5 Software Libraries

EC Library

The Enterprise Controller must have at least one Software Library to store the new versions of images that are downloaded from the Oracle Knowledge Base automatically. This default EC Library is updated at the following maximum intervals between updates:

• New Oracle Solaris updates – 1 day (including security updates, Oracle Solaris Cluster updates, and standard updates)

• Oracle Solaris updates — 3 weeks

• Oracle Solaris EIS Baseline — 7 days

• Oracle Solaris Freeware Package — 3 days

• Linux Software Update (RPM) — 1 day

• Linux Service Pack — 3 weeks

• Linux Distribution New Version — 30 days

In addition to the routine download operations, you can create jobs to update assets. When you submit an update job for specific target assets, the Agent Controllers on the targets send a request to the KB through the Enterprise Controller to download the latest information.

The Initial EC Library is created when the product software is installed. At any time, you can specify a different software library to accept the automatic download operations from the Knowledge Base. The current active library is identified by its badge, a white down arrow on a green background, as shown in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1 Badge Identifying the Current Default Library

Description of "Figure 5-1 Badge Identifying the Current Default Library"

To Change EC Software Libraries

To specify a different software library as the default software library:

1. Expand Administration in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Set Enterprise Controller Storage Library in the Action pane. The window lists all libraries with the current library highlighted.

3. Click the library you want to store the images from the automatic download operations.

4. Click Apply.

When the job is completed, the Library section of the Navigation pane shows the software library you selected as the default library.

Publishers and Parent of the Oracle Solaris 11 Repository

Beginning with Oracle Solaris 11, updates are delivered in packages. With Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center, you do not need to create an Image Packaging System (IPS) repository.

The Oracle Solaris 11 Package Repository resides at the Oracle site: http://pkg.oracle.com/solaris/release/. This repository has the role of Publisher and Parent. The Oracle Solaris 11 Package repository is similar to the Knowledge Base but is only for Oracle Solaris 11 images and updates. As with the Knowledge Base, you can create a local repository.

A component of an Oracle Solaris 11 update package is the IPS Package Manifest. The manifest is the metadata for the package (such as name, description, version, and category), what files and directories are included, and the package dependencies. Packages might specify what services to restart in order to refresh some configuration on the system, specify what aliases to update for a given hardware driver, or what users and groups to create as part of the package installation process.

Viewing the Contents of a Software Library

You can display the contents of the software library, its associations, and details about the disks in the software library. You can also see how the library is being monitored and any problems.

To View the Contents of a NAS Software Library

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click NAS Storage in Software Libraries.

3. Click a software library.

   The details of the selected NAS library are displayed in the center pane in a set of tabs. The Summary tab displays information about the entire software library:

   • URL — NFS

   • Size — Total storage capacity of the library

   • Used Space — Space assigned to guests and zones

   • State — State of the library

   • Access — Read-Write

   • The Library Contents table lists all the images in the library, organized by type, and includes the size and date the image was modified.

4. The Disks tab lists all disks in the library by name and description and shows the current use of each one by allocation and size.

   Figure 5-2 Disks Tab

   
   Description of "Figure 5-2 Disks Tab"
   
   

5. To see the results of monitoring the software library, click the Incidents tab.

6. To see the attributes and values that are being monitored, click the Monitoring tab.

Creating a Software Library

You can create a software library that uses space on a file system on the Enterprise Controller's system. This is called an Local Library. You can also create a software library that uses space on a shared file system on an NFS server. This is called a NAS Library.

To Create a Local Software Library

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane. The current active library is identified by its badge.

2. Click New EC Local Library in the Action pane.

3. Enter a unique name and description.

4. In the URL field, enter the location of the file system.

5. Click Create.

To Create a NAS Software Library

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane. The current active library is identified by its badge.

2. Click New EC NAS Library in the Action pane.

3. Enter a unique name and a description.

4. Choose the type of service:

   1. To use a unified storage appliance, select an appliance and specify the exported share to use.

   2. To use an NFS server, enter the hostname and path for the NAS appliance.

5. Click Create.

Maintaining the Knowledge Base and Updates

In Connected mode, the Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library is updated on the schedule described in EC Library.

Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library

Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center incorporates and simplifies the IPS. The software provides a local IPS repository on the Enterprise Controller, called the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library, and provides package lifecycle management. The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library enables you to interact with the IPS. You can assign storage to the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library, and then populate it with a local copy of the IPS.

You can configure the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library when you install and configure Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center, or you can configure the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library after installation using the Create Update Library action.

The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library has the following states:

• Unconfigured – Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library was not configured when you installed and configured Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center.

• Configuring – The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library is in the process of being configured.

• Syncing – The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library is in the process of updating and synchronizing with the IPS or is in the process of being reconfigured. The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library is locked and unavailable for use when in this state.

• Ready – The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library is ready to use.

If the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library is in an unconfigured state, use the Initialize Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library action to define the port that the repository uses, assign at least 10 gigabytes (GB) of storage, and create a Local EC Library to populate the library with a local copy of the IPS. When complete, the new library appears in the Libraries section and contains three sections: Summary, Boot Image, and Packages.

To obtain updated packages for the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library, synchronize with the remote parent IPS repository. The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library is locked during the process and you cannot perform OS provisioning or OS update tasks.

Parent repositories are the URLs of Oracle Solaris 11 content that you use to update, or sync, your local Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library. Other parent repositories, such as Oracle Solaris Cluster, are available. You can configure more than one parent repository and provide their credentials. For a list of all available Oracle repositories, go to pkg-register.oracle.com

A child repository is a subset, such as the release and branch for an Oracle Solaris 11 update release.

Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Summary Tab

The Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Summary is available after the library is configured. The summary provides an overview of the health, status, and last update. The URL listed on the Summary is the location of the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library. The size is the amount of space allocated to the file system, and the used space shows how much space is used by the packages that are located in the library.

The Publisher table shows the Parents and the associated credentials. Parents are the URLs for Oracle Solaris 11 packages and content located in the Image Packaging System (IPS). These URLs are used to synchronize the information in your Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library with the Image Packaging System. The Parent list is created when you use the Create Parent Repositories wizard. If your site has its own local repository for Oracle Solaris 11 packages, you can update Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center's library from that location.

Figure 5-3 Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Summary

Description of "Figure 5-3 Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Summary"

Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Content Tab

The Content tab displays a list of the packages in the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library with a brief description of each package. You can search for a specific package, or you can refine the search by category and version.

Figure 5-4 Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Content

Description of "Figure 5-4 Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library Content"

Actions for Oracle Solaris 11 Libraries

You can perform the following actions from the Content tab:

• Configure Parent Repositories

• Add Content

• Delete Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library

Configure Parent Repositories

You can manage publishers for the parent repository and synchronize the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library with the parent. You can manually synchronize the repositories at any time, or you can create a recurring synchronization schedule to automatically synchronize the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library during non-peak hours. In the Configure Parent Repositories wizard, you create a list of parent repositories and associated credentials that you use to update the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library. You can update the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library manually, or schedule updates during off peak hours.

Add Content

You can define a parent repository and add content to the Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library manually by using the Add Content action. The parent repository URL and credentials are not saved when you use this action. To save a list of repositories, use the Configure Parent Repository action.

Delete Oracle Solaris 11 Software Update Library

You can delete the library from the UI and keep its packages and content, or you can delete the library and all of its contents.

Images for OS Provisioning

OS images provision both hardware servers and virtualization hosts with an operating system. In addition to being grouped as packages, updates, Oracle Solaris OS images are also grouped into baselines. You import OS images from existing ISO files. OS images for virtualization hosts are provided as ISO files that you import in the same manner as Oracle Solaris or Linux OS images.

Requirements for OS Images

• An OS image must be in an image file that has the ISO format. If the image is not in an ISO file, create the file. For example, on an Oracle Solaris system, the following command collects all OS component files on the auto-mounted file system into an ISO file.

  # mkisofs -o <name_of_OS.iso> -J -R /cdrom/<name_of_OS>
  

• The Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center software loads one ISO file per operation. If an ISO file spans more than one CD, combine the content on one DVD.

• An ISO file cannot be made from Oracle Solaris installation CDs.

