Thursday, May 7, 2009

Deployment tool - WPKG

My boss like the open source tools and software for many reasons. Here I am evaluating an open source deployment tool, WPKG.

- What it requires?
WPKG require
  1. a WPKG network shared folder and a domain account that can access this share folder from everywhere
  2. a domain admin account or local-admin-for-all-workstation account to push out the wpkg client service to all workstation, via psexec
  3. the network shared folder will has a wpkg.js as the main executable script; and profile.xml and package.xml. The xml files will define the installation details for each software. And host file ( define wich workstation get which profile-package)
- How it works?
http://wpkg.org/Screenshots
http://wpkg.org/WPKG_QUICK_INSTALL
The WPKG Installer will create a windows service on the client machine. The service will run at system boot, and read the configuration xml files from the WPKG network share. The service will be created to run as the local SYSTEM user (the other user credentials discussed below are different).
- How it compare with others?
This is a "pull" type of deployment. It means that workstation initial the installation, by start the service or restart the computer. I don't believe this product can push the deployment although it claim to be a push/pull tool.

one community advantage is it has a collection of silent installer detail, including software A-Z and windows hotfix.
http://wpkg.org/Category:Silent_Installers

- Conclusion
compare with other tools, Altiris , SMS, which can push out a software installation. This product is not strong.

It seems don't provide any other functions other than install software. It has no database, no inventory of computer specs. It need you to familar with the technical detail of unattended mode of the each application. It won't do the after-install configuration. So the use is quite limited.

- Testimonial
I read through, and found that many has mentioned the it can install other non-msi software.
http://wpkg.org/Testimonials

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