Adding a BLPackage to the Depot

A BLPackage bundles configuration changes so they can be deployed to remote hosts. A BLPackage consists of an instruction set and any files needed for implementing configuration changes. Configuration changes can consist of additions, deletions, and modifications to any of the server objects TrueSight Server Automation supports on all operating systems.

Note

  • The BLPackage package creation process does not traverse symbolic links that occur within subdirectories in a file system. If you create a BLPackage by selecting a directory on a live server, comparing a snapshot to a live server, or bundling audit results, the BLPackage creation process only traverses symbolic links that occur at the top level of the file system. In this way, TrueSight Server Automation ensures that you do not inadvertently attempt to package large portions of a file system.
  • If a BLPackage contains Windows security settings, the package can only contain local settings. It cannot contain effective settings, which are derived from domain-level security settings.
  • If you are creating a BLPackage that includes virtual disk files, note that these files can be extremely large — often measured in gigabytes. Make certain your file server has sufficient disk space. Take care not to create unnecessary copies of these BLPackages. Packaging a virtual machine or any of its storage information does not include the associated disk files in the package. Only the storage configuration information is included in the BLPackage.
  • Note the following additional best practice recommendations for BLPackage size:
    • Avoid embedding very large files in BLPackages.
    • If possible, mount files during installation time, especially if you need to maintain payloads outside of TrueSight Server Automation.
    • Avoid embedding large numbers of files (more than 1000) in a single BLPackage. If you have a large number of files that need to be transferred together, use custom software (such as a zip or tar utility) to compress your files into a single file.

To add a BLPackage to the Depot

  1. Take one of the following actions:
    • Using the Depot folder, right-click the depot folder where you want to add the BLPackage. From the pop-up menu, select New > BLPackage.
    • Using the Servers folder, right-click a server and select Browse from the pop-up menu, which displays the Live node in the content editor. Select one or more server objects and right-click. From the pop-up menu, select Add To Depot As > BLPackage.
    • Using the Depot folder, select the files, components, or software packages you want to bundle as a BLPackage. Right-click and select Add To Depot As > BLPackage from the pop-up menu.
    • Using the Component Templates, Components, or Servers folder, select a component. Right-click and select Package and Deploy from the pop-up menu.
    • Using the Jobs folder, display the Server View node for some Snapshot Job results. Select the node representing a server. Right-click and select Add to Depot as > BLPackage from the pop-up menu.

  2. Provide information for the wizard, as described in the following sections:

  3. After completing the last step of the wizard, click Finish.
    A background process saves the BLPackage to the Depot. Depending on how you have specified behavior for background processes, either a dialog box displays or the Show background operations icon appears in the lower right corner of the console. Both indicate an operation is running in the background.
    After saving the BLPackage, you can use the BLPackage editor to modify the package or deploy the package. For more information about modifying BLPackages, see BLPackage-Editing. For more information about deploy the package, see Creating-a-Deploy-Job.
    If you accessed the Create BLPackage wizard by selecting a component to deploy, the New Deploy Job wizard opens automatically.

 

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