Abstract: Described is installing multiple software packages to a computing device in a single transaction, whereby the multiple package installation commits if successful, or the device is rolled back to a determined state if unsuccessful. A client process provides a system service (installer) with a package, and the service partitions package installation actions into execution, commit and rollback phases, with the execution phase run for each package. If successful, the transaction is committed by performing the multiple commit phases. If unsuccessful, the installation is rolled back via the rollback phases. The phases may be interleaved, with execution and commit phases performed in FIFO order, and rollback phases performed in LIFO order. A client process may dynamically determine which packages to install, a client process may be embedded in a package and join the transaction, and/or one client process may delegate control to another client to add package actions to the transaction.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to efficiently provisioning applications in a multi-user environment. In one scenario, an administrator computer system pre-installs at least a portion of a software application on a data image, where the software application is to be installed on a client computer system upon receiving a notification from a computer administrator. The administrator computer system receives an input from the computer administrator indicating that a specified software application pre-installed on the client computer system's data image is to be installed on the client computer system. The administrator computer system then publishes a notification to the client computer system indicating that a specified software application pre-installed on the client computer system's data image is to be installed. Upon receiving the notification, the software application is installed on the client computer system from the data image.

Abstract: Described is installing multiple software packages to a computing device in a single transaction, whereby the multiple package installation commits if successful, or the device is rolled back to a determined state if unsuccessful. A client process provides a system service (installer) with a package, and the service partitions package installation actions into execution, commit and rollback phases, with the execution phase run for each package. If successful, the transaction is committed by performing the multiple commit phases. If unsuccessful, the installation is rolled back via the rollback phases. The phases may be interleaved, with execution and commit phases performed in FIFO order, and rollback phases performed in LIFO order. A client process may dynamically determine which packages to install, a client process may be embedded in a package and join the transaction, and/or one client process may delegate control to another client to add package actions to the transaction.