Working with soft-linked objects

When you create a BLPackage using depot objects or objects specified using network-based URLs, you have the option of specifying whether the contents of the BLPackage should be soft-linked (see, for example, Create-BLPackage-Package-Item-Options).

When you use soft links, the assets included in the BLPackage are not gathered into a packaging directory on the file server until the package is deployed. If you have specified network locations for files, those files are never copied to the file server. Instead, they are copied to a staging directory on a target server or repeater when the Deploy Job runs. Other soft-linked information, such as the commands used to install or uninstall a package, are gathered at the time of deployment.

Note

If you choose to soft-link and are using a repeater, connections between the repeater and the target servers are mapped to root, rather than Administrator. Therefore, if you included the nouser option in the users or users.local file, the repeater will fail to connect to the target server. To resolve this issue, include a root mapping in the users or users.local file, in addition to the nouser option. For information about performing this configuration, see Configuring-the-users-or-users-local-files.

This procedure lets you remove the soft-linked setting for individual objects. In a BLPackage only a few attributes are defined for a soft-linked object, such as the object's name and path. When you remove the soft-linked setting, all the attributes that must be defined for that object are added to the BLPackage. For example, the object's permissions or the object's install and undo commands are added to the BLPackage. Note that you can only remove a soft-linked setting; you cannot add a soft-linked setting.

This procedure also lets you directly access the object that is the source of a soft link. You can change settings on that object, such as modifying property values or setting permissions.

To work with soft-linked objects

  1. In the hierarchy view, select an object that is soft-linked.
    On the right you see the attributes associated with that object. A bold italics font and the phrase "Soft Linked" are used to denote objects that are soft-linked.
  2. To modify the object that is the source of a soft link, do the following:
    1. Click Edit Link Source at the bottom of the right pane.
      The system displays the properties panel for the object you have selected. For most types of objects, this panel has multiple tabs.
    2. Use the properties panel to change the definition of the linked object and click OK.
  3. To remove an object's soft-linked setting, do the following:
    1. In the right pane, for IsSoftLinked, select No.
      A dialog box asks for confirmation. After you remove the soft-linked setting, you cannot reverse that action; a hard link cannot be changed to a soft link.
      The change you make to the soft-linked setting does not take effect until you save the BLPackage. You cannot see the results of the change until you close and re-open the BLPackage.
    2. On the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

 

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