15
Managing Software Distribution

Oracle Software Manager, which is bundled with Oracle Enterprise Manager, provides key services that allow server software to be managed from a central location. This product addresses the problems faced by application software administrators by offering:

• An integrated toolset for managing software in a distributed fashion
• A next generation architecture that offers network scalability through an advanced client-agent-server paradigm
• An easy-to-use graphical user interface that allows administrators to easily run software configuration jobs and track assets across the entire network

From the Software Manager interface, software packages can be created, distributed and installed on servers spread over Local and Wide area networks.

Software Manager uses the Enterprise Manager discovery cache to recognize nodes on the network and is integrated with the Enterprise Manager Job system, allowing you to submit the software distribution tasks to Oracle Enterprise Manager intelligent agents residing on selected hosts.

This chapter provides an overview of Oracle Software Manager and a conceptual look at software distribution.

Software Manager Introduction

Oracle Software Manager supports

• Windows NT and Windows 95 as its distribution host where packages are created.
• distribution of creation of packages from your hard drive or a shared drive where you CD-ROM is mounted for both 16 bit and 32 bit products as well as UNIX products.
• UNIX and NT servers as target hosts where the Intelligent Agent and Oracle Installer are running and packages can be created, distributed or installed.
• Installing and distributing OSM-compliant products installable with Oracle Installer 32-bit 3.2.2.1 and higher, Installer 3.1.4.1.5 (16 bit) or Installer 4.0.x and higher on UNIX. Note that when distributing/installing 16 bit packages, you must have a 16-bit Oracle home (default is ORAWIN) available, with the Installer 3.1.4.1.5 installed. See the Enterprise Manager README for a complete compatibility matrix, OSM Console vs. Intelligent Agent versions, as well as specific limitations that apply to the version of OSM you are running.

Note:

Before using Software Manager, you must set the environment variable OSM_PACKAGE_DIR. The software packages will be stored in this location on agent machines. Depending on the number of packages you create on a host, you may need significant disk space, and you should make sure that the host has ample storage space. If you do not configure this variable, the default will be %ORACLE_HOME%\NET80\AGENT\PACKAGES on Windows NT or %ORACLE_HOME/NETWORK/agent/packages on UNIX.

Note:

Oracle File Packager can be used to guide you through creating a staging area, and it generates the required installations scripts. These stage areas can be used by Oracle Software Manager to create Releases and Packages that can be distributed via Oracle Software Manager. Please refer to the Oracle File Packager online help for more information.

The Software Manager Interface

The first time you launch the Oracle Software Manager application, it displays the Navigator window and the Catalog window.

See Figure 15-1, "Oracle Software Manager Application" for an illustration of the application screen.

Figure 15-1 Oracle Software Manager Application

 

You can minimize, resize, or reposition these windows and you can open multiple copies of the same type of window. You can open additional Catalog windows by selecting "Another Catalog Window" or "Another Navigator Window" from the Window menu.

Use Save Layout Now or Save Layout on Exit to preserve the state of your application windows from one session to another.

Navigator Window

The Navigator window is divided into a left and right pane. After you have refreshed, the Navigator shows all objects currently managed by Oracle Software Manager.

The left pane of the Navigator window shows the network tree with expandable contents displayed at the summary level.

Table 15-1 The Navigator Objects

Objects	Functions
World	Displays all objects known to Oracle Software Manager
Hosts	Displays all hosts known to Oracle Software Manager. Hosts that are illuminated in green are up and running; you can connect to these hosts with Oracle Software Manager. Hosts that are grey are currently unavailable. Installed Products, Releases, and Packages are displayed under their individual hosts. You may need to refresh before viewing the hosts.   Each host has an Oracle Homes Directory. The Installed Products are under specific Oracle Home directories.
Software Packages	Shows all software packages that are available for installation or distribution in the Oracle Software Manager network.
Releases	Shows all of the releases that have been created through the Oracle Software Manager application and where they are housed in the network.
Oracle Homes	Shows all Oracle Homes on a per-machine basis in the Oracle Software Manager application. It shows all products installed on all homes. NT hosts show NT and Windows 3.1 homes.
Installed Products	Displays all products installed on all homes. Installed Products are assigned to homes which are assigned to Hosts.
Host Folders	Displays customized groupings of hosts, created using the Create Host Folder command.

