Create build definitions and generating the IIP

This page describes how to create a build definition file and generate the integrated installation package (IIP) with IBM WebSphere Installation Factory. You must first install the Installation Factory before you use it to create an installation package. See Getting Started with the Installation Factory for more information.We can create installation packages for operating systems other than the one on which Installation Factory is running:

  • [AIX]

    [HP-UX]

    [Linux]

    [Solaris] <p> IBM WebSphere Installation Factory on these operating systems can create installation packages for all supported platforms.

  • [Windows] <p> IBM WebSphere Installation Factory on Windows operating systems can create installation packages for Windows and IBM i.

  • [iSeries] IBM i users must install the Installation Factory on distributed platform. The Installation Factory does not run on an IBM i platform.

To create an IIP, first create a build definition file which IBM WebSphere Installation Factory later uses to generate the IIP. The build definition file describes exactly which packages and configurations are included in the IIP. We can do both steps on the local machine, or we can choose to create the build definition locally, then pass the XML file to another machine to generate the IIP, perhaps even on a different machine or operating system. The remote machine must first contain the Installation Factory and all products you want to include in the IIP in order to generate an IIP from a build definition file.

In some cases, we might not be able to use the Build definition wizard on the target operating system platform. we have three options in such a case:

  • Use the wizard in disconnected mode on a supported machine to create a build definