embedded deployment sql server express

Hi,my problem is the following

I can not completely understand how to deploy sse with my application

To some degree I understand the explaning in Mikes Documentation

Things I don't get:

1)Do I not check the prerequisite server express because when I did and run the setup.exe that I build the thing that happens is that the sql package gets unpacked over and over along with a little message that it's taking a little longer then expected. I gues this is the fallpit where the actual setup.exe for sse is nothing being done with hence the wrapper.

A quote from Mikes document "If the VS Bootstrapper isn't flexible enough for you then". Well, I don't know what I'am doing wrong but it doesn't work at all. I had no problem with the other prerequisites (Framework, installer)

Back to the first question: if so do I manually add the SQLEXP.EXE (downloaded from the internet) or is it the sqlexpr32.exe in the same folder as the setup.exe for the application?

2) How is the wrapper invoked? I don't see that mentioned. I thought when you start the application itself, but that hardly seems logical.

Please anyone, give me some clear directions or additional expanatory

Thanks,

Richard

Hi Richard,

I've never heard of the problem you are encountering where the package gets unpacked over and over. You should test if this is specifically related to how the VS Bootstrapper is calling the package by trying to manually install SQL Express on the problem computer. Try copying the SQLEXPR32.EXE file from the folder where you setup.exe lives to the computer and just double-click on it directly to do a manual install.

Is this problem happening on more than one computer? This seems like it is going to be machine specific and is related to some configuration on the computer that we don't know about. Test your installation on a few other computers to see if the problem can be reproduced.

As far as calling the wrapper, normally the wrapper is what you run and it calls other things. Basically, a wrapper would call the SQL Express installation and then it would call the installation of your custom application. The wrapper replaces your current setup.exe program, which is actuall a wrapper as well. I don't think you need to write a customer wrapper since the problem here is how the SQL installer is executing, you need to figure out if the SQL installer problem is machine specific or not first.

Mike

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thanks for the reply,

on it's own it installed fine, but now I'am in the process of uninstalling it and I can't seem to get rid of it. ADD/REMOVE progams doesn't work. Any suggestions?

Anyway I'am going to assume that the deployment is suppose to work fine like you said. That's why I go forward and ask you the question how you can make the prerequisites do a silent install. In particulary the sse. I don't realy grasp the concept off passing arguments to the setup program. How and from where is that code beiing executed?

Before I am going to ask you the shirt of your back I wanted to know what a good book is to learn the concepts of working with sse and a desktop application. Would you suggest ADO.net the core essentials from microsoft press?

Richard

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as I stated in my last reply, I deployed my application to my newly installed xp pro laptop

Now, that I want to testdrive my database application I get this error:

An attempt to attach an auto-named database file c:/program files........................\MyDB.mdf failed. A database with the same name exists, or specified file can not be opened, or it is located on UNC share.

This is what I read in my app.config file;

<connectionStrings>

<add name="MasterDetail.My.MySettings.MyDBConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\MyDB.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True"

providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

</connectionStrings>

What could I be doing wrong?

Richard

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Richard777 wrote:

I can't seem to get rid of it. ADD/REMOVE progams doesn't work. Any suggestions?

Odd, it's always worked for me. SQL Server uses a single ARP entry for all copies of SQL Server 2005, this includes multiple Editions and Instances. You need to ensure that you uncheck all the components you wish to remove once you've selected the instance you want to remove. There are also some components that have to be removed separately; I recall that the Setup Components are one of them, but I can't recal the others.

Richard777 wrote:

Anyway I'am going to assume that the deployment is suppose to work fine like you said. That's why I go forward and ask you the question how you can make the prerequisites do a silent install. In particulary the sse. I don't realy grasp the concept off passing arguments to the setup program. How and from where is that code beiing executed?

If you are using ClickOnce to deploy SSE it should already be doing a quite install for the prerequisites. The arguments for each prerequsite are part of the manifest for that prerequiste that is installed by VS. If you are trying to write your own command line you need to use the /qn argument to cause a quite install. There is more information about configuring SSE during install in the FAQ that you can find at the top of this forum.

Richard777 wrote:

Before I am going to ask you the shirt of your back I wanted to know what a good book is to learn the concepts of working with sse and a desktop application. Would you suggest ADO.net the core essentials from microsoft press?

I've not read that book specifically. I have been through part of ADO.NET 2.0 Step by Step and it seems alright. There are also many learning videos available for free on the Microsoft web site, start here (C# or VB.NET) to see if there is anything interesting to you. You might also be interested in the ADO.NET sections of the MSDN Library, which is here.

Mike

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Is there anywhere we can get a description of "the manifest for that prerequiste that is installed by VS"

I would like to specify the ADDLOCAL and SQL Signon stuff. Do you have any examples of how to make and include a manifest for these things.

Thanks

Ciaran

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Hi Ciaran,

There are a number of documents on MSDN that discuss the Bootstrapper:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730839(vs.80).aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165429(VS.80).aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms229223(VS.80).aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/10/bootstrapper/

Those documents will tell you enough to read the manifests that are installed by VS, we don't have specific documentation on the individual manifests, but they're XML, so they're pretty much self documenting.

Mike