Remote Install / Update

[NewsArchive]

A few months ago, a customer contacted us with a problem. Customer has to
install and update software on remote computers in their LAN.

350+ Windows 7 machines (with UAC enabled)
70+ Windows 8.0 machines (with UAC enabled)
20+ Windows 8.1 machines (with UAC enabled)

Customer is adding 3-4 new machines per month to the LAN.

The installations and updates need administrator execution level privileges
(run elevated). At the moment, users have to download the setup.exe /
update.exe from the server (admins send the links via email) and do a manual
install. Sometimes, users simply "forget" to download the update and the
admins run around from computer to computer to "fix" the issue. Customers
goal is to automate the software delivery process.

This coming weekend, customer will start a test run of an internal (and
experimental) SetupBuilder add-on: SBRemote

SBRemote connects to the specified computer, transfers the SetupBuilder
image to the client and performs the install / update.

We're very excited to see the results of their tests on UAC-enabled
machines. Will it fail, or succeed? Time will tell <g>

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

--Helping You Build Better Installations
--SetupBuilder "point. click. ship"
--Create Windows 8 ready installations in minutes
--Official COMODO Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

> This coming weekend, customer will start a test run of an internal (and
> experimental) SetupBuilder add-on: SBRemote
>
> SBRemote connects to the specified computer, transfers the SetupBuilder
> image to the client and performs the install / update.
>
> We're very excited to see the results of their tests on UAC-enabled
> machines. Will it fail, or succeed? Time will tell <g>

Cool stuff Friedrich!

We can't wait to see how it goes.

:-)

Charles



--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Edmonds

cjeByteMeSpammers@lansrad.com (remove the "ByteMeSpammers" to email me)
www.clarionproseries.com - ProScan, ProImage, ProPath and other Clarion
developer tools!
www.ezchangelog.com - "Free ChangeLog software to manage your projects!"
www.setupcast.com - "A revolutionary new publishing system for software
developers - enhanced for SetupBuilder users!"
www.pagesnip.com - "Print and Save the Web, just the way you want it!"
www.ezround.com - "Round Corner HTML tables with matching Banners, Buttons
and Forms - Now with PNG support!
www.lansrad.com - "Intelligent Solutions for Universal Problems"
www.fotokiss.com - "World's Best Auction Photo Editor"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[NewsArchive]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qztuEucrNBc

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
www.twitter.com/jslarve
I'll search help files & Google for you.

[NewsArchive]

One of these days, I'll learn to stop clicking on Jeff's links, but then
life would be boring! :-)

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

> One of these days, I'll learn to stop clicking on Jeff's links, but then
> life would be boring! :-)

As long as you always remember to set down whatever your drinking and
swallow first your in good shape!

:-)

Charles


--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Edmonds

cjeByteMeSpammers@lansrad.com (remove the "ByteMeSpammers" to email me)
www.clarionproseries.com - ProScan, ProImage, ProPath and other Clarion
developer tools!
www.ezchangelog.com - "Free ChangeLog software to manage your projects!"
www.setupcast.com - "A revolutionary new publishing system for software
developers - enhanced for SetupBuilder users!"
www.pagesnip.com - "Print and Save the Web, just the way you want it!"
www.ezround.com - "Round Corner HTML tables with matching Banners, Buttons
and Forms - Now with PNG support!
www.lansrad.com - "Intelligent Solutions for Universal Problems"
www.fotokiss.com - "World's Best Auction Photo Editor"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[NewsArchive]

That's a good straight line, but I will resist on the reply <g>.

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

Oooo! That sounds great! So we can push updates to clients soon?

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

Sounds awsome!

John Griffiths

[NewsArchive]

I have received numerous emails with regards to the "SBRemote" feature.
Unfortunately, the functionality is not available for public use yet. Tests
in a real-life environment will start soon.

Please see the attached screenshots. Server-PC (running Windows 7 SP1
Ultimate x64) and Client-PC (running Windows 8.1 Professional x64) belong to
the same Workgroup. UAC is enabled on both machines.

