Central Installation of SAPGUI 640

[Former Member]

Hi,

In our organization we wish to install SAPGUI 640 centally. Is it possible, please let me know. Please send me some documents if anyone have regarding this.

With Regards,

Sailesh K

[Former Member]

Here is a simple batch file I wrote to do what it sounds like you are wanting to do. We have the SAP GUI 640 files in a folder on a file server with the relevant host files so it install the servers we want on the gui. We can do it manually from the run command or put it in the users logon script.

@echo off

cls

cd %windir%

attrib -r %windir%\sapgrph.ini

attrib -r %windir%\saplogon.ini

attrib -r %windir%\Sapmc.ini

attrib -r %windir%\sapmsg.ini

cd %windir%\system32\drivers\etc

attrib -r %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\services

attrib -r %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\services.ni1

attrib -r %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\services.ni2

cd C:\

DEL "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\saplgpad.lnk"

DEL "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\saplogon.*"

DEL "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\saplgpad.lnk"

DEL "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\saplgpad.*"

DEL "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\saplgpad.*"

DEL "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\saplgpad.lnk"

cd G:\SAP_640\saphosts_Admin

copy sapgrph.ini %windir%

copy saplogon.ini %windir%

copy SAPMC.INI %windir%

copy sapmsg.ini %windir%

copy services %windir%\system32\drivers\etc

copy SERVICES.NI1 %windir%\system32\drivers\etc

copy SERVICES.NI2 %windir%\system32\drivers\etc

cd G:\

G:\SAP_640\GUI\WINDOWS\WIN32\setup\sapsetup.exe /p:"{FDC05072-D0D8-403C-A803-02F858FD120B}"

cd G:\SAP_640

copy sapvswin2k.reg c:\

copy sapxp.reg c:\

copy saplogon.lnk "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop"

copy saplogon.lnk "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu"

copy saplogon.lnk "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch"

call G:\ip.bat

cd C:\

if exist C:\Winnt regedit /s C:\sapvswin2k.reg

if exist C:\Windows regedit /s C:\sapxp.reg

DEL C:\*.reg

cls

[Former Member]

There is another solution than the one mentionned here ... You could install a CITRIX server and install the SAP GUI only on this server. Your users could then use this SAP GUI. We have this solution at my company and it is working perfectly well.

[Former Member]

Hi Sailesh:

Do you want your users be able to run the installation program from a central location? or do you want to users be able to execute SAPGui from a central location ?

Regards,

Federico

[Former Member]

Dear Fedrico,

We will have to centrally install the sapgui software remotely into our client's machines. So that, we cannot go around each and every client's machine to install.

This is the scenario. Please provide me some ways to handle it.

[Former Member]

We are currently testing and preparing to rollout a distrbution service in which the SAP GUI (6.40) is loaded on a central installation server. Each workstation (we have about 600 or so with SAP on it) is then sent a script when does 2 things:

1. Connects that workstation to the installation server, which installs the latest SAP GUI onto that workstation

2. Since the connection is "permanent", whenever the installation server receives a new patch, the workstation pulls those patch files (NT Copy) from the installation server whenever the SAP GUI is launched from that workstation (basically the workstation checks the installation server as the SAP GUI is launched; if there is an update, the SAP GUI is updated; if not, the SAP GUI continues to launch.)

I'm not sure of the exact link, but if you go to OSS and do a search for "SAP Front End Installation Guide", or perhaps go to the service.sap.com/instguides, you can find more information about this there.

Hope this helps

Michael Gibbs

SAP Basis

[Former Member]

Dear Michael,

Thanks for your valuable information.

Can you explain more on this topic. I want to know more about the scripts you were talking about. And i want to know, if the central installation server is the production system, will it be possible to continue with this without any problem.

With Regards,

Sailesh K

[Former Member]

Does your organization already have software deployment tools like SMS? They can be used also, instead of having to set up an Installation Server.

