Downloading package descriptors and the associated binary files to the centralized installation manager (CIM) repository

To enhance your product environment, download additional installation packages and maintenance files to the centralized installation manager (CIM) repository to install later on the remote workstations. Use this topic to manage the installation packages and maintenance files that are located in your CIM repository.

Before you begin

You must first create the CIM repository and add one or more product packages to the repository on the host workstation. Complete this task during the installation process of WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment Version 7.0. For more information, read the "Adding the current installation package during installation" topic.

Alternatively, you can use the IBM® WebSphere® Installation Factory to add one or more product packages to the repository. The Installation Factory is included in one of the WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment discs, which you must install separately. For more details about the Installation Factory, read the "Adding installation packages with the Installation Factory" topic.

If you do not have direct access to the Internet, then you can set up an FTP gateway and perform the download indirectly through the gateway. Read the "Using CIM download function when the deployment manager does not have direct Internet access" topic for more information.

Alternatively, if you have no access to the Internet whatsoever, you can manually add the packages to the repository. Read the "Manually adding package files to the repository" topic for more information.

About this task

From the Installation Packages panel in the administrative console, download the descriptor files and any associated binary files of new or additional installation packages to the CIM repository. You can selectively download only the binary files of the platforms that you might need from the IBM support Web site. The following list describes the four types of installation packages:

  • Product installation

    This package type includes WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment Version 7.0. The descriptor and binary files for this installation type are not available to download because the files are included during the installation of the WebSphere Application Server product on the deployment manager host.

  • Refresh packs or fix packs

    You can download the binary files for this package type based on specific platforms. When a fix pack for the application server is released, it usually comes with a fix pack for the application server and a fix pack for the Java SDK. CIM requires having both fix packs in the repository, and CIM will install both fix packs to all selected targets.

  • Maintenance tool

    This package type includes the Update Installer, which is the tool that you use to apply maintenance to your WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment environments. Before you can use the centralized installation manager to apply maintenance to your remote workstations, you must download the latest level of the Update Installer.

    Note: You must use the Update Installer to install maintenance on the deployment manager. First apply maintenance to the deployment manager before you apply maintenance to the cell. Begin by using the centralized installation manager to download the required files, which are stored in the repository that you specify during the initial installation process. Alternatively, you can find the repository location in the CENTRALIZED_INSTALL_REPOSITORY_ROOT property in the app_server_root/properties/cimgr.props file where app_server_root is the application server installation directory.
    On Windows operating systems, the value of the CENTRALIZED_INSTALL_REPOSITORY_ROOT property listed in the cimgr.props file might look like the following. The extra "\" after the drive letter is an escape character.
    C\:/Program Files/IBM/WebSphere/cimrepos 
  • Interim fix

    You can search for an interim fix using its identifying Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) number. Specify the APAR number of the interim fix and click Search to display a list of files associated with the interim fix and optionally download the binary files.

Complete the following steps to download fix pack descriptors and binary files for fix packs or interim fixes to your CIM repository.

Procedure

  1. In the administrative console, click System administration > Centralized Installation Manager > Installation Packages.
  2. Click Add Packages to download a new installation package descriptor to the centralized installation manager repository if the descriptor is not included in the table displayed from the previous step. The Download Descriptors page is then displayed.
    Best practice: Ensure that the descriptor file for the type of package that you choose is not included as part of the product installation. The installation package descriptors that are included during the product installation are provided in the following list:
    • Maintenance for WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 6.1
    • Maintenance for WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 7.0
    • Update Installer for WebSphere Application Server 7.0
    • WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 7.0
    bprac
  3. Select one or more descriptor files from the list, and click Download.
    After you have confirmed to download the selected descriptor files, they are displayed in the table on the Installation Packages panel with the following text:
    Downloading filename

    Click the refresh icon to refresh the contents of the table. After the descriptor file is downloaded, the package name is displayed as a hyperlink.

    To download the binary files for the installation packages in the preceding list, click the name of the descriptor, and proceed to the next step. To download additional package descriptors from the IBM support Web site, click Add packages.

  4. Download the binary files from the Installation Packages panel.

    You can download the associated binary files of the specific descriptor file that you just downloaded, or you can also download the binary files for the Interim fix package type.

    Determine the type of installation package to download by the viewing the descriptions of each type in the table. The steps to download the binary files differ, depending on the package type.
    • To download the binary files for a refresh pack, fix pack, or maintenance tool package type, which includes the Update Installer, complete the following steps:
      1. Click the name of the package in the table. A new page is then displayed.
      2. Select one or more platforms in the table, and click Download.
      3. Click Download on the confirmation page to start downloading the binaries. After the download process begins, the previous page is then displayed, from which you can check the download status of the files in the third column of the table. Click the refresh icon to refresh the contents of the table, if necessary.
      4. When all the required files have been downloaded, the download status column displays a Completed status.

      If one or more files are missing, the download status column displays an Incomplete status. In this case, you can try to download again. If your status is Incomplete, check for error messages in the profile_root/logs/dmgr/SystemOut.log file where profile_root is the profile location of the deployment manager.

    • To download the binary files for an interim fix package type, complete the following steps:
      1. Click the name of the package in the table. A new page is then displayed.
      2. Click Add Files to go to the Download Files page.
      3. You can type the specific APAR name (For example, PK55555), and click Search to navigate directly to the corresponding FTP location. You can also specify the FTP URL directly, and click Go from the Download Options section.
      4. Click the APAR number, select the individual maintenance files that are contained in the directory, and click Download. The binary files are then downloaded to the CIM repository.
      5. Click Download on the confirmation page to start downloading the binaries.

        After the download process begins, the previous page is then displayed, where you can check the download status of the files in third column of the table. Click the refresh icon to refresh the contents of the table, if necessary.

        If your status is Incomplete, check for error messages in the profile_root/logs/dmgr/SystemOut.log file where profile_root is the profile location of the deployment manager.

Results

The CIM repository now contains maintenance files to install later on the remote workstations.




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Last updated: Oct 22, 2010 2:23:46 AM CDT
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