Is it possible to cache a CD/DVD Install

OverheadDoor · Post by **OverheadDoor** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:06 pm

I have a software package that will be initially sent out on CD to our customers. After the initial install off of the CD, the software will be monitorig a URL for updates. I don't want my customers to have to always find the original CD for the updates to work correctly. Is it possible to cache the install like the Web Deployment process? Should I try putting the Web package on the CD instead, and will this work with AutoStart?

On a simular note, I also wanted to ask if it was possible to update the update process. During pilot, the customers will be monitoring the Updates.ini on our pilot web server, but as soon as we go to production, the update process on each of the pilot customers will need to be changed to look at the production web server instead. Can this be accomplished through a patch, and if so, could you point me in the right direction?

MichaelNesmith · Post by **MichaelNesmith** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:20 pm

If you create a web build with a single offline Web Media Block that covers your entire setup, then in essence you have a single file compressed build, which will always locally cache its sources, and also never connect to the web to download anything (even though its called a web build).

As for updates, you don't need to patch the updater - instead use a variable instead of a hard-coded download URL in the updater, so this way you can change that variable according to your business requirements inside the updater code.

OverheadDoor · Post by **OverheadDoor** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:13 pm

Thanks for the information on how to use the web media block on a CD installation.

As for using a variable for the updater, are you referring to the Compiler Variable section? I currently have a variable called UPDATE_SERVER that was created when I specified in the installer to monitor a URL for updates. Would I just update this variable with the new link, and send out a patch/update to all my pilot customers and this would update their system to look at the new URL? Or am I confused about this? If this is not correct, could you give me a quick example or the steps I would take?

OverheadDoor · Post by **OverheadDoor** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:13 pm

MichaelNesmith wrote:If you create a web build with a single offline Web Media Block that covers your entire setup, then in essence you have a single file compressed build, which will always locally cache its sources, and also never connect to the web to download anything (even though its called a web build).

I wanted to make a quick comment on this based on my testing. If I don't create a single Web Media Block, but instead leave all the media blocks intact (creates all the 7zip files), and burn those along with a autorun.inf file to a CD, it still appears to work just fine. For example, I have the .Net framework as a seperate media block and so I have on the CD, myapp.7zip, msft20net_framework.7zip, myapp_setup.exe, updates.ini, and a autorun.inf file. The setup is still able to find the .Net Framework on the installation CD instead of looking online for the media block. Is this advisable to go this route, or would you still recommend a single Media Block for everything?

MichaelNesmith · Post by **MichaelNesmith** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:51 pm

You can certainly do that as well, as you have observed, as long as all required weblocks are on CD, no web connection will occur.

However a single offline block can make it easier to transport your setup (one file versus multiple files that might be easier to lose), additionally compression will be higher in the one file version as everything will be compressed all together so redundancies across all files will be better eliminated.

OverheadDoor · Post by **OverheadDoor** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:57 pm

Thank you Michael for the great suggestion. I know I wrote two reply's to your orignal comment and wondered if you saw my first reply on using a variable in the update process for the update server. Could you comment on that reply? Thank you so much for the prompt help!

MichaelNesmith · Post by **MichaelNesmith** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:02 pm

Sorry I missed that.

Right now, you're using a compiler variable, which is the way the out-of-the-box script is structured.

However you can freely edit that script so you hit any URL. Just look in the script to see what I mean. You can hard-code a URL or use any variable you like.

Of course, how you populate that variable is up to you - reading from an INI file, parsing the command line, etc.

OverheadDoor · Post by **OverheadDoor** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:24 pm

Excellent! I'll give that a shot.