ZENworks Simple App to MSI?

[vkrish]

Hi!

I am trying to repackage a ZENworks simple app into an msi. I exported the ZENworks App to axt format, and then tried opening this with the AdminStudio (ZENworks Edition) Repackager. I accepted all defaults and built the msi. Although the msi was created successfully, I received the warning "ISDEV : warning -1527: No files are included in the project", and was left with an msi that did nothing. I expected that my exe (the original simple application) would be wrapped inside the msi. What am I doing wong here? Please help!

TIA,

Vijay.

[Christopher_Pai]

When you open the newly created ISM project in Editor do you see any components and do they include any file resources?

[vkrish]

Hi Chris!

Thanks for the quick response! No, I do not have any files when I open the axt. It says "0 files".

And components...are these available in the ZENworks Edition of AdminStudio? I ask because when I open the axt in the Repackager, I am presented with the "Captured Installation" page. This page does not contain any information about any components. It says there are 0 files, 0 registry entries, 0 shortcuts and 0 ini files. The path to the original setup and the original target folder are also not populated.

Is it because the Repackager is not intended to repackage Simple ZENworks applications?

[Christopher_Pai]

I've never used ZenWorks but I'm assuming when you "exported" the AXT you used Zenworks to do it right? Then you went into the repackager and told it to open the AXT file?

If the AXT file that Zenworks exported doesn't list and files, where should the repackager be expected to get files from?

[vkrish]

Here is my axt file:

AXT_FILE 3.1

[Application Name]
Value=SQLServerJDBCDrivers

[Application Caption]
Value=SQLServerJDBCDrivers

[Application Path]
Value=C:\Vijay\SQLServerDriver.exe

[Application Flags]

[Application Platform]
Flag=Windows 95
Flag=Windows NT

[Filter OS Version]
Type=Windows 95
Major Version=-1
Minor Version=-1
Revision Version=-1
Flag=Greater Than or Equal

[Filter OS Version]
Type=Windows NT
Major Version=-1
Minor Version=-1
Revision Version=-1
Flag=Greater Than or Equal

As you can see, it does have a reference to the SQLServerDriver.exe file. So why is this file not being wrapped inside the resulting msi?

Thanks in advance!

Vijay.

[Christopher_Pai]

Well I dumped that into a file and parsed it. I got these error messages:

Parsing section : [Application Name]
****Warning => Excluding Section : [Application Caption]
****Warning => Excluding Section : [Application Path]
****Warning => Excluding Section : [Application Flags]
****Warning => Excluding Section : [Application Platform]
****Warning => Excluding Section : [Filter OS Version]
****Warning => Excluding Section : [Filter OS Version]


I assume you saw this in your log ( conversionlog.txt )

I've never converted a ZenWorks app so that's all I can help you. If someone else here does it all the time maybe they can help or otherwise open a MySupport ticket.

[douglaswilson]

MSIs are designed to "Distribute" applications not run them.
Your ZEN app does not install anything so there is nothing for the MSI to do.

You could add a Windows shortcut in your ZEN app to "C:\Vijay\SQLServerDriver.exe"
The Installshield could create an MSI to push the shortcut to the desktop.

[douglaswilson]

That line says to "EXECUTE" this program, not to place it anyplace.
The entry below is what a "file copy" portion of an application object.

Lets assume the appilcation was a simple EXE sitting on a share drive.
Your app would look the same except instead of referencing C:\ it referenced
F:\.

How would Installshield know that F: was a network drive and should not hunt down that EXE add it to the package and then push it back out to a drive F:.

On some of my PCs F: is local. On some it is a network drive.

There is nothing in your AXT file that defines anyway local PC configuration.
Even your "Simple" ZEN app will not place that file on the PC if it is not there.

Why would the MSI do something that the ZEN app does not.

It "MIGHT" be possible to write InstallShield to convert this to a shortcut, but it would not know were to place it. If your simple app would create a true windows shortcut, then Installshield could duplicate that.

--------------------------------------------------------------
[File Copy]
Flag=Write Always
Source=%SOURCE_PATH%\46.fil
Target=%*PROGRAMFILES%\Sybase\SQL Anywhere 8\asademo.db

[royd12]

We had the same problem with exporting NAL objects. When you choose to export you can choose between "export full object" and "customize which settings are exported". When we choose the first one, not everything was exported in the axt file. When we choose the second one and select all options, everything was exported in the axt file.