Adding software

Use the Add Software panel to identify the software items to package and provide additional information for the package.

To add software

1. Do one of the following:
   • If the Select Installable Sources dialog box is displayed, proceed to step 2.
     The Select Installable Source dialog box appears if you did not select source files to begin this procedure (as described in Adding software to the Depot).
   • If the Add Software window does not show the appropriate source file for a software package, select that package in the left pane. Then, in the right pane, for Installable source, click Browse to specify the source file for the selected package. The Select Installable Source dialog box opens. Proceed to step 2.
   • If the left pane of the Add Software window lists all software you want to add to the Depot, and the source files for all of those software packages are correct, proceed to step 3.
   • At any time, you can add more software packages to the list of those being packaged by clicking Add depot software . The Select Installable Sources dialog box opens. For details about using the Select Installable Sources dialog box, see the next step.
2. Using the Select Installable Sources dialog box, do the following:
   1. Using the hierarchical tree in the dialog box, select one or more source files. Your selections are listed in the Source Location field. If you select multiple items, semicolons separate each item. You can skip this step and manually enter the path to the source files as described in step 2.c.
      If an agent is not installed on the server where the source files exist, you cannot browse those files. You must manually enter the correct path to the source files using the procedure described in step 2.c.
   2. Do one of the following:
      • If you want to copy source files to the file server, select Upload source to File Server. Proceed to step 2.e.
        When you select this option, you cannot edit the contents of the Source Location field.
      • If you do not want to copy the source files to the file server, select Refer to source at its current location. Instead, the source files reside at their network location until deployment. Proceed to step 2.c.
        When you select this option, you cannot use the hierarchical tree to select source files.

   3. Using the Source Location field, enter paths to the installable source files. If paths are already displayed, you can modify them.
      
      Source file paths can include parameters. You can enter parameters manually or click Select Property . For more information about this tool, see Inserting a parameter.
      In the next step, you specify a method for accessing source files. One method requires you to enter a source location using a URL that complies with the BMC Server Automation standard for network data transmission. For more information about using a network-based URL, see URL syntax for network data transmission.

      Note

      If you manually enter a source location, BMC Server Automation does not validate the entry. If the URL is incorrect, a Deploy Job could fail during staging, deployment, or rollback.

      Tip

      Using parameters in a URL lets you specify servers to be mounted or mapped, depending on target locations. You can also use parameters to allow for different types of mounts/maps, depending on the target's operating system. For example, you can create a server property called MOUNT_TYPE and then insert ??TARGET.MOUNT_TYPE?? as a parameter representing the type of mount/map. On some servers, this property resolves to smb; on others it resolves to nfs.

   4. Under Refer to source at its current location, select one of the following:
      • Copy to Agent at staging — The Application Server copies the source files to a staging directory on the agent during the staging phase of a Deploy Job.
        To use this option, the Source Location field (see step 2.c) must provide a URL that complies with BMC Server Automation requirements for network data transmission, including a data transmission protocol of RSCD, NFS, or SMB. For details about the required syntax, see URL syntax for network data transmission.
      • Agent mounts source for direct use at deployment (no local copy) — The Deploy Job instructs an agent to mount or map the device specified in the URL and deploy the software package directly to the agent. When you select this option, the agent uses the data transmission protocol specified in the URL to access the specified source files. The software package is not copied to a staging area on the agent, so no local copy of the source file is created.
        To use this option, the Source Location field (see step 2.c) must provide a URL that complies with BMC Server Automation requirements for network data transmission, including a data transmission protocol: either NFS or SMB. For details information about the required syntax, see URL syntax for network data transmission.
   5. Click OK to close the Select Installable Sources dialog box.
      The files you have selected display in the left pane of the Add Depot Software window.
3. To identify a depot folder where software packages should be stored, click Browse to the right of the Save in field. The Select Folder dialog box appears. Use the dialog box to select the depot folder where you want to store software packages. Then click OK.
4. If you are adding custom software to the Depot, do the following:
   1. From Operating system, select the operating system for the software you are packaging. This option only appears for custom software.
   2. From Custom software type, select the type of software you are packaging.
      BMC Server Automation provides prepackaged support for many types of common software. If you are packaging software that does not appear in this list, select Custom Software and the window appears a generic install and uninstall command.
      
