Deploying on Multiple CDs

[mwilliams]

I have a project that will deploy on one CD and two DVDs. Is it possible to direct file sets to arbitrary media targets for deployment?

The project is about 6GB in size.

Thanks.

[sinan]

You can do this with web media blocks and web builds. By placing each web media block file directly on a CD/DVD, you can split your setup between as many CD/DVDs as you like.

[pchieffo]

How does this work? I have a similar situation. Our application is about 3Gig, and we create two image sets, 1 DVD or 5CDs. I need to create image files for pressing. Will the web blocks do this? Can I structure multiple different profiles (CD or DVD) within one setup? When this runs, will it prompt the user to insert the next disk, and if so, how do I set the message text? Will the default behavior handle the case where the user removes a CD while files are being copied?

[CandiceJones]

The straightforward way to do this would be by creating web media blocks, and checking that they exist on the CD, next to the install file (see the pre-defined variables in help to find out which folder the install file is running from), and if not found, prompt for the next CD/DVD. Also use the Does File/Folder Exist command to verify that the correct CD/DVD has been inserted.

[pchieffo]

So there is no automated way to do this? If I understand you correctly, I would have to manually break up the install somehow, and code the logic (disk1->disk2->disk3, etc), and then change the logic if the install size grows or shrinks?

The other related issue is that I need to be able to create multiple builds, DVD, CD, and different SKUs for each (basically different language configurations, which drives a slightly different mix of loaded files). I need to generate a separate image set for each SKU. Does that mean I would need to create a different project for each SKU?

[CandiceJones]

Yes, you understood correctly.

However, you can use Compiler Variables to help out with your SKUs. So you can maintain a single setup project for all your SKUs and conditionally include/exclude files, settings, and customize text when building them.

[pchieffo]

Ok, the part I still can't see is the actual breaking up of the image. From what I can see, the web blocks are associated with features. But my install is one monolithic block - I can't break it into features in a reasonable way. The other issue with this is that splitting the image needs to happen independently of the source files, and after compression to be effective. The image may need to be split at an arbitrary point in a file in order to use each disk fully. And then at install time, the image files need to be reassembled before being copied.

Do you have plans to do this in a future release? To be honest, I was rather surprised that this feature isn't in the product. It seems like a fundamental requirement for many installs. Or is there another way I should approach this conceptually that fits better with your feature set?

Thanks, by the way, for your quick responses. I'm overall quite impressed with the product, and with the support I've gotten so far.

[CandiceJones]

Hi,

You are free to break up your setups any way you like using web media blocks. Web media blocks are not necessarily tied to features, prereqs, or similar elements - although the visual views do create a separate web media block for each feature and prereq.

You may just switch to the MSIcode view and insert/update web media block commands to span CD/DVDs as you see fit. Unfortunately, while most of our customers are interested in having a single installer to deploy for all distribution types, as well as a single setup project to emit multiple product flavors at build time; we do not have many requests for exact CD/DVD size spanning so far - especially considering that ESD is favored more over physical media each day. So sorry for the incovenience.

[pchieffo]

Thanks for the info, I'll see if I can make it work.

Makes sense, I can understand why most people would be less interested in creating multiple media images. We have a large image though, sold in high volume through retail outlets (it's a PC game) so we really have no choice. Digital distribution is certainly starting for this segment, but we'll still be going through the retail channel for some time.

Thanks for all of your help! I really appreciate it.

[Jarlaxle]

Same here.

I'm currently evaluating InstallAware as a potential replacement for InstallShield at our studio. I'd like to vouch for such feature as well. I usually have DVD-based distributions and we usually fill it up to the edge and the ability to compress is of the utmost importance because we need to stay away from dual-layered DVD since many DVD-ROM cannot read them well.

If I'm understanding well however, I could simply use a Compressed Web-Based EXE build setup and use that as my DVD layout and it'd work. I liked in InstallShield how I could control which files to compress and which ones to leave outside (ex. game executables, readme notes, etc).

I'd have to sacrifice CD-based installers however. Has anybody been able to accomplish that with InstallAware?

So far, I like the "feel" of InstallAware, but still trying to figure out if it can do everything InstallShield does...