Regards,

John

[Former Member]

The script I'm referring to is simply a connection script that establishes a connection between the installation server and a particular workstation. It will look something like this:

server\<shared folder\setup\sapsetup.exe /p:"<package name>"

the package is a group of SAP Gui components that are pulled from the server to the workstation that runs this batch file (containing the above script). In addition, a registry entry is created on the workstation that establishes that "permanent connection" between the workstation and the server.

When this batch file funs a few more thing occur:

If it is a workstation with no SAP GUI: The connection is established and the SAP GUI is installed (essentially just an NT file copy)

If it is a workstation with a previous version of the SAP GUI: The connection is established and the old SAP GUI is uninstalled first. Then, the NT file copy of the new GUI is established.

Another nice thing about the installation server setup by SAP, is in the ability to embed(sp?) other scripts that copy files (such as the ini or services file) or change registry entries (making the shortcuts tab visible or invisible) to the workstation.

As for SMS push, that is certainly an option as well. What we found was an advantage to the distribution service, however, was that when new patches are added to the installation server, the workstations that are connected receive notification (upon launching the SAP GUI) that there is a new patch available which, ultimately, keeps those workstations current without the need for multiple SMS pushes.

As for using a production server, here's our setup. We are using an application server that is techincally part of our production landscape. However, this application server is not used by the general population, but rather by RFC users and some basis personnel such as myself. While we don't expect performance issues on that application server, since we're also running our external faxing application, we're currently in the process of testing this installation service with a larger population on campus in order to monitor workload and performance. Since this is all an NT file copy, our expectation is that we won't run into many issues on this front.

[Former Member]

I am trying to deploy SAP GUI ver 6.20 using SMS. I am not having any luck. I would really like to discuss with someone who has successfully done this.

[Former Member]

Mary,

I'd be glad to answer your questions. You can post here or email me.

John

[Former Member]

hello,

We're actually using this tool to deploy the updates through our 7 compagny.

But i have a doubt about the role of the DS (distribution server).

There is a sapsetup.cfg where you can find the information about the name of DS eand the IS (installation server).

[General]

InstServer=
RUN-BCK-01\MAJ_SAP\

DsServer=RUN-BCK-01

the question is : in the remote conpagny (the network link is slower) we changed the IS path with the local folder, but do we have to change the name of the DS too with the local server ? We want to be sure that when we're updating the installation package, that the workstation wil not try to get the updates anywhere else than locally ?

i hope i made myself clear

thanks

[Matt_Fraser]

Marie,

You are on the right track! The clients will auto-update from whichever installation server they first installed from. As long as the sapsetup.cfg file was configured the way you outlined when they first installed, then they will always point back to that server for updates. We have the same situation in our organization, with about 100 remote sites to keep in sync, not all with fast links to the central office.

Best regards,

Matt

[Former Member]

Thanks for you answer !

Marie is the name of my company, i'm a guy! lol

i need to clear one last point :

in the sapsetup.cfg i change the line "Instserver" to write the local folder on each remote company.

And the line "DsServer" i put the main server where the deployement tool is installed ?

so in the main company it will be :

[General]

InstServer=
RUN-BCK-01\MAJ_SAP\

DsServer=RUN-BCK-01

in the remote company number 1:

[General]

InstServer=
<b>MIR-FSS-01</b>\MAJ_SAP\

DsServer=RUN-BCK-01

and so on...

is it ok ?

[Matt_Fraser]

Apologies for the confusion! Lol....

Yes, this is what I did, since the remote servers don't actually have the Distribution Service installed and running on them, they just have the installation point. It does work, but we don't actually use the Distribution Service, since our users have local admin on their workstations. If your users do not have permissions to install software on their workstations, then you will require the Distribution Service to be properly configured, and you may need to do some firewall tweaking to allow them to connect properly to it at the central office. You might even then consider actually installing it to each remote site.

Regards,

Matt

[Former Member]

thanks for your answers.

It works perfectly.