What is software packaging and why is it important?
Software packaging is the process of building an installer that includes all of your applications' resources and can be used to distribute them to the end-user devices.
In this article, we will look at what a software package is, what options are available for different situations, and the various types of packaging software that you can use.
If you're searching for a software packaging tool, I recommend checking out this page: MSI, MSIX, and App-V Packaging Software to see how it can help you create software packages.
What is a software package?
A software package is a collection of system resources that are packed together. When a software package is installed on a user's device, it allows them to perform certain tasks.
A software package could come in multiple formats, with EXE and MSI being the most common used by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) all over the world.
Despite being one of the most relevant packaging formats, enterprises are reluctant to bring the EXE files into their environment. There are various reasons for this, including:
- EXEs are usually difficult to customize.
- They may have no support for silent install/uninstall switches.
- There may be remnants left behind after uninstalling.
What can we do about this? We can repackage it. And that's what we talk about further on.
What are the most used software packaging formats in an enterprise environment?
MSI
MSI is probably the most used software packaging format.
This is mainly because MSI provides a standard foundation for installing and uninstalling software. It also supports silent install/uninstall switches and is easy to customize.
If you open an MSI file in a tool like Orca or any other tool that offers support for the MSI software packaging format, then you will see that an MSI is basically a set of interrelated tables that are linked between them by primary and foreign key values.
App-V
App-V is another common software packaging format used in enterprises .
This software packaging format enables each application to run its own virtual container on the client computer. This means that whilst the applications are still able to interact with the client computer, they are isolated from each other, resulting in no application conflicts !
It also allows for smooth uninstalls and upgrades of the software package.
MSIX
Last but not the least, we have MSIX. Same as App-V, MSIX relies on container technology.
However, MSIX software packages use a modern app container to get access to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) API and provide end-users with modern and engaging Windows 10/11 experiences such as live tiles, notifications, etc.
What is software packaging?
In the traditional sense, software packaging is the process of creating a software package installer for your application.
You can do this from scratch by adding all the required system resources into the software package or by customizing an existing software package (for example, by creating an MST file for a vendor MSI or directly modifying an existing MSI).
On the other hand, there are scenarios where you don’t want to use the software package provided by the vendor, so you need to repackage that into another format.
As previously stated, enterprises are not very keen on distributing applications on client computers as EXE due to the disadvantages that this format brings.
As a result, they need to convert that to either an MSI, App-V, or MSIX packaging format. That is referred to as software repackaging, and Repackager can be used for this purpose.
Software packaging brings multiple benefits for enterprises, the most important ones being:
- Ensuring a stable, standard environment
- Reducing support costs
- Package once and then distribute everywhere
For other software packaging benefits, check out our article: The Main Benefits for Application Packaging - A Business Perspective.
The diagram below shows that software packaging is just one step in a much more complex process, which consists of:
- Identifying and collecting software product details and requirements;
- Reviewing and assessing all the information gathered;
- Packaging the software product;
- Testing the software package produced;
- Deployment.
Check out our End-to-End Application Packaging Process. Industry best practices and insights to find out more information about the end-to-end software packaging process.
What packaging software should I use?
Depending on your organization's needs and requirements, there are various tools on the market.
Some of them are free, but they usually have limited functionalities, such as Orca, which is only used for editing MSI packages.
Another limitation is that they sometimes don't have a GUI or have a very basic one, such asthe MSIX Packaging Tool, and others only support specific packaging formats, which is the case of the WiX Toolset.
Paid software, such as Advanced Installer, could help you cut costs by simplifying the way you package/repackage your software products through its easy-to-use GUI and powerful, time-saving features.
This page provides an overview of the features included in Advanced Installer.
If you want to try it out, you can do so for free using the Advanced Installer 30-day full-feature trial and visiting our Feature List page.
Conclusion
You now understand what software packaging is, as well as some important aspects, limitations, and alternatives surrounding it.
We hope you found this article useful. Don't hesitate to reach out with comments, questions, or article requests.
FAQs
What are the most common software package formats used by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs)?
The most common software package formats used by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are MSI and EXE.
Written by
Horatiu Vladasel
Horatiu is a Software Packager/Sequencer with over 10 years experience, who has worked as a Software Packager at IBM and is currently offering software packaging services to companies such as BT or Nationwide.