Using eZDeploy import from the command line

The eZDeploy import feature allows you to import the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management business service, service offering, service blueprint, and software package as an eZDeploy package in both non-interactive (using an answer file) and interactive (using command line) mode. The following sections detail the procedures for importing eZDeploy packages from the command line.

• • Before you begin
  • To view help for the import command
  • To import using a custom prefix
  • To allow duplicate option choices
  • To import a business service
  • To import a service blueprint
  • To import a service offering
  • To import a software package
  • Where to go from here

Before you begin

Ensure that you meet the following prerequisites before importing an eZDeploy package:

• Profiles must be created in the target environment prior to importing a service blueprint or a service catalog. See Managing-eZDeploy-profiles for details.
• BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management is installed and configured.

• If you are specifying an entitlement package during import, you must have created one Global entitlement package on the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management environment where you are importing the service catalog.

  Note

  Due to a limitation in eZDeploy utility, you cannot fetch tenant-specific entitlement packages while importing the service catalog in your BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management environment. You need to have at least one Global entitlement package when importing service catalog using eZDeploy utility.

• You have the Virtual Center (VC) server name, Virtual Center templates and the datastore name.

• You have the location details (single or multiple storage) of the softwares to be installed.

  Tip

  • To avoid performance issues, store all software in a common single-level directory, which is accessible to the BMC Server Automation Server and the Virtual Center Server.
  • For specific information related to unbundled software packages used with the infrastructure zipkits downloaded from the BMC Communities, refer to the Where to download the Zipkit section of the individual zipkit documentation available at Configuring-infrastructure-application-ZipKits.
• BMC Server Automation console is installed on the same computer on which you would be running the eZDeploy utility.
• BMC Server Automation is configured:
  
  • The VC server is added and registered in BMC Server Automation.
  • You have run the Distribute Configuration Object (also known as DCO) job.

To view help for the import command

Run the following command to view the help for the import command:

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To import using a custom prefix

The eZDeploy utility lets you distinguish the service blueprint and service catalog components by applying your own custom prefixes during import. You can apply a custom prefix to the following artifacts of a service blueprint during import:

• Blueprint name
• Referenced blueprint name in inclusive blueprint
• Virtual Guest Package (VGP) name
• Service name in the service catalog
• Service offering name 
• Option name 
• Option choice name

The prefix can consist of an alphabet, number, or a combination of alphabets and numbers and must not exceed 6 characters.

To import by using a prefix, run the following command:

The following table describes the input parameters:

This command imports the service blueprint with the custom prefix applied to all the artifacts. The following figure displays the custom prefix JeZ applied to the service name eZ-eZDeploy Service:

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To allow duplicate option choices

You can create duplicate options while importing in a target environment if the options are already present in the target system. New options are then created with a numbered suffix when another service catalog with the same options is imported. 

You can enable the duplicate option choice facility by using the prompt parameter at the command prompt when importing the .eZ file. You must set the value of this parameter to Y (to enable the duplicate option creation) or N (to disable the duplicate option creation).

If the value of the parameter is set to Y during import, the system prompts you if you want to create a duplicate option for every existing option.

To allow duplicate option choices, run the following command:

The following table describes the input parameters:

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To import a business service

To import a business service, which includes one or more service blueprints and one or more service offerings to a custom directory, run the following command:

The following table describes the input parameters:

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To import a service blueprint

To import a service blueprint, run the following command:

The following table describes the parameters:

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To import a service offering

To import an individual service offering, run the following command:

The following table describes the parameters:

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To import a software package

Perform the following steps to import a software package:

1. Run the following command:

   import -softwarepackages <softwarepackages-name>
    -path <path-name> -profile <profile-name>

   The following table describes the input parameters:

   Parameter	Description
   {{code language="none"}} softwarepackages {{/code}}	Name of the eZDeploy package file
   path	Absolute path from which the .eZ package is imported
   profile	(Optional) Name of the eZDeploy target profile that is created Note: If you have set a global profile, you can skip this parameter. For more information, see the "To set a global eZDeploy profile" section in Managing-eZDeploy-profiles.

   The BMC Server Automation artifacts (system packages, software packages, and NSH scripts, if any) are imported as shown in the figure below:

    

   Note

   For all the third-party components not bundled with eZDeploy, you must provide a single location.

   If eZDeploy cannot locate the software bits, download the software and copy it to a common location that is accessible to the BMC Server Automation Server and the Virtual Center (VC) Server; for example, \\BLUEPRINT-REPO\Blueprint Software.

2. Specify the path based on your OS when you are prompted with the following message:  Enter path for unbundled softwares separated by (;)
   

1. 
   

   • (Microsoft Windows) Enter the path or URL on eZDeploy as a network path: //host/pathIncludingInstallerFile. For example: \\BLUEPRINT-REPO\Blueprint Software as shown in the following figure:
     
     

      

     Note

     Ensure that the software is in a shared location and is accessible or eZDeploy will not accept the network path while importing a blueprint.

   • (Linux) Provide the mounted path if using eZDeploy Linux version: //eZdeploy/Sample Path
   • The eZDeploy utility checks for an existing installable resource (a Virtual Guest Package, or VGP) available on the BMC Server Automation Server.
2.  Make selection when you are prompted with the following message:  Do You Want to Select Existing Virtual Guest Package ? [y/n].
   1. If you select y, all VGPs available on the BMC Server Automation Server are listed and you can select an ID assigned to that displayed VGP. In this scenario, you can skip step c. 
   2. If you select n, you must create a VGP (see step c).

   3. Create an installable resource (Virtual Guest Packages) by using the following guidelines:

      • If eZDeploy detects VC Servers registered on the BMC Server Automation server and lists them on the console, enter the ID assigned to the VC Server and press Enter.
      • If eZDeploy detects VMWare templates available on the VC Server and lists them on the console, enter the ID assigned to the template name that you will use for creating a Virtual Guest Package and press Enter.
      • If eZDeploy detects datastores available on the VC Server and lists them on the console, enter the ID assigned to the datastore name and press Enter.
      • (Optional) If your .eZ file is a Windows based service blueprint, enter the Windows license key for creating VGPs and press Enter.
      • If your .eZ file is a Windows based service blueprint, enter the Administrator password (or, for blueprints on UNIX platforms, enter the root password) and press Enter.

      The VGP is created and saved on the BMC Server Automation Server with the custom prefix (if specified) followed by the VGP name. eZDeploy creates the service and service offering with the custom prefix specified by you or the default prefix eZ.

3. eZDeploy detects and displays the existing entitlement packages on your BMC Server Automation System and prompts you to enter the assigned ID:

   Select Entitlement Package from the list# : 

   The request definition is created and the import summary listing the successful import of the service blueprint and service catalog components is displayed in the command prompt as shown in the following figure:
   
   

   Tip

   eZDeploy logs each step at eZDeployInstallationDirectory/ezdeploy.log. You can review the log file for troubleshooting purposes. See Troubleshooting eZDeploy issues for details.

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Where to go from here

Validating-the-eZDeploy-import

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