Application Packaging Interview Questions

1: What is Application packaging?

Application Packaging Interview Questions : Answer: The Application packaging is a process where an installer for the application is created. Usually, these files are available in binary files which are provided by the developers, they are packaged from a package.

2: What is Application Repackaging?

Application repackaging is a process where it captures all the changes that are done by the installation program in the first instance. On top of the installation program, customized changes are made to support the standard norms for the organizations.

3: Briefly, explain the step of repackaging?

The following are the steps that are involved in repackaging:

• First and foremost one has to go through the user requirement document so that one can understand the packaging requirements.
• Technical analysis is performed so that the vendor package is analyzed.
• Work on the setup capture
• Work on the setup customization
• Perform UAT and Test packages
• Work on the deployment aspects

4: List out the main reasons why repackaging is required?

The following are the main reasons why a repacking is required:

• Customized installations are required
• To reduce the support-related costs
• Should be able to self-repair without any dependencies

5: Please list out all the problems associated with legacy installation?

The following are the problems associated with legacy installation;

• Usually, they deal with high support costs
• Easily penetrated installations and uninstallations, not concrete
• It is difficult to deploy
• Needs high trained resources to deploy, which aids extra costs

6: List out a few MSI packaging tools?

The following is the list of all MSI packaging tools:

• InstallShield
• Marimba
• Wise Package Studio
• Visual studio
• SharpDevelop

7: List out a few MSI repackaging tools?

The following is the list of MSI repackaging tools:

• Wise package studio
• InstallShield
• Marimba
• SMS installer

8: Name one deployment tool operated by Microsoft?

The deployment tool operated by Microsoft is :

Microsoft systems management server (SMS)

9: List out the benefits of the Windows installer?

The list of windows installer benefits are as follows:

• Advertising
• One of the best feature where installation can be done in demand
• Repair itself
• Rollback option
• Managed shared resources

10: Explain what is MSI?

MSI stands for Microsoft Windows Installer.

Usually, the installation file is one single file that does the entire installation process.
It can be classified as a database that contains different tables. Each of these tables contains specific instructions and setup-related information.

11: What is the structure of MSI?

The structure of MSI is classified into three subsections:

• Products: It is nothing but a collection of features
• Features: it is nothing but a collection of all components
• Components: it is nothing but a collection of all different type of files and registries

12: What is a feature?

A feature is nothing but a collection of all the components.

13: What is self-healing?

The process of Self-healing is also called Self-repair.

Once the MSI-based application is triggered ( either by clicking on the shortcut or the file itself), first of all, the windows installer will be triggered and checks whether the application is installed as a key path.

Based on the check, if there is a mismatch between the system state and the value configured in the MSI package then the process will automatically apply the change to the current installation.

With this process being said, the feature or the program is reinstalled without any extra help. This process is known as a self-repair or self-healing process.

14: Explain what is a registry and the structure and the types of the registry?

The term Registry itself explains the functionality. It is the one and only place that is used to store information about the Windows OS ( hardware and software-related information). The structure is:

• Root keys
• Subkeys
• Hives
• Entries

15: Explain what does service mean and what are the different type of services are available?

A service is nothing but a windows service that always runs in the background, it is loaded by the Service Control Manager of the operating system.

Typically they are two types of services that are available:

• Win32 services
• Kernel services

Win32 services: Win32 services are the services that operate based on the executable file once installed by the application.

Kernel services: Kernel services are also called windows services. Usually, these types of services are used by the operating system to communicate with the hardware systems.

16: Where is the service information generally stored?

The service information is generally stored within the windows registry hive.

“HLKM/System/CurrentControlSet/Name of the Service”.

17: Within MSI, which tables actually contain information related to the service details?

Within MSI, the service-related information is available in

• Service install
• Service Control

Service install will have all the service-related information and the service control will have all the information which is used to control the service during the installation and uninstallation process.

18: What is an environmental variable, what are the different types of variables that are available?

An environmental variable is a type of variable which is set by the operating system and the application. The following are the two different types of variables that are available.

1. System variable: This variable is available for all types of users

2. User Variable: This variable is available for only a particular type of users only

19: What is file association, explain in detail?

Within the Windows operating system, it is a routine that the file types are associated with the type of extensions they have. So the operating system identifies the file types and links them back to the programs based on the file extension they possess.

A file that doesn’t have any file extension nor they don’t have any association with the files then they are classified as “orphans”.

20: Define what is a property and what are types of properties are available?

Property is nothing but a global variable that is used by the Microsoft Windows installer during the installations.

There are three types of properties that are available:

• Private: This type of property is used where the installation needs to be done internally. Within this property, values cannot be changed. For example Manufacture, product code, product name, product version. These are a few examples where the data cannot be changed during the installation process.
• Public: This type of property is used where the installation needs to be done both internally and externally. For this type of property, the values can be changed during the run time as well. For example, Install level is one of the parameters where the values can be changed during the installation process.
• Restricted Public: This type of property is used where the installation needs to be done both internally and externally. For this type of property, the values cannot be changed during the runtime. For example ALL USERS, REBOOT, etc.

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