This simple test "pushes" a SetupBuilder install image (runs elevated on the
client PC to perform a standard setup) over to the Windows 8.1 client and
executes it. No elevation prompt is thrown – and the package is installed
per-machine.

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

--Helping You Build Better Installations
--SetupBuilder "point. click. ship"
--Create Windows 8 ready installations in minutes
--Official COMODO Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

Too funny. Just even now I was working on a clean Windows 8 test machine,
logged in as a "JoeUser" Standard User.

There was still a SBRemote test running (to push the installer to 15 test
machines in the network). Suddenly, a Shortcut appeared and I had a
SetupBuilder trial version on that test machine. Amazing <g>

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

This may be your most significant feature since SB itself.

Just did a few quick checks, its not April 1st, I did not find any
hidden cameras, must be for real! :-)

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

Russ,

> This may be your most significant feature since SB itself.
>
> Just did a few quick checks, its not April 1st, I did not find any hidden
> cameras, must be for real! :-)

If this will really work, I fully agree :-)

Here is the first result from a "pre-test" in an experimental environment
with eight machines:

1x Windows 7 Ultimate Edition x64
2x Windows 7 SP 1 Ultimate Edition x64
2x Windows 8 x64
1x Windows 8.1 x86
1x Windows 8.1 x64
1x Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64

Oh, wait! Windows Server 2012 R2 as a "push client"? I don't think this
works... <g>

Okay, SBRemote pushed a SetupBuilder image with a full standard product
installation to the clients. And what can I say, it WORKED! Even on
Windows Server 2012 R2 !!!!

I am a bit thrilled about it <g>

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

>And what can I say, it WORKED! Even on
>Windows Server 2012 R2 !!!!

Don't let MS know, or they will find some way to stop you!

JohnG

[NewsArchive]

Next step. Simulate a "failed" installation on a machine (Windows 8.1 x86).
The program on the client is still active and instead of shutting it down,
the installer should terminate and send back an exit code ("123") to the
server so we can log the result for later use. For example, try it again in
ten minutes, etc.

We are using the following SB script command to return "123" to the server:

Exit Installation(123)

OMG. It worked. <g>

All this is still experimental but very promising.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

>>And what can I say, it WORKED! Even on
>>Windows Server 2012 R2 !!!!
>
> Don't let MS know, or they will find some way to stop you!

Security update KB 2063836 MS44-045 patch for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows
8.1, and Server 2012 products to stop Lindersoft SBRemote <g>

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

> This may be your most significant feature since SB itself.

Friedrich has hacked the Gibson!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wXBe2jTdx4

:-)

Charles


--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Edmonds

cjeByteMeSpammers@lansrad.com (remove the "ByteMeSpammers" to email me)
www.clarionproseries.com - ProScan, ProImage, ProPath and other Clarion
developer tools!
www.ezchangelog.com - "Free ChangeLog software to manage your projects!"
www.setupcast.com - "A revolutionary new publishing system for software
developers - enhanced for SetupBuilder users!"
www.pagesnip.com - "Print and Save the Web, just the way you want it!"
www.ezround.com - "Round Corner HTML tables with matching Banners, Buttons
and Forms - Now with PNG support!
www.lansrad.com - "Intelligent Solutions for Universal Problems"
www.fotokiss.com - "World's Best Auction Photo Editor"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[NewsArchive]

Bwhahaha! (now you just need to twirl your evil mustache!)

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

Glad to see that! I may have clients with that OS! ;-)

> Oh, wait! Windows Server 2012 R2 as a "push client"? I don't think this
> works... <g>
>
> Okay, SBRemote pushed a SetupBuilder image with a full standard product
> installation to the clients. And what can I say, it WORKED! Even on
> Windows Server 2012 R2 !!!!
>
> I am a bit thrilled about it <g>
>
> Friedrich
>
>
>

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

So are all these machines on the same domain?

How is the pusher getting rights?

We use System Center to push updates/installs and they all need to be
"managed" machines for this stuff to work.
(Managed machine installs a client service on the workstation.....)

