73.1 Using Client Auto-Update to Distribute the GroupWise Client Software

The GroupWise Client Setup Wizard (setup.exe) includes a Client Auto-Update feature that helps you keep users’ GroupWise client software up to date. Each time the GroupWise client starts, it checks with the POA for the user’s post office to find out if new GroupWise client software is available in the post office. When new software is available and Client Auto-Update is enabled in the post office, the Setup program can prompt the user to install the updated software.

When you run the GroupWise Installation Wizard to install the GroupWise Server component, the GroupWise client software is installed in the following locations:

  • Linux:
  • Windows:
  • /opt/novell/groupwise/agents/data/client/setup/win32
  • c:\Program Files\Novell\GroupWise Server\agents\data\client\setup\win32

Client Auto-Update is disabled by default. For a small GroupWise system, you can have the POA distribute the GroupWise client software. However, this represents an extra load on the POA whenever the GroupWise client software is updated and needs to be downloaded to users’ workstations. A more robust solution is to configure your web server to distribute the GroupWise client software.

IMPORTANT:The client update connects to the POA’s HTTP port to get the update. The HTTP port should NOT be blocked by any firewall when the workstation attempting to install an updated GroupWise client is on the other side of the firewall.

73.1.1 Using the POA to Distribute the GroupWise Client Software

Reference these sections to distribute the GroupWise Client software.

Enabling Client Auto-Update for the POA

You can configure Client Auto-Update at the domain, post office, or user level.

  1. In the GroupWise Administration Console, browse to and click the name of a domain, post office, or user.

  2. Click Client Options > Client Auto-Update.

  3. Select Enable Client Auto-Update.

  4. Leave the Auto-Update URL field blank.

  5. (Conditional) As needed, modify the update settings.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Create a new win32 subfolder in the client software location for the setup.cfg.

    The Client Setup Wizard looks for the setup.cfg file in a win32 subfolder relative to the location of the setupip.fil file.

  8. Modify the setup configuration file (setup.cfg) used by the GroupWise Client Setup Wizard to customize the client installation process before you trigger the installation. Follow the steps in Customizing the Setup Configuration File to modify the file.

  9. Copy the setup.cfg file to the /client/setup/win32/win32 folder that you created.

  10. Continue with Triggering a Client Update by the POA.

Triggering a Client Update by the POA

Updates are triggered at the post office level.

  1. Browse to and click the name of a post office where Client Auto-Update is enabled, either for all users in the post office or for individual users.

  2. Click More > Client Auto-Update.

  3. (Conditional) If you want to verify the update settings, click Modify Settings to go to the Post Office object Client Auto-Update tab, and then return to the Client Auto-Update dialog box.

  4. Click Trigger Update.

    NOTE:The client update connects to the POA’s HTTP port to get the update.

  5. Skip to Understanding the User’s Client Auto-Update Experience.

73.1.2 Using Your Web Server to Distribute the GroupWise Client Software

Configuring your web server to distribute the GroupWise client software frees the POA from this task. You must copy the GroupWise client software to a location on your web server from which it can be downloaded. Then you must configure your web server to allow downloads from the folder that you set up.

Setting Up the GroupWise Client Software on Your Web Server

Client Auto-Update can be configured to install the GroupWise client software from the Apache web server on Linux, or from the Internet Information Service (IIS) web server on Windows. Make sure you that you have a copy of the GroupWise client software available on your web server. For information on obtaining the GroupWise client software, see Extracting the GroupWise Software.

  1. Create a folder in the document root folder of your web server for the GroupWise client software files used by Client Auto-Update, for example:

    Apache on Linux:

    /srv/www/htdocs/gwclient/18.0.0

    IIS on Windows:

    c:\InetPub\wwwroot\gwclient\18.0.0

  2. Copy the contents of the agents/data/client/setup/win32 folder that you created in Extracting the GroupWise Software into the client software folder that you created in Step 1.

    All language-independent GroupWise client software files are included in the setupip.fil file. The setupip.language_code file for each client language (setupip.en, setupip.de, setupip.fr, and so on) contains all client software files for the specific language indicated by the language code. If you have multiple setupip.language_code files on the web server, users are prompted for which languages they want to install.

