Hi Surendra,
We were desperate to streamline our Forms 6i Client/Server installs. With
hundreds of PC users, we couldn't visit each PC every time we needed to
install a new Form/Report or update the Forms/Reports runtime version.
One thing we've done to eliminate release and install hassles is create a
master Oracle Form that we use to launch all our other forms and reports.
This is the only icon we place on most desktops. The Form is table driven,
using a Job and a User table. It provides the user with a list of all
Forms, Reports or procedures they're allowed to run, based on the security
flags we set in the tables. That way, when we create a new form or report,
we just add a row to the Oracle Job table and it automatically appears on
the user's launch form. It also has a basic front end to DBMS_JOBS, so the
user can schedule a procedure to run later (if we give them the rights).
This master form has made it very easy to release new products ... or
temporarily remove one if need be.
Here's what we came up with to simplify initial Client/Server runtime
installs. Note that it is not officially approved by Oracle. But it has
worked well for us for several years, in a mixed environment of W95/98/NT/XP
machines. We have it down to a point where we rarely have to visit a user's
PC to do an install ... except for those users who are afraid to even click
on an install link. :-)
1. Install the Oracle 6i Forms/Reports runtimes on a common network
drive. Easiest way is to do this is from a "virgin" PC that has no Oracle
registry entries, because you'll need the newly created Oracle registry
entries in Step 2. Plus you don't want to mess up any current Oracle reg
entries you would have on the standard developer/DBA machine. Make sure
your current TNSNAMES.ORA file is also placed in this network install, since
the end-users will be using that TNSMANES.ORA version to connect to your
database(s).
2. Using REGEDIT, export the newly created Oracle registry entries
from the above PC and put that REG file on a common network drive. The
entries to export would be anything under the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/ORACLE location. They should all be directing
your Oracle Home and other paths to the new network runtime install. Before
doing the export, you'll want to add any extra search paths used in your
end-user environment ... extra paths to icons, PL/SQL libraries, etc.
FORMS60_PATH, etc.
3. Put your Forms/Report runtimes (FMX, MMX and REP), PLLs, etc. in
a common network location.
4. Create batch files to launch the needed forms or reports. (We
use a PIF file that points to the BAT file, but that isn't really
necessary.) Here's a sample of a CONDB.BAT file we use to launch a form
named ConDB (note that M: is our network drive):
M:\oracle\ora8_w95\BIN\IFRUN60.EXE
module=m:\oracle\gazmis\prod60\exe\condb.fmx
On each user PC, do the following. The PC doesn't need any pre-installed
Oracle modules, including SQL*Net, since they will all be run from the
network install:
1. Load the exported REGistry file created above to create and set
the user's Oracle pointers to the network install.
2. Install the batch or PIF file on the PC ... we tend to just
create a desktop icon, but we don't have a large number of forms because of
our master launch form mentioned above.
We've created a batch file to do these two steps. If your security allows,
you can e-mail the BAT file to the user and ask them to run it. Or place
the links to the BAT file(s) on your intranet site and let them run it from
there. Or connect to the client PC remotely and do it for them, etc.
Here's a sample of our CONDB_INSTALL.BAT file (it uses a freeware utility
named XQGetOSVer to determine the user's OS version):
============================
@echo off
REM XQGetOSVer will set an ERRORLEVEL depending on the OS version
REM use /B for batch mode (no pause) and /N for no output
REM 1 = Win 3.1
REM 2 = Win 95
REM 3 = Win NT
REM 4 = Win 98
REM 5 = Win 2000
REM 6 = Win ME
REM 7 = Win XP
m:\oracle\gazmis\install\XQGetOSVer /B /N
IF ERRORLEVEL 99 GOTO VER_UNKNOWN
IF ERRORLEVEL 7 GOTO VER_2000
IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO VER_95
IF ERRORLEVEL 5 GOTO VER_2000
IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO VER_95
IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO VER_2000
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO VER_95
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO VER_95
:VER_UNKNOWN
echo Operating System unknown. Please contact the Help Desk.
goto ENDE
:VER_2000
regedit M:\ORACLE\GAZMIS\Install\oracle_8\Ntbox\ora81.reg
C:
cd %UserProfile%\Desktop
REM Using %UserProfile% allows users without admin privs to run this
copy m:\oracle\gazmis\install\ConDB.pif *.*
echo .
echo ConDB install finished. You may now close this window.
goto ENDE
:VER_95
regedit M:\ORACLE\GAZMIS\Install\oracle_8\95box\ora81.reg
C:
cd \Windows\Desktop
copy m:\oracle\gazmis\install\ConDB.pif *.*
echo .
echo ConDB install finished. You may now close this window.
goto ENDE
:ende
==============================
I hope this gives you some ideas. I tried to condense a pretty involved
process into a short note. I hope I didn't leave too much out.
Dave Schmoldt
Cedar Rapids, IA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 4:09 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> Subject: Client Distribution
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> We have been exploring different options to distribute the Oracle
> client to users to deploy an application. Earlier, we used to use
> Install Anywhere or do it manually. I am thinking there should be
> a better way folks out there must be using. Our present requirement
> is to have a minimal client(SQL*Net) installed on the users
> machines. Some users may not have admin access on their machines.
>
> Can you guys please help me in this regard?
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Surendra
> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
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> Author:
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