Question regarding application for multiple users.

Question

I have developed an application as my college project using Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server Express. Up to five people evaluate the project. At present I have installed it on everyone's machines. However, when I update my application, I need to go to each machine and update the executable file. There is a central server that can be accessed by all five at my college. What I want to know is, is there a way where all of them can run the application simultaneously from the central server so that I do not need to run to everyone on campus to update it? I want to update it at the server and be done with it. Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

There are some possibilities:

• Start it directy from the fileshare (negative for network performance and complicated with security)
• Write your own updater - you can use the fileshare as source

If your migrating to 2008:

• Use WCF Services to send controls to the clients
• Your client programm can be small and dumb

And do not use ClickOnce unless you know what it does

• http://www.codeproject.com/KB/dotnet/ClickOnceContentExpiratn.aspx