Paul MacFarlane

[NewsArchive]

Hi Paul,

At the moment all test machines are on the same Workgroup. The "getting
rights" process is very complex <g>

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

A result from another "pre-test" in an experimental environment with ten
clients.

1.) Push Server:

Windows 7 Ultimate Edition (x64)

2.) Push Clients:

1x Windows 7 Ultimate Edition (x64)
2x Windows 7 SP 1 Ultimate Edition (x64)
2x Windows 8 (x64)
1x Windows 8.1 (x86)
1x Windows 8.1 (x64)
1x Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter (x64)
2x Windows Surface Pro Tablets with Windows 8.1 (x86)

SBRemote pushed a SetupBuilder generated image with a full product
installation (Version 1.0) to the clients. After the initial product
installation, it pushed an update (Version 1.1) to the clients. Hmmm, it
worked. It was too cool -- suddenly, the new Surface Pro tablets had the
software installed. A Desktop shortcut popped up and the software was ready
to use. Over-the-air, fully automated, with no manual intervention. This
is too good to be true <g>

BTW, at the moment, a simple batch file controls the push process (including
result logging). A "SBRemote Control Manager" written in Clarion will
replace it at a later stage.

Eagerly awaiting Windows 9 to see if this technology still works.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

BTW, a funny engineer connected an old Vista SP1 (x86) machine (last system
update: 1/20/2008) and pushed the software via SBRemote from the server to
the client. It worked <g>

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

SBRemote tests for computers on a domain are running. It's planned to push
an install from Microsoft Server 2012 R2 to three Windows 7 Ultimate Edition
clients.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Believe it or not, it seems to work <g>

SBRemote pushed a SetupBuilder generated image from the Microsoft Windows
Server 2012 R2 to the domain connected clients. No elevation prompt is
thrown - and the package is installed elevated per-machine. The client
reports the installation result back to the server.

BTW, the domain test will be repeated this weekend with more machines
connected to the server.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

What happens if the clients are using the software?

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
www.twitter.com/jslarve
I'll search help files & Google for you.

[NewsArchive]

Jeff,

>
> What happens if the clients are using the software?
>

Do you mean the "pushed" and installed software or the SBRemote system?

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Aha, I think you mean what happens if the software is running/active? In
this case, the pushed installer can decide what to do. It is recommended to
let the setup check if the software is active. If it is active, terminate
the installation process and return back an error code to the server. Then
try it again some time later, etc.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Cool. Thanks.

So Skynet became self-aware in Sept 2014? <g>

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
www.twitter.com/jslarve
I'll search help files & Google for you.

[NewsArchive]

When ready, I've got two clients I could test this. One question: How
about new installs? By that I mean any new machine added (like a new
machine for a new employee).

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

> When ready, I've got two clients I could test this. One question: How
> about new installs? By that I mean any new machine added (like a new
> machine for a new employee).

Absolutely no problem. That's exactly what the customer is looking for.
They are adding 3-4 new machines per month to the LAN. SPRemote should
simply push the install over to the machine. Server should log all
install/update activity.

BTW, in the previous new test scenario, they only added the computer names
of the Microsoft Surface tablets to the list of computers and SBRemote
pushed the install over to the tablets and installed/updated elevated.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Awesome!

--

Russ Eggen
RADFusion International, LLC

[NewsArchive]

> So Skynet became self-aware in Sept 2014? <g>

Exactly!

:-)

Charles


--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Edmonds

cjeByteMeSpammers@lansrad.com (remove the "ByteMeSpammers" to email me)
www.clarionproseries.com - ProScan, ProImage, ProPath and other Clarion
developer tools!
www.ezchangelog.com - "Free ChangeLog software to manage your projects!"
www.setupcast.com - "A revolutionary new publishing system for software
developers - enhanced for SetupBuilder users!"
www.pagesnip.com - "Print and Save the Web, just the way you want it!"
www.ezround.com - "Round Corner HTML tables with matching Banners, Buttons
and Forms - Now with PNG support!
www.lansrad.com - "Intelligent Solutions for Universal Problems"
www.fotokiss.com - "World's Best Auction Photo Editor"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------