Images for Firmware Updates

Firmware images provision hardware assets and are grouped as packages or updates. They are created by their manufacturers and must be downloaded from vendor web sites or uploaded from their media. A firmware image is a copy of the vendor's firmware file and metadata for the firmware, such as the platform it is used on and any software dependencies.

When you import a firmware image, you might be required to provide metadata to complete the image file. You can usually find the information in the image's README file. You must provide the firmware type, the systems that the firmware supports, the version of the firmware, and any other firmware images that this firmware image depends on.

Uploading or Importing ISO Images

To provision firmware or an OS, you use a deployment plan to direct Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center to retrieve the images from the appropriate software library and install them on the targeted assets. Each time you import an image, a profile is also created with the same name. This default profile can be used in deployment plans but, as a good practice, rename a copy of this profile for use in deployment plans and leave the original profile with its original name in the library.

To use an image in a deployment plan, the image must be in one of the Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center's software libraries. You upload an image or import an image, depending on where the image resides. In both cases, you are moving the image from a location external to Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center's management into one of its libraries.

• If the image resides on the Enterprise Controller's system, import the image.

• If the image does not reside on the Enterprise Controller's system, upload the image.

See the procedures in Keeping Your Firmware Up-to-Date in the How To library

Local Action

An action is a script, binary file, or executable file that makes changes to the managed host. After you upload the script or file to the appropriate category, you create a profile for the type of script or files and then include the profile in the deployment plan that installs or upgrades the OS or firmware. The following actions are available:

• Pre-Actions – Script that runs on a managed host before the provisioning step starts. When you create the deployment plan, you select the Execute Pre-Install step and then select the profile that includes the script.

• Post-Actions – Script that runs on a managed host after a job is completed. When you create the deployment plan, you select the Execute Post-Install step and then select the profile that includes the script.

• Probes – Script that runs on a managed host to verify that a job can be performed.

• Macros – Script that modifies a generic configuration file to make it appropriate for a managed host. The script outputs a single line that replaces a macro sign in a configuration file. Use macros to apply a single configuration file across multiple hosts by customizing the configuration file for each host's environment.

To Upload a Local Action

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library.

3. Click Upload Local Action in the Actions pane.

   The Upload Local Action window is displayed.

   Figure 5-5 Local Upload Action

   
   Description of "Figure 5-5 Local Upload Action"
   
   

4. Enter a name for the action.

5. Enter text to describe the purpose of the script or executable file.

6. Select the type of action such as Pre-Action, Post-action, Macros, or Probes.

7. Click the name of the distribution that is appropriate for the script or executable file.

8. The Parent Category field shows the category you specified as the type of Action. If your site uses subcategories, click the Browse button to navigate to the specific subcategory.

9. Click Browse to locate and select the script or executable file.

10. Click Upload. The file is uploaded to the Linux, Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library in the category you specified.

You can now create a profile for the script and then use the profile in a deployment plan.

Local Package

You can upload software in the following formats:

• pkg

• rpm

• tar

• zip

• gzip

• compress

If the file is in compressed format, the file is uncompressed after it is uploaded.

To Upload a Local Software Package

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click the operating system's Software Update Library.

3. Click Upload Local Software Packages in the Actions pane.

4. Select Yes if the package is a security fix for a previous version of the software. Otherwise, select No.

5. Click the name of the distribution to which you want to add this package.

6. In the Parent Category section, click Local PKGs or click Browse to locate a subcategory.

7. In the Files section, click Add to see the list of files. Select at least one software package.

8. Click Upload. The file is uploaded to the Linux, Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library in the category you specified.

You can now include the package or RPM in an provisioning profile.

Local Configuration Files

A configuration file is a text file, binary file, or non-RPM application that contains the settings and values for an asset type. A profile or deployment plan then uses the configuration file on all of the assets defined for it.

To Upload a Local Configuration File

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library.

3. Click Upload Local Configuration File in the Actions pane.

   The Upload Local Configuration File window is displayed.

   Figure 5-6 Upload Local Configuration File

   
   Description of "Figure 5-6 Upload Local Configuration File"
   
   

4. In Target path on server, type the full path to the configuration file.

5. In Version, type a character string to identify this version of the file. The string is appended to the file name when it is displayed in a Components list.

