install apps through active directory and group policy edi..

This is probably a common question, but I searched few search engines,
but I couldn't find any good information about it. I am a UNIX admin,
but these days, few companies are cutting the budget, so I gained the duty
of maintaining the Active Directory. My question might be very simple to
some of you. How would I convert setup.exe or plain no setup applications
to msi, so I can install it on the client machines through the Active
Directory and Policy Manager? This is so easy in Linux using crontab and
package managers. This seems very difficult in Windows. Is it also,
possible to use batch files in the combination with msi to install the
applications in the background while users are working? How would I also
install Windows Updates through the Active Directory, so all these
machines don't have to constantly contact Microsoft?

Thank you so much ahead of time.

Howdie kev!

kev schrieb:
> This is probably a common question, but I searched few search engines,
> but I couldn't find any good information about it. I am a UNIX admin,
> but these days, few companies are cutting the budget, so I gained the duty
> of maintaining the Active Directory. My question might be very simple to
> some of you. How would I convert setup.exe or plain no setup applications
> to msi, so I can install it on the client machines through the Active
> Directory and Policy Manager? This is so easy in Linux using crontab and
> package managers. This seems very difficult in Windows. Is it also,

Software Installation only works with MSI (Windows Installer) files. You
have two choices now:
(a) Use a tool like WininstallLE to snapshot the changes, the setup.exe
will do on a sample machine (both registry and file system) and let it
compile a MSI file for you.

(b) use a ZAP (Zero Administration Package, iirc) file to deploy the
..exe file through Active Directory. But this lacks of many features that
come with MSI like uninstall or repair...:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/231747

> possible to use batch files in the combination with msi to install the
> applications in the background while users are working? How would I also
> install Windows Updates through the Active Directory, so all these
> machines don't have to constantly contact Microsoft?

A Group Policy computer startup script (.cmd, .bat, .vbs) could be
possible. The script could call the .exe with any silence-parameters it
provides. Note that it must be a startup script since the script then
runs in the SYSTEM context and has sufficient priviledges to run the
setup. Make sure "Authenticated Users" have sufficient rights on the
share (computers are member of "Authenticated Users" as well).

Regarding your Windows Update wish - this is nothing I would do with
Group Policy and Active Directory. You could have a look at WSUS
(Windows Server Update Services) Server 3.0 (free download from
Microsoft) which provides a "central store" for Windows and Office
Updates in your network.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/wsus/default.aspx

cheers,

Florian
--
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Group Policy.
eMail: prename [at] frickelsoft [dot] net.
blog: http://www.frickelsoft.net/blog.