Installing FotoWeb Desktop
Installation alternatives
FotoWeb Desktop can be installed in different ways depending on the scale of the deployment. The basic modes of installation are:
- Automatic installation on the client when the user logs on to FotoWeb.
- Manual or scripted installation on the client using the FotoWeb Desktop installation available on the Fotoware Update Center.
- Deployment by a system administrator using Active Directory Group Policy or a deployment kit that employs Group Policy deployment.
User-run installation from browser
The first option may be a practical approach in small environments. When a user who has been given access to any of the FotoWeb Desktop features through an archive's access list logs on to FotoWeb, they will be notified that FotoWeb Desktop is not installed after logging on to FotoWeb through the web interface. It will then be possible to download and run the installer package on the local client.
A potential obstacle with this approach is that it stipulates that the user has permission to install software on their local computer. As this is often not the case, one of the two other options may be a better approach.
Manual/Scripted installation
This may be a better solution for small environments where users don't have the necessary rights to install FotoWeb Desktop on their machines. Having obtained the FotoWeb Desktop installer from the Fotoware Update center, a system admin can log on to the machine, run the installer, and configure the hostname of the FotoWeb server. This may also be done using a logon script that runs the installer in elevated (admin) mode.
The latest version of FotoWeb Desktop can be downloaded from the Fotoware Update Center.
Deployment using Group Policy
By using Group Policy to deploy FotoWeb Desktop to network clients, you avoid having to manually install it on each and every desktop. This is the preferred method of deployment in large organizations. It also gives you the possibility to install the software selectively on a number of computers. When deployed through Group Policy, the clients will typically be pre-configured to connect to the FotoWeb server so that, from a user's perspective, everything works right from the start.
The procedure for preparing a Group Policy deployment is outlined in a separate topic.