Merge Module
If
there are a number of applications that require a specifically configured
component, it would be possible to create a Merge Module that installs and
configures that component. That merge module could then be added to the
installation packages of each product that required that particular component. This
saves the effort of individually adding the necessary files, registry
entries and other components to every installation.
Merge Modules are Windows Installer databases
that contain separate, self-contained installation components such as files,
registry entries and other resources. A merge module cannot be installed alone
and must be merged into an existing Windows Installer package.
Multiple applications may use the same merge
module for shared components. Only
vendor supplied merge modules can be used. Such as merge modules provided by
Microsoft etc. Due to the complexity
of creating a merge module, custom created merge module are not preferred.
Allows companies to prepackage and share
standard components definitions, Merge modules are
used to deliver shared code, files, resources,
registry entries used setup logic to application as a
single compound file.
Extension
of merge modules is .msm.
What are the
Merge module tables?
Module Signature, Module Component, Module Admin
UI
Sequence, Module Ignore.
Drawback of
using downloadable Merge Modules while re-packaging: Most of
the merge modules are present in their respective shared location, if not; it’s
downloaded from the web.
When you don’t find the proper network for the Share location on web
during installation, then the application / installation fails to function.
This is the main drawback of the Merge Modules. Shared DLL concept can be used
to overcome this issue.
During the re-packaging process usually we
don’t include the merge modules, that has to be downloaded during installation
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