  3. (Conditional) If you do not want multiple language versions of the GroupWise client to be available to users, delete the language files that you do not need.

  4. Create a new win32 subfolder in the client software location for the setup.cfg.

    The Client Setup Wizard looks for the setup.cfg file in a win32 subfolder relative to the location of the setupip.fil file.

  5. Modify the setup configuration file (setup.cfg) used by the GroupWise Client Setup Wizard to customize the client installation process before you trigger the installation. Follow the steps in Customizing the Setup Configuration File to modify the file.

  6. Copy the setup.cfg file to the /win32 folder that you created.

  7. Configure your web server to support Client Auto-Update:

Apache on Linux

To configure your web server on Linux:

  1. Open the Apache configuration file (/etc/apache2/httpd.conf) in a text editor.

  2. Search for the following section:

    <Directory />

  3. After the default Directory section, add the following section for the GroupWise client software:

    <Directory /srv/www/htdocs/gwclient/18.0.0>
   Options Indexes
</Directory>

  4. On the Directory line, specify the client software directory that you created in Step 1 in Setting Up the GroupWise Client Software on Your Web Server.

  5. Save the file.

  6. Restart Apache:

    rcapache2 restart

  7. Test the availability of the client software on the web server by displaying the following URL and verifying the contents of the win32 directory:

    http://web_server_address/gwclient/18.0.0

  8. Continue with Enabling Client Auto-Update for Your Web Server.

IIS on Windows Server

To configure your web server on Windows:

  1. On Windows Server, click Start > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. Expand the Local Computer object, expand the Sites folder, expand your website, and then select the client software directory that you created in Step 1 in Setting Up the GroupWise Client Software on Your Web Server.

  3. Enable directory browsing so that the gwclient directory can be accessed:

    1. In the Features View, double-click Directory Browsing.

    2. In the Actions pane, click Enable.

    3. Click the client software directory to return to the Features View.

  4. Configure IIS to allow the download of the client software files:

    1. In the Features View, double-click MIME Types.

    2. In the Actions pane, click Add.

    3. In the File name extension field, type .* (a period followed by an asterisk).

    4. In the MIME type field, type application/octet-stream.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Click the client software directory to return to the Features View.

  5. (Conditional) If you have configured file filtering at a higher level in this website, configure IIS to not filter out files in the client software directory:

    1. In the Features View, double-click Request Filtering.

    2. Click Allow File Name Extension.

    3. In the File name extension field, type .* (a period followed by an asterisk).

    4. Click OK.

  6. Close IIS Manager.

  7. Restart IIS:

    1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Services.

    2. Right-click World Wide Web Publishing Service, and then click Restart.

  8. Test the availability of the client software on the web server by displaying the following URL and verifying the contents of the win32 directory:

    http://web_server_address/gwclient

  9. In File Explorer, mark the web.config file as Hidden.

    The web.config file is automatically created by IIS. It is not part of Client Auto-Update and causes an error if it is not hidden.

  10. Continue with Enabling Client Auto-Update for Your Web Server.

Enabling Client Auto-Update for Your Web Server

You can configure Client Auto-Update at the domain, post office, or user level.

  1. In the GroupWise Administration Console, browse to and click the name of a domain, post office, or user.

  2. Click Client Options > Client Auto-Update.

  3. Select Enable Client Auto-Update.

  4. Specify the URL where you have made the GroupWise client software available on your web server.

  5. (Conditional) As needed, modify the update settings.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Continue with Testing the Client Update from Your Web Server.

Testing the Client Update from Your Web Server

Test the availability of the files in the gwclient folder on the web server by displaying the following URL and verifying the contents of the win32 subfolder:

http://web_server_address/gwclient

When the setupip.fil file and setupip.en file are extracted on users’ workstations prior to the client software installation, the files in the win32 subfolder on the web server replace the standard files.

After checking the availability of the files, continue with Triggering a Client Update from Your Web Server.

Triggering a Client Update from Your Web Server

Updates are triggered at the post office level.