 

Creating a Host Folder

The Host folders object in the Navigator window stores host folders that you create using the Create Host Folder command on the Edit menu. This enables you to group hosts in any way you choose. For example, you might wish to group hosts by region.

1. On the Edit menu, click Create Host Folder. The Host Folder Properties dialog box appears.
2. Type a name and description for the folder.
3. Select one or more hosts in the Available Hosts list, then click Add.
4. Click OK. The new host folder(s) appear inside the Host Folders object in the Navigator window. You can drag and drop the icon for any host in the Navigator window to the new folder. See Figure 15-2, "Host Folder Objects" for an illustration of the host folder objects.

Figure 15-2 Host Folder Objects

 

Viewing the Oracle Home Properties

To view the oracle home properties, double-click the home icon for the home which you want to view. The Oracle Home Properties dialog box appears.

Table 15-2 Oracle Home Properties

Fields	Function
Directory	The name of the directory
Language	The language used. For example: American
Operating System	NT hosts show NT and Windows 3.1 homes.
Status	The status distinguishes an active home (home on which the agent is running) from a non-active home.

 

The Oracle Homes Directory shows all Oracle Homes on a per-machine basis in the Oracle Software Manager application. It shows all products installed on all homes. NT hosts show NT and Windows 3.1 homes.

Viewing the Product Properties

To view its properties, double-click the product which you want to view. The Product Properties dialog box appears.

Table 15-3 Product Properties

Options	Function
Name	The name of the product.
Operating System	The operating system for which the product is intended.
Size	The size of the product, in bytes.
Version	The internal version number of the product.
Shareable	A sharable product may be installed on a shared file system and accessed by multiple users via the Oracle Client Software Manager (OCSM).
Description	Description of the product.

 

Viewing the Release Properties

On the Products menu, click Show Releases. The Releases Catalog window appears. Click the release you want to review. On the View menu, click Properties. The Release Properties information box appears, open to the Properties page.

Click the appropriate tab to view the Properties and the Products pages of this dialog box.

The Properties page displays the properties of the selected software release. These properties identify the listing for this software release in the Releases Catalog window.

The Products page lists all the products in a specified software release, displaying the name, operating system, size and version number of each.

Table 15-4 Properties Page

Options	Functions
Name	The name given to the software release when it was first created.
Description	A description of the software release's contents.
Host	Your hostname.
Location	The location where the parent files for this release reside.
Media Type	The type of medium upon which the parent software files are stored, if known.
Part Number	The part number for the parent software, if known.

 

Table 15-5 Products Page

Options	Functions
Product Name	The name of the product.
Operating System	The operating system for which the product is intended.
Size	The size of the product, in bytes.
Version	The internal version number of the product.

 

Catalog Windows

The Catalog shows all releases and software packages known to Oracle Software Manager.

Table 15-6 Catalog Views

View	Function
Releases view	Shows all of the releases that have been created through the Oracle Software Manager application and where they are housed in the network.
Software Packages view	Shows all software packages that are available for installation or distribution in the Oracle Software Manager network

 

A release is a collection of Oracle software products distributed as a unit. Releases may consist of several operating-system-specific collections.

A software package is a user-defined collection of products for a single operating system, intended for distribution across the Oracle Enterprise Manager network.

This Catalog View section describes the following procedures

• Choosing the Catalog View on page 15-10
• Setting Preferences on page 15-10

Choosing the Catalog View

When Oracle Software Manager is started for the first time in a session, the Catalog window shows Releases. Use the two icons at the top of the Catalog window to display either the Releases view or the Software Packages view.

Task	Method	Result
To display software packages	Click Show Software Packages on the Products menu.	The Software Packages Catalog window appears.   Software packages are also shown in the Navigator window under their individual hosts. You may need to refresh before viewing the hosts.
To display releases	Click Show Releases on the Products menu.	The Releases Catalog window appears.   Releases are also shown in the Navigator window under their individual hosts. You may need to refresh before viewing the hosts.

 

Setting Preferences

When you create releases or software packages, Oracle Software Manager automatically lists these objects in the Catalog window in descending order: the object created most recently appears first.

However, you can change the order in which these objects appear to ascending order. You control this sort order through the Preferences dialog box.

To change the sort order of your objects:

1. On the Options menu, click Preferences.
2. To change the sort criteria so that objects appear with the oldest date listed first, click Ascending Order.
3. Click Done to close the Preferences dialog box.

