How to install msi on remote machine from msbuild using Psexec?

How to install msi on remote machine in msbuild without using psexec?

• I have searched all the custom tasks in Extension Pack and Community Tasks and finally found a task called Msi.Istall in SDC Tasks. But the documentation is bad and causes problems. I get errors regarding the properties passed to the installer. Below is my Install target : `<Target Name="Install"> <!-- Copy the MSI package into remote pc. --> <!--<CreateItem Include="\\grpdev1\Sharing\Build Script\Server Applications\**\*.*"> <Output ItemName="Source" TaskParameter="Include"/> </CreateItem> <Copy SourceFiles="@(Source)" DestinationFolder="\\lta0\c$\TestRemoteInstall\%(Source.RecursiveDir)"/>--> Seems like it looks at my own local pc to install it and says the product is already installed and needs to be removed. How else do i specify the remote machine? Any ideas where I am going wrong? I have also been asked not to use psexec tool or intermediate scripts.. Looking to install directly from msbuild task.

• Answer:

  I had a similar issue... It's not the best solution, but I needed something in a hurry... I set up a scheduled task on the remote machine which launches a batch file. The batch file uninstalls and reinstalls my msi package. From my build machine, the scheduled task is called during the build using schtasks.exe. I have an exec task in my targets file like the following: <Exec Command="schtasks /Run /S SERVER /U USERNAME /P PASSWORD /TN SCHEDULETASK" /> schtasks.exe should be located as part of the OS in system32. Kevin Spence