Deployment

Deployment

OBJECTIVES

This chapter covers the following Microsoft-specified objective for the "Deploying Windows Services, Serviced Components, .NET Remoting Objects, and XML Web Services" section of Exam 70-320, "Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft .NET Framework":

Plan the deployment of and deploy a Windows service, a serviced component, a .NET Remoting object, and an XML Web service.

Create a setup program that installs a Windows service, a serviced component, a .NET Remoting object, and an XML Web service.

• Register components and assemblies.

Configure client computers and servers to use a Windows service, a serviced component, a .NET Remoting object, and an XML Web service.

• An enterprise solution may involve different types of applications, such as Windows applications, Web applications, XML Web services, Windows services, serviced components, and .NET remoting objects. These applications may differ based on their look and feel and functionality, but they all work together to accomplish the goal of the enterprise.

  After you have developed an application and ensured its quality, the next step is to distribute and install the application on the target computers. This process is called deployment. The planning for deployment and the process of deployment may vary depending on the type of a program and its targeted users. This exam objective requires you to know what's involved in the deployment of a Windows service, a serviced component, a .NET remoting object, and an XML Web service. The deployment of Web applications and Windows applications is of more interest to exams 70-315 and 70-316, respectively.

Implement versioning.

Plan, configure and deploy side-by-side deployments and applications.

• Applications created using the .NET Framework use two different types of assemblies: private assemblies and shared assemblies. Between the two assemblies, shared assemblies have support for versioning and side-by-side deployment (for different versions of an assembly). This exam objective requires you to know how to create shared assemblies, implement versioning, and use them for side-by-side deployment.

OUTLINE

Introduction

Deploying Private Assemblies

Binding Policy for Privately Deployed Assemblies

How the CLR Binds to a Privately Deployed Assembly

Using the Assembly Binding Log Viewer Tool to Diagnose the Binding Process

Using the .NET Framework Configuration Tool to Specify an Additional Probing Location

Deploying Shared Assemblies

Assigning a Strong Name to an Assembly

Adding an Assembly to the GAC

Using Windows Installer to Add an Assembly to the GAC

Using Windows Explorer to Add an Assembly to the GAC

Using the .NET Framework Configuration Tool to Add an Assembly to the GAC

Using the Global Assembly Cache Tool (gacutil.exe) to Add an Assembly to the GAC

Referencing an Assembly from the GAC

Binding Policy for Shared Assemblies

How the CLR Binds to a Shared Assembly

Side-by-Side Execution of Shared Assemblies

Side-by-Side Execution in a Feature Upgrade Scenario

Side-by-Side Execution in a Service Pack Update Scenario

Delay Signing an Assembly

Using the Assembly Generation Tool for Delay Signing

Packaging a .NET Application for Deployment

Packaging an Application for Deployment by Copying the Files

Using Microsoft Windows Installer to Package an Application for Deployment

Setup Project

Web Setup Project

Merge Module Project

Cab Project

Customizing Visual Studio .NET Setup and Deployment Projects

Deploying a Web Service

Deploying a Web Service by Manually Copying the Files

Deploying a Web Service by Using the Visual Studio .NET Copy Project Command

Deploying a Web Service by Using a Windows Installer Package

Publishing Web Services

Creating Installation Components

Understanding the Installer Class

Predefined Installation Components

Custom Installation Components

Deploying an Assembly Containing the Installation Components

Deploying a Windows Service

Deploying a Serviced Component

Using a Visual Studio .NET Setup and Deployment Project to Deploy a Serviced Component

Using the Component Services Administrative Tool to Deploy a Serviced Component

Deploying a .NET Remoting Object

Chapter Summary

Apply Your Knowledge

STUDY STRATEGIES

• Review the "Deployment Concepts" and "Deploying Applications" sections of the Visual Studio .NET Combined Help Collection.

• Understand the various ways to deploy an application and their benefits and shortcomings. Understand when to use XCOPY deployment versus Windows Installer deployment.

• Experiment with using setup projects and merge module projects to deploy .NET applications. Understand when you should choose to create a setup project versus a merge module project.

• Work with the different editors that are available in the Visual Studio .NET setup and deployment projects and thoroughly understand the purpose of each of these editors.

• Experiment with the Strong Name tool (sn.exe) to create a public/private key pair and then use the key pair to assign a strong name to an assembly. Work with the delay-signing feature and understand the scenarios in which it can be helpful.

• Understand the steps performed by the CLR to locate private and shared assemblies. Experiment with placing assemblies in the GAC.