These preferences pertain only to the order in which objects appear in Oracle Software Manager windows. Preferences do not affect objects in the Navigator window.

Toolbar

Below the menu bar is the toolbar, which can be displayed or hidden through the view menu. The toolbar icons represent items in the menus. Move the mouse cursor over a toolbar icon to display the description of the icon's function in the status bar at the bottom of the application.

Drag and Drop

The Oracle Software Manager supports dragging and dropping of certain window objects into other objects or into other windows. For example, software packages can be dragged from the Catalog window and dropped into certain objects in the Navigator; host objects can be dragged from one part of the Navigator window to another.

The following table shows the effects of drag and drop behavior in the Oracle Software Manager application.

Objects	Can be dragged and dropped into...	Result
Product	Create Package dialog box Selected Products list	Product added to package.
Host icons	Host Folders in the Navigator windows	Host Folder containing this host icon.
Package icons	Host icon	Package distributed and/or installed on the host.

 

The Software Distribution Process

You can use Oracle Software Manager to distribute software to one or more hosts across the network. The software distribution process has four steps.

Step	Task	Process	See Page
1	Specify Distribution Hosts	Using Oracle Software Manager, designate one or more distribution hosts to house software releases and software packages.   The software packages are later distributed over the network.	15-14
2	Create Releases	Using Oracle Software Manager, create software releases on the distribution host(s).   These releases form the basis for the construction of software packages. You can view the status of the release creation under the current jobs window in Oracle Enterprise Manager.   The list of releases is in the Oracle Software Manager Catalog window.   The release properties describes products contained in release.	15-15
3	Create Software Package	Using Oracle Software Manager, select products from releases on a distribution host and create a software package that can be installed over the network.   Note: If a product needs a custom installation, you must modify the package response file before distribution and/or installation. You can view the status of the package creation under the current jobs window in Oracle Enterprise Manager.   The list of created packages is in the Oracle Software Manager Catalog window.   Package properties have the list of products it contains.   Refer to "Response File Generator" on page 15-37 for instructions.	15-18
4	Distribute and Install Software Packages	Using Oracle Enterprise Manager job system, install, deinstall, delete, or distribute the software package.   You could also use Oracle Software Manager's drag and drop feature to distribute and install software packages.	15-21

 

Once the package is created, it can be copied, using the Distribute Software Package task, to other distribution hosts. These packages are designated as copies and cannot be altered. Copying a package to other distribution hosts allows the distribution load to be spread across multiple servers, which can be spread geographically over a wide-area network.

Specify Distribution Hosts

The first step in the software distribution process is to specify which hosts will be distribution hosts.

A distribution host is a server that has been designated as a creation, distribution and storage center for software packages and releases. Like all hosts, a distribution host runs the Oracle Intelligent Agent and appears in the Navigator window.

You can designate any host as a distribution host and add or delete distribution hosts from the application, but there must be at least one distribution host designated on each network managed by an Oracle Software Manager application.

Any host with adequate storage space can be a distribution host, including the application machine, if the application machine is also running the Oracle Intelligent Agent software.

To designate a distribution host:

1. On the Products menu, click Distribution Hosts. The Distribution Hosts dialog box appears.
2. Select the host(s) you want to serve as distribution hosts from those listed in the All Hosts list.
3. Click Add to add the hosts to the Distribution Hosts list, then click OK. The icon changes in the Navigator window to reflect its new status.

A distribution host can only create packages whose operating systems are the same as its operating system.

You can only delete a distribution host if it is not the source host for a software package.

Removing distribution host status does not delete the host itself.

Create Releases

The second step in the software distribution process is to create releases. A release is an Oracle-defined collection of software whose location is registered with the Oracle Software Manager application.

Releases can be a stage area on a CD, a stage area on a network or local drive, or a stage created using the Oracle File Packager. For more information, see the Oracle File Packager section.

Releases can be created only on distribution hosts. If the application machine is also a distribution host, you can create releases on the application machine.

