Application Deployment

After you develop an application, you can distribute it to users. The type of application that you develop might determine the way in which you will deploy it. For example, you might distribute a Microsoft® Excel-based application for individual user to client desktops, while a corporate information tool might be best viewed on the corporate intranet by using a web browser. Determine your method of deployment during your initial planning process to help make distribution as efficient as possible.

When you distribute your application to client desktops, you should provide users with a Setup program to perform some or all of the following tasks:

• Copy the required files to the user's computer.
• Place the files in the appropriate folders.
• Register components.
• Create a Start menu item or group.
• Create an icon on the user's desktop.

When you deploy your application to users, you can distribute the setup program from:

• A Network server using automatic installation or client request.
• A Web site in an intranet or on the Internet.
• Removable media such as a CD-ROM.

The option, or set of options, that you choose depends on the location of the users (whether they are in the same physical location or geographically dispersed), the users' network access, and the users' skill levels (whether they are comfortable locating and installing software on their systems).

The Packaging Wizard is a great tool that can help you create a setup package you can then deploy to users. For information, see Creating a Setup Package Using the Packaging Wizard.

See Also

Designing Applications | The Design Process | Which Technologies Should You Use? | Thinking About User Interface Design | Designing Code for Reusability | Security Considerations | Deploying Your Application