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

Install packages using the centralized installation manager (CIM) for previous versions

Use the centralized installation manager (CIM) to install one or more packages of previous versions to the specified target workstations.

To successfully install a package, first define an installation target, which is the remote workstation on which selected software packages might be installed. By default, all of the workstations that contain nodes that are defined in the cell are displayed as installation targets. The CIM does not install maintenance on the dmgr. Instead, use the Installation Manager to apply maintenance to the dmgr.

During the installation process, the wizard prompts you to select an authentication method which is either user name and password or SSH public/private key. If you choose to use the SSH public/private key method, first create a pair of public/private keys and install the public key on all the installation targets. Read the “Managing installation targets" topic for details.

We must first create the repository to use the features of the CIM. If you did not create the repository during the product installation, you can still set up the CIM repository and add the binary installation images to the repository using the Installation Factory. Ensure that the CIM repository is populated with the installation image for the components to install on the remote workstations. For more information on the steps to populate the CIM repository, refer to the "Getting started with the centralized installation manager" topic for more information.

The number of steps to complete this task can vary depending on the type of installation package that you choose to install.

Procedure

1. Access the wizard from the admin console.

   1. Click System administration > Centralized Installation Manager > Available installations.

   2. Select a package type, which is the type of installation to perform. For example, you can choose to complete a product installation, or an installation that applies various types of maintenance files.
   3. Next, select an installation package. If you choose a package that includes available features, select each feature from the feature list. This list is not displayed if you choose an installation package that does not include available features.

      To deselect any selected feature from the feature list, press Ctrl while you click the selected feature.

   4. Click Show installation targets to populate the table with a list of applicable target workstations on which to install the selected software package.

   5. Select one or more installation targets from the list, and click Install or Install Using Response File to start the Installation wizard.

   Not all installation packages support response files. The Install Using Response File button is disabled if that installation package does not support response files.

2. Accept the license agreement. Click View License Agreement to read the agreement and accept the terms. Click Next to continue.

3. Select an authentication method to access the installation target, and click Next. We can choose to use either the SSH public/private key method, or the user name and password method to authenticate.
4. Provide the authentication settings, and click Next.

    Depending on the authentication method that you choose in step 3, provide the appropriate user name and password for one or more installation targets, or provide the location of the SSH private key file and password on the dmgr.

   If you choose to authenticate using the user name and password method, you can provide a common user name and password to access all of the installation targets, or you can configure unique user names and passwords for each target. Do not use the browser to save the user name and password. The browser might offer the same user name and password on different target names.

5. Optional: If you choose to install using a response file, you can click Browse to locate the response file in the dmgr. For security reasons the browse function is restricted to browse response files in...

   WAS_HOME/cim/responsefiles

   and any subdirectories below it.

   The passwords specified in the response file may optionally be encoded using the ResponseFilePasswordEncoder utility. The following script files for running the utility are located in the WAS_HOME /bin directory:

   • ResponseFilePasswordEncoder.sh file_name password_keys_list [-Backup | -noBackup]
   • ResponseFilePasswordEncoder.bat file_name password_keys_list [-Backup | -noBackup]

   The password_keys_list element is a list of password keys (delimited by comma) for which the password values are to be encoded.

   The -Backup option is an optional argument for making a backup copy of the response file to be encoded. The default option is -noBackup.

   For example:

   • To encode the password values in the response file, responsefile.nd.txt, identified by the keys PROF_importSigningCertKSPassword and PROF_importPersonalCertKSPassword, enter:

     ./ResponseFilePasswordEncoder.sh responsefile.nd.txt PROF_importSigningCertKSPassword,PROF_importPersonalCertKSPassword
     

   • To encode the password values in the response file, responsefile.nd.txt, identified by the keys PROF_importSigningCertKSPassword and PROF_importPersonalCertKSPassword and to keep a back-up copy of the original response file, enter:

     ResponseFilePasswordEncoder.bat responsefile.nd.txt PROF_importSigningCertKSPassword,PROF_importPersonalCertKSPassword -Backup
     

   Invalid arguments in the command line cause the utility to display the command usage information.

6. Specify the installation location and the working location of each installation target, and click Next.

   The installation location is the remote location of the installation target where the package will be installed.

   The working location specifies the directory on the remote target where the CIM will transfer the binary installation files from its repository to the target for subsequent installation on the target.

   Make sure we have enough disk space on both the installation location and the working location. The space required in the installation and working location varies by installation packages. CIM transfers the binary files for the selected installation package from the repository and extracts the content of the binary files into the working location.

7. Specify other command parameters.

   The Installation wizard is a generic wizard for all installation packages that the CIM supports. In addition to the standard installation location parameter, a particular installation package might have zero or more command parameters that require user input. Specify values for these parameters as needed or take the default values.

8. Read the installation summary, and click Finish to submit the installation request to the CIM for processing.

Results

You completed the steps to install one or more packages to the specified target workstations. The CIM receives your installation request, processes the information that providedd, and then installs the package to the workstations.

• The CIM only works on nodes that are part of a dmgr cell. If you use a response file to install WAS v7.x, whether a profile is created and federated to the cell is entirely controlled by the response file. After we have installed a target node, federate the target node to the dmgr in order for the CIM to perform operations against it.

• If you use the CIM to install WAS Version 7.x on a machine that is not yet part of the cell and do not use a response file, the CIM automatically creates a custom profile after completing the installation. The CIM then federates the newly defined node to the cell.

• You might encounter a time out error when installing WebSphere Application Server v7.0 to a node using CIM that is similar to the following example:

  XCIM0203E: The installation command [install -silent -OPT silentInstallLicenseAcceptance="true"  -OPT installType="installNew"
  -OPT installLocation="/QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/AppServer" -OPT  disableOSPrereqChecking="false" -OPT profileType="none"
  -OPT feature="languagepack.console.all"  -OPT feature="languagepack.server.all" -OPT defaultProfileLocation="/QIBM/UserData/WebSphere/AppServer"]  timed out.
  

  We can modify the default time out value in the descriptor file InstallPackageND70X.xml, located at WAS_HOME/properties/cim. Open InstallPackageND70X.xml in a text editor and locate the <InstallCmd TimeoutInSecs="1800"> tag. The default time out value is 1,800 seconds (30 mins).

  To install WAS v7 on IBM i nodes, change the time out value to 5,400 seconds (90 mins). Save the changes and restart the dmgr.

What to do next

In the admin console, check the status of your pending requests on the Installations in Progress page, and review the log files of your submitted installation requests from the Installation History page. Read the details about the options that you can use to further monitor the progress of each request.

From the Installation History panel you can click View Details to display a panel with additional details on the results. Links to log files on the remote targets are included. However, those logs might be moved, replaced, or deleted if they are not viewed immediately after an installation operation.
Get started with the centralized installation manager (CIM) for previous versions
Manage v6.1.x and 7.x centralized installation manager (CIM) installation targets
Use the centralized installation manager (CIM) to manage v6.1.x and 7.x

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