MSI application on diskless client.

Nefeco

Reputable
Jun 16, 2015
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4,510
Hi. I provide software that has always previously installed and run directly on a PC. A customer wants instead to run it from their network on diskless Windows clients (and I don't yet know anything about how their network is set up for diskless clients). What are the "basics" of how this might work? In particular, what will happen when an MSI installer tries to run from one of the diskless clients? Thanks, N.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Generally, diskless clients don't have things installed locally since all the have is flash memory. They utilize server resources to work. You need more information about the setup this client is using. Are they using Windows terminal server, or a virtual desktop (Citrix, or Zen)?
 

Nefeco

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Jun 16, 2015
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4,510
Thanks. I guess I need to know more about how they run their network! Is it usual for the network software/setup being used to manage all of this to handle installing software? Once my application is running it can be told to get all of its data etc. from a server location for instance - even I launch and run it from a NAS drive - but on first-run it installs itself in Windows which (for me) is on a local PC. I guess it can be a Windows instance running on their server...? I guess my main question is: can the MSI installer used to install something on a "normal" (disked) PC be used to install it on a network?
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator


I think your install will happen on the server. It is just a question of if it is in a golden disk image for a VM or somehow into the windows server environment. I am not a windows server, and especially terminal services expert so I am out of my league for any other advice.