Custom Installation Options For the MiCollab Windows Desktop Client

The MiCollab Client installer ships as a Windows Installer package. You can use a file server on your network as a software distribution point for the MiCollab Client. Alternatively you can use a Logon Script, or a Group Policy to customize and bulk deploy the application.

Installation Methods

Software Distribution Point

A Software Distribution Point uses Active Directory Group Policy objects to deploy MiCollab Client using Active Directory Group Policy objects. This enables MiCollab Client to be run from a single location and appear to be installed on every user's desktop.

Installing MiCollab Client using a distribution point is done with an administrative install of the installer package to a network share. The share point must be accessible to all users who will install MiCollab Client. The command for the administrative installation is:

%>msiexec /a UnifiedCommunicatorAdvanced.msi

The administrative installation wizard prompts you to enter a location for the administrative image. Users can be instructed to install MiCollab Client from this folder via the network share. The users can run the installation wizard by clicking the file and entering the MiCollab Client Service FQDN when prompted.

Alternatively, a transform file, or the Explorer shortcut that includes the IP property in the command parameters, could be provided:

%>msiexec /i UnifiedCommunicatorAdvanced.msi UC_SERVER_HOSTNAME=”YOUR_UC_SERVER_HOSTNAME”

In this example, YOUR_UC_SERVER_HOSTNAME property is set to the FQDN of the MiCollab Client Service. This can be found in your OfficeConnect Enterprise welcome email under "MiCollab Service Host Name"

Suppressing the installation wizard dialogs can further customize the installation by using the /qn flag. More customization options can be found in the Windows Installer SDK documentation at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367988.aspx.

Logon Script

The Windows Script Host can also be used to create a logon script for deploying MiCollab Client. Logon scripts use the same installation techniques as the software distribution point, except the mechanism used to run the installer is a script rather than an Explorer shortcut. The logon script is set through an Active Directory Group Policy. An example of a logon script that will install MiCollab Client might be:

Set oShell = CreateObject(“Wscript.Shell”)
oShell.Run msiexec /i /q UnifiedCommunicatorAdvanced.msi UC_SERVER_HOSTNAME=”YOUR_UC_SERVER_HOSTNAME”  /qn

See the Windows Management Instrumentation site (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa286547.aspx) for more information on scripting.

Group policy

You can create a Group Policy object to deploy MiCollab Clients. For a network install, the installer can be assigned to users with a Group Policy object (GPO). The GPO should install the software from an administrative image installed on a network share. For a detailed explanation on how to install software using an Active Directory Group Policy, see Step-by-Step Guide to Software Installation and Maintenance (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver).

Installer transforms

Windows Installer packages can be customized with installer transforms. Installer transforms are files that, when run with the installer package, modify certain installation properties and application features.

The MiCollab Client installer package requires that the MiCollab Client Service IP property be set at install time. If the installer package is executed without any command-line parameters setting this property, the installer package prompts the user for it.

Alternatively, a transform can be created that will set this property. The transform can be specified in the command string used to install MiCollab Client or it can be specified when installing software using an Active Directory Group Policy.

If the server IP property is set in this way, the installer can be run with reduced or “silent” user interaction. More customization options can be found in the Windows Installer SDK documentation (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367988.aspx).

Creating a transform

Two different methods can be used to create a Transfrom file. Both methods are briefly discuseed below. 

Transform by Orca

You can use third-party tools to create a transform. One such tool called Orca (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa370557(v=vs.85).aspx) is avaiable from Microsoft in the Windows SDK (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3138).

Transform by COM Script

Alternativtly, the transform can be created with a simple script using COM components deployed on platforms supported by MiCollab Client. The following script will create a transform called transform.mst.

Option Explicit
Dim wi, basedb, db, fs, sh, infile, ip, sql, view
Const msiTransformValidationLanguage = 1
Const msiTransformErrorNone = 0
Const msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly = 0
Const msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact = 1
Set sh = CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
If WScript.Arguments.Count < 2 Then
	WScript.Echo “Usage: maketransform.vbs  ”
	WScript.Quit
End If
Set fs = CreateObject(“Scripting.FileSystemobject”)
Set wi = CreateObject(“WindowsInstaller.Installer”)
infile = WScript.Arguments(0)
ip = WScript.Arguments(1)
fs.CopyFile infile, “tmp.msi”
Set basedb = wi.opendatabase(infile, msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly)
Set db = wi.opendatabase (“tmp.msi”, msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact)
sql = “INSERT INTO Property (Property.Property, Property.Value) VALUES” & _ “('UC_SERVER_HOSTNAME', '" & ip & “')”
Set view = db.OpenView(sql)
view.Execute
db.Commit
db.GenerateTransform basedb, “transform.mst”
db.CreateTransformSummaryInfo basedb, “transform.mst”,_
 msiTransformErrorNone, msiTransformValidationLanguage
Set view = Nothing
Set db = Nothing
Set wi = Nothing
Set sh = Nothing
fs.DeleteFile “tmp.msi”
Set fs = Nothing

The output is transform.mst and this transform file can be used to modify a MiCollab Client installation.

Installer properties