| There are a couple of options for upgrading workstations with existing Novell Client installations. You have the option of automatically checking for updates, and running fully or partially automated upgrade routines for your users, depending on their needs. Novell Client Install Manager The Novell Client platform-specific installation utilities each read a configuration file in order to properly install and configure the various properties of the client. This file is stored in the same folder as the installation utility, and provides information such as where to copy drivers during installation and the most recent version number. This configuration file is configurable through the Novell Client Install Manager (NCIMan). NOTE For Windows 9x workstations, options that were previously stored in NWSETUP.INI or were made available from the command line in previous versions of Novell Client are now configured through NCIMan.
To create or modify a configuration file with NCIMan, complete the following steps: 1. | Copy the complete \WINNT or \WIN95 directory structure to the server from which users will access the client files. This structure is created when you extract the Novell Client files from the ZIP file downloaded from http://download.novell.com.
| 2. | Launch Novell Client Install Manager (see Figure 4.2):
- Windows XP/2000 NCIMAN.EXE is located in \WINNT\i386\admin.
- Windows 9x NCIMAN.EXE is located in \WIN95\IBM_<lan>\ADMIN\ where <lan> is one of the languages supported by the Novell client.
Figure 4.2. NCIMan utility from the Novell Client. 
| 3. | Click the New button.
| 4. | Specify the platform for which you are creating a configuration file and click OK.
| 5. | Double-click Installation in the left pane. Make your installation option choices and click OK. Each of the installation pages contains a list of the configurable parameters for the various Novell Client components (see Figure 4.3).
Figure 4.3. NCIMan installation pages are used to configure a Novell Client installation. 
Any installation options different than the default selections will be listed in the right pane of NCIMan.
| 6. | Double-click Client in the left pane to open the Client tab in the Novell Client Configuration page (see Figure 4.4). From this page you can configure how, or if, each client component will be installed.
Figure 4.4. NCIMan client pages are used to configure default Novell client properties. 
NOTE If you have previously installed the Novell Client with all the installation and client property options you want, NCIMan can read that information from the Windows Registry if you select Import Registry from the main NCIMan screen. | 7. | When you have selected all the installation and configuration options you want, click the Save button. You can save the configuration file with any name you want. Make sure you save the file in the same directory as the SETUP.EXE (Windows 9x) or SETUPNW.EXE (Windows XP/2000) file that will run to install the client:
- Windows 9x win95\ibm_language
- Windows NT/XP/2000 winnt\i386
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When the configuration file has been saved, it can be used as the Unattend file for performing an unattended client installation or upgrade. This option can be used with web server installations, the Novell Client Upgrade Agent, and Automatic Client Upgrades, all discussed earlier in this chapter. Novell Client Upgrade Agent The Novell Client Upgrade Agent simplifies client upgrades by allowing you to schedule periodic checks for updated client software. The Upgrade Agent will query a specified location for a newer Novell client. If one is found, the install routine will start automatically. To configure the Novell Client Upgrade Agent, complete the following steps: 1. | Create an unattended configuration file with the Novell Client Install Manager (NCIMan), as discussed earlier in this chapter.
| 2. | To configure the Upgrade Agent, right-click the Novell N icon in the system tray and select Novell Client Properties.
| 3. | Select the Update Agent tab (see Figure 4.5).
Figure 4.5. Novell Client Update Agent configuration optionsavailable from Novell Client Properties. 
| 4. | Configure the Update Agent and click OK when you're finished:
Select Enable Automatic Update Agent, and specify the launch interval, which defines how often, in days, the Update Agent will check for updated client files. Specify the source location for the Novell client upgrade files. You can use the previously defined location, specify a new file location, or specify a web page for the client download if you have created one (see the section "Installing from a Web Server," earlier in this chapter). Specify the location and name of the Unattend file if one has been created. For more information on unattended configuration files, see the section "Novell Client Install Manager," earlier in this chapter. (Conditional) Select Suppress Update Prompt to perform the update without prompting the users. (Conditional) Select Support Pack Update to have the Update Agent check for client support packs in addition to full software updates. (Conditional) Select Administrator Rights to grant the client install administrator rights, which are required to install the client, even if the user who is logged in is not an administrator on the workstation. This option is checked by default.
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When these steps are completed, you can use the Novell Client Update Agent to automatically query for and update Novell Client software on your workstations. When enabled, Update Agent can also be run manually by right-clicking the Novell N icon in the Windows system tray and selecting Update Novell Client. Automatic Client Upgrade Although the Client Upgrade Agent has largely replaced this functionality, Novell still offers the Automatic Client Upgrade (ACU) feature to automate the upgrade of multiple existing workstations to the latest Novell client. With the ACU, you place ACU commands in a container login script to detect whether the client software needs to be installed, and then the ACU updates the workstation automatically, if necessary, when the user logs in. For more information on login scripts, see Appendix B. The ACU feature works best in situations when your workstations have similar configurations because you define a common set of instructions for updating all the workstations in the same way. To use the ACU process to upgrade a workstation to the Novell client, complete the following steps: 1. | Copy the complete WINNT or WIN95 directory structure to the server from which users will access the client files. This structure is created when you extract the Novell Client files from the ZIP file downloaded from http://download.novell.com.
NOTE With OES Linux, the NCP Server component is required for hosting a client upgrade directory for workstations. This directory must exist beneath the NCP exported SYS volume. On an OES Linux server, the full path to the SYS volume is /usr/novell/sys. The CLIENT directory must have read and execute rights to the directory so that users can locate the installation files. For more information on file system rights, see Chapter 10, "Identity Manager Bundle Edition." | 2. | (Conditional) If you want to create an install routine that doesn't require any user input, use NCIMan to create an UNATTEND.TXT file, as discussed earlier in this chapter. Save the UNATTEND.TXT file in the same directory from which users will run SETUP.EXE or SETUPNW.EXE to install the new Novell client. If you use a platform-specific configuration file to configure the Novell client and you are using ACU.EXE, you must change the [UNATTENDFILE] option to Yes in the ACU.INI file.
| 3. | Use iManager to add the following to the container login script for those users whom you want to receive the updated client. These commands support both Windows 9x and Windows XP/2000 clients.
IF OS = "WINNT" THEN @\\SERVERNAME\VOLNAME\...\SETUPNW.EXE /ACU /u:UNATTEND.TXT END IF OS = "WIN95" THEN @\\SERVERNAME\VOLNAME\...\SETUP.EXE /ACU /u:UNATTEND.TXT END
TIP For Windows 9x workstations only, you can back up the old client configuration instead of just replacing it with the new client software. To do this, add the option /RB (for rollback) to the end of this command. This option will copy the current software configuration to NOVELL\CLIENT32\NWBACKUP. | 4. | When the login script executes during a user login, the appropriate setup program will check the Windows Registry on the destination workstation to see exactly which version of the client is currently running. The setup routine will run only if the workstation's Registry indicates a Novell client version older than the version to be installed.
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TIP If you need to reinstall the same client version on a workstation, you can use NCIMan to modify the Major or Minor INTERNAL version of the client so that it looks to the setup routine as if the client is newer than that previously installed. The version setting is stored in the UNATTEND.TXT file.
The next time the users in the group log in, their workstations will be upgraded automatically to the new Novell client. For more information on ACU options, see the Novell online documentation. |
