Installing ArcGIS for Desktop on a network server

System administrators can install ArcGIS for Desktop on a network server to allow many users to install ArcGIS for Desktop on their individual machines from a central location. The network server installation may also be used to deploy ArcGIS for Desktop to client machines. To assist you in deploying ArcGIS in your environment, a white paper is available with detailed information. You can locate the ArcGIS Enterprise Deployment white paper on the support site, http:\\support.esri.com.

The network server installation copies the ArcGIS for Desktop installation files to the central network server location. The software is not available to run on the network server machine. Users must run the setup program, setup.exe, from the network server on their individual machines to install ArcGIS for Desktop. To make other setups—such as VBA Compatibility, Tutorial Data, Data Interoperability, or any other required installations—available, copy the setup contents to the network server and inform your users of the location or perform an administrative installation point for each of these resources.

How to install ArcGIS for Desktop on a network server

  1. Make sure that your network server and client machines meet the minimum system requirements.
  2. An administrative installation of ArcGIS for Desktop is performed using command line parameters. Run this command from the command line to install an administrative installation of ArcGIS for Desktop:
    msiexec /a <setup location>\setup.msi /qb (or setup.exe)

    An additional command line parameter is available:

    TARGETDIR=<installation directory> can be used to specify an installation location for the administrative installation files on the network server. The default location is C:\Program Files\ArcGIS, which will be used if no TARGETDIR parameter is given. The default location on a 64-bit Operating System is C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS.

    NoteNote:

    /qb provides the basic UI of progress status and error handling; /qn provides no UI at all.

  3. Follow the instructions on the screen.

This installation guide is available in the network server location \documentation\install_ArcGIS.html. Provide your users with the instructions available in the topic Installing ArcGIS for Desktop from a network server location.

10/8/2012