Installing Applications on a WinFrame Server

You can install Microsoft Windows 16-bit or 32-bit applications on a WinFrame server in one of two ways: user global, in which all users start with the same settings; or user specific, in which only one user can access the application.

You can make applications available to everyone or just to a single user.

User-global installation The user-global installation method lets you run an application s setup program once for access by all users of that server. The Change User/Install utility places the system in install mode and ensures that the appropriate files and Registry entries are copied to the WinFrame system directories. After the installation is complete, the Change User/Execute utility places the system back into the default execute mode.

You invoke the User-Global Install utility from the command prompt. You must manually place the system into install mode before installing the application and place the system back into execute mode after installation is complete.

Using the Change User /Install and Change User /Execute commands.

1. Log on to the console as an administrator.
   
   
2. From the command prompt, type change user /install.
   
   
3. This command places the system in install mode and allows WinFrame to keep track of the user-specific Application Registry entries and initialization files (INI files) the application installs. WinFrame can then automatically propagate the Registry entries or INI files to each user as they are needed by the application.
   
   
4. Install the application.
   
   
5. When installation is complete, at the command prompt, type change user /execute.
   
   
6. This command returns the system to execute mode. To determine whether INI mapping is enabled or disabled, type change user /query at a command prompt.

After installing the application, log on as a user to verify that the application works correctly. Make sure that any shared resources (such as network drives or printers) are set up for each user before running the application. Check that the user s home directory is valid and that the user can access his or her \windows and \windows\system directories.

You also use the Change User command to make application upgrades or changes. By default, when a user logs on, WinFrame will remove Registry entries or INI files that WinFrame determines are out-of-date with the currently installed versions. This removal allows WinFrame to automatically update the user s application initialization data when an administrator upgrades to a newer version of an application. These out-of-date INI files are not deleted but are renamed. The file extension is changed to CTX in the user s Windows directory, so you can easily restore a file if it shouldn t have been replaced.

Make sure to test the applications you install.

By using the global installation tools, you eliminate the need to run setup multiple times, giving the administrator tremendous power with regard to updates and version control and saving a lot of time. Each time you want to update a software package, you install it once on WinFrame and all user desktops are updated.

User-specific installation You can also install an application for a specific user. The default installation process is user-specific. Any DLLs, INI files, Registry entries, or other application-specific files are installed to a particular user s home directory. To install an application for a specific user, the administrator logs on as that user and follows the regular installation procedure for the application. Of course, the user can install the application this way as well. Only the user who installed the application has access to the application, even if it is installed on a network or a shared directory. Although other users might have access to parts of the application, they generally will not have access to all that is needed to run the application and must perform their own user-specific installs. In short, a separate install must be done for each user who wants to use the application if you use the user-specific install method.

Because installing applications on each user s desktop can be extremely time-consuming, many applications support network installs. WinFrame permits network installs, so an administrator can install applications on the WinFrame server or on another network file server. Individual users can then connect to the ser-ver installation directory and run the application Setup or the Installation program utility, which copies the required files and Registry entries.

You can do network installs to a WinFrame server.

For more information about installing applications, refer to the documentation that comes with your software or search for application notes on the Citrix Web site at

http://www.citrix.com