Context
Tool mentors explain how a tool can perform tasks, which are part of ITUP processes and activities. The tasks are listed as Related Elements in the Relationships section.
You can see the details of how processes and activities are supported by this tool mentor, by clicking the links next to the icons:
Details
There are many parts to the activity Build a Release that are involved in the overall process. The IBM® Tivoli®
Configuration Manager product relates most directly to this process at the level of Creating build, install, and
rollback scripts.
IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager can be used to quickly and reliably build packages to deploy software across multi
platform environments, which can include UNIX®, NetWare®, Windows®, OS/400, OS/2, and pervasive devices.
The IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager product can be used to build a software
package that can be distributed to systems or pervasive devices. The Software Package Editor is the Software
Distribution software packaging facility. It is a Java-based graphical user interface (GUI) used to create and
customize a software package. The Software Package Editor window displays a graphical tree view of the software package
and its contents.
After a software package is built, it can be imported into the Tivoli environment in the form of a profile and
distributed to any number of target systems.
In addition, software packages can be built from the command line using IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager components
that are installed on a Tivoli endpoint. In this way, the process can be automated with scripts.
The Software Package Editor provides several ways for you to create and edit a software package. It supplies the
following features:
Application configuration
When installing software packages, you can perform actions such as changing the registry, adding desktop icons,
adding statements to system files, and creating folders and shortcuts. In most cases, IBM Tivoli Configuration
Manager eliminates the need to create scripts and programs to configure an application. You can package the
required action in the software package.
Variables
Variables can be used to express any attribute value of type string that is contained in the software package,
making a software package more generic for use on different target systems. For example, it is not necessary to
create several software packages for different platforms. You can substitute the platform-specific information with
variables and use the same software package for distribution to multiplatform networks.
Conditions
You set conditions on the actions that are contained in a software package or on the entire software package. Using
conditions, you define the circumstances under which an action is executed.
Third-party and native installation support
Common third-party packaging formats are supported. Existing content prepared in these native formats, and the
associated installation utilities and response files, can be packaged within the software package.
Version checks
You can define a software package as versionable and specify whether it is a refresh package or a patch. Refreshes
are not installed if a later version of the package is already installed. Patches are not installed unless the
version to which the patch applies is already installed.
Dependency
You can define an expression that makes the installation or removal of a software package dependent on meeting
hardware and software prerequisites.
AutoPack
Automatic software package generation: AutoPack automatically generates a software package by employing scanning
and differencing technology, and comparing two successive "snapshots" of a preparation machine.
Following is an excerpt from the IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager 4.2 User Guide for Software Distribution:
Software package preparation begins at the Software Package Editor window. The window displays a graphical tree
view of the software package and its contents. The left pane displays the software package icon. Any actions added
to the software package are nested directly below the package icon in hierarchical form. You organize the actions
contained in the package in the order in which they are to be executed on the target system. Use the up and down
arrow buttons to the right of the toolbar to rearrange the order of the objects in the right pane. The right pane
displays the objects contained in the selected object in the left pane. The tabbed toolbar displays additional
actions and objects that can be added to the selected item in the tree view. An exclamation mark (!) in the right
pane indicates that a condition exists on that particular action.
A software package contains a number of actions to be executed on a target machine. These actions can be divided
into the following categories:
-
The add object and remove object actions drive the engine to add the specified object to the system or to
remove it from the system. Some objects include adding or removing registry keys, directories, files, and OS/2
desktop objects. For information about adding device objects to the software package, see Chapter 3, Creating a
Software Package for Devices on page 75
-
System actions, such as checking disk space, restarting the target machine, adding a signature file to the
configuration repository.
-
Program actions, such as executing a user-defined program; configuration, installation, and distribution (CID)
program; InstallShield® program; Microsoft® Setup program; AIX, Solaris®, and Linux® package installations.
You may have the task of solely preparing software packages and, therefore, are not involved in the distribution
process. In this case, you can work from a standalone packaging facility.
For full details, consult the IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager 4.2 User Guide for Software Distribution
manual. All current manuals can be located on the IBM Web site in the Tivoli Information Center at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v3r1/index.jsp?toc=/com.ibm.tivoli.itcm.doc/toc.xml.
For More Information
For more information about this tool, click on the link for this tool at the top of this page.
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