New To InstallShield 2008

[smh_2007]

Hi To All,

I am new to writing installs.
I have been assigned the task of creating a server install for our software that would do the following:

Installs must be on Windows Vista, XP, Server 2003 and Server 2000.

IIS 6 or 7 must already be installed but, I need to determine which version is installed.

Need to determine where the default website is located.

Need to setup a new virtual directory.

Need to copy asp files and an access database to the new virtual directory.

Need to make sure that permssions are changed so that users can write to
access.

Need to register certain dlls.

Can you point me in the right direction, perhaps there is a template I can use. Of course, this is due right away (isn't everything?).

Thanks for your input,

Sharon

[Christopher_Pai]

If your company is interested in outsourcing, I could have this done in a few days. Otherwise your looking at a pretty steep learning curve to do everything that you are describing.

[davidh]

Most of what you need is in the "Internet Information Services" view and the "Files and Folders" view. Add your files to the Files and Folders view and set the self-registration properties to what you need. In the IIS view, create a new website and new virtual directory and by default it should install to the default website.

If you create a MSI (Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI) project, the version of the IIS will be stored in the IIS_VERSION property.

[smh_2007]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice.

I'm not sure I understand all of the directions you gave, as I'm a newbie but, I will be working on it.

This is what I did so far:

I added a folder to my files and folders directly under Destination Computer. I named the folder the same as the virtual directory I want to create. I then copied the asp pages to the folder. I went to the Internet Information Services view under Server Configuration and created a new web site. I then created a new virtual directory. I named both the new web site and virtual directory the same name. Perhaps I should have called the new web site Default Web Site since I want to install the virtual directory under the client's default web site.

My next task is to look into the testing of what IIS Version the client is running.

Thanks for all the help,

Sharon

[davidh]

There is a new help topic on configuring web site properties. It might help you:
http://helpnet.macrovision.com/robo/projects/installshield14helplib/IISPortSiteNo.htm

Hopefully it doesn't confuse you. Basically if you use the defaults of port 80 and site 0, you will install to the default web site (unless someone changed the machine somehow). What you name the website is irrelevant, since the site won't be created. The virtual directory will just install under the default web site that is already there.

[smh_2007]

Thanks for the info, I'm working on it now.

[Christopher_Pai]

davidh wrote:
. Basically if you use the defaults of port 80 and site 0, you will install to the default web site (unless someone changed the machine somehow).

Maybe there should be a built-in custom action that detects the port number of the default website and makes it available as a property to use to author the table to avoid this problem. Perhaps there should also be a check box in the designer that says `Install to Default WebSite` and it automatically wires the property and site 0 up for you with those fields greyed out.

[Christopher_Pai]

smh_2007 wrote:
Hi To All,

IIS 6 or 7 must already be installed but, I need to determine which version is installed.

Does your application care? Do you install different files depending on versino of IIS? If it's just a configuration/installation concern, IIS natively supports both so it shouldn't really matter which is installed.

Need to determine where the default website is located.

I typically don't care where or INETPUB dir is because when I create a virtual directory I can set it's document directory to where ever I'm installing to (
[INSTALLDIR]VDirFiles for example )

[davidh]

I think the option to add to the default website is a great idea, especially from a usability stand point. Usually if you target site 0 with port 80 or site 1 you will get the default website, but that is not necessarily true. Also, it avoids having to read the help topic I mentioned above:) I created IOC-000061475 for this.

[smh_2007]

Hi,

It's just a configuration/installation concern. I install the same files regardless of version. I thought perhaps permissions that might need to be assigned would be affected.

Thanks,

Sharon

[Christopher_Pai]

Possibly... If you have to hit the local FS with ACL changes then it gets wierd since the IIS / ASP service account names can be different. I usually try to consult with my ASP.NET developers when they ask for this to see if the design of the application can be improved with things like impersonation since it's usually an ugly and sometimes unneeded road to go down when you start changing permissions in Windows.

[jchristman]

I have similar setup needs as well, I am also new to installshield.

I do understand some of what you mentioned above, but I would like to have it actually create a new website.

I would like the installer to ask if this is a test = 3 or a production = 1

then based on the input have it create the directory c:\inetpub\Myapp_production if choice was 1 or production and
c:\inetpub\Myapp_test if choice was 3 or test and then copy in all the files needed to that directory

I also need to create an application from a directory inside of that.