I am researching on automated or semi-automated .NET
application deployment across environments (from
Development to Stage, and from Stage to Production).
There are some restrictions applied to each deployment.
The scenarios are below.
1) Developers create .MSI file for either web application
or Windows services from Visual Studio .NET.  Web
Operation Team takes this .MSI file and deploy onto
Development server (W2K server).  No change in web.config
is needed.

2) After the QA reviewed and approved, this .MSI file will
be deployed to the Stage server farm (two W2K nodes w/
WLBS).  ConnectionString(s) in the web.config file is
required to change by Web Operation Team.  For security
reason, developers has development ConnectionString info
only.

3) Same as scenarios (2), but the .MSI file will be
deployed to the production server farm (four W2K nodes w/
WLBS) with modifying the web.config file accordingly.

My Questions are:
Does AC2K deploy .MSI files?
Is it a way to modify the .MSI file before it gets
deployed?
Is it any documentation for how to setup AC2K?

Any suggestion is welcome.  Thanks in advance

Wilfred

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Application Center can replicate any files and/or folders if you want to,
from one cluster to another. Application Center would need to be installed
in both the source and the target of the deployment.

I am not sure what you mean by "modify" the MSI file.  Application Center
has no capabilities to do so, but I did not know one could do so manually
either. I am not sure I am following you on this one.

As for documentation on how to set up Application Center, make sure you
read the readme.htm file in the Application Center 2000 media, and check
out:

http://www.microsoft.com/applicationcenter/

Make sure you check out the AC2K supportability document:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...chnet/prodtechn
ol/acs/plan/acconfig.asp

The Application Center 2000 Resource kit is available at:
http://www.microsoft.com/applicatio...kit/default.asp

And finally, check out the Application Center Pre-Flight Checklist. It
walks you through setting up an Application Center 2000 cluster, and
exploring the capabilities of Application Center:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...072d-16d0-4844-
ab40-ab7d6db7ded6&DisplayLang=en



Does this answer your question?  Thank you for using Microsoft Newsgroups!

Andrés Naranjo [MSFT]
Microsoft DS Communities Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to newsgroups only.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Andr=E9s

Thanks for your reply and information.  In my original=20
message about "modifying the .msi file", it seems to be=20
necessary for us.  The application deployment process is=20
currently processed manually.  The developers create=20
the .msi file included the "web.config" file for the=20
application being deployed.  We install the .msi file onto=20
the target server and then change the ConnectionString(s)'=20
parameters to reference the correct SQL server in the=20
web.config file on the target server.  Since we have to=20
update the ConnectionString(s) in web.config file during=20
each deployment, I am also looking for a tool that we can=20
just open and change the web.config in the .msi file and=20
repackaging it if necessary before using this .msi file=20
for deployment.

Do you think it is possible or practical?

Thanks in advance
Wilfred
>-----Original Message-----
>Application Center can replicate any files and/or folders=20
if you want to,=20
>from one cluster to another. Application Center would=20
need to be installed=20
>in both the source and the target of the deployment.
>
>I am not sure what you mean by "modify" the MSI file. =20
Application Center=20
>has no capabilities to do so, but I did not know one=20
could do so manually=20
>either. I am not sure I am following you on this one.
>
>As for documentation on how to set up Application Center,=20
make sure you=20
>read the readme.htm file in the Application Center 2000=20
media, and check=20
>out:
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/applicationcenter/
>
>Make sure you check out the AC2K supportability document:
>http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?
url=3D/technet/prodtechn
>ol/acs/plan/acconfig.asp
>
>The Application Center 2000 Resource kit is available at:
>http://www.microsoft.com/applicatio...techinfo/reskit
/default.asp
>
>And finally, check out the Application Center Pre-Flight=20
Checklist. It=20
>walks you through setting up an Application Center 2000=20
cluster, and=20
>exploring the capabilities of Application Center:
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?
FamilyID=3D2bab072d-16d0-4844-
>ab40-ab7d6db7ded6&DisplayLang=3Den
>
>
>
>Does this answer your question?  Thank you for using=20
Microsoft Newsgroups!=20
>=20
>Andr=E9s Naranjo [MSFT]
>Microsoft DS Communities Team
>
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and=20
confers no rights.=20
>Please reply to newsgroups only.
>
>.
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

question,

would it not make more sense to edit the web.config file after it has been
placed on the server?  If so, you could do an automated post-deployment
script as described in the following white paper:

http://www.microsoft.com/applicatio...ation/2000/wp_c
ustomactions.asp

You would have to write a script, which will do a file system open of the
web.config file, parse through it, and make any changes you want to.  The
rest of it would be pretty much as described in the white paper...

Hope this helps


Does this answer your question?  Thank you for using Microsoft Newsgroups!

Andrés Naranjo [MSFT]
Microsoft DS Communities Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to newsgroups only.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Thanks for your suggestion.  I am going to set up an AC2K=20
cluster for evaluation.
>-----Original Message-----
>question,=20
>
>would it not make more sense to edit the web.config file=20
after it has been=20
>placed on the server?  If so, you could do an automated=20
post-deployment=20
>script as described in the following white paper:
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/applicatio...techinfo/admini
stration/2000/wp_c
>ustomactions.asp
>
>You would have to write a script, which will do a file=20
system open of the=20
>web.config file, parse through it, and make any changes=20
you want to.  The=20
>rest of it would be pretty much as described in the white=20
paper...
>
>Hope this helps
>
>
>Does this answer your question?  Thank you for using=20
Microsoft Newsgroups!=20
>=20
>Andr=E9s Naranjo [MSFT]
>Microsoft DS Communities Team
>
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and=20
confers no rights.=20
>Please reply to newsgroups only.
>
>.
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]