  1. Browse to and click the name of a post office where Client Auto-Update is enabled, either for all users in the post office or for individual users.

  2. Click More > Client Auto-Update.

  3. (Conditional) If you want to verify the update settings, click Modify Settings to go to the Post Office object Client Auto-Update tab, and then return to the Client Auto-Update dialog box.

  4. Click Trigger Update.

  5. Skip to Understanding the User’s Client Auto-Update Experience.

73.1.3 Working with the Setup.cfg File

The installation of the GroupWise client software by the Client Setup Wizard is controlled by the setup configuration file (setup.cfg). The Client Auto-Update process can also make use of this file.

Understanding the Setup Configuration File (setup.cfg)

A default setup.cfg file is provided in the following folder:

downloaded_groupwise_software_image\client

The setup.cfg file is an ASCII text file that supports extended ASCII characters. The file contains the responses that are normally provided by the user during the installation of the GroupWise client. For example, the path for the GroupWise client software and the folder for the GroupWise client desktop icon are specified in the setup.cfg file. In addition, information can be added to the setup.cfg to add predefined LDAP directory service accounts to the GroupWise Address Book in the GroupWise client during installation.

When the GroupWise Client Setup Wizard (setup.exe) is executed, it looks in the same folder for a setup.cfg file. If none is found, the installation proceeds, prompting the user for the needed information. If the setup.cfg file is found, the GroupWise Client Setup Wizard proceeds, using the information specified in the setup.cfg file. Depending on the entries in the setup.cfg file, the user might be prompted to provide information during the installation.

The setup.cfg file is divided into the following sections. In the setup.cfg file, each section head must be enclosed in brackets [ ] as shown.

[GroupWiseSetup]

Version=

This entry must match the version being installed; otherwise, the Setup Wizard does not use setup.cfg. The default is 18.0.

 
Path=

This entry specifies the path where you want the GroupWise client to be installed. The default path for GroupWise 18 is c:\Program Files\Novell\Groupwise.

 
Folder=

This entry creates and installs the GroupWise client shortcuts to the specified folder in the user’s Start menu. The default folder is Micro Focus GroupWise.

 
LaunchMessenger=

This optional entry specifies whether GroupWise Messenger should be launched when GroupWise starts. The default is No.

 
LaunchNotify=

This optional entry specifies whether GroupWise Notify should be launched when GroupWise starts. The default is No.

 
OutlookFirewallException

This entry specifies whether Outlook should be added to the Windows Firewall exceptions list. The default is Yes (add Outlook to the exceptions list).

 
GWMailTo=

This entry specifies whether the GroupWise client should be the default email application in your web browser. The default is Yes, so that the Internet Browser Mail Integration is installed along with the GroupWise client.

 
IPAddress=

This optional entry specifies the IP address for the GroupWise client to always use. Use this setting to set the IP address per post office when using multiple post offices.

 
IPPort=

This optional entry specifies the IP port for the GroupWise client to always use.

 
DefaultIPAddress=

This optional entry specifies the default IP address for the GroupWise client to use the first time it is started. This should be an IP address that everyone on the system has access to.

 
DefaultIPPort=

This optional entry specifies the default IP port for the GroupWise client to use the first time it is started.

 
StopService=

Use this entry when you are running integrated third-party software along with the GroupWise client, and that software might be locking some GroupWise client DLLs. If client DLLs are locked, the client software cannot be installed. Specify the service for the client Setup Wizard to stop before it installs the client software. Use the name as it appears in the list provided by Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. You can stop only one service before installing the client software.

[ShowSetup]

ShowDialogs=

Specify No to hide dialog boxes during the installation. Specify Yes to show the dialog boxes. The default is Yes.

If an entry is missing from the setup.cfg file and ShowDialogs=Yes, the Setup Wizard selects the default setting. If ShowDialogs=No, the Setup Wizard prompts the user for a selection.

 
ShowProgress=

Specify Yes to show the progress indicator during the installation. Specify No to hide the progress indicator during installation. The default is Yes.

 
ShowFinish=

Specify Yes to display the Finish dialog box after the installation. Specify No to hide this dialog box. The default is Yes.