The Create Releases section describes the following procedures:

• Creating a Release on page 15-15
• Displaying the Properties of a Release on page 15-17
• Removing a Release from the Releases Catalog Window on page 15-17

Creating a Release

Note:

Before creating a release, check that you have completed the following configuration steps through the Oracle Enterprise Manager console:

• Check that you have registered with the up/down host event, accept 3rd party events.
• Check that you have set up your preferences for the node that you will be distributing the package to.
• Check that you have set the environment variable OSM_PACKAGE_DIR. The software packages, which may be large, will be stored in this location on agent machines. A directory with sufficient space is required. If you do not configure this variable, the default will be %ORACLE_HOME%\NET80\AGENT\PACKAGES on Windows NT or %ORACLE_HOME/NETWORK/agent/packages on UNIX.
• Check that you have refreshed the host that you will be distributing and creating the packages to. In the Oracle Software Manager application, select Refresh Hosts from the toolbar, menu, or F5.

Refer to the Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide for detailed information.

To create a release:

1. From the Oracle Software Manager, click Create Release on the Products menu. The Create a Release dialog box appears.

See Figure 15-3, "The Create a Release Dialog Box".

Figure 15-3 The Create a Release Dialog Box

Type a name to identify the release. The name is limited to 10 characters.

Specify the distribution host where the release information resides. This is the host on which the Oracle CD or staging area is made available.

Type the directory on the distribution host where PRODINFO.ORA is stored for this release (for example, the directory on the CD or network drive where the release is stored).

Click OK. The Creating Release message box appears, then the Release Properties information box, which shows the information you just specified.

Software Manager looks for PRODINFO.ORA in the location you have specified in Create Release dialog. Software Manager also recursively searches for *.PRD files under that location. The contents of PRODINFO.ORA and each PRD file are read and returned as a TCL list to the Oracle Software Manager application. The application stores the information about the release and the products it contains in its repository.

Click Save. The new release is created and catalogued in the Releases Catalog Window.

When Oracle Software Manager creates a release, it creates pointers to the location and identifying characteristics of that release. The contents of the release are not copied anywhere on the distribution host's or the application workstation's hard disk.

Displaying the Properties of a Release

To display the properties of a release:

1. On the Products menu, click Show Releases. The Releases Catalog window appears.
2. Click the release you want to review.
3. On the View menu, click Properties. The Release Properties information box appears, open to the Properties page. Examine both the Properties and the Products pages of this dialog box.

Releases are marked with three types of icons.

Type of Icon	Indicates
normal	The release is ready to be used.
green light	The release is being created.
red light	The release was not created because of an error.   You can look at the properties of the release to see the error information.

 

Removing a Release from the Releases Catalog Window

To remove a release from the Releases Catalog window:

1. In the Releases Catalog window, select the release(s) you want to remove.
2. On the Products menu, click Delete Release. The Delete dialog box appears, displaying a confirmation message.
3. Click Yes, or Yes to All to delete the release(s) from their designated hosts.

Create Software Packages

The third step in the software distribution process is to create software packages. A software package is a collection of products from one or more releases that can be distributed to/installed on hosts in the network.

You create software packages by selecting from the list of all products from created releases for a particular operating system on a particular distribution host. You might combine products from the same or multiple releases (as long as they are from the same distribution host) to form unique software packages.

You can then create a job in Oracle Enterprise Manager to distribute or install these packages on any host in the network.

The Create Software Packages section contains the following topics.

• Creating a Software Package on page 15-19
• Deleting a Software Package on page 15-21

Creating a Software Package

To create a software package from the Oracle Software Manager:

1. On the Products menu, click Create Software Package. The Define New Software Package dialog box appears. The default name for the package includes a number based on the date and time.

Figure 15-4 Define New Software Package

If desired, type a different name (than the one provided as a default) for the software package in the Name field. The name is limited to 10 characters.

Select the appropriate operating system from the list, if desired.

Click the Products tab.

In the Create Package on Host list, select the host on which you wish to build a package.

In the Build Package From list, choose one of the following options to display all products available for the specified operating system, or a subset of them.

1. To display all products in all releases on the selected host, select All Products on this Host. Then continue to Step 7.
2. To display all releases on the selected host, select Product by Release. The Select Release list appears. Select a release to display all the products in that release. Then continue to Step 7.

In the Available Products list, select the products to add to the package. Oracle Software Manager always shows one default operating system. You can only add products that belong to the same operating system.

Click Add to add the selected products to the package. The products are added to the Products in the Package list.

Click Save. Packages are saved under OSM_PACKAGE_DIR. If you did not configure the OSM_PACKAGE_DIR environment variable, the default will be %ORACLE_HOME%\NET80\AGENT\PACKAGES on Windows NT or %ORACLE_HOME/NETWORK/agent/packages on UNIX.

