How to deploy Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and 2010?

Description

This document provides steps required to deploy Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 or 2010 to multiple computers using Endpoint Central.

Steps

Before you deploy the software application, ensure that the computers to which you deploy Microsoft Visual Studio meet the system requirements prescribed by Microsoft. Refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/4c26cc39%28v=vs.90%29.aspx  for more details.

To deploy Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 or 2010, follow the steps given below:

1. Create a common network share to store the required installable file. Network share is recommended only while you wanted to deploy the software to computers within the network. If you wanted to deploy Microsoft Visual Studio to computers located in a remote location, you can use HTTP upload.

Note: The network share should have read permissions to Everyone in the group and should be accessible from all the computers to which you are trying to install.

2. Copy the Contents of the CD or DVD to the network share created in step 1

3. Customize the installation. This step is optional and is required only if you wish to customize the installation.

1. To customize the installation, you would need to create an ini file. Copy the contents of the network share to the computer where you wish to customize the installation
2. Open a command prompt and change directory to the Setup and execute the following command
   setup.exe /createunattend deploy.ini
3. Click Next on the installation window that pops up.
4. Select Custom option from left pane and click Next.
5. Accept the license agreement
6. Select the required features to be installed from the left pane and click Save Settings.
7. Now, deploy.ini will get created under the Setup directory. Copy this deploy.ini to the network share created in step 1

4. Add the package

1. Click the Software Deployment tab
2. Click Add Package
3. Select the MSIEXEC/EXE/ISS/Command package type
4. Specify a name for the application
5. Specify the Installation Command with Switches/Arguments as below:
   
   To perform a default installation:
   <Network Share>\VisualStudio\Setup\setup.exe /q /norestart
   
   To perform full installation:
   <Network Share>\VisualStudio\Setup\setup.exe /q /full /norestart
   
   To perform a customized installation (you should have customized your installation as in step 3 above)
   <Network Share>\VisualStudio\Setup\setup.exe /unattendfile/ <ini_file_path>\deploy.ini
6. Click Add Package

5. Deploy to target computers
   
   1. Select the package that you added
   2. Click Install/Uninstall Software
   3. Enter a name and description for the configuration
   4. Define the package settings
   5. Configure the deployment settings
   6. Choose the target computers
   7. Specify the schedule options, if required
   8. Click Deploy