[Startup]

Notify=

If you specify Yes, the Setup Wizard places Notify in the Windows Startup folder to be started automatically when the computer starts. The default is No.

[GWCheck]

This section installs and enables GroupWise Check (GWCheck). GWCheck is a tool that performs maintenance and repair tasks on users’ mailboxes to keep GroupWise operating efficiently. It is essentially a standalone version of the Mailbox/Library Maintenance feature available in the GroupWise Administration Console. GWCheck checks and repairs GroupWise user, message, library, and resource databases independent from the Administration Console. In addition to checking post office, user, and library databases, it also checks Caching, Remote, and archive databases.

InstallGWCheck=

Specify Yes to install GWCheck files to the workstation. Specify No to not install GWCheck. The default is Yes.

 
GWCheckEnabled=

Specify Yes to install the files to the same folder as the GroupWise client, which results in the Repair Mailbox option being enabled under the Tools menu in the GroupWise client. Specify No to install the files in a GWCheck subfolder below the client folder, which disables the Repair Mailbox option until the files are manually copied into the GroupWise folder. The default is No.

[Languages]

The default language is set to English, and all other languages are set to No, meaning they are not installed. See the setup.cfg file for a listing of the different languages.

Customizing the Setup Configuration File

To customize the setup configuration file:

  1. On the server from which you want to distribute the GroupWise client software, browse to the following folder in the downloaded GroupWise 18 software image:

    \groupwise_software_image\client

  2. Use an ASCII text editor to edit the copied setup.cfg file and add the settings that you want to use when Client Auto-Update installs the client software on users’ workstations.

    To review the settings, see Understanding the Setup Configuration File (setup.cfg).

    1. (Conditional) If you are installing multiple languages, but you do not want users to be prompted for the languages to install in the [GroupWiseSetup] section, specify:

      EnableLangDlg=No

  3. Save the customized setup.cfg file.

  4. (Optional) Continue with Adding LDAP Directory Service Accounts to the Setup Configuration File.

  5. Return to the task of setting up Client Auto-Update:

Adding LDAP Directory Service Accounts to the Setup Configuration File

LDAP directory service accounts provide users with the ability to search directory services such as Bigfoot for names and email addresses of people. Each search can check potentially millions of names. After locating a name through a directory service search, users can add those names and email addresses to their personal address books.

You can add predefined LDAP directory service accounts to the Address Book by adding information to setup.cfg. This information can be added even after the initial installation. After the accounts are added, this information does not need to be removed from setup.cfg. During subsequent installations, GroupWise adds any new accounts listed but does not update or duplicate existing LDAP accounts.

The user can also choose to add LDAP directory service accounts after the GroupWise client is installed. For more information, see Using the LDAP Address Book in the GroupWise 18 Client User Guide.

To add an LDAP address book during installation, add the following lines to the setup.cfg file, providing information that is specific to the LDAP account:

[LDAP Account 1]
Description=Ldap Server1
Server=ldap.server1.com
Port=389
SearchRoot=c=us
Login=TRUE

You can add multiple accounts:

[LDAP Account 2]
Description=Ldap Server2
Server=ldap.server2.com
Port=389
SearchRoot=0=widget, c=us
Login=FALSE

Parameter

Description

 
Description=

The name that displays in the list of LDAP directory services in the Address Book.

 
Server=

The LDAP server name or IP address.

 
Port=

The LDAP directory service’s port number. The number is usually 389.

 
SearchRoot=

The base or root of the LDAP directory service where the user searches for names. For example, the base could be a country, organization, or other type of grouping. This is not required for all LDAP directory services. If a search root is required, the LDAP directory service provides the information.

 
Login=

TRUE means users are prompted for a user name and password when they use that LDAP directory service.

73.1.4 Understanding the User’s Client Auto-Update Experience

The next time each user starts the GroupWise client, the client detects that the software version in the post office has been updated. It launches the GroupWise Client Setup program (setup.exe), which runs according to the Client Auto-Update that settings you have provided.

If you are forcing the user to update, the following message appears:

Prompt for a forced Auto-Update

If you are not forcing the user to update, the following message appears:

Prompt for an optional AutoUpdate