Advice on how to create deployment package

[Terry Holland]

I have just created my first asp.net application and I am ready to deploy.
The solution consists of the following:
A single asp.net assembly to be deployed to web server
A number of vb.net assemblies to be deployed to application server. Some of
these assemblies will be shared by future applications.

There is also a SQL Server DB that I need to install onto live server.

The only way I have deployed asp.net app before is to copy my files manually
but I would like a packaged solution for this. Could someone point me in the
right direction please.

Thanks

Terry Holland

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi Terry,

Thank you for posting.

Regarding on the ASP.NET web application deployment question, I think you
can create a VS.NET Web Setup project, it'll help generate the code for
copy web application's page content or assemblies. And for your shared
assemblies, you can use some command batch file or script file to register
them through the "GacUtil.exe" tool. In addition, for database creating,
you should create some custom code (use the Custom Action in VS setup
project) to programmatically connect to database and execute database
creating sql script. here are some good tech articles describing on this:

#Deployment of a Web Setup Project
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...loymentovernet
work.asp?frame=true

#Deploying ASP.NET Applications - Part 1
http://www.15seconds.com/issue/030806.htm

#Walkthrough: Using a Custom Action to Create a Database at Installation
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-US/lib...tk(VS.80).aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
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[Terry Holland]

Thanks Steven

I think I need something more specific with regard to the shared assemblies.
For example should I create a Web Setup project and add the project output
of my shared assembly to the setup project or should these shared assemblies
not be part of my web setup. If they are not to be part of web setup, could
you give me an example of what to do with them

Thanks

Terry

"Steven Cheng[MSFT]" <st*****@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:g0**************@TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl...

Hi Terry,

Thank you for posting.

Regarding on the ASP.NET web application deployment question, I think you
can create a VS.NET Web Setup project, it'll help generate the code for
copy web application's page content or assemblies. And for your shared
assemblies, you can use some command batch file or script file to register
them through the "GacUtil.exe" tool. In addition, for database creating,
you should create some custom code (use the Custom Action in VS setup
project) to programmatically connect to database and execute database
creating sql script. here are some good tech articles describing on this:

#Deployment of a Web Setup Project
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...loymentovernet work.asp?frame=true

#Deploying ASP.NET Applications - Part 1
http://www.15seconds.com/issue/030806.htm

#Walkthrough: Using a Custom Action to Create a Database at Installation
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-US/lib...tk(VS.80).aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.

==================================================
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Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
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rights.)

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi Terry,

If the shared assemblies you mentioned here is just those strong-named
assemblies you want to install into GAC at setup time, you can utilize the
VS setup project(include web setup project)'s "Global Assembly Cache
Folder" option, we can add this through

File System --->Special Folder---> Global Asssembly Cache Folder

This option is available in both VS 2003 and 2005 setup project:

#Deployment and the Global Assembly Cache
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...zs(VS.80).aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.

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[Terry Holland]

Thanks

Another part of this application are some web services.

Can I in a single web project do the following:
Install my business objects (vb.net assembly) into Program Files
Install my shared components (vb.net assembly) into GAC
Install my ASP pages into a web directory such as MyProject\MyWebPages
Install my web services into a web directory such as MyProject\MyWebServices

If this is possible could you please point me to an example that does all
this

Thanks

Terry Holland

"Steven Cheng[MSFT]" <st*****@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ob**************@TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl...

Hi Terry,

If the shared assemblies you mentioned here is just those strong-named
assemblies you want to install into GAC at setup time, you can utilize the
VS setup project(include web setup project)'s "Global Assembly Cache
Folder" option, we can add this through

File System --->Special Folder---> Global Asssembly Cache Folder

This option is available in both VS 2003 and 2005 setup project:

#Deployment and the Global Assembly Cache
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...zs(VS.80).aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.

==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the response.

As for the further question you mentioned,

===================
Install my business objects (vb.net assembly) into Program Files
Install my shared components (vb.net assembly) into GAC
Install my ASP pages into a web directory such as MyProject\MyWebPages
Install my web services into a web directory such as MyProject\MyWebServices
====================

I think it can be done in a single web setup project. The VS 2005 web setup
project can let us install contents into many special folder locations,
include "Program Files" folder", "GAC Folder", "Desktop Folder", ......

Also, for virtual directory folder, it can also support creating multiple
virtual directories( I think this can meet your requirement on install the
web application and webservice into different application virtual dir),
however, one limitation is that such multiple virtual directory seems can
only be installed under the same IIS site (since VS setup project doesn't
provide site selection for indivdual virtual directory).

You can get the detailed special folder list in the following msdn link:

#Special Folders and Custom Folders
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/s2esdf4x.aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================

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[Terry Holland]

Is this possible in vs 2003? I have not yet upgraded to 2005

"Steven Cheng[MSFT]" wrote:

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the response.

As for the further question you mentioned,

===================
Install my business objects (vb.net assembly) into Program Files
Install my shared components (vb.net assembly) into GAC
Install my ASP pages into a web directory such as MyProject\MyWebPages
Install my web services into a web directory such as MyProject\MyWebServices
====================

I think it can be done in a single web setup project. The VS 2005 web setup
project can let us install contents into many special folder locations,
include "Program Files" folder", "GAC Folder", "Desktop Folder", ......

Also, for virtual directory folder, it can also support creating multiple
virtual directories( I think this can meet your requirement on install the
web application and webservice into different application virtual dir),
however, one limitation is that such multiple virtual directory seems can
only be installed under the same IIS site (since VS setup project doesn't
provide site selection for indivdual virtual directory).

You can get the detailed special folder list in the following msdn link:

#Special Folders and Custom Folders
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/s2esdf4x.aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.

==================================================
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Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Thanks for your quick response Terry,

I've just take a quick look over the VS 2003 web setup project and found
that those special folders useful for you also available there. So I think
you can go on with VS 2003 web setup project also:)

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.

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Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)