The MSI Scanner Command Line Utility
Overview of the MSI Scanner
For situations where the installation media is not accessible, the MSI Scanner can be used. This is a command line utility that takes as input an MSI file. This is then analyzed. The result of the analysis is an XML file containing a summary of the MSI.
In a large enterprise it may not be feasible to have remote offices send their software install media to central locations to be added to the corporation’s central application library. In this case, the MSI Scanner may be of some use.
The MSI Scanner is a command line utility used to scan an MSI based installer, extract all required file information and write an XML file describing the installer and its contents. This XML file can then be sent to the central office where the person maintaining the application library can load it into the SAI Editor exactly as if it was the original MSI based Installer.
Starting the MSI Scanner
To start the MSI Scanner:
From the command prompt, type the following
C:\UCMDB\DataFlowProbe\tools\InventoryTools\Common\bin\msiscanner.cmd <setup_package> <output_file>
Where:
<setup_package> is the path and filename of the MSI-based installer.
<output_file> is the path and filename of the output XML file.
Note Note that if the specified filename does not end in .xml, the MSI Scanner will append a .xml extension to it.
Opening the MSI Scanner Output File in the MSI Importer
The output from the MSI Scanner is usable in the MSI Importer so that you can browse the MSI and teach from the XML file in the same way as directly from the MSI file.
To open the MSI Scanner output file:
- Select the Import data from MSI option from the Tools menu.
- In the Files of Type dropdown box, select the MSI Scanner output file.
- Navigate to the file to be opened.
- Click OK.
The File Open dialog box is displayed.
The file is opened in the same way as any MSI-based installer.
The MSI Scanner produces error level codes which can be used to handle situations if the Scanner terminates without producing an XML output file.
These error codes can, for example, be used in a batch file so that specified actions can be carried out in the event that particular error codes are returned.
These can be used to control re-scan activities when a scan has not completed successfully.
| Error Level | Description |
|---|---|
| 6 | Unexpected error |
| 5 | Unable to open the output file |
| 4 | Insufficient space available in the Temp directory. |
| 3 | Unable to open input MSI |
| 2 | Unrecognized package |
| 1 | Incorrect parameters |
| 0 | Success |