http://www.ondemandsoftware.com/msitoolkit.asp

OnDemand Software, the developers of the award-winning WinINSTALL and the WinINSTALL Desktop Availability Suite (DAS), today announced the OnDemand MSI Toolkit, a new subscription based service that provides a collection of MSI tools that have been developed by a group of Windows Installer experts. These tools are not tied to any third party product and can be used in conjunction with any MSI packaging product on the market, including OnDemand SoftwareÂ’s own WinINSTALL and Desktop Availability Suite products.

“MSI is a difficult file format that has needed additional tools to make it easier to work with” says Bill Somerville, OnDemand Software CTO. “Building a community of users of this toolkit begins to help everyone learn advanced tricks of the use of MSI technology”.

The OnDemand Software MSI Toolkit contains eight (8) individual tools as well as some knowledgebase content. These tools and content are very valuable and perfect for any administrator or developer that is involved in MSI packaging. The tools and a description of what each tool is for follows:

OLEDir – allows you to peer inside an MSI/MSM file or any other OLE structured storage file, allowing you to investigate the form and content of these files. It includes specific support for MSI/MSM files, allowing you to easily dump portions of the control information describing the databases that is otherwise difficult to view directly and is unique to those files.

MSIInfo – can be used to enumerate installed applications, feature and component states, and installed patches for Windows Installer applications.

MSPInfo – can be used to display information about a Windows Installer patch (MSP) file, including basic patch information, and will allow the components of the patch (transforms and cabinets) to be extracted for viewing.

CopyMSI – can be used to copy an MSI file, and will automatically copy any external cabinets and files, maintaining the necessary folder structure and file metadata for any files that are copied.

DiffMSI – shows the differences between two MSI/MSM files.

MMMerge – can be used to automate the process of merging merged modules into an MSI file. Configurable merge modules (new with MSI 2.0) are supported.

MMCache – will generate, manage and display a cache of merge modules that can be used with either the MMMerge tool, or with the WinINSTALL product. This cache is used to greatly speed-up the process of identifying and merging merge modules.

MSQL – provides a command line interface for direct SQL access to MSI/MSM files, and is designed to be familiar to anyone used to the ISQL/OSQL/TSQL, etc. tools used for “real” databases. The full range of Windows installer SQL is supported, including DDL. Like other SQL tools it emulates, this is a very powerful tool.

Availability

The ODS MSI Toolkit is a subscription based service that has an annual subscription fee of $75. To learn more please visit www.ondemandsoftware.com/msitoolkit.asp. The toolkit can be purchased at the OnDemand Software online store at www.ondemandsoftware.com/store. Also included with the subscription is a private online forum for all subscribers. Additional content will continue to be added to the toolkit. To communicate with the developers of the toolkit now you may send email to MSIToolKit@ondemandsoftware.com.

About OnDemand Software, Inc.

OnDemand’s WinINSTALL product family, winner of 19 industry awards, is used to institute and maintain desktop standards, automating the installation of operating systems, content and application load sets to networked and remote PCs. OnDemand customers – small, medium and enterprise IT environments – report a substantial return on investment (ROI) and a reduction in the total Cost of Ownership (TCO). OnDemand is committed to continuing its leadership role in the desktop lifecycle management market. Over 10,000 companies worldwide, supporting millions of desktops use OnDemand products.

For more information on OnDemand, please see www.ondemandsoftware.com or call Paul Pieske at 239/495-0541.