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.NET Framework Deployment Guide for Administrators

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This step-by-step article describes how a system administrator can deploy the .NET Framework version 4 and its system dependencies across a network by using System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). This article assumes that all target client computers meet the minimum requirements for the .NET Framework.

Note

The software referenced in this document, including, without limitation, the .NET Framework 4, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, and Active Directory, are each subject to license terms and conditions. These instructions assume that such license terms and conditions have been reviewed and accepted by the appropriate licensees of the software. These instructions do not waive any of the terms and conditions of such license agreements.

For information about support for the .NET Framework, see Microsoft .NET Framework Support Lifecycle Policy on the Microsoft Support Web site.

This topic contains the following sections:

  • Prerequisites

  • Command-Line Options

  • The Deployment Process

  • Deploying the .NET Framework in a Test Environment

  • Creating a Collection

  • Preparing the Package Source Directory

  • Creating a Package for the Redistributable Package

  • Creating a Program with Setup and Installation Parameters

  • Selecting a Distribution Point

  • Creating an Advertisement

  • Resources

  • Troubleshooting

Prerequisites

Network administrators must verify that all client computers have the required system components before they install the .NET Framework.

The following list is a summary of the software requirements for installing the .NET Framework 4. For a detailed description of the software and hardware requirements, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Client operating system

Minimum version and other software

Windows 7

Windows 7 RTM

Windows Vista

Windows Vista RTM

Windows XP

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)

Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1

Windows Installer 3.1 or later

Windows Server 2008

Windows 2008 RTM

Windows Server 2008 Server Core R2 SP1

Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 SP2

Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1

Windows Installer 3.1 or later

Windows Imaging Component

Command-Line Options

Option

Description

/q

Sets quiet mode.

/norestart

Prevents the Setup program from rebooting automatically. If you use this option, the chaining application has to capture the return code and handle rebooting (see Creating a Program with Setup and Installation Parameters).

/repair

Triggers the repair functionality.

/chainingpackage PackageName

Specifies the name of the package that is doing the chaining. This information is logged and stored with the SQM data for the .NET Framework installation session. If the package name includes spaces, use double quotation marks as delimiters; for example: /chainingpackage "Chaining Product".

The Deployment Process

When you have the supporting infrastructure in place, you use System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to deploy the .NET Framework redistributable package on the network. This process involves creating and defining five primary areas: collections, packages, programs, distribution points, and advertisements.

  • Collections are groups of Configuration Manager 2007 resources, such as users, user groups, or computers, which the .NET Development software deployment targets. For more information about collections, see Collections Overview in the Microsoft TechNet Library.

  • Packages are sets of installation source files that Configuration Manager 2007 manages and distributes for software deployment. Packages include distribution points and programs. For more information about packages, see About Packages in the TechNet Library.

  • Programs are commands that are associated with packages. They contain command-line switches and additional parameters to be used with designated package source files such as Setup.exe. For more information about programs, see About Programs in the TechNet Library.

  • Distribution points are Configuration Manager 2007 site systems that store designated packages for deployment to clients. When the Configuration Manager 2007 client receives and processes a relevant advertisement, it contacts a distribution point to download the package and to start the installation process. For more information about distribution points, see About Distribution Points in the TechNet Library.

  • Advertisements associate packages and programs with collections. They enable administrators to target the deployment of specific or customized applications to collections of computers or users. For more information about advertisements, see About Advertisements in the TechNet Library.

Deploying the .NET Framework in a Test Environment

This section provides a diagram and description of the test network environment for the Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure. It also explains the steps for deploying the .NET Framework 4 by using Configuration Manager 2007.

The test network environment for this article is shown in the following illustration.

Test network environment

Test Network Environment

All the servers (A, B, and C) are running Windows Server 2008. The client computers (D) are running Windows Vista Enterprise. All servers and client computers are members of the same domain (CPANDL.COM). The applications and roles that each server is running, and the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for each client computer are listed as follows:

  1. Active Directory, DNS, DHCP <DC.CPANDL.COM>

  2. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 <SQLSRV.CPANDL.COM>

  3. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 (management point, distribution point) <SCCM.CPANDL.COM>

  4. Windows Vista Enterprise, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 client <WVC01.CPANDL.COM>

In this simple test network environment, the site server performs multiple site system roles (such as management point and distribution point) simultaneously. However, this configuration is not recommended for production sites that have large numbers of resources.

