Successfully Installing and Configuring Java Software Across Multiple Platforms

Greg MaleticCTOZero G

Agenda

• Overview of deployment issues

• How InstallAnywhere Enterprise Edition solves these issues

• Technical Case Study– Informix/Cloudscape

• Q & A

Things developers like to spend time on:

Research

183. Re-install Windows NT 4

186. Grout shower tile

184. Listen to installer presentation185. Build installer

Our goal: Minimize the time you have to spend with our product.

Research shows: No one likes building installers.

182. Configure Linux OpenGL drivers

…

Main Problems

• Deployment– How do the files get to where they’re needed? On

every platform?– …uninstall?

• Launching Java software– How do end users or other processes run my

Java software?– How does the classpath get set properly?– How do I make sure the right

VM is being used?

Main Problems

• System Configuration– How do I detect previous installations?– Install into a special server directory?– Set environment variables?– Create shortcuts and links?– Install services?

InstallAnywhere™Enterprise Edition

• Supports virtually all Java technology-enabled platforms

• Easy to use

• Handles all the platform-specific details

• Supports latest Java technologies

• Highly customizable

• Not just for Java!

InstallAnywhere Enterprise Edition -Core Features

• Installs to Windows 98/NT/2000, Solaris, Linux, Mac OS, HP-UX, AIX, IRIX, and more...

• Creates LaunchAnywhere™ app launchers for Java software

• Optionally installs private VM for app

• Automatically detects MAIN class and CLASSPATH

• Creates WebInstall to deploy over Web

InstallAnywhere SupportsMultiple Deployment Models

Development Computer(any Java-compatible system)

Deployment Server(HTTP server)

ClientsCD-ROMs

DisconnectedUsers

Windows

Unix

Mac OS

HeterogeneousWeb and Application

Servers

Case Study

CloudscapeCloudscape (Java ORDBMS)

• A 100% Pure Java embeddable Object-Relational Database Management System with Synchronization– Cloudscape– Cloudsync – Cloudconnector– Cloudweb

Cloudscape

• Distributed Internet Application Development Platform

• Deployment Landscape– Hundreds of thousands of Eval copies– All conceivable Java platforms

• Complexity of Landscape– Deploy variety of products– Deploy large application– Deploy to every platform– Frequent point releases

                                         

The Challenge

• Ease of Use for Customer– Quarter million evaluation copies can add up to

an enormous tech support problem

• Large piece of software– Thousands of files for our Cloudconnector

product

• Cross Platform– Windows NT well understood by us– Macintosh… well…

Cloudscape

• Tool Requirements– Ease of Use, both in-house and for customers– Supports all platforms– Speed of Installation– Batch mode installer building

• Customization Features– Ability to run code at Install time– Ability to perform functions like

adding things to WindowsStart Menu

Cloudscape Project

Open API

• Goals– Let developers extend the behavior of the installer– Support use of native code– Add GUI into the install wizard– Let developers modify the installer’s behavior at

install time– I18N compliant

• Major classes– CustomCodeAction– InstallerProxy– CustomCodePanel

Open API: CustomCodeAction

• Lets you add your own new, reusable behaviors to the installer

• How?– Extend CustomCodeAction– Put your action and any

supporting classes or resources into a JAR

– Add Execute Custom Code Action action into installer project

Open API: CustomCodeAction

• Override:– void install(InstallerProxy)

• Code to be run at install time

• Use InstallerProxy to get access to installer environment

– String getInstallStatusMessage()

• Message to display onscreen during install

– void uninstall(UninstallerProxy)– String getUninstallStatusMessage()

Open API: CustomCodeAction

• What can you do?– Write your own Java code to perform virtually any

action– Log data that can be used at uninstall– Load I18N resources– Use native code– Use InstallAnywhere Variables to pass data– Use progress bar to communicate status

• Communicate with InstallerProxy to do this

Open API: InstallerProxy

• What can you do with InstallerProxy?– void setVariable(String varName, Object)Object getVariable(String varName)

– String getLogOutput()

– void setProgressPercentage(int percent)

– File getTemporaryDirectory()

– URL getResource(String archivePath)

– void AbortInstallation()

Open API: CustomCodePanel

• Lets you add your own GUI into the install wizard

• How?– Extend CustomCodePanel

– Put your panel and any supporting classes or resources into a JAR

– Add Show Custom Code Panel action into installer project

Open API: CustomCodePanel

• What can you do?– Specify your own wizard steps to ask configuration

questions– Set InstallAnywhere Variables like USER_INSTALL_DIR

– In simple cases, just use Show User Input Panel

Building the Installer

Installing Cloudscape

Why should you use InstallAnywhere?

• Multi-platform

• Designed for Java developers– …but not just for Java

• Easy to use

• Easy to extend

Who Uses InstallAnywhere?

• Sun– JFC classes– Beans Development Kit (BDK)– JavaHelp– many others…

• Inprise– JBuilder 3.0

• IBM, HP, Intel, Lucent, AT&T, and thousands of others

InstallAnywhere Editions

• Enterprise Edition– $1,995 per developer seat

• Standard Edition– $995

• InstallAnywhere Express– $495

• InstallAnywhere Now!– FREE

Zero G DevNet

• Your resource for software deployment expertise– Online community– Newsgroup– Knowledge Database– Posting area to share custom code actions and panels– Unlimited phone and e-mail support– Unlimited upgrades– Early access to latest technologies

• Annual subscription– $995 per developer per year

• The fastest way to get yourinstaller finished and over with!

Conclusion

• InstallAnywhere Enterprise Edition– More users of any multi-platform installer

technology– More features and functionality– More platforms– More extensibility

• Handles major deployment models– Standalone applications– Rich and thin client-server applications

What You Can Do

• Visit the Zero G web site (www.ZeroG.com)

• Download a trial edition of Enterprise, et. al.

• …or, use InstallAnywhere Now! absolutely free of charge

Q & A

Zero Gwww.ZeroG.com

(415) 512-7771

Greg Maletic - greg@ZeroG.com