When Oracle Software Manager creates a software package, all the files representing the products in the package are copied to the distribution host, in compressed form.

Software packages are shown in the Software Packages view of the Catalog window and in the Navigator window under the host's packages.

Note:

If a product needs a custom installation, you must specify the response file before the installation of the package.

A response file is a text file with the extension .RSP that contains the default responses for a package's installation. Oracle Software Manager uses the information in response file to install each product in a software package.

Software packages are marked with three types of icons.

Type of Icon	Indicates
normal (package only)	The package is ready to be used.
green light	The package is being created.
red light	The package was not created because an error occurred.   You can look at the properties of the package to see the error information.

 

Deleting a Software Package

To delete a software package:

1. In the Software Packages Catalog window, select the software package you want to remove from the list of available packages.
2. On the Products menu, click Delete Software Package. The Remove Software Packages dialog box appears.
3. Click Delete.

Distribute and Install Software Packages

The fourth step in the software distribution process is to use the Oracle Enterprise Manager job system to distribute and install software packages on specified hosts.

For detailed information, please refer to Software Manager Tasks.

The Oracle Software Manager Network

The Software Manager network is comprised of Oracle Software Manager, the Oracle Enterprise Manager Console, one or more Windows NT and UNIX hosts running Enterprise Manager Intelligent Agents.

Setting up a Software Distribution Network

Before creating a software package that can be installed via the Enterprise Manager Job system, you must first designate at least one managed host as a distribution host. The distribution host acts as a clearinghouses for all software staging activities. Any host with adequate storage space can be used as a distribution host.

Establishing Communication in the Network

Assuming that all machines have the required software installed and configured, communication is established in the network.

The Oracle Software Manager network looks for and registers host(s). It initiates actions and the Intelligent Agent is responsible for executing them.

During installation of the Oracle Software Manager application, configuration information about each host is stored in the Oracle Enterprise Manager repository database.

The application operator sets Oracle Enterprise Manager to regularly query the Intelligent Agents to determine status. The application then registers the host, which appears in the Navigator window.

See the Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide for more information about registering hosts.

Flow of Information

The Oracle Software Manager network initiates actions and the Intelligent Agent is responsible for executing them.

The process works as follows:

1. The operator registers software and creates packages and jobs using Oracle Enterprise Manager and Oracle Software Manager.
2. Upon submission, the application sends the jobs to the target hosts through the communications layer.
3. The hosts receive the jobs, and the Intelligent Agents interpret the instructions contained within, and run the tasks in the job.
4. The Agents send status reports back to the application.

Oracle Software Manager uses a lightweight store-and-forward messaging system that keeps network traffic to a minimum. In the event of network problems, any message that is waiting to be sent, either from the application or the agent, is held until the network is back online. Communications between the application and agents are not resource intensive; they require only one connection per agent. If a host becomes unavailable, the connection is freed.

Software Manager Tasks

After using Software Manager to create software packages and/or release, you use the Oracle Enterprise Manager Job system to implement the administrative functions of software distribution. The following tasks are defined in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Job system and executed by the Oracle Enterprise Manager Intelligent Agent residing on managed hosts.

The Distribute and Install Software procedure consists of the following subsets

• Determining the Job Name, Destination Type, and Job Destination on page 15-24
• Choosing a Task on page 15-26
• Setting Parameters on page 15-28
• Saving and Submitting the Job on page 15-36

Determining the Job Name, Destination Type, and Job Destination

To set up job tasks with the Oracle Enterprise Manager Job Scheduling system:

1. Select Create from the Job menu to create a new job. The Create Job property sheet appears.
2. Enter a name for the new job in the Job Name field of the General page. You may also enter a description for the job in the Description field
3. Select "Node" from the Destination Type pull-down list.

See Figure 15-5, "General Property Sheet".

Figure 15-5 General Property Sheet

From the Available Destinations list, select a destination node and click the

<< (Add) button to add the destination to the Selected Destinations list. Only network objects that have an agent running are included in the list of available destinations.

If you need to remove a destination from a job, select the destination in the Selected Destination list and click the >> (Remove) button. You can remove one node per task for deinstall and install.

Choosing a Task

To choose the tasks that you want to perform:

1. Click on the Tasks page tab of the Create Job property sheet. The Tasks property sheet appears.

See Figure 15-6, "Tasks Property Sheet".

