SMS Installer is an optional component. To use SMS Installer, you must first install the SMS Installer files at the site server using the normal SMS 2.0 installation methods. If you choose the Express Setup to install SMS, the SMS Installer files are copied to the primary site server automatically. If you choose Custom Setup, you must select SMS Installer as an installation option. SMS Installer consists of a single self-extracting file, Smsinstl.exe; this file can be found in the \SMSSetup\SMS_Instl\i386 folder on the SMS 2.0 CD. You can also find this file in the \SMS\SMS_Instl\platform folder on the site server. Smsinstl.exe includes all of the SMS Installer support files needed to set up the utility on a reference computer.
The next phase is to configure a reference computer. SMS Installer supports any Microsoft Windows platform and requires about 8 MB of RAM and at least 6 MB of hard disk space for the installation. The reference computer must be a standard desktop configuration that is representative of your target computers. This computer contains the applications and registry settings that are configured on the end-user systems. It is critical that the reference computer be identical to the computer systems on which you will be installing the final software package. Be sure to check the following system components:
As you can see, the choice and configuration of the reference computer is one of the keys to creating a successful script using SMS Installer.
CAUTION
If the original setup program for a software application needs to detect hardware during installation and if subsequent target computers do not have identical hardware and drive configurations that match the reference computer, a repackaged SMS Installer installation will most likely fail. Similarly, if the original installation program updates or modifies data files and the target computers do not contain the same configuration as the reference computer, the SMS Installer-generated files will not be installed correctly.
Once the reference computer has been selected and properly configured, SMS Installer can be installed. Remember, the more closely the reference computer resembles the proposed target computers, the higher the rate of success for using SMS Installer.
To install SMS Installer, follow these steps:
Figure 13-1. The Microsoft SMS Installer Wizard Welcome screen.
Figure 13-2. The Select Destination Directory screen.
Figure 13-3. The Backup Replaced Files? screen.
Figure 13-4. The Select Backup Directory screen.
Figure 13-5. The Select Installation Type screen.
Figure 13-6. The Installation Completed screen.
Once the installation of SMS Installer is complete, the utility is ready for use. When SMS Installer is installed, it creates its own program group on the Start menu. You can access the utility by choosing Programs from the Start menu and then selecting the Microsoft SMS Installer program group. Alternatively, you can navigate directly to the SMS Installer directory through Windows Explorer. With either method, you will be able to select the appropriate development environment by selecting the appropriate program entry in the SMS Installer program group or by clicking on either the Smsins32 icon or the SMSinstl icon through Windows Explorer for the 32-bit or 16-bit environment.