Develop > Presentation layer > Customize IBM Sales Center
Deploy customizations to the IBM Sales Center
Depending on the number of clients and frequency of updates required, you have several choices for installing and updating the IBM Sales Center.
The Quick Install installer provides a one-off install capability for the rich client and Sales Center components. Install scenarios requiring more scalability or automation will use servers that provide LAN booting, re-imaging, software installation, and inventory tracking so the software installed on a large number of clients can be fully remotely managed.
Updates are distributed and managed through a similar group of manual and automated technologies, as are client preference settings.
This table indicates the tasks for which the different technologies described here are suited:
IBM Sales Center Quick Install Image install mechanisms Manual install with Eclipse Update Manager IBM Tivoli Device Management Server Other software distribution systems Initial client installation Easy, limited flexibility, manual Better for high volumes Installing customizations Yes, manual Yes, automated Yes, automated Applying updates Yes, manual Yes, automated Yes, automated Centrally managing the client configuration Yes Yes
The mechanism for updating an Eclipse platform application is to use an Update Site. Eclipse is capable of installing or updating features placed on the remote servers. The features and plug-ins must be packaged in JARs and have a manifest (site.xml) file that links them together. These files collectively form an Eclipse update site.
The Plug-in Development Environment (PDE) provides support for building update sites directly in the workspace. Normally, update sites are placed on remote HTTP servers, but sites in the local file systems are also valid and can be viewed in update manager. The PDE uses this property to provide for building and previewing update sites directly in the workspace.
To use an update site to deploy an application, first organize the extension plug-ins and fragments into features. You can then create an update site project and define the features that should be part of the update site. The update site can then be built and deployed. The IBM Sales Center update manager can then access the site.
Related concepts
Automate builds in Rational Application Developer
Accept customizations for deployment in Rational Application Developer
Configuration management mechanisms
Overview of customizing IBM Sales Center
IBM Sales Center development environment
IBM Sales Center Quick Install
Post deployment provisioning mechanisms
Other software distribution systems
Role-based customization in IBM Sales Center
Manage preferences with other software distribution systems
Production installation of the IBM Sales Center client
Microsoft Remote Installation Services
Tivoli Configuration Manager Pristine Service
WebSphere Everyplace Device Manager
Eclipse and plug-ins in the IBM Sales Center client
Globalization in the IBM Sales Center
WebSphere Everyplace Client Toolkit
Related tasks
Use IBM Tivoli Device Management Server
Apply custom merchandising associations
Enable tracing and debugging in the IBM Sales Center client
Plan a customization to the IBM Sales Center
Create a feature project in Rational Application Developer
Create an update site in Rational Application Developer
Example: Creating and testing an Eclipse update site software package
Example: Creating and testing a WED4WL software package
Debug the IBM Sales Center development environment
Enable tracing in the IBM Sales Center development environment
Launch the IBM Sales Center development environment
Distribute updates independently
Manual install with Eclipse update manager
Use IBM Tivoli Device Management Server: Create an Eclipse NativeAppBundle
Use IBM Tivoli Device Management Server: Enable Enterprise Management Agent
Use IBM Tivoli Device Management Server: Scheduling a software distribution job
Use IBM Tivoli Device Management Server: Uninstallation using a Bundle Control Job
Create the .option file to debug Sales Center client