ClickOnce Deployment

[Jordan S.]

REPOST from another group because of lack of response in that group. Sorry
if this is bad etiquette, just thinking I may have posted to the wrong NG to
begin with: so here goes:

I have a client that has an MS Access application that has outgrown MS
Access and it's time to migrate to something more substantial. I'm proposing
a .NET Windows Forms application.

The client is balking in part because they don't want to have to incorporate
my proposed .NET application into their desktop image. Strange, their
balking, because they *already* have deployed the .NET framework on their
desktop image.

So I don't have a lot of time to investigate, in detail, Click-once and/or
the Application Updator Block (from the patterns and practices group) - so
I'd just appreciate verification of my understanding (I'm not lazy - just
swamped right now!!! so thanks for any high-level guidance on this):

So, am I correct to claim or believe that:
1. Because they already have the .NET Framework installed on their client
image (XP Pro) that I don't need for them to install anything else in the
image - except perhaps a folder for my application and the application's
files.

2. If deployed with ClickOnce - we don't have to touch the client machines
At ALL or modify their desktop image (because we can send an e-mail to users
with a link that, when clicked triggers the complete installation.

3. Server-side requirements for ClickOnce are no more than a share that is
visible to all potential clients (with sufficient NTFS permissions to permit
reading from the share).

4. After initial deployment (via the e-mail thingie described above), the
application will update itself upon startup.

In other words - we literally don't need to ever touch the existing desktop
image if we go with ClickOnce (or Application Updator) and the app can be
deployed and updated on an ongoing basis automatically. yes?

Am I missing anything or just plain wrong about any of this?

Thanks!

 

[Dmytro Lapshyn [MVP]]

Hi Jordan,

Consider this single article that should address all your questions in
detail:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/05/ClickOnce/

I have given brief answers below, but I'd rather you read the article
anyway.

1. Because they already have the .NET Framework installed on their client
image (XP Pro) that I don't need for them to install anything else in the
image - except perhaps a folder for my application and the application's
files.

I am not sure what do you mean by "image"... Anyway, an application deployed
with ClickOnce, as far as I know, *will* be downloaded to the user's
machine.

2. If deployed with ClickOnce - we don't have to touch the client machines
At ALL or modify their desktop image (because we can send an e-mail to
users with a link that, when clicked triggers the complete installation.

Yes, when the user visits the link and downloads the deployment manifest,
the .NET Framework's plug-in for IE handles the installation. However, I
believe I should stress it once again that the application binaries will be
dowloaded to the user's machine - they won't just run "off the server".

3. Server-side requirements for ClickOnce are no more than a share that is
visible to all potential clients (with sufficient NTFS permissions to
permit reading from the share).

Yes, a file server would do.

4. After initial deployment (via the e-mail thingie described above), the
application will update itself upon startup.

ClickOnce supports certain automatic update scenarios "out of the box", but
you might be required to write custom code for advanced ones.

 

[Guest]

The only real problem that I've come across with ClickOnce (and this may not
have any impact on your decision), is that there does not seem to be any way
to put a shortcut into the start up folder during the installation.

So, if the ap needs to be started when the computer restarts, then your
users need to manually drag a shortcut into their startup folder, or you need
to do a bit of extra programming to get one in there.

Doug

 

[Jordan S.]

Thank you so much Dmytro... that was exactly the level of assistance I was
looking for (great article as well; very helpful... I"ll pass it on to other
decision makers).

FWIW: RE:
<< "I am not sure what do you mean by "image"... " >>
I'm not sure what it is called outside of my company, but we have a few of
what we call "desktop images" which are maintained by the PC desktop support
group. An image is a complete installation of [Windows XP Pro] + any custom
applications required by the targeted business group (those whose computers
have the image installed. So when a new user gets hired into one of the
business groups, the desktop support folks provide a PC that has the
requisite "image." In one installation the new user gets the exact same
applications and configuration settings as everybody else in the business
group.

-Jordan.