Runnning an app from a network folder 1

[cjac]

Hi, I am considering centralising my vb6 executable to cut down on the administration of doing client side updates to all the PC's my app is installed on. I was wondering what kind of implications there may be in simply having the executable on a shared drive and then pointing the users client side short cut to this? Is there any better ways of centralising an vb app?

Cheers.

 

[koala15]

When a user installs an VB application using (say) the deployment wizard, then besides the main .exe all the other follow on files (.dll / .ocx etc etc) are installed on the local machine in the appropriate folders.

So, the .exe is the least of your concerns.

I would just provide the installation folder on a N/W drive and then each user can run the setup.exe from that location.

I am very happy to be corrected.

"Life is full of learning, and then there is wisdom"

 

[x508]

I have done this with more than one app. It works like a bomb and makes your life a lot easier.

Just create a share for the program folder where the app is installed, and on the clients create a shortcut linking to the exe in the share. Once the shortcut is run from the client, it "caches" the exe file locally and all works well.

P.S. This might not be the most secure way to do it...leaving the program dir open as a share...anyone can "accidentally" delete or corrupt etc. the DB on the share.

Hope this helps

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May the Code Be With You...
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x50-8 (X Fifty Eigt)

 

[x508]

Oh yes...and ias koala said...you might have a problem with the dependencies etc.

I normally create a Normal Setup for my app, Included are the exe and DB etc....

Then I create another one which I call "Driver Setup", in this I do not inlcude the EXE or DB, just the dependencies.

You can put the second one on a local share for users to install (Like koala mentioned), and the other you can install on the "server", and let the clients link to it via shortcut, and all your dependencies issues will then be solved

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May the Code Be With You...
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x50-8 (X Fifty Eigt)

 

[cjac]

I see your point with regard to the dependencies but I could just create another MSI package to re-arrange the components. I'd have to decide which components need to be on the client and which need to be in the same location as the executable and then do a rebuild of the installer package. Considering this was done, I really wanted to know about any issues regarding several users running the same instance of an application at once, ie. any performance issues -- I assume it will be slightly slower due to the fact it will run over a network connection?

 

[cjac]

cheers x508 - ignore my last post in this case - I typed it before receiving your response. I'll give it a try and see how it fairs. It will save me a lot of time.
Cheers.

 

[x508]

>>Once the shortcut is run from the client, it "caches" the exe file locally and all works well.

All will still access the Db at the same time, but they will all run individual "copies" of the exe...so it might take a second or two to open "cache" the exe through the network...but then It should be fine

*****************************************
May the Code Be With You...
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x50-8 (X Fifty Eigt)

 

[x508]

Thanks for the St*R...please let us know if you got it going

*****************************************
May the Code Be With You...
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x50-8 (X Fifty Eigt)

 

[cjac]

Will do - currently testing this out.

 

[Vincentan]

Hi Friends! I might interested to know the reason why during install at client PC it crash the system files like dll from the client.

I might have Windows 98 or XP but I really worried of this the other system in client PC cant be open, how to prevent this?

What is the only neccesary files we need to setup at client and which is not neccesary?

Please advise...
Vincent

 

[ArtieChoke]

To go it one step further, I centralize everything on the server, including all dlls that need to be registered and the programs automatically register the dlls the first time they are run by a user on a machine that never had them installed. This way, you can update the dlls (if they are binary compatible) without having to touch any machines.

"I think we're all Bozos on this bus!" - Firesign Theatre

 

[Vincentan]

Thanks Choke

I found that there is many dlls or ocx in Win98 which need to update or register in order to run the VB6 Exes, I face one time the other system can't be run after I had deployu the whole CAB into that client.

For your idea it was centerlise at server but how about the Exe just for stand alone PC? as my question is that neccesary will my CAB dll need to overwrite the client PC dll, (dll from system32 folder)

Vincent