5. In the left pane, select a software item and enter information about the item and settings for its deployment (as shown in the example in the following figure):
   
   
   1. Check Do NOT copy source to undo directory during deployment if you do not want to copy source files to a directory where they can be used for rolling back this deployment.
      This option is always checked if you have chosen to deploy source files using agent mounting because the agent mounting technique never copies source files to targets.
      Although most types of software packages do not require their original source files to be rolled back, some do (most notably Microsoft MSI packages). If you are using agent mounting to deploy an MSI or some other package that requires its source files for an undo, be certain those source files remain in their original location before attempting the rollback.
      Checking this option reduces the size of the rollback package that is stored on each target server. To benefit from this, however, the job used to deploy this package must be defined to allow rollback.
   2. For Name, enter the name of the software being installed if a name is not completed automatically. To provide a description for the installable, enter one in the Description field.
   3. In some situations, the Software info list may be empty. This list is used to match software being deployed with software stored in the Depot or on the network. If the Software info list is not already populated, do one of the following:
      • (UNIX) To identify the software being deployed, click Browse to the right of the Software info list. The Select Installable Location dialog box opens. Use it to navigate to an instance of the software you are packaging. Select the software and click OK. Using that software package, BMC Server Automation can automatically populate the Software Info list.
        If you do not use parameters when providing a network location and an agent is installed at the source location, the system can always automatically determine the software to deploy for UNIX packages. It accomplishes this by checking a list of applicable software packages and version numbers contained within the software package. However, if you have used parameters when specifying the location of a network-based URL, the system may not be able to access that list to determine the software to deploy. Similarly, BMC Server Automation cannot access the list if an agent is not installed on the host where the source files are located.
      • (Windows) If you plan to add Windows software to the Depot, you must manually identify the files that must be deployed. To add an item to the list, click the + sign to the right of the Software info list. The Software Part Information dialog box opens. Enter a name and optionally a version and platform for the software. Then click OK. To delete an existing entry, select the entry in the Software Info list and click the - sign.
   4. If you plan to add a Windows MSI package, you can open the Optional MSI Customization Properties dialog box by clicking Edit beside Optional Install MSI Customization Properties or Optional Uninstall MSI Customization Properties.
      Use the dialog boxes to create answers that replace the standard answers used in an MSI silent install or uninstall. To create custom properties, use Name and Value to enter a name/value pair and then click . Ensure that the names that you enter correspond to standard names used in an MSI file. Name/value pairs are used when you execute the MSI file. They do not change the MSI package. To delete an item from the list of name/value pairs, select the item and click .

   5. For Install command, enter the command (including arguments) that invokes installation of the package type you are creating. This field automatically displays the default installation command for the type of software you are packaging. To apply the command to all software listed in the left pane, click Apply to All.
      When executing the Install command, BMC Server Automation replaces a parameter bracketed with two question marks, such as ??SOURCE??, with its appropriate value. For example, the system replaces ??SOURCE?? with the directory in which software is stored in the package being deployed. The following table describes parameters in default install and uninstall commands. If a command includes a parameter not shown in the following table, the parameter must reference a server property and associated target servers must have a value defined for the property. If a software package is encapsulated in a BLPackage, parameters can reference local properties for the BLPackage.
      

