Hi Tom: We had a similar problem years ago trying to deliver our customers consistent releases that we could script. We tried Windows bat files and Unix shell scripts but each release was never quite right. Our staff would forget this file or this dictionary or just plain copy the wrong account to our customer. Then there was the problem the installation for our payroll system, for example, took 8 hours to do a full installation using wIntegrate bridge copy utility which was a really bad way of doing it.
[ad] We developed XLr8Installer an Eclipse plug-in. You build a XML script using our tool. The script can be saved on say your network drive for everyone to access or in your version control software. The script can be run over the internet to create your customer's test account environment from your base system. It will create all of the files, copy all of the dictionaries, compile all of the dictionaries, create the indexes, copy any data and program, compile all of the programs, remove source if required, and can run and TCL/ECL commands. We open a connection to our client using XLr8Installer. We either install the full release or a patch release using the XML script that we previously built. All of the data is copied over the internet in a few minutes. Our payroll installation takes about 7 to 10 minutes to do a full install. Our Doc Mgt system that use to take an 1 hour with wIntegrate now takes 45 seconds max. On some of our Client systems we open 3 connections and use all of those connections to updating their site simultaneously. We do not have to do linear installs anymore which cuts our installation time from several hours per site to about 15 minutes depending on how many packages we have to install. For those sites that do not allow internet access in but allow it out. You can run the scripts from the client site to your build site. We even have client that does not allow internet access out or in, so we send our base account on thumb drive. The client or our staff uses the thumb driver to install the software at their site. Pricing is at $99.00 per workstation for XLr8Installer. So even in these hard times, it is difficult that you or your clients cannot afford this amazing solution. [/ad] Regards, Doug www.u2logic.com "Eclipse solutions for U2 marketplace" _______________________________________________ U2-Users mailing list [email protected] http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
