Streamlining the wizard with parameterized properties - an example

This example shows how set up a field in the provisioning wizard so that it displays a drop-down menu of valid choices for that field. This frees the provisioning operator from needing to know the exact syntax required for the field.

To set up a field in the provisioning wizard so that it displays a menu of choices:

• Add a local property to the system package.
• Insert a parameter that refers to this property in the system package definition.
• Run the wizard and view the resulting drop down menu for the field.

Suppose you are creating a system package for a Red Hat system, and you want the Kickstart network device field in the provisioning wizard to include a drop-down menu of available choices. (The Kickstart network device field is one of the Basic Configuration settings.) To accomplish this, you can:

1. Create your Red Hat system package.
2. On the Local Properties panel, add a local property called ACTIVE_NIC_PORT to your system package. Make this property a String enumeration that contains the following name/value pairs:

   Name	Value
   Port 0	eth0
   Port 1	eth1
   Port 2	eth2
   Port 3	eth3

3. On the Basic Configuration panel for your Red Hat system package, type the following into the Kickstart network device field:
   ??ACTIVE_NIC_PORT??
4. Create a Provision Job to provision a device with your Red Hat package. When the provisioning wizard displays the Basic Configuration panel, note that the Kickstart network device field displays a drop-down menu with the choices Port 0, Port 1, Port 2, and Port 3.
   The provisioning operator can simply select one of the available choices without worrying about the underlying syntax, which you specified when you defined the system package.