      Parameter in command	Description of use	Applies to:
      ??DEPLOYPATH??	Path to a subdirectory in a staging directory on a target server. The subdirectory is named for the package being deployed. The subdirectory contains files used for deployments and rollbacks.	Typically used with support files but can be used with any type of file required for deployments or rollbacks.
      ??INSTALL_RESPONSEFILE??	Response file used by the installable.	InstallShield packages Solaris packages
      ??INSTALL_ADMINFILE??	Admin file used by the installable.	Solaris packages
      ??PACKAGEFILE??	Deploy path followed by the name of the installable.	HP-UX products HP-UX patches
      ??PACKAGENAME??	Name of the installable.	RPMs
      ??PATCHID??	Identifier used in the uninstall command.	Solaris patches
      ??SOURCE??	Directory holding the software in the package to be deployed. If the source is a zip file, the file name extension is not used when resolving this parameter. For example, install_dir.zip resolves to install_dir.	OS service packs InstallShield packages MSI packages Solaris patches Solaris patch clusters RPMs IBM AIX patches IBM AIX packages Custom software
      ??SOURCEORPARENTDIR??	Source file to be deployed if the installable is a file; otherwise, the parent directory if the installable is a directory.	Solaris packages
      ??SUBPACKAGES??	Subpackages you want to install or uninstall.	Solaris packages AIX packages HP-UX products HP-UX bundles
      ??SUBPATCHES??	Subpatches you want to install or uninstall.	AIX patches HP-UX patches HP-UX bundles
      ??UNINSTALL_ADMINFILE??	Admin file used to uninstall the installable.	Solaris packages
      ??UNINSTALL_RESPONSEFILE??	Response file used to uninstall the installable.	InstallShield packages
      ??WINDIR??	Environment variable representing the Windows directory, such as /c/winnt.	OS service packs

      An install command can reference a support file by including the string ??supportFile??, where supportFile can be the name of any support file, a name that must start with an underscore character. For example, you can reference a response file by entering a string such as ??_RESPONSEFILE??. References created this way appear in the Support Files table at the bottom of the window. To remove a file from the Support Files table, delete the string referencing the file in the install command.
      Square brackets within an install command enclose optional information, such as
      [-a "??_INSTALL_ADMINFILE??"].
      If you enter a parameter that references a server property, you can type the parameter name, bracketed with two question marks, or click Select Property to choose a property from a list. If you click Select Property, you can view hierarchical properties by clicking the right arrow that appears next to some properties. A subordinate list of properties appears. To return to the parent list, click the left arrow next to the property at the top of the list.

      Note

      When you create an AIX package or patch and the software parts being packaged cannot be parsed, the default install command is automatically altered to replace the word "all" for the ??SUBPACKAGES?? or ??SUBPATCHES?? parameter. However, if you modified the install command to exclude a ??SUBPACKAGES?? or ??SUBPATCHES?? parameter, this replacement does not occur. For AIX packages, if the uninstall command includes the ??SUBPACKAGES?? parameter, the command is disabled. However, if you modify the uninstall command so it does not include a ??SUBPACKAGES?? parameter, the command remains enabled. No uninstall command exists for AIX patches. Automatic modifications of AIX packages and patches are not visible within the Add Software wizard. Modifications occur when the software package is created.

   6. For Uninstall command, enter the command, including arguments, that invokes the uninstall. This field automatically displays the default uninstall command for the type of software you plan to package. To apply the command to all installables listed in the left pane, click Apply to All.
      The uninstall command works like the install command. The system replaces parameters with an appropriate value. The uninstall command can reference other files by including the string ??_supportFile??. Square brackets within an install command enclose optional information.

   7. To provide a location for a support file, select an entry in the Support Files table and then click the Edit Parameter Entry . The Set File Parameters dialog box appears. For File location, use Browse or enter the location of the file being referenced. Click Browse to display a dialog box that lets you choose deployment options for the support file just as you chose options for the entire software package in 2. If necessary, enter a URL to identify a network location. You can use parameters in the file name, but parameters are not substituted if you enter a URL for a network location. If you do not want the system to insert values for parameters that appear within the body of the file, check Skip parameter substitution for this file. (This is typically necessary if a support file is binary, such as an MSI package with a required CAB file.) Click OK.

      Note

      When specifying support files, do not use agent mounting if you are packaging software that generates a result file that is unique for each target server.

6. Repeat step 5 for each item listed in the left pane.