You don’t have to write batch scripts in 2022 any more to install the modules, I think. I need to re-visit the talk from 3DX world again.
I actually would like to use Admin image, but getting the time/opportunity to sit down and comb thru the various options for setup, has turned into a wild fantasy. Plus, I’d like to actually test the various setups/installs, but would need to request a test system from IT (who is equally taxed for time as myself).
Although the CAD user space I work with is small, I like the idea of using an Admin image to lock down certain settings to ensure processes don’t get skipped. The other side of it is that we have many more users of PDM, and it would be helpful to have an Admin image to manage those installs.
As with most things, Admin image installs goes into the bucket of something I’ll get to “one day” (maybe).
I am replying to this relatively old thread asking for an opinion about the use of administrative image.
My company has over 60 seats and every time we have to upgrade SW or install it on a new machine, we have to spend a lot of time for the process. Some Dept. also complained (rightly) that their engineers are spending too much time upgrading the machines following the setup manual that guide them through the process.
We also have a third party add-in to upgrade/install and PDM and its vault view to configure as well.
The current process:
1 SW Install data (16GB) are uploaded on a shared folder on a file server
2 every SW user copy the folder on the desktop
3 backup SW preferences (optional)
4 uninstall the third party add in
5 launch SW installer and configure the setup
6 install the third party add in
7 recover SW preferences and some registry patch
8 some manual check on SW settings (due previous admin “reasons”)
9 vault view setup (new install only)
I did a test with SW 2021 and I can automatize more or less everything in the list or at least reduce human interaction to a couple of clicks. (fixing once and for all the “reasons” for manual checks)
My boss and VAR main concern is the speed over the network is going to be overkill.
Apparently they did a trial year ago with the previous admin and it did not go well.
So I came up with a unorthodox way to use the admin image which I used in the past within a smaller team and it worked for our needs.
1 SW admin image (12GB, become 5.5GB compressed from SW2022) is uploaded on a shared folder on a file server
2 every SW user copy the folder on the c: drive root
3 backup SW preferences (optional)
4 recover SW preferences (optional)
Pros
1- installation is unattended and completes in around 10 minutes (with SW2021 uncompresed image)
2- network traffic shrinks to 35% the current level (which is over 1TB and occours almost in the same day)
the users can download the necessary data in background and work until the download is complete
3- settings are applied correctly and in the same way for all
Cons
1- According to our VAR the installation cannot be changed and adding feature requires a new install.
→ Normally we use only the latest SP
→ In the case of a SP I would make a new admin image to distribuite as above.
BTW compressed images are required a full install anyway even in case of a SP
→ If the admin image path is in the registry I could relink the local installation to the network data overwriting the setting
2- We have some installation pattern to take care of : CAD+PDM, CAD only, PDM only (contributor only)
→ PDM aside we already install everything needed inside the company and let the user switch on simulation add-in etc
so I think I could unify a lot of those needs in two admin images at max
→ I need to study how to disable the PDM features for non-PDM users and the related paths inside the vault.
3- batch files are loaded from an absolute path
→ I saw a “use environment variable” checkbox, when selecting the batch file but is not documented…
Other Cons or idea on the matter? Or any other alternative to automatize SW installation…
“1- installation is unattended and completes in around 10 minutes (with SW2021 uncompresed image)”
Unless other CON can be done in less time, I don’t see any reason not to use admin image.
“2- We have some installation pattern to take care of : CAD+PDM, CAD only, PDM only (contributor only)”
Create image for each.
“My boss and VAR main concern is the speed over the network is going to be overkill.
Apparently they did a trial year ago with the previous admin and it did not go well.”
This can be schedule when network is not busy. Also prevent everyone download at same time.
You can copy image to user on schedule and install later.
Put the image on a less busy server or one just for that purpose. If possible.
This is why I am thinking about copying the admin image to local pc, instead of installing from the network drive.
We have 1 vault and once PDM is updated all client must update at once: designer and engineers cannot work with their old SW installation otherwise. We are under 100 seats so on day one we have 80%+ seats updating.
So, my main question is: what happens if the admin image is copied locally on the C: drive root and run from that location and later even delete that folder.
The only big con I found out that SW, once installed that way, could be only uninstalled, and it is not possible to add or remove components.
It is a fair limitation imho and it is not going to cause us by distress, but I am concerned about other collateral effects I am not seeing at the moment.
Copy to user “Download” folder.
Root need admin permission, I think.
Is it possible to copy and run install from IT side?
Not sure if admin image could do silent install.
Just to be sure we are discussing about the same concept, what do you mean with download folder?
At the moment I use the SW download data to create a compressed admin image.
That image is about 1/3 the original size of the downloaded data. Up until now we used to have all users copying those 16Gb on their desktops, which is a waste of time and bandwidth.
I already tested the following:
- I download the SW install files (16Gb)
- I create the admin image with only the necessary packages (5.5 Gb) in my C:\Solidworks Admin\ folder
- Add the batch files for pre post install to the admin image
- Copy C:\Solidworks Admin folder on another PC
- Run the install.hta
- Wait for the install to complete
The data copy over the network is quicker with compressed image (fewer big files instead of lot of small ones)
After the local installation C:\Solidworks Admin\ folder can be deleted without affecting SW as It can be only unistalled anyway. Also the compressed images cannot be updated with SP patches, but need a full install to upgrade. This is fine for us as we upgrade once a year with SP5.x
We already have our users with local admin permission, so copy on the root drive is ok (I am a normal domain user as well and I can perform this kind of task)
IT involvement has some drawbacks I am not going to discuss here.
A local install fully automated is what I am aiming at, no need for a silent install for the moment.
Ok C:\Solidworks Admin\ is good.
You said C drive root so I thought you copy zip file to C:.
Windows has extra security on C:. So you might run into problem.
You can keep C:\Solidworks Admin\ folder. Just delete install package.
I’ll just keep the file there. Overwrite when new install is available. If space is not a problem.
Just incase one need to reinstall.
Copy single huge file is always faster than lots of small files.