Global Configuration parameter list

Red Hat Channel Filters List File

(Red Hat Linux only) Use this XML file to customize the Red Hat child channel filter list that is displayed while creating the online catalog. You can add modify this file to add additional Red Hat child channel filters in the list.

Note: If you modify a URL for an existing channel, the URL is not updated for the catalog that already uses this channel. To use the new URL, delete the filter (channel) from the catalog and add the same channel again.

Red Hat ISO URLs File (CDN repo)

(Red Hat Linux only) By default, TrueSight Server Automation supports update-level patching for RHEL 6 and 7 with the CDN download option. You can customize the Red Hat ISO URLs XML file to extend update-level patching support for RHEL 5 targets.

(Microsoft Windows Only) The location of the product_categories.xml file, which contains product information and metadata mapping information from Shavlik. Information contained in this file is used to populate the filter selection lists found in the patch catalog wizard.

If you want to add a new product to the filter list, you must add a new product_category tag in the product_categories.xml and add a vendor node. You can also add specific information to the optional nodes (family, version, product, include_products, exclude_products).

To customize the products in the product_categories.xml file, perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Configuration > Patch Global Configuration > Windows tab.
2. In the Windows Filter Configuration File field, download the the product_categories.xml file by clicking the  button.

3. Customize the products in the exported product_categories.xml file based on your requirement. For more information about how to customize using product_categories.xml, click the following link:
   
   

    Customizing the product_category.xml file

   1. To export patch metadata from the Shavlik to a CSV file, run the offline Patch Downloader utility for Microsoft Windows with the following command:
      
      windows_downloader.bat -configFile <DownloadConfigurationXMLFile> -exportIvantiProductCatalog <CSVFile>
      
      Using this option, a CSV file (see sample ProductCatalog.csv) containing the Ivanti product information with Product Name, Vendor Name, Patch Key, Version fields is generated. 
   2. Find your product from the CSV file that you want to add to the filter list (for creating category). Refer to the CSV file generated in step a.
   3. Customize the product_categories.xml depending on the products. The following tags are used in the product_categories.xml :
      
      1. 
         

         • product_category - This represents the name you want to display in the filter list.

         • vendor - (Root node) This represents all software vendors which are supported by Shavlik like Microsoft, Firefox, and so on. If you want to add all the products for a specified vendor, ensure that you must mention only the vendor name. For example, to add all products for Notepad++, use the following block:

           <product_category name="Notepad++">
               <vendor name="Notepad++"/>
           </product_category>

         • family - (optional node) This represents a product line or categorization supported by vendor. Under each vendor tag, there can be one or many family tags. If you want to add all the products for a specified family of a vendor, ensure that you must mention the vendor name and the family name. For example, to add all products for Yahoo Messenger (Family) of Yahoo (Vendor), use the following block:
           
           

           <product_category name="SCCM">
               <vendor name="Microsoft">
                   <family name="SCCM"/>
               </vendor>
           </product_category>

         • version - (optional node) This represents a major version or release of a product family. Under each family tag, there can be one or many version tags. If you want to add all the products for a specified version of a family, ensure that you must mention the vendor name, family name, and version name. For example, to add all products for SQL Server 2012, use the following block:

           <product_category name="SQL Server 2012">
               <vendor name="Microsoft">
                   <family name="SQL Server">
                       <version name="SQL Server 2012"/>
                   </family>
               </vendor>
           </product_category>

         • product - (optional node) This represents a specific product edition or release. Under each version tag, there can be one or more produdct tags. If you want to add a specific product, ensure that you must mention the vendor name, family name, version name, and product name. For example, to add Visio 2007 MUI, use the following block:

           <product_category name="Microsoft Office Visio 2007 MUI">
               <vendor name="Microsoft">
                   <family name="Office">
                       <version name="Visio 2007">
                           <include_products>
                               <product name="Visio 2007 MUI"/>
                           </include_products>
                       </version>
                   </family>
               </vendor>
           </product_category>

           
           

         • include_products - (optional node) This repesents the list of products to be included in the filter list. This tag needs to be added under version tag. You can use either include_products tag or exclude_products tag. The include_products tag is useful when only a few specific products are intended to be considered under a version. The version might have more than 100 products under it, but you want to consider only a few of them in the product category. However, when you are using this tag, then any new sub-product that is released by the vendor for the specified version is not considered for catalogs.

           For example, to add Microsoft Office Web Apps Application Server Components 2013 x64, use the following block:

           <product_category name="Microsoft Office Web Apps 2013">
               <vendor name="Microsoft">
                   <family name="Office">
                       <version name="Office Server 2013">
                           <include_products>
                               <product name="Microsoft Office Web Apps Application Server Components 2013 x64"/>
                           </include_products>
                       </version>
                   </family>
               </vendor>
           </product_category>

         • exclude_products - (optional node) This repesents the list of products not to be included in the filter list. This tag needs to be added under version tag. You can use either include_products tag or exclude_products tag. The exclude_products tag is useful when only a few specific products are intended to be excluded from a version. For example, a version has 100 products under it, but you want to exclude five products from the product category. Instead of using include_products tag for 95 products, you can use exclude_products for five products. However, when you are using this tag, then any new sub-product (except the ones mentioned as part of the exclude_products tag) that is released by the vendor for the specified version is considered automatically for catalogs.
           For example, to add all products under Windows Server 2008 R2 except Windows Home Server 2011, use the following block:

           <product_category name="Microsoft Windows Server 2008">
               <vendor name="Microsoft">
                   <family name="Windows">
                       <version name="Windows Server 2008" />
                       <version name="Windows Server 2008 R2">
                           <exclude_products>
                               <product name="Windows Home Server 2011" />
                           </exclude_products>
                       </version>
                   </family>
               </vendor>
           </product_category>

4. Use the Windows Filter Configuration File field in the Global Configuration parameter list to point to the modified file.
5. If you no longer want to use the customized product_categories.xml file and use the default xml file, click the button to remove the customized file.
   The format of the product_categories.xml file is changed in TrueSight Server Automation 8.9.03. If you have previously customized the product_categories.xml file and are upgrading from a version prior to TrueSight Server Automation 8.9.03, you must manually update the changes to the new format. Any manual customization in the product subcategories is overwritten, and the customizations are lost.
   

Note: BMC recommends that you keep a backup of the product_categories.xml file before upgrading. After you upgrade, go to the file server and manually move the product_categories.xml file located at <fileserver location>\patch\GlobalConstants to a folder outside the file server. After moving the file, download the latest file from Patch Global Configuration.

(SuSE Only) The location of the file containing released information of service packs from Novell. Information contained in this file is used to prepopulate the filter selection lists found in the patch catalog wizard.