Figure 15-6 Tasks Property Sheet

From the Available Tasks list, select a task and click the << (Add) button to include the task in the job. You can add multiple tasks to the job from the Available Tasks scrolling list.

To remove a task from this list, select the task from Selected Tasks and click the >> (Remove) button.

Use the arrow buttons to change the order of the tasks or to make a task conditional on a previous task.

You can change the order in which the tasks are executed. Select a task in the Selected Tasks list and click on the up or down arrow button to position the task.

You can make a task conditional on a previous task. Select a task and press the right arrow button to indent the task. A conditional, or indented, task is executed only if the previous task located further to the left successfully executes.

The following tasks can be used to complete the software distribution process:

Job Tasks	Function
Install Package	Install Package Task is used to specify the software package to be installed at the target nodes (one or more hosts in the network).   The package must reside on the host, having been created there or placed there using the Distribute Package task.
Deinstall Package	Deinstall Product Task directs the Oracle Installer to remove Oracle products from the target nodes (one or more hosts in the network), automatically reconfiguring system parameters.
Delete Package	Delete Package Task specifies a software package to be deleted from the target node (the host where it resides)
Distribute Package	Distribute Package Task specifies a software package to be distributed to the target node without installing it anywhere else.

 

Setting Parameters

To set parameters:

1. Click the Parameters page tab of the Create Job property sheet to set the parameters for the selected task.
2. Select the task in the Selected Tasks list. The parameters for the selected task are displayed on the right side of the Parameters Page.

The parameters vary according to the job task. For information on the specific task parameters, refer to the appropriate parameter and function charts.

• Install Package Task on page 15-29
• Deinstall Product Task on page 15-31
• Delete Package Task on page 15-33
• Distribute Package Task on page 15-34

Install Package Task

Use Install Package Task to specify a software package to be installed at the target nodes.

Figure 15-7 Install Package Task

 

Refer to Table 15-10, "Install Package Task Parameters"for descriptions.

Parameters	Functions
Choose a Host	Click "Choose a Host" to view the list of host from the job's target list
Select Software Package	Lists all packages available for installation, their operating system platforms, their source distribution hosts, and the number of products they contain.   Scroll through the list and click the desired package(s).
Install Shared (available for client installation)	Click "Installed Shared" to specify that the package should be installed in shared mode.
Use Separate Response File From Destination Node	Click "Use Separate Response File" to specify a customized response file for use during package installation. To install a package into a specific Oracle Home, you must specify it in a response file.   Note: the customized .RSP you specify should be on the target host (destination). In version 1.3 and earlier, the .RSP specified was on the application machine.
Full Pathname	The response file location is relative to the agent machine and not the application.

 

To create a separate response file, run installer in record mode (using the /rspdest command line option). From the DOS prompt, type

orainst /install <product label corresponding to the interface label> /prd 
<location with path of prd file and the prd file name> /rspdest <location of 
where you want your rsp file and the name of the rsp file>

The installer records the response which you have specified. You can then modify the response file.

Note:

For multiple target jobs, you need to specify parameters for each host.

Deinstall Product Task

Deinstall Product Task directs the Oracle Installer to deinstall Oracle products from the target nodes.

Figure 15-8 Deinstall Product Task

 

Refer to Table 15-11, "Deinstall Product Task Parameters" for details.
Table 15-11 Deinstall Product Task Parameters

Parameters	Functions
Choose a Host	Click "Choose a Host" to view the host on which the selected product resides.
Deinstall Product from Oracle Home	Select a home and the products to delete from the home.
All Product(s)	Lists all products already installed on the selected home of the target node.   To select a product to be deinstalled, click its listing, then click Add.   The product moves to the Products to Deinstall list.
Add	Click "Add" to add a selected product icon to the Selected Products list.
Remove	Click "Remove" to remove a selected product icon from the Selected Products list.
Products to Deinstall	Shows the products that will be removed from the specified home on the specified node.   To remove a product from this list, click the product, then click Remove.   The product moves back to the All Products list.

 

Note:

Deinstalling an Oracle product for Windows requires that the Oracle Installer for Windows be installed.

Delete Package Task

Delete Package Task specifies a software package to be deleted from the target node(s).
Table 15-12 Delete Package Task Parameters

Parameters	Functions
Delete Package from Host	Click "Delete package from Host" to view the host on which the selected package resides.   The host that is initially selected (the default) is the source host for the selected package
Select a Software Package to Delete	Shows all software packages, their operating systems, number of products, and the date each was created.   To select a software package to delete, click the first column of its listing.