6. Type a brief description of the file.

7. Select the Distribution to which this file is applied. You can choose multiple distributions.

8. In Parent Category, accept the Configuration Files category or click Browse to locate a subcategory.

9. Click Browse to locate and select the configuration file.

10. Click Upload. The file is uploaded to the Linux, Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library in the category you specified.

Local Categories

Your site's local content is organized into the following default categories: local RPMs or PKGs, configuration files, macros, pre-actions, post-actions, and probes. You can create subcategories to further organize your local content. The type of local content allowed in a subcategory depends on its parent category.

To Add a Local Category

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library.

3. Click Add Local Category in the Actions pane.

4. Enter a name for the new subcategory.

5. Enter a brief description for the new subcategory such as its purpose.

6. Click Distribution to assign to the subcategory.

7. Click Parent Category to select one of the system-defined categories for the subcategory.

8. Click Apply. The new subcategory is created under the selected default category. You can now upload software packages and files into the new subcategory.

Editing a Local Component File

You can edit the contents of a local component file. For example, if you uploaded a system file that contained IP addresses and determined that there was an incorrect IP address in the file, you can edit the file to correct the IP address. You can also use this procedure to replace the file with a corrected file.

To Edit Local Component Files

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library.

3. Click Edit Local Component File in the Actions pane.

4. To specify the file, type its name or click the Browse button to navigate to the file. If the file is not found, click Distribution to select the correct distribution. Only files in the selected distribution are displayed.

5. Select either Edit existing file or Replace existing file.

   • If you choose to edit the file, make changes to the file and click Save.

   • If you choose to replace the file, browse for the replacement file and click Upload.

Deleting a Local Component

You can remove your site's local content but you cannot remove the default categories.

To Delete a Local Component File

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library.

3. Click Delete Local Component in the Actions pane.

4. Expand the category to display the component you want to delete. To change the distribution that is displayed, click Distribution.

5. Select the component or a subcategory to delete.

6. Click Delete.

To remove a subcategory and its components, do not attempt to remove each component and then remove the subcategory. When there are no components in a subcategory, the subcategory creates a placeholder component, which you cannot delete. Repeat the procedure and select the subcategory itself to delete. The placeholder component is also removed.

Uploading Local Software in Bulk

You can upload multiple files or an entire directory in one operation. For example, you can upload the contents of a DVD or you can specify a directory. All components in the directory and subdirectories are uploaded.

The files must be in the following formats:

• pkg

• rpm (for Linux RPMs)

• tar

• zip

• gzip

• compress

If files are compressed, the software extracts the files after it uploads them.

Before You Begin

• Verify that the files have the supported file types.

• Verify that the file size does not exceed 2 GB. If the file is larger than 2 GB, copy the file manually to a file system on the Enterprise Controller's system.

• If you are uploading from removable media, insert the media.

To Upload Local Software in Bulk

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library

3. Click Bulk Upload Packages and Patches in the Actions pane.

   The Upload Packages, Patches, and RPMS window is displayed

   Figure 5-7 Local Software Upload

   
   Description of "Figure 5-7 Local Software Upload"
   
   

4. Click Distribution to select the distribution that applies to these files.

5. Select either Upload from OS Image or Upload from Directory.

6. Specify the path to the OS image or directory or click Browse to locate and select it. If you specify a directory, all files in the directory and its subdirectories are uploaded. If you specify an OS image, you must mount the OS image and select the files.

   1. Click one of the OS images and click Mount.

   2. Click Browse to locate and select the files.

7. Click Submit. The upload job is created.

To view the status of the upload job, select Bulk Upload Results.

To view the certified packages in the software update library, click the Content tab in the center pane and select Patches in the Category list. To view non-certified packages, click Local PKGs or Local RPMs in the Category list.

Viewing Bulk Upload Results

You can view a detailed history of all the local components that were uploaded in bulk.

To View Bulk Upload Results

1. Expand Libraries in the Navigation pane.

2. Click Linux and Oracle Solaris 8-10 Software Update Library.

3. Click Bulk Upload Results in the Actions pane. The uploaded components list displays the name, description, status, and date for each component.

4. Select a component and click View Results. The details of the uploaded components are displayed.