Snapshot package

The main purpose of the Package subnode is to create a distributable software package, which can be collected by client devices across a network for automatic installation. The software package is essentially a delta image of the system created after the software product to be distributed was installed on the system. The creation is based on comparing a system snapshot with the state of the system after the software installation and determining the changed files, groups, icons and registry information if applicable. As such, the package can be successfully created only if the Snapshot and Change List creation steps previously described were carried out correctly.

The following topics provide information about using Package subnode:

Compiling package

After all Configuration and Contents definitions were executed you proceed to actually create the snapshot. To do so, proceed as follows:

Select Edit > Compile Package .
A confirmation window appears, because this process may take quite some time.
To confirm the creation of the snapshot click Yes and the process will be launched.

When the process is finished the status bar displays Done.

Stopping file collection

The building of a snapshot cannot be interrupted, it can only be cancelled. Being a very lengthy process, be sure to plan you snapshot creation at an appropriate time. Nevertheless, if you have to cancel the process do as follows:

Select Edit > Stop File Collection .

The snapshot creation process will be stopped and abandoned immediately.

The Configuration node of the package factory

The Configuration displays information about the package that was created via its tabs.

The Contents node of a final snapshot package

The Contents node displays a resume of the contents of the created package. It shows the following information:

Parameter	Description
Total Archived Files	This field displays the total number of files that are included in the archive.
File Size (KB)	This line displays the total size of the archive file in KB.
Average Compression	This line displays the average rate of compression of the files included in the archive.

General information of the snapshot package

The General tab displays the following general information about the selected package. If the package has just been created the values for all these attributes will be 0, as the list of changes has not yet been created:

Parameter	Description
Archive Type	The Archive Type in which the package is stored. Possible values are the .zip format and the BMC proprietary .pkg format.
Creation Date	This field uses the system clock to fill in the date and time of creation of the package.
File Size (KB)	This field displays the total size of the file of the package in bytes.
Total Archived Files	This field displays the total number of files that are included in the package.
Package Status	Displays the status of the package.

Files included in a snapshot package

The Files node shows all files in their directory structure which are contained in the snapshot package and which will be installed on the targets.

Below the Files node, you can see all files contained in the snapshot package in their tree hierarchy of all directories. When selecting a directory in the left window pane the table in the right pane displays the following information about the files contained in that specific directory:

Parameter	Description
Path	This field displays the full path of the original file location.
Date	This line displays the date and time of creation of the stored file in the default format defined in the user preferences.
Size	This line displays the original size of the file in bytes.
Ratio	This line displays the compression rate.
Stored Size	This line displays the size of the compressed file as stored in the package file in bytes.