Understanding PackageCode, ProductCode and UpgradeCode of WIX with multi instances - wix

Question

My multi instance msi setup work only if I use the same msi file. Then the user
can change the directory
install a new instance if it a new directory
update the instance if it an existing directory
every instance has its own uninstaller entry
If I use a new build of the setup and run an update then
a second uninstaller with the same display name is registered
A second of the new setup start in the maintenance mode. There is no
directory selection possible. An update of the other instances is
not possible.
After reading follow blog entry
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/pusu/archive/2009/06/10/understanding-msi.aspx
I have hard codes the PackageCode, ProductCode (per instance) and
UpgradeCode. And it work like expected. But I receive a big warning on
building. Can I ignore this? Is this the right solution?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
<Product Id="*" Language="1033" Manufacturer="i-net software GmbH" Name="i-net Test"
UpgradeCode="02c7fa01-5143-38ed-b923-2c2aaff301ae" Version="8.0.0.507">
<Package Comments="i-net Test Server" Compressed="yes" Id="c748d2f0-9ca5-3cbc-be9a-730c6d621f00"
InstallScope="perUser" />
<Media Cabinet="media1.cab" EmbedCab="yes" Id="1" />
<InstanceTransforms Property="INSTANCE_ID">
<Instance Id="Instance_0" ProductCode="c748d2f0-9ca5-3cbc-be9a-730c6d621f00" UpgradeCode="c748d2f0-9ca5-3cbc-be9a-730c6d621ff3" />
<Instance Id="Instance_1" ProductCode="c748d2f0-9ca5-3cbc-be9a-730c6d621f01" UpgradeCode="4c8e1670-9d04-3dce-b88a-1a4dbbbc976d" />
<Instance Id="Instance_2" ProductCode="c748d2f0-9ca5-3cbc-be9a-730c6d621f02" UpgradeCode="b76f160d-9395-3eda-a13d-d0566379ca8f" />
</InstanceTransforms>
<MajorUpgrade AllowDowngrades="yes" />
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
<Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="i-net Test" />
</Directory>
</Directory>
<DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLDIR">
<Directory Id="Server" Name="Server">
<Component Guid="d62d7bcb-9242-39da-a43a-015df0f965af" Id="Server_Comp" MultiInstance="yes">
<CreateFolder />
<File Id="Server_testBuilds.jar" Name="testBuilds.jar" Source="..\testBuilds.jar" />
</Component>
</Directory>
<Component Guid="1543477d-59fc-3ec3-bb67-a541abd9cfba" Id="instance_path" MultiInstance="yes">
<RegistryKey ForceDeleteOnUninstall="yes" Id="instance_path_reg"
Key="Software\i-net software GmbH\i-net Test\Instances\[INSTANCE_NUMBER]" Root="HKLM">
<RegistryValue Type="string" Value="[INSTALLDIR]" />
</RegistryKey>
</Component>
</DirectoryRef>
<Property Id="INSTANCE_ID" Value="NotSet" />
<Property Id="InstancesCount" Value="3" />
<CustomAction Id="SetInstanceID" Script="vbscript">...</CustomAction>
<InstallUISequence>
<Custom Action="SetInstanceID" Before="ExecuteAction" />
<Custom Action="SetTransforms" After="SetInstanceID">ACTION = "INSTALL"</Custom>
</InstallUISequence>
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<Custom Action="SetInstanceID" Before="ValidateProductID" />
<Custom Action="SetProductName" After="SetInstanceID">PRODUCT_NAME</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence>
<CustomAction Id="SetTransforms" Property="TRANSFORMS" Value="{:[INSTANCE_ID];}[TRANSFORMS]" />
<CustomAction Id="SetProductName" Property="ProductName" Value="[PRODUCT_NAME]" />
<Feature Id="MainApplication">
<ComponentRef Id="Server_Comp" />
<ComponentRef Id="instance_path" />
</Feature>
</Product>
</Wix>
The SetInstanceID action can you find at https://github.com/i-net-software/SetupBuilder/blob/master/src/com/inet/gradle/setup/msi/MultiInstance.vbs
Before I have use "*" for the ProductCode (global and per instance) and
have hard coded only the UpgradeCode (global and per instance).

Answer 1

The solution was wrong. The PackageCode and ProductCode must be change for every build. Else the update does not work right. This is valid for a single instance but also for multiple instances msi files.
The problem with multiple instances is that the MajorUpgrade element does not work with multiple instances. If you inspect the resulting msi file with Orca you see only one entry with the UpgradeCode from the Product Element. The UpgradeCodes from your instances are not listen in this table. To solve this you must add the UpgradeCodes manually to this table:
<Property Id="InstancesCount" Value="3"/>
<InstanceTransforms Property="INSTANCE_ID">
<Instance Id="Instance_0" ProductCode="*" UpgradeCode="GUID_0"/>
<Instance Id="Instance_1" ProductCode="*" UpgradeCode="GUID_1"/>
<Instance Id="Instance_2" ProductCode="*" UpgradeCode="GUID_2"/>
</InstanceTransforms>
<Upgrade Id="GUID_0">
<UpgradeVersion MigrateFeatures="yes" Minimum="0.0.0.0" Property="WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED_0"/>
</Upgrade>
<Upgrade Id="GUID_1">
<UpgradeVersion MigrateFeatures="yes" Minimum="0.0.0.0" Property="WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED_1"/>
</Upgrade>
<Upgrade Id="GUID_2">
<UpgradeVersion MigrateFeatures="yes" Minimum="0.0.0.0" Property="WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED_2"/>
</Upgrade>
If you have remove the MajorUpgrade element then you must also add:
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<RemoveExistingProducts After="InstallValidate"/>
</InstallExecuteSequence>
This can only add once and will be automatically added form MajorUpgrade. The default property name in the update table is WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED. We need to use an individual name for every instance. I have suffix it with "_". But also every other is possible.
If we look into the update table with Orca we can see all our Update codes now. But there is a new problem. If we install the second instance then MSIEXEC find an installation of one of this UpgradeCodes in the action FindRelatedProducts and uninstall it in the RemoveExistingProducts. We can install only one instance. All previous instances are removed.
Between the actions FindRelatedProducts and RemoveExistingProducts we need to clear the WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED_xx properties of the other instances. Only the UpdateCode of the current instance must exists. I have do this with a small vbscript action:
<CustomAction Id="SetInstanceID" Script="vbscript">
InstancesCount = Session.Property( "InstancesCount" )
For i = 0 To InstancesCount - 1
If CStr(i) <> instanceNumber Then
Session.Property( "WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED_" & i ) = ""
End If
Next
</CustomAction>
Now only the the current instance is removed in RemoveExistingProducts if already exists.

Answer 2

Actually, the MajorUpgrade element does work with multiple instances. The generated instance transforms replace all rows of the upgrade table with new rows that are identical except for the UpgradeCode, which is replaced by that instance's own UpgradeCode. If you extract the instance transforms from your MSI (use the MsiDb.exe tool from the SDK to extract the substorages, which are named the same as the Instance/#Id values, in order to see them in action by applying them to the MSI in Orca).