About Silent Installations

You can automate Connect:Direct® for Microsoft Windows installation and configuration for distribution throughout your enterprise by performing silent installations. Silent installations require no user responses during the installation routine. Configuration information is supplied by the initialization file that you define. Before you perform a silent installation, install Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows on a master node and configure a network map and user authorizations.

The Microsoft Installer Properties are the foundation of a silent installation. Properties can be set on the command line or by creating custom transforms. A transform is a collection of changes applied to an installation. Transforms alter the installation database and can be used to customize a base installation package. Applying a transform to a base installation package adds or replaces data in the installation database.

Silent Installation Options

You can perform a default silent installation that installs Connect:Direct server and Connect:Direct Requester, or you can use transforms to modify the settings of an installation package. The transforms included with this product enable, disable, and remove a feature from the Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows.msi package. To change the silent installation setting, use a transform to enable or disable the desired feature.

Requirements for Silent Installation

For each node where a silent installation is performed, determine if the node uses special services, for example, Active Directory, SNMP, or SNA. For these nodes, a custom INI file is required. If no custom INI file is present, the default installation is performed.