You can use Configuration Manager 2007 to deploy a silent installation of the .NET Framework 4, where the users do not interact with the installation process. In this test environment, follow these steps:

  • Create a collection.

  • Prepare the package source directory.

  • Create a package for the .NET Framework 4 redistributable.

  • Create a program with setup and installation parameters for the redistributable package.

  • Select a distribution point.

  • Create an advertisement of the redistributable package.

Creating a Collection

In this step, you select the computer resources and user groups to target for deployment. You use direct membership rules to create a collection in Configuration Manager 2007. For more information about membership rules, including queries and direct rules, see About Membership Rules in the TechNet Library.

To create a collection:

  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management.

  2. Right-click Collections, and then click New Collection.

  3. On the General page of the New Collection Wizard, enter a name for the collection. In this example, the collection is named Target-Computers.

  4. On the Membership Rules page, click the computer icon to open the Create Direct Membership Rule Wizard. Click Next.

  5. On the Search for Resources page, in the Resource class list, click System Resource. In the Attribute name list, click Name. In the Value field, enter %, and then click Next.

  6. On the Collection Limiting page, click Browse, select All Windows Workstation or Professional Systems, click OK, and then click Next.

  7. On the Select Resources page, select the check box for each of the targeted computer resources. In this example, TestComputer01 and TestComputer02 were selected. Click Next, and then on the Finished page, click Finish.

  8. On the Membership Rules page of the New Collection Wizard, click Next.

  9. On the Advertisements page, click Next. (For now, do not assign an advertisement because it is not yet created.)

  10. On the Security page, accept the defaults, click Next, and then click Close.

For more information about collections, see Collections in Configuration Manager in the TechNet Library.

Preparing the Package Source Directory

The package source folder contains all the files and subdirectories necessary to run the programs in a package. In this example, copy the .NET Framework 4 redistributable package to the source directory \\SCCM\DotNETFramework4.

For more information about package source directories, see How to Set Up a Package Source Directory in the TechNet Library.

Creating a Package for the Redistributable Package

The following steps create a package for the .NET Framework redistributable manually. The package will contain the specified parameters for installing the .NET Framework and the location from where the package will be distributed to the managed Configuration Manager 2007 clients.

To create a package:

  1. In the Configuration Manager Console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution.

  2. Right-click Packages, point to New, and then click Package.

  3. On the General page of the New Package Wizard, enter the following information, and then click Next:

    • Name: .NET Framework

    • Version: 4

    • Manufacturer: Microsoft

    • Language. English (US)

  4. On the Data Source page, select This package contains source files. Click the Set button, and then enter the path for the location of the source files in the Source directory field. For this example, select the source directory location of the local drive that contains a copy of the redistributable package; for example: C:\DotNETFramework4.

  5. Click OK, and then continue to click Next and accept the default settings in the following pages: Data Access, Distribution Settings, Reporting, and Security.

  6. On the Wizard Completed page, click Close.

These steps create a package named Microsoft .NET Framework 4 English (US).

Creating a Program with Setup and Installation Parameters

The following steps create a program to deploy a silent installation of the .NET Framework 4. (In a silent installation, users do not interact with the installation process and the chaining application has to capture the return code and handle rebooting; see Getting Progress Information from an Installation Package in the MSDN Library.)

To create a program for the .NET Framework 4 package:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Package / package name. In this example, the package name is Microsoft .NET Framework 4 English (US).

  2. Right-click Programs, point to New, and then click Program.

  3. On the General page of the New Program Wizard, enter the following information, and then click Next:

    • In the Name field, enter a name for the package (in this example, enter DotNETFramework4 silent installation).

    • In the Command line field, type:

      dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe /q /norestart /ChainingPackage ADMINDEPLOYMENT

      Note

      For Windows Server 2008 Server Core R2 SP1, specify dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64_SC.exe as the package name.

    • In the Run list, select Hidden.

