WAS v8.0 > Install the application serving environment > Distributed operating systems > Centralized installation manager (CIM) > Use the centralized installation manager (CIM) to manage v6.1.x and 7.x > Get started with the centralized installation manager (CIM) for previous versions
Considerations when using the centralized installation manager (CIM) for previous versions
Consider the following information before installing and using the centralized installation manager (CIM) in the application server environment.
Avoid trouble: We must elevate your Windows user account privileges to perform CIM operations. For more information on the elevated user account privileges, see the Microsoft documentation on the User Account Control or see the Managing centralized installation manager (CIM) installation targets documentation. In addition to the elevated Windows user account privileges, enable the Remote Registry service to perform CIM operations on remote Microsoft Windows systems.
Installable packages and products
The centralized installation manager does not replace the Installation wizard or the IBM Update Installer for WebSphere Software. Instead, the centralized installation manager starts the Installation wizard for the product component or the Update Installer to install or uninstall the components or maintenance.
The various product components and maintenance files that you can install or uninstall by using the centralized installation manager are included in the following list:
- WAS Network Deployment v7.x
- WAS v6.x and 7.x refresh packs, fix packs, and interim fixes
Consult the documentation for WAS to learn more about installing or uninstalling product components or maintenance from the application server and uninstalling product components when no augmented profiles exist.
Cell-based function
Centralized installation manager for previous versions is a cell-based function. If WAS is installed on a target, it will be federated back to the dmgr as a new node. Fix packs and interim fixes can be applied to nodes within the cell only.
Temporary installation locations
After the centralized installation manager successfully completes the installation process on a remote node, it then deletes the installation image files that are located in the temporary location specified during the installation process. If the installation is unsuccessful, the files remain in the temporary location for you to use to determine what caused the installation error. However, you can safely delete the files.
Start the node agent
The centralized installation manager relies on current information regarding the versions of WAS that are installed on each node. This information is kept current on the dmgr configuration by the node agent that is running on each node. The dmgr contains the correct versions of WAS that are installed on each node if the node agent of each node is started at least once after each update is applied.
To ensure that the dmgr receives this information, the centralized installation manager automatically starts the node agent after each installation or uninstallation of maintenance. To locally apply updates on the nodes without using the centralized installation manager, issue the startNode command after you complete the operation to manually start the node agent.
Secondly, the centralized installation manager relies on the node agent to effectively stop the server processes on the target node and if the node agent is not running, the administrator will have to ensure that all the server processes are stopped on the target node before initiating any maintenance update operations on the node.
Update Installer for WebSphere Software
The centralized installation manager installs an appropriate level of the Update Installer on the target systems that it uses to install fix packs and other maintenance. If you had previously installed the Update Installer tool on any of the target hosts in a directory location other than WAS_HOME/UpdateInstaller, then you may want to consider uninstalling the Update Installer by using its uninstallation process because that copy would not be used by the centralized installation manager. But it is not mandatory to uninstall that copy for CIM to work properly.
The centralized installation manager will automatically install the Update Installer tool (if it is not already installed in WAS_HOME/UpdateInstaller) when you install fix packs or other maintenance on the target systems. If the version of the Update Installer tool found in WAS_HOME/UpdateInstaller does not meet the minimum version required by the interim fix or fix pack, the centralized installation manager automatically installs a newer version on the targets, if we have downloaded the newer version of the Update Installer tool to your repository.
Lastly, you cannot use centralized installation manager to install the Update Installer on nodes that are not federated to the dmgr cell.
Get started with the centralized installation manager (CIM) for previous versions
Manage v6.1.x and 7.x centralized installation manager (CIM) installation targets