Notes & articles

Installing Red Gate SQL Server tools across a network

This article is for system administrators who want to install a Red Gate product onto a number of client machines across a network. It is assumed that you are familiar with the basics of network installation; the information in this document is intended for guidance only.

Process summary

To roll out a Red Gate product to a number of computers, carry out the following steps:

• Check the target machines for prerequisite software.
  As you are running the MSI files directly, the installer will not check for the presence of required software on the target machines; you must ensure that any prerequisite software is installed on each machine prior to installation.
• Extract the MSI file from the Toolbelt Installer.
  Run the Toolbelt Installer and copy the MSI file from the temporary folder to a location on the server from which it can be installed onto the target machines. If you are using version 1.2 of the Toolbelt Installer, use the Toolbelt Installer Wizard to extract the required MSI file and associated MST file for each product you want to install.
• Install the product onto the target machines using your preferred process.
  An example of how to install Red Gate products over a network to a list of clients using the PSExec tool is given in this document. For reference, some links are provided to information about using Windows Group Server Policy to distribute software.

Checking the target machines for prerequisite software

Using the MSI file rather than the Toolbelt Installer to install a product carries out the installation without first checking the client machine for prerequisite software. You should ensure that the right versions of  required software are installed on the machines before you begin the installation.

To check the prerequisite software for a product, read the product requirements page in the Products area of the Red Gate website. For example, information about prerequisite software for SQL Backup is available at the following page:

http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Backup/requirements.htm

MDAC

All Red Gate SQL tools test that MDAC 2.8 is installed on the target machine as part of the installation. If you are sure that this version of MDAC is already installed, or that it is not required for this particular installation, then you can suppress the installation warning by setting the RG_WARNING property to false.

For example:

C:\INSTALLATIONS\>

msiexec – I sqlProduct.msi –L*v

logfile.txt RG_WARNING=FALSE

For more information about using msiexec refer to the links in the next section, section of this article.

.NET

All Red Gate SQL tools require .NET to be installed. To check which version of .NET is required for the product you want to install, refer to the requirements page for that product in the product area of the Red Gate website.

SQL Refactor & SQL Prompt (all versions)

The Shared Add-in Support Update for the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 component needs to be installed for these products to work in MS Visual Studio and MS SQL Server Management Studio. You can download the required file from the Microsoft web site using the following link:

Redistributable version of the update for Visual Studio 2005

SQL Backup 5.0 and 5.1

SQL Backup versions 5.0 and 5.1 require the Report Viewer to be installed. You can download the file from the Microsoft web site using the following link:

Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2005

Note that SQL Backup version 5.2 installs the Report Viewer files as part of the installation; there is no need to install in separately for this version of SQL Backup.

Extracting the MSI file from the Toolbelt Installer

The process for extracting the MSI file is different for version 1.1 and version 1.2 of the Toolbelt Installer. If you are not sure which version of the Toolbelt Installer you have, right-click on the .exe file an dlook in the Version page of the Properties dialog.

Extracting the MSI file from the Toolbelt Installer Version 1.1

Version 1.1 of the Toolbelt Installer does not support direct extraction of MSI files. To extract the MSI file, do the following:

1. Double-click the icon to start the Toolbelt Installer. Do not click Next in the Wizard, and do not close the Wizard until you have followed the remainder of the steps listed below to extract the relevant files. You do not need to complete the Wizard to obtain the MSI file.
2. In Windows Explorer, type the following into the Address bar:

   %TEMP%\Red Gate

   This opens the temporary folder in which the installation files are being created.

3. In the temporary folder, sort the subfolders by date and time to identify the most recently created folder. The folder names are GUIDs, for example:

   C:\Documents and Settings\bobsmachine\Local Settings\Temp\Red Gate \{C5B8E8A2-CBAF-4108-8938- 6477FD5825B0}

4. Leave the Toolbelt Installer running and wait until it has created the required subfolders in this folder. For example, if you want the MSI file for SQL Backup 5, ensure that the SQL Backup 5 subfolder has been created. This may take about a minute.
5. Copy all the files and subfolders from the product name folder (for example the SQL Backup 5 subfolder) to the server. Ensure that you do not overwrite any older copies of the files.
6. Cancel or close the Wizard.

You should ensure that each target machine continues to have access to the MSI file following the installation. This will allow you to use the MSI file to repair the installation on a machine in the event of there being a problem with the installed program, using the Repair option in Add or Remove Programs.

