with the user, then it is available at the next logon. | The next time the computer starts (reboot). |
| Typically, users install the software from: | The Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. | Start menu shortcut. | The software is already installed. |
| If the software is not installed and the user opens a file associated with the software, will the application install? | Yes. | Yes. | The software is already installed. |
| Can the users remove the software using the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel? | Yes. Users can re-install the application from the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. | Yes. The software will be re-advertised immediately. This means that the shortcuts will be present in the users' desktops and they can re-install the application by clicking on a shortcut, for example. | No. Only the local administrator can remove the software. A user can run a repair on the software. |
| Supported installation file types: | Windows Installer packages (.msi files), and ZAP files. | Windows Installer packages (.msi files) | Windows Installer packages (.msi files) |
Supported Installation File Types
Software Installation and Maintenance supports Windows Installer packages (.msi files), repackaged files, and .zap files.
A Windows Installer package (.msi file) contains all the information necessary to describe to the Windows Installer how to set up an application. It covers every conceivable situation: various platforms, different sets of previously installed products, earlier versions of a product, and numerous default installation locations. Some applications such as Office 2000 provide their own .msi files. These are referred to as natively-authored Windows Installer packages.
You can create Windows Installer packages for your applications by using package-authoring tools provided by various vendors such as InstallShield Software Corporation and WISE Solutions, Inc. See the section on Windows Installer Applications for more information.
You can also repackage an existing application for use with the Windows Installer. To create a package for the application, you use a repackaging tool such as the VERITAS WinInstall LE, described later in this document.
Non-Windows Installer-based applications must use a .zap file to describe their existing setup program. A .zap file is a text file (similar to .ini files) that provides information about how to install a program, the application properties, and the entry points that the application should install. A sample .zap file is included in the appendix - An Excel 97 .Zap File.
