Today I’ll demonstrate how to deploy the latest version of 7-Zip (version 16.0.2) to multiple target computers simultaneously.
- Start by obtaining the installation media. I downloaded the 64-bit installer from http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
- Configure the BatchPatch deployment. Highlight the desired target hosts in the grid, and then select ‘Actions > Deployment / Create/modify deployment’. In the Deployment form configure the deployment as I have done in the screenshot below. You need to provide a title, select the path of the installer that you downloaded in the previous step, and most importantly add the /S switch to the optional ‘Parameters’ field. The /S switch is what the 7-Zip installer uses to execute a silent/quiet installation. This means that when you use the /S, no interaction from the user will be required to complete the installation. This is a requirement for any/all remote installations. Without the /S, your deployment will hang indefinitely. More on understanding silent/quiet parameters at the bottom of this page. You can see the completed deployment configuration in the screenshot below:
- With the deployment form properly configured, you’re ready to execute the deployment on the target hosts that you have selected in the grid. Either click ‘Execute now’ in the deployment form, or if you prefer you may first save the deployment and then execute it later directly from ‘Actions > Deployment > Execute saved deployment > 7-Zip 16.0.2 x64’
- Confirm the deployment to be executed. Click OK on the dialog that appears to confirm the action.
- When the action completes a few seconds later, you’ll see ‘Exit Code: 0 (SUCCESS) to indicate that everything is finished.
IMPORTANT: In order to execute a remote installation with BatchPatch, you must first determine the proper command line switch/parameter to initiate a “silent” or “quiet” installation.
A proper silent/quiet installation will complete without any user interaction, but if you execute an installation without specifying the correct silent/quiet parameter, the hidden remote process will hang indefinitely without ever completing.
Different installation packages have different command line switches. The silent/quiet switch might be any one of the following, or something completely different, depending on how the installer was created: /S, /s, -S, -s, /silent, -silent, /Q, /q, -Q, -q, /quiet, -quiet.