Limitations for MSI-based installer patches

You can use installers for patch deployments to create smaller updates for a deployment, but patch installers cannot make all the changes that installers for full deployments can complete.

Installers you build using the TestStand Deployment Utility for full and patch deployments use Microsoft Windows Installer technology database files to indicate a Major Upgrade or a Minor Upgrade. Installers for full deployments perform Major Upgrades, which uninstall the previous installer for the full deployment and install the newer version of the installer for the full deployment. Installers for patch deployments perform only Minor Upgrades, which modify an existing installation without uninstalling the previous installation, leading to the following limitations:

• You cannot uninstall the files for a patch deployment without uninstalling the files for the full deployment.
• Installers for patch deployments cannot delete files. Create a new full deployment to upgrade the previous full deployment to remove files in a deployed test system.
• Installers for patch deployments cannot move files from one directory to another. You can change the destination of a file in a patch deployment, but the installer for the patch deployment leaves the file in the original location of the full deployment and installs a file with the same name in the new destination directory. Because the file remains in the original location, TestStand might find the original file in search paths before finding the new version of the file in a different location. If the file is a VI, LabVIEW might cross-link to the file during a mass compile.

Additionally, the deployment utility does not support the following installer features:

• Select Windows Installer technology patching options, such as the following:
  • Windows Installer patch (.msp) file
  • Small Updates
• Creating new program item entries for patch deployments in the standard Microsoft Windows Control Panel facility for adding and removing programs
  Note You can, however, use the Installation Name option on the Installer Options tab of the deployment utility and the Version option in the Advanced Installer Options dialog box to update the program item entry text for the full installer upon which the patch installer depends.

Refer to Microsoft documentation for more information about these installer features.

Limitations for package-based installer patches

The following limitations exist for package-based package deployments:

• Patching is not supported for the single package build output. Patching only applies to the driver and component packages included in a repository or package distribution.
• The package company and product fields cannot be modified in a patch distribution since these fields are used to generate the package name. All other package attributes can be modified for a patch distribution.
• Package based deployments do not support updating individual files through a patch deployment. When installing a patch deployment, the package containing deployment files replaces the package installed on the test system.
• Packages for patch deployments cannot move files from one directory to another. You can change the destination of a file in a patch deployment, but the package for the patch deployment leaves the file in the original location of the full deployment and installs a file with the same name in the new destination directory. Because the file remains in the original location, TestStand might find the original file in search paths before finding the new version of the file in a different location. If the file is a VI, LabVIEW might cross-link to the file during a mass compile.