Software Deployment

Sheesh!
(This message also posted in "Distribution" message boeard)

- I'm deploying an SMS 2003 package to an SMS Advanced client.
- The client is a W2K SP4 with windows installer 3.1
- The package source is a UNC path into a DFS.
- The program command is "cscript vbscript.vbs"
- The vbs contains the line:
ret = sh.Run ("\\earth\na\sw\AP0307\Setup.v6.40.1205-PROD\Setup_1205.exe /s /v""/qb- /L*v C:\Progra~1\logs\20060120.log""",0,True)

This does in fact execute under all conditions, and it in turn launches msiexec on the client machine. MSIexec in turn attempts to load the associated msi which is in the same folder as the Setup_1205.exe file and succeeds in only 2 instances out of 10. All of the clients have enough access to run the setup exe from the DFS but 80% of them can't load the MSI from the same place.

Here's a failed log from line 16 to end (first 15 lines are the same versus a successful log):

MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:833]: ******* RunEngine:
******* Product: \\earth\na\sw\AP0307\Setup.v6.40.1205-PROD\AP0307-Phase2B.v6.40.12.msi
******* Action:
******* CommandLine: **********
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:895]: Incrementing counter to disable shutdown. Counter after increment: 0
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:911]: Machine policy value 'DisableUserInstalls' is 0
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:911]: Note: 1: 2303 2: 5 3: \\earth\na\
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:926]: Note: 1: 2303 2: 5 3: \\earth\na\
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:926]: Note: 1: 2303 2: 5 3: \\earth\na\
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:926]: Note: 1: 1325 2: Setup.v6.40.1205-PROD
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:926]: Decrementing counter to disable shutdown. If counter >= 0, shutdown will be denied. Counter after decrement: -1
MSI (s) (10:14) [18:48:06:926]: MainEngineThread is returning 2
MSI (c) (00:04) [18:48:06:926]: Decrementing counter to disable shutdown. If counter >= 0, shutdown will be denied. Counter after decrement: -1
MSI (c) (00:04) [18:48:06:926]: MainEngineThread is returning 2
=== Verbose logging stopped: 1/20/2006 18:48:06 ===

So, the appdeploy.com Errormessage FAQ says this is an access permission issue with the source file(s) but I just don't get it how:

"\\earth\na\sw\AP0307\Setup.v6.40.1205-PROD\Setup_1205.exe" is accessible,
but "\\earth\na\sw\AP0307\Setup.v6.40.1205-PROD\AP0307-Phase2B.v6.40.12.msi" is not.


Client's Event Viewer App log has no insight - there is no entry from MsiInstaller on the failed machines, only the successful ones.

I can re-write the program as a linked item and bypass any need for UNC calls into DFS, or I could perhaps set the advertisements to always "Download program from distribution point" and then simply remove any path info from the vbscript. This would ensure that the program was run from the client SMS cache where pathing should not be required. Programs are run "Whether or not a user is logged in" under the local SYSTEM account. The environment is BITS enable. Program is around 100MByte size.

Anybody with experience with both MSI and SMS have any insight?

Regards,
William