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InstallShield AdminStudio
Professional 5.5 by Bob Kelly |
Page 4 of 5 |
ConflictSolver
Conflict Checker has also seen some updates since our last review. It now
provides 25 predefined rules to detect conflicts involving: components, files,
registry entries, shortcuts, INI files, ODBC resources, services, file
extensions, and product codes. Conflicts are detected based on Application
Consistency Evaluator (ACE) rules. In addition to these ACEs included with
ConflictSolver, you can also create three types of user-defined ACEs to use when
detecting conflicts: Source Only, Source and Target, and DLL-Based. Where the
resolution type is automatic, AdminStudio may resolve the conflicts without any
work on your part. Conflicts may be resolved by either applying the necessary changes to the MSI directly or by creating a
transform file that contains these changes. The former is ideal for repackaged
MSI, while the latter is recommended when dealing with vendor-provided MSI
packages.
Another feature of ConflictSolver worth mentioning here is its Extended
Attributes feature. This allows you to display the optional extended attributes
associated with the package. For example: Application name, description, business criticality, installation instructions, repackaging
requirements, hardware requirements and so on. While this information is purely
information, it helps you to keep all related information about the package accessible
from the place you would want it most. These extended attributes are actually
populated dynamically based on an external XML formatted file which you may
specify the name and location for within ConflictSolver.
QualityMonitor
QualityMonitor helps you ensure you have tested each element of a package by
creating a list of test items based on your selection of any installed Windows
Installer package. A test summary is presented as an overview of the testing you
have completed on the package, all of which may be saved as its own project file
for later reference. Deployment tests include Class ID, Prog ID and shortcut
tests. Class IDs
and Prog IDs are tested automatically by QualityMonitor,
whereas shortcuts are launched one at a time as you choose them (you input
whether the shortcut launched the desired application properly or not.)
A new Lockdown and Runtime Test area provides the ability to run shortcuts or
associated executables with the Windows “Run As” feature. This allows you to
execute the application using a regular user account from within QualityMonitor.
Additionally, QualityMonitor watches the process and records any failures to
modify the registry or file system. Any failures detected are reported by QualityMonitor when the launched application is closed.
Distribution Wizard
The Distribution Wizard helps bridge the gap in your process between packaging
and distribution by helping you to prepare your package for deployment with any
of several distribution systems. The wizard allows you to
choose the type of
distribution, including Network Location, Administrative Installation, Marimba,
Tivoli, SMS, LANDesk or Altiris. The options presented by the distribution
wizard obviously depend upon the selected type of distribution. We will not go
into each here, but it is clear that InstallShield took the effort to work with
these Marimba, Tivoli, Microsoft, LANDesk and Altiris to provide more than a
mere file copy.
