[wpkg-users] WPKG - Vital Enhancement

[Tomasz Chmielewski]

Dean Brighton wrote:
> I am sorry but you do not seam to understand what I am looking to see. I
> understand package dependencies but they only apply to the single server
> or workstation. There is no way to make a package dependent on a package
> on another server. I.e. If you have 3 servers. The first is configured
> as a domain controller with a domain creation package. The other two
> servers will wait till the DC has been built before running their join
> domain package. The SQL server will not install until the domain has
> been created and the sharepoint package on the other server will not
> install until the SQL server has finished its SQL package install.

Ooh, now I see.

Personally, I doubt we'll implement such a feature anytime soon - WPKG 
was thought to be a "normal" software deployment system. Still, it lacks 
some crucial features like a proper installer or a GUI/web interface.

What you're talking about (package dependencies between machines) would 
complicate things even more. How the communication between the machines 
should be done?


That said, I think it can be easily achieved with what we have now.

WPKG keeps a database of installed software on each machine.
Normally, you will find it in C:\Windows\system32\wpkg.xml

You can copy this file to your central server after each WPKG execution, 
for example, copy:

C:\Windows\system32\wpkg.xml \\server\workstations\%HOSTNAME%.xml


This way, each machine has access to other machines' installed software 
database.

You could parse these files, even with "find" utility, before WPKG 
startup or as the first package installed with WPKG (execute="always"), 
and decide what to do if the match is found.

Basically, it's a couple of lines of batch scripting.

If you don't know where to start, look at this page:

http://www.ss64.com/nt/ver.html

And replace all instances of "VER" with "type 
\\server\workstations\%HOSTNAME%.xml".

Hope it helps.


-- 
Tomasz Chmielewski
http://wpkg.org


_______________________________________________
wpkg-users mailing list
wpkg-users at lists.wpkg.org
http://lists.wpkg.org/mailman/listinfo/wpkg-users