Determining Installation Media and Methods

After you use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to build custom packages, you can use several methods to distribute them to your users. You can automate installations of Internet Explorer with preselected components and browser settings so that no user action is required, or you can allow users to choose from up to 10 different installation options.

You can distribute Internet Explorer from:

• Download FTP or Web sites on the Internet or intranet

• Flat network shares (all files in one directory)

• CD-ROM

• Multiple floppy disks

• A single floppy disk (Internet service providers only)

• Single-disk branding (customize existing installations of Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1, which is part of Windows 98, and higher)

The following sections discuss some of the factors to consider when you choose your distribution media and methods. For more information about selecting your media for distribution, see Chapter 15 , "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."

Reaching Your Users

Identify the media that will work best for your users. For example, you may need to distribute your custom packages to the following types of users:

• Stand-alone users - For stand-alone users who are not connected to the local area network (LAN), you can distribute custom packages from the Internet, on CD-ROMs, or on floppy disks.

• Remote-access users - If your users access the Internet or intranet through remote-access modems, it can be time-consuming for them to download the Internet Explorer custom package over the modem. Instead of using the Internet or intranet, you can distribute the custom package to these users on CD-ROMs or floppy disks.

• Local network users - For corporate users who are connected to your network, you can distribute custom packages from download sites on your intranet.

Assessing the Size and Geographical Distribution of Your User Groups

The size and geographical distribution of your user groups will influence your distribution strategy. For example, consider these options:

• For a large number of users, you may want to produce and distribute custom packages on CD-ROMs at a volume discount.

• For a smaller number of users, it may be more economical to distribute custom packages over the intranet or the Internet.

• If your users are located worldwide, you may decide to distribute multiple-language versions of custom packages over the Internet.

Assessing Resources Available to Your Organization

The resources available to your organization will influence your distribution strategy. For example, if your organization does not have a wide area network (WAN), you may decide to distribute custom packages to your worldwide user community over the Internet.

Assessing Network Performance and Bandwidth Issues

When determining your distribution method, consider your network capacity, as well as the performance expectations of your users. If your users access the custom packages on the intranet, your distribution methods will affect network performance and the available bandwidth. Installing Internet Explorer over the network places different demands on network bandwidth, both in response time and connection time. Choose distribution methods that help optimize network performance and bandwidth.

For example, if you distribute custom packages over the Internet to users on your intranet, it can cause excessive loads on firewalls and proxy servers. If you distribute custom packages from only one download server on a large WAN, it can overload the server and cause traffic problems across the interconnecting routers and bridges of subnets and LANs. You can usually achieve the best network performance by distributing custom packages from download servers that are located in multiple domains or subnets of your intranet.

Note Using the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, you can specify up to 10 download sites that Windows Update Setup will automatically switch between during installations. This provides optimum download performance, as well as a distributed load across the intranet.

To help alleviate performance and bandwidth impact, you may also want to consider distributing a smaller package of Internet Explorer with only a limited number of browser components. For example, users can install an 8-MB browser-only version, which includes the majority of the components used on the Web, and then install additional components as needed using the Automatic Install feature of Internet Explorer.

Assessing Network Security Issues

The distribution methods available to you depend on the security configuration of your intranet, as well as the level of Internet access that you allow your users to have. You can distribute custom packages from the Internet to users on the intranet if you configure firewalls and proxy servers to allow users to download the Internet Explorer components. Internet Explorer components are authenticated when downloaded from the Internet. However, distributing custom packages over your intranet still provides maximum security and does not require additional configurations for firewalls and proxy servers.

If your organization does not provide the required level of Internet access to users, you do not have the option of distributing custom packages over the Internet. However, you still need to provide Internet access to the administrators who run the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to build the custom packages. The Internet Explorer Customization wizard must access the Internet to download the most current components of Internet Explorer from the Microsoft download site.

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