    • In the After running field, verify that No action required is selected.

  4. On the Requirements page, click Next to accept the defaults.

  5. On the Environment page, in the Program can run list, select Whether or not a user is logged on. This will enable the Run with administrative rights option for the Run mode. Leave the default for Drive mode to Runs with UNC name, and then click Next.

  6. On the Advanced page, select the Suppress program notifications check box, and then click Next.

  7. On the Windows Installer page, click Next.

  8. On the MOM page, click Next.

  9. On the Summary page, click Next to confirm your changes.

  10. On the Wizard Completed page, click Close.

Selecting a Distribution Point

To distribute packages to client computers from a server, you must first designate a site system as a distribution point. In this example, a single site server named SCCM was initially configured as both a management point and a distribution point.

To select a distribution point for the newly created package Microsoft .NET Framework 4 English (US):

  1. Right-click Distribution Points.

  2. Click New Distribution Points.

  3. Click Next, and then click the check box for the distribution point (in this example, SCCM).

  4. Click Next.

  5. To exit from the New Distribution Points Wizard, click Close.

The package Microsoft .NET Framework 4 English (US) now contains both the Configuration Manager 2007 distribution point and program information for deploying a silent installation of the .NET Framework 4.

Before advertising the package, verify that it was installed on the distribution point. For information about how to verify the status of a package, see How to View the Status of a Package in the TechNet Library.

Creating an Advertisement

To create an advertisement for the .NET Framework 4 redistributable package:

  1. Right-click Advertisements, point to New, and then click Advertisement.

  2. On the General page of the New Advertisement Wizard, enter the following information, and then click Next:

    • In the Name field, enter .NET Framework 4.

    • In the Package field, click the Browse button, click the package that you want to advertise (in this example, Microsoft .NET Framework 4 English (US)), and then click OK.

    • In the Collection field, click the Browse button, click the collection name (in this example, Target-Computers), and then click OK.

  3. On the Schedule page, in the Advertisement start time fields, enter the date and time when the advertisement will be available, and then click the asterisk button for Mandatory Assignments.

  4. In the Assignment Schedule dialog box, click the Schedule button and enter the same date and time that you previously entered in the Advertisement start time fields. To return to the Schedule page, click OK.

  5. On the Schedule page, select the check boxes for Enable Wake On LAN, Ignore maintenance windows when running program, and Allow system restart outside maintenance windows, and then click Next.

    Note

    In your production environment, there might be policies in place that would require different selections for the assignment schedule. For information about these options, see Advertisement Name Properties: Schedule Tab in the TechNet Library.

  6. Accept the default values on the Distribution Points, Interaction, Security, and Summary pages. Click Close on the Wizard Completed page.

The package will now be advertised to the targeted collection and the silent installation of .NET Framework 4 will begin.

For information about how to monitor the status of the advertisement, see How to View the Status of an Advertisement in the TechNet Library.

For information about .NET Framework 4 installation error codes, see the Return Codes section later in this topic.

Resources

For more information about the infrastructure for testing the deployment of the .NET Framework 4 redistributable package, see the following resources.

Active Directory, DNS, DHCP:

SQL Server 2008:

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 (Management Point, Distribution Point):

Windows Vista Enterprise, System Center Configuration Manager client:

Troubleshooting

Log File Locations

The following log files are generated during .NET Framework 4 setup:

%temp%\Microsoft .NET Framework 4*.txt

%temp%\Microsoft .NET Framework 4*.html

You can use the log collection tool to collect the .NET Framework 4 log files and to create a compressed cabinet (.cab) file that reduces the size of the files.

Return Codes

The following table lists the most common return codes from the .NET Framework 4 redistributable installation program. The return codes are the same for all versions of the installer.

For links to detailed information, see the next section, "Download Error Codes".

Return code

Description

0

Installation completed successfully.

1602

The user canceled installation.

1603

A fatal error occurred during installation.

1641

A restart is required to complete the installation. This message indicates success.

3010

A restart is required to complete the installation. This message indicates success.

5100

The user's computer does not meet system requirements.

5101

Internal state failure.

Download Error Codes

Other error codes: