Merge Modules and Installer Packages

Merge modules provide you with a standard method by which you can deliver shared Windows Installer components and setup logic to your applications.

The Deployment Toolkit includes a merge module (.msm file) which you can merge into an application’s Windows installer package (.msi) file to make available all of the Enterprise Server components. It also includes merge modules and executable (.exe) files to install Visual C++ libraries that Enterprise Server requires to be able to run applications developed using the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime and Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 or later.

The names of the supplied merge modules and the installer files are different for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows systems.

For 32-bit Windows systems the files are:

  • enterpriseserver_50x86.msm - the Enterprise Server merge module
  • enterpriseserver_50x86.msi - the Enterprise Server installer package
  • Microsoft_VC141_CRT_x86.msm - the C/C++ runtime distributables for the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
  • vcredist_x86.exe - the C/C++ runtime distributables for Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 or later

For 64-bit Windows systems the files are:

  • enterpriseserver_50x64.msm - the Enterprise Server merge module
  • enterpriseserver_50x64.msi - the Enterprise Server installer package
  • Microsoft_VC141_CRT_x64.msm - the C/C++ runtime distributables the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
  • vcredist_x64.exe - the C/C++ runtime distributables for Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 or later
Note: If your application is being installed onto a system that does not already include the Visual C++ libraries that are required to run applications developed using the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime and Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 or later, your installer must include one of vcredist_x86.exe, vcredist_x64.exe, Microsoft_VC110_CRT_x86.msm or Microsoft_VC141_CRT_x64.msm as appropriate.

For example:

  • If your application's installer consists of a group of .msi files, add the Enterprise Server installer package file (either enterpriseserver_50x86.msi or enterpriseserver_50x64.msi) to the group.

See the MSDN for more information about the Windows Installer and merge modules.