How to install network apps?

[M.Sapsed]

Greg wrote:
> Although this may be closing the door afterwards in your case, the typical
> method at my place of employ is to create an image with all the network
> apps already installed and then remove the the binary package and data
> files. This will leave an image with .dll's and registry entries ready to
> run although it may require some tweaking of file associations especially
> to avoid calling the nonexistent app from the local drive. This image is
> then deployed either via a ghosted CD or a network install to all client
> computers. When the app is called from the network it then has all the
> resources available locally with a minimum of clutter. This can also be
> deployed via a case by case basis using a script that installs and then
> deletes the app via the network the first time the netapp is called from
> the client - although this a slightly messier method it does allow on the
> fly implementation of new applications - it also requires fairly extensive
> testing and a lot of bandwidth...

That sounds wonderful in theory but with over 2000 PCs, a large proportion
of which are unique in hardware terms and each probably using a different
permutation of software your solution wouldn't be practical in my
environment. Besides, each time you change the image to accommodate a new
app you have to go update all the machines.

In an idle moment a bit back I wrote some guidelines for writing
networkable software which I was going to send to the world with a big
please at the end! The ones that really irritate me are the programs that
don't work on a networked machine because they can't find the registry key
which tells them where they were installed to!

Cheers

Martin

-- 
Martin Sapsed                                Tel: +44 (0)1248 382409
Computing Lab                                Fax: +44 (0)1248 383826
University of Wales, Bangor             m.sapsed at bangor.ac.uk
North Wales, LL57 2DG
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