 

Distribute Package Task

Distribute Package Task specifies a software package to be distributed to the target node.

Figure 15-9 Distribute Package Task

 

Refer to Table 15-13, "Distribute Package Task Parameters" for details.

Parameters	Function
Select a Software Package to Distribute	Click "Select a Software Package to Distribute" to select a software package from the list.   It shows all software packages, their operating systems, number of products, and the date each was created.
Distribute Separate Response file	Click "Distribute Separate Response File" to specify a separate response file located on the agent machine that you are distributing from and not the application machine
Full Pathname	The response file location is relative to the agent machine and not the application.
Get Package From	Click "Get Package From" to view the host on which the selected package resides.   The host that is initially selected (the default) is the source host for the selected package

 

Note:

You can only distribute one software package per task. To distribute more than one software package at a time, add another Distribute Package task to the job.

When distributing a package from agent #1 to agent #2, you can optionally specify a separate response file located on agent #1 to be distributed to agent #2 as its default response file. This is an advanced feature that can be accessed through the Oracle Enterprise Manager console but not through the Oracle Software Manager application.

If you specify a separate response file, the task copies the response file from agent #1 to agent #2 and renames it so it becomes the default response file.

Saving and Submitting the Job

To save and submit the new job:

1. Click the Save button to save the new job in the Job Library window.
2. Click the Submit button to submit the job to the agents at the selected destinations.

When the agent begins processing the job, the job appears in the Active Jobs page in the Job window.

Custom Configurations

This section contains information on the Response File Generator and the Oracle File Packager.

Response File Generator

A response file is a text file with the .RSP extension that contains the default responses for a package installation.

Response files can be edited by hand in a text editor, or they can be edited at the distribution host using the Response File Generator. The Response File Generator runs an installation during which you provide the answers you want to the installation questions. They are recorded in a new response file.

The Response File Generator generates files to a default location for a package. You no longer need to specify input and output filenames in order to generate an RSP file. Instead, the Response File Generator uses the location OSM_PACKAGE_DIR as both input and output files. If you did not configure the environment variable OSM_PACKAGE_DIR, the default will be %ORACLE_HOME%\NET80\AGENT\PACKAGES on Windows NT or %ORACLE_HOME/NETWORK/agent/packages on UNIX.

You can run the Response File Generator on a target machine in order to get a customized response file for your software package.

To generate an .RSP file:

1. Create the package.
2. Run the Response File Generator on your agent machine. This installs the package on that host and generates an RSP file.

Note:

In Software Manager, versions 1.3 and earlier, you had to move the RSP to your application machine for distribution and installation to other hosts. In Software Manager, versions 1.4 and later, distribution and installation automatically uses this response file unless you specify another response file. You do not need to move or rename the RSP file.

Modifying a Response File

To modify a response file (.RSP):

1. Open the .RSP file in a text editor. The format looks similar to the following example:

**************************************
#The user is asked which of the two SQL*Net products
#to install. The net2_adapter_content is set to 
#whichever product is desired:
#"SQL*Net Client"
#"SQL*Net Server"
*************************************/
#net2_adapter_content="SQL*Net Client"

2. Locate the installation setting(s) you want to change.

For example, the legal settings in the example above are SQL*Net Client and SQL*Net Server. The default setting is SQL*Net Client.)

3. Change the installation setting(s) as required, making sure to surround the new setting(s) with double quotation marks, as shown in the following example:

net2_adapter_content="SQL*Net server"

4. Save the changes to the .RSP file and close it.

If you are unsure about whether or not a product requires a custom installation, try installing the package using the response file generator. If the dialog asks for your input, you will need a response file. Enter in the responses and the response file is generated for you. Then you can modify it if you want.

Creating Staging Areas with Oracle File Packager

Oracle File Packager allows you to group files into units that can be installed/distributed via Oracle Installer, Oracle Client Software Manager, and Oracle Software Manager.

The Oracle File Packager Wizard guides you through creating a staging area and it generates the required installations scripts. These stage areas can be used by Oracle Software Manager to create Releases and Packages that can be distributed via Oracle Software Manager.

Please refer to the Oracle File Packager online help for more information.

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