User Guide

196
Creating Web-Based Installations With WebDeploy
This method is best used over a corporate intranet. Because the .MSI is run directly from
the Web, if a self-repair or install-on-demand is needed, the end user must have
immediate access to the original Web location of the .MSI.
Create an .EXE that runs an external .MSI and runtimes, and an
external .INI that contains download and installation information
Use this method to change the download information dynamically, perhaps as a result of
end user input. You compile to an .EXE and .INI and then distribute the .EXE on a CD or
other media along with an Autoplay program.
Example:
Suppose you want to let the end user select from multiple download sites. You write an
Autoplay program that presents download site options to the end user. When the end
user selects a site, the Autoplay program copies the .EXE and .INI to a temporary
directory, then edits the .INI file, adding the URL of the selected download site. The
Autoplay program then launches the .EXE, which connects to the appropriate Web site
based on the updated information in the .INI file, and runs the .MSI file it finds there.
Also see:
Tips for Creating an Efficient WebDeploy Installation on page 197
Creating a WebDeploy Installation on page 198
Uploading a WebDeploy Installation to the Web on page 199