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Installation Architecture Reviews.

Last night I noticed this blog entry about the lack of Windows Installer Training courses. It got me thinking about an idea that Bob Arnson, Peter Marcu and I toss around occasionally. The idea always ends with this question, "What if we could do the Installation Architecture Reviews outside of Microsoft?"

For over a year now, those of us that volunteer on the WiX toolset have offered to do installation architectural reviews for teams inside Microsoft. Over that time we've seen the whole gambit of installation scenarios from 64-bit registration issues to multi-server Web+DB applications to tiny internal IT apps hurting for a real build process to Internet patch distribution challenges to the very important application that they didn't realize wouldn't install on Vista (until we pointed out the non-deferred system modifying CustomAction).

We usually meet with the team over lunch in some conference room and talk for an hour or two about whatever the team wants to cover.  We always start by understanding the application design before digging into the setup design. Often we end up spending more time talking about the design of their application than their setup since fixing architectural issues at the root is usually easier than creating workarounds at the edge. In the end, both sides have always have a good time and everyone walks away having learned something. Sometimes we even get invited back later to follow up on progress made or to answer additional questions.

So the idea that Bob, Peter and I discuss is what it would be like to provide the same installation architecture reviews for companies outside of Microsoft. We think it would be fantastically fun but aren't sure there would be enough interest to warrant the effort it would take to "break out of the corporate firewall". So, it occurred to me that I should just ask. Duh.

If you would be interested in investigating what it would take to have a few guys that work on the WiX toolset and at Microsoft doing an architectural review of your application or system installation, please contact me. If we get enough interest, we'll see what we can work out.

 

posted @ Friday, June 06, 2008 10:20 AM

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Comments on this entry:

 re: Installation Architecture Reviews.

Left by Anon at 6/9/2008 3:34 PM

I thought you guys just started by downloading some random package off the web and then lighting the flame.

Seriously, unless what you see out in the wild is actually going to influence WiX design, it seems that the community would be better served by focusing on WiX development and get v3 shipped.

BTW, working outside the firewall is a bit different...

http://www.lostechies.com/blogs/chad_myers/archive/2008/06/08/some-consulting-wisdom-i-picked-up.aspx

 re: Installation Architecture Reviews.

Left by Rob M at 6/12/2008 10:26 AM

I tried the contact form and it keeps saying

"Your message could not be sent, most likely due to a problem with the mail server."

My team would definitely be interested in something like this.

 re: Installation Architecture Reviews.

Left by John McFadyen at 6/19/2008 11:01 PM

I think this could be well recieved from a large org such as MS. Just on that I haven't had alot of feedback from the training posts i asked about.

I found in the past there is often the need however rarely the backing from management to warrant this type of work.

Setup is often the last piece of the chain and rarely is it given the respect it should, it may be the final aspect of application creation but it surely isn't least important.

I think if this type of system was to succeed it needs to be driven through management teams as the technical staffing who realise the issues often don't have the political clout to action the requirements.

 re: Installation Architecture Reviews.

Left by ChipH at 7/11/2008 7:12 AM

One of the things that struck me, going thru the WiX docs & websites, is that there's this huge body of knowledge that the authors assume you have, prior to getting started with WiX. It presents a pretty steep learning curve.

Part of it is MSI, and how it works, what it's fundamental entities & operations are, but part of it is also the history of Windows itself.

Not much you can do about the latter -- experience is king here. But for knowledge of MSI, and all the underlying assumptions of WiX, this is something that MSFT can do something about by offering training. Either directly, or through one of it's training partners.

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