The company I work for is developing a project labor tracking system for one of our clients using barcoding and batch memory scanners. Some of our client’s field techs do not return to base at night so we need to come up with a way for them to download the data to their home computers (assumed to be Windows PCs of varying makes and vintages) and transmit it back to base for processing. I have been tasked with automating the software installations required to make this happen for distribution via CD or USB key. Essentially I will need to:
1) Install a driver for the batch memory scanners (USB) and determine the COM port designation they get.
2) Install the .NET Framework 2.0 for use by our app.
3) Install our our app for pulling the data off the memory scanners and set parameters.
The plan at present is to have the techs email the file generated by our app to base but FTP could be the transport – this is not part of the automated process I am trying to develop at present.
I am just the IT guy and have very little experience with scripted installations and software packaging but my initial research indicates I may want to use the Windows Scripting Host and VBscript since they are free and are likely to be present on the techs’ PCs.
I am hoping those with more experience might be able to tell me if I am even on the right track with WSH / VBscript or recommend specific tools or methods to accomplish what I need to do or point me toward online or printed resources that may aid me in accomplishing the stated objectives. There is no budget for for what I am doing so any software tools will hopefully be free or very inexpensive. Our inhouse developers work primarily with a Pick-based database and most Windows development (such as the app for retrieving the data from the memory scanners) is farmed out so I don’t have a lot of in-house support for the project. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
