Importing a Single Package File

AdminStudio 2020 | 19.0 | Application Manager

Edition:Application Manager is included with AdminStudio Professional and Enterprise Editions.

You can import the following types of package files:

Windows Installer package—You can import a Windows Installer package with all of its associated transform files and patches into the Application Catalog at the same time.
Virtual package—You can import a single virtual package in Microsoft App-V, Citrix XenApp, VMware ThinApp.

Note:AdminStudio supports the import of App-V 4.x packages (.sft files) as well as App-V 5.0 packages (.appv files).

macOS App—You can import a single macOS desktop application in .pkg or .dmg format.
Mobile app—You can import a single mobile app in Apple iOS, Google Android, or Windows Store format.
Microsoft Intune—you can import a Microsoft Intune package into the Application Catalog.

Note:For information on importing web applications, see Importing Web Applications. For information on importing a Microsoft Web Deploy Package (.zip), see Importing a Web Deploy Package.

To import a single Windows Installer package, virtual package, or mobile app, perform the following steps:

To import a single package into an Application Catalog:

1. On the Home tab of the Application Manager ribbon, click the Import button. The Source panel opens.
2. Select Single application and click Next. The Package Type Selection panel opens.

3. Select the package type of the package that you want to import, and click Next. The Package File Selection panel opens.
4. Click Browse and select the package that you want to import.
5. Click Next. For some package types, the Package Support Files panel opens, where you may optionally select any additional files to be imported along with the package, such as:

Package Type

Support File

Description

Windows Installer (.msi)

Transform files (.mst)

All of the .mst files that are in the same directory as the Windows Installer file you are importing are automatically listed, but only those .mst files that AdminStudio determines are probably applicable to this Windows Installer package are selected to be included in the import.

If you do not want to import a selected .mst file, clear the selection.

Note:You an add additional transform files and specify the order that they will be applied, as described in Adding Additional Package Support Files and Ordering List.

Patch files (.msp)

If a patch file is in the same directory as the Windows Installer file you are importing, that patch file will automatically be listed. If you do not want to import it, clear the selection.

Note:You an add additional patch files and specify the order that they will be applied, as described in Adding Additional Package Support Files and Ordering List.

Note:If you specify an update.exe patch file that was created by Developer/DevStudio/InstallShield Editor, Application Manager will extract the .msp file in the Temp folder and then perform the import.

Note:See About the Administrative Installation of Patches.

Legacy packages (.exe)

Setup configuration files (.ini)

Contains setup and configuration information for a legacy installation package.

6. If the Package Support Files panel opens, do the following to add and select this package’s support files, and to modify the order in which they are applied:
Selecting a support file—If a support file is already listed, select it to include it in the import.
Adding support file—To add an additional support file, click the Add button and browse to the location of the support file. If the package requires multiple support files, you can repeat the procedure as necessary.
Reordering support files—The order in which the support files are applied may be important, and can be changed by selecting a support file in the list and clicking the Up and Down buttons.

Note:More than one Package Support Files panels may open. For Windows Installer packages, you first see a Package Support Files panel prompting the import of transform files, and next a Package Support Files panel that prompts the import of patch files opens.

Note:If you specify an update.exe patch file that was created by Developer/DevStudio/InstallShield Editor, Application Manager will extract the .msp file in the Temp folder and then perform the import.

7. When you have finished adding files to the Package Support Files panel, click Next. The Destination Group panel opens.
8. Select a destination group into which your package will be imported.

Note:If you launched the Import Wizard by selecting a group in the tree and then clicking Import, that group will be selected by default on the Destination Group panel.

Note:If you want to import the package into a new group, click the New Group button to create a new group.

9. Click Next. The Summary panel opens.
10. Review the information in the Summary panel. If you are satisfied with the import options, click Next to start the import.

Progress messages are displayed. Depending on whether options have been set on the Import Options / General tab of the Application Manager Options dialog box (available from the Application Catalog tab menu), testing may be performed during import.

The package will then appear under an Application node in the Application Catalog tree:

Creation of Application Nodes During Package Single Package Import

Application nodes are created in the Application Manager tree using the package’s associated Package Code. If multiple packages of different deployment types (such as Windows Installer, App-V, and ThinApp) of the same software product are all imported into the same Group and all have the same Package Code, all of the deployment types will be automatically listed under the same application node.

Three Deployment Types Under One Application Node

However, if multiple packages of different deployment types of the same software product have different Package Codes, and are all imported into the same Group, an additional node for that application will be created for each Package Code, incremented by a number, such as: ABC Application and ABC Application [1].

Three Deployment Types Under Two Different Application Nodes

Note:Virtual packages that were created by AdminStudio include a metadata.ami file that identifies the Package Code of the virtual package’s source Windows Installer package.

Forcing Packages With Different Package Codes Under Same Application Node

You also have the option of forcing packages with different Package Codes to be listed under the same application node. To do this, import the package that has the different Package Code using the Single application option of the Import Wizard, and select the application node that you would like it to appear under on the Destination Group panel.

See Also