Automating a customized or default Notes® deployment using silent install

You can use a silent install to deploy a default or customized Notes® release to users without user intervention. This enables centralized Notes® install or upgrade deployment to many users without requiring user intervention.

To automate Notes® installation and upgrade using a silent install or upgrade deployment, you can use any of the following customization tools separately or in conjunction with one another:

  • Customized Notes® install kit – customized Notes® install manifest (install.xml file in Notes® install kit) and updateSite folder contents

    You can customize the Notes® standard configuration install kit to add additional third party features and plug-ins, remove certain supplied features (Composite Applications Editor, HCL Connections™ (Activities), and embedded HCL Sametime®). You can also control feature install visibility and default options in the Notes® installation panels or silent install prompts.

    All features in the install manifest that have their required attribute set to true are installed. However, you can also specify features from the Notes® install manifest as command line arguments.

  • MSI transform file (a .mst file based on the HCL Notes version.msi file supplied in the Notes® install kit)

    A transform file (.mst) is created by using the supplied HCLNotes.itw and HCL Notes version.msi files in conjunction with the InstallShield Tuner for Notes®, to configure various aspects of what you want installed and how.

    You can use a transform file to control certain settings or install options such as the following.
    Note: A transform can be used in conjunction with various silent install command line options and/or a customized Notes® install kit.
    • option to install with the Notes® preloader enabled
    • certain Domino® policy or NOTES.INI file settings
    • single or multi-user install type
    For details on creating a transform file, see Obtaining a tuner and creating a transform file to customize Notes® installation in the related information.
  • Silent install command line options

    Notes® silent install can be run with or without MSI command line options to allow for further customization.

For related information about automating a Notes® upgrade from one release to another using the Notes® SmartUpgrade and/or SURUNAS procedures see Using Notes® Smart Upgrade and Using the Smart Upgrade Run-As wizard.