Software prerequisites installation by Launchpad

The WebSphere® Business Monitor Launchpad is used to install the prerequisites of each WebSphere Business Monitor component.

The behavior of the product prerequisites installation follows:

When you select to install any prerequisite using the Launchpad, the Launchpad first checks for the existence of the prerequisite installation files in a specific location under the directory where the Launchpad file exists. This is because if WebSphere Business Monitor is downloaded from the Web, it will come down in one or more .zip files that will contain all of the product prerequisites.

For example, if you extracted the downloaded WebSphere Business Monitor Launchpad .zip file in a directory named Downloads, you should then locate the directory that contains the launchpad.jar. This will be found in either the root or the next subdirectory. If the launchpad.jar is found in the Downloads\CDImage directory, then all other prerequisites downloaded files should be extracted in subdirectories under the CDImage folder as in the following table:

The prerequisites directories names
Prerequisite Directory name
DB2 Universal Database™ CDImage\ESE
DB2® Cube Views™ CDImage\CUBE
WebSphere Process Server CDImage\ProcessServer
WebSphere Application Server CDImage\WAS
WebSphere Portal CDImage\Portal
WebSphere Portal PTF CDImage\Portal5102PTF
DB2 Alphablox CDImage\Alphablox

If the Launchpad detects that the prerequisite installation files exist in the proper location as in the table above, it proceeds with the installation of the prerequisite. Otherwise, The following scenarios will take place:

  • If there is more than one CD to install the prerequisite, (for example the WebSphere Portal on Windows® and also DB2 Universal Database™ on the AIX®), you will be prompted with the following message in Windows platform: Is your installation media on CD-ROM? or with the following message in the AIX platform: Is the install image on CD or on a locally accessible hard drive?
    • If you click Yes (on Windows platform) or click CD (on the AIX platform), this means the installation files of the prerequisite are on a CD. In this case the following will happen:
      • On Windows platform you will be prompted to enter the CD drive letter.
      • On the AIX platform:
        1. The CD drive will be unmounted.
        2. You will be prompted to load the correct CD.
        3. The CD drive will be mounted.
        4. The files will be copied to the $TEMP directory.

      This process is repeated until all necessary CD(s) are copied and then the installation of the prerequisite starts.

      If you insert an incorrect CD at any point, then the temporary directory is cleaned up, and the installation of the prerequisite exits back to the Launchpad.

      Then you will be prompted for the copy to hard drive location of the CDs. The Launchpad will prompt you for the CDs and copy them to a temporary directory on the chosen hard drive. This allows you to run an unattended installation without having to be prompted to enter disks during the installation. Next you will be prompted for the drive letter which the prerequisite will be installed on, and then the installation will start.

      The temp directory where the prerequisite was copied to is cleaned up upon the completion of the prerequisite installation (successful or unsuccessful).

    • If you click No (on Windows platform) or click Hard Drive (on the AIX platform) this means the prerequisite installation files are on a hard drive. In this case a file browser window appears to let you select the Hard Drive location as follows:
      • On Windows platform, you can either select the parent location of the install media (the CDImage folder in the example above), or you can directly select the prerequisite folder (e.g. ESE, CUBE ... etc.).
      • On the AIX platform, you select the prerequisite folder (e.g. ESE, CUBE ... etc.).
        Important: The file selection dialog box is currently not supported for WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Process Server on the AIX platforms, and it will not be displayed. This means to install WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Process Server on the AIX platforms from the hard drive, the installation images must exist in the default location.

      The Launchpad will check for the existence of the expected installation files at that location and if it finds them, it will proceed with the installation. Otherwise, you will be prompted to select a different directory or drive and will also have the option to cancel the installation.

  • If there is only one CD to install the prerequisite on Windows or you click Hard Drive (on the AIX platform), a file browser window appears to let you select the Hard Drive or CD-ROM location. In this case, Launchpad does not care whether it is installing from a CD or a hard drive.
    • On Windows platform, you can select the drive letter of the CD-ROM.or the parent location of the install media (the CDImage folder in the example above), or you can directly select the prerequisite folder (e.g. ESE, CUBE, ProcessServer ... etc.).
    • On the AIX platform, you select the prerequisite folder (e.g. ESE, CUBE, ProcessServer ... etc.).
    The Launchpad will check for the existence of the expected installation files at that location and if it finds them, it will proceed with the installation. Otherwise, you will be prompted to select a different directory or drive and will also have the option to cancel the installation.
    Important: The file selection dialog box is currently not supported for WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Process Server on the AIX platforms, and it will not be displayed. This means to install WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Process Server on the AIX platforms from the hard drive, the installation images must exist in the default location.

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