Minor upgrades for SQL Backup

Note that if you are installing a minor upgrade for SQL Backup, you will need to add an additional parameter to the command line when running the MSI file:

REINSTALLMODE=vomus

Extracting the MSI file from the Toolbelt Installer Version 1.2

Version 1.2 of the Toolbelt Installer allows you to extract the MSI files directly. To do this, run the Installation Wizard in extract mode:

1. At the command line, run the Toolbelt Installer with the following argument:

   /extract {foldername}

   For example:

   C:\> "SQL Prompt Bundle.exe" /extract "\\server\my disks\installations"

   This will copy the MSI file, MST file, and the folder structure for each product you choose to extract into an appropriately labeled subfolder in the specified target folder. For example:

   \\server\my disks\installations\SQL Backup 5.2.0.23\

2. The Toolbelt Installer starts, in extract mode. Select the products you want to extract.
3. In the Customizing the installation folder step in the Wizard, select the folder to install the product to on each target computer. The installer writes this folder path to the MST file as an installation parameter. At this point, the selected product is not installed to this folder upon completion of the Wizard.
4. Click Extract to complete the Wizard and extract the files for the selected products.

You should ensure that each target machine continues to have access to the MSI file following the installation. This will allow you to use the MSI file to repair the installation on a machine in the event of there being a problem with the installed program, using the Repair option in Add or Remove Programs.

Editing the MSI file

Note that editing the MSI file is not recommended, and Red Gate does not support it as part of the installation process.

It is possible to customize your installation by editing the MSI file using Orca.exe, a tool provided by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft SDK.  For more information about using Orca.exe, please refer to the following article:

MSDN library article: Orca.exe

Using the MST file

The MST file can be used with the MSI file to specify a number of settings for the installation. An MST file is provided with each  product in the Toolbelt, and contains the following parameters:

• the installation path (this is set when you specify the installation folder in the Toolbelt Installer Wizard in extract mode)
• suppression of reboot
• disabling of additional MDAC Checks

For more information about using the MST file and a list of command line options when running msiexec, refer to the following articles:

MSDN library article: Windows installer command line options

TechNet article: Msiexec command line options

Note that if you are installing a minor upgrade for SQL Backup, you will need to add an additional parameter to the MST file:

REINSTALLMODE=vomus

Installing Red Gate products using Windows Server Group Policy

Windows Server Group Policy enables you to distribute software consistently across a site or domain. The Toolbelt MSI and MST files are compatible with the use of GPOs to distribute your software.

For more information about using Windows Server Group Policy, refer to the following articles:

TechNet article: Windows Server Group Policy

Microsoft article: Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Group Policy Management Console

TechNet article: Chat on Top 10 GPOs for Desktop Management

Migrating GPOs Across Domains with GPMC (Word document)

WindowsNetworking.com article: Best Practices for Designing Group Policy

Installing Red Gate products using PsExec

PsExec is a free command-line tool from SysInternals, that gives you telnet-like shell connectivity to remote machines, and enables you to execute processes on remote systems and redirect console applications' output to the local system so that these applications appear to be running locally. You can execute commands on a target machine from the command prompt on your local machine without having to install any software on the target machine.

You can use PsExec to install Red Gate products over a network to a list of clients.

PsExec is available to download from:

PsExec v1.85 Download (Microsoft.com)

In the example that follows, the sqlprompt3.msi package is used to install SQL Prompt 3 onto a target machine.  Both the source machine and the target machine are on the same domain, referred to as <domainname>.

Creating the batch file and copying it to the target machine

Before you can install the MSI file extracted from the Toolbelt Installer, you need to place a batch file on each target machine. To do this:

1. Create a batch file called installredgate.bat containing the following statements:

   @echo off

   echo Assigning share for installation ...

   call net use p: \\<sourcemachinename>\c$ %3

   /user:<domainname>\%2

   echo Installing %1 from source ... please wait

   msiexec p:\redgatemsi\%1 /qn /l*v

   C:\Logfiles\%1.txt

   echo Finished installing %1

2. Copy the installredgate.bat file to a directory C:\targetinstall on the target machine.

   This batch file can remain on the target machine for subsequent installations. Use the following syntax to run the batch file:

   installredgate <installation msi> <username> <password>

   The specified user requires read permissions to the c:\redgatemsi directory on the source machine.

Using PsExec to install the MSI on one or more target machines

When the batch file has been placed on the target machine, install the product using PsExec. To do this:

1. Copy the Red Gate installation package you extracted previously (see Extracting the MSI file from the Toolbelt Installer) to C:\redgatemsi. In this example we are installing SQLPrompt3.msi to a package located at :

   C:\redgatemsi\SQLPrompt3.msi

2. Download psexec.exe to C:\redgatemsi  
3. To install to a single target machine, enter a command in the following format:

   psexec.exe \\<targetmachinename> -u

   <targetuser> -p

   <targetpassword>

   C:\targetinstall\installredgate.bat

   SQLPrompt3.msi <sourceuser> <sourcepassword>

   Do not include the <domainname> in the <targetuser> or <sourceuser> arguments.

   To install to several machines (in this example, called target1, target2,  and target 3), enter a command in the following format:

   psexec.exe \\target1,target2,target3 -u <targetuser> -p

   <targetpassword> C:\tempmsi\installredgate.bat SQLPrompt3.msi

   <sourceuser> <sourcepassword>

The batch file exits with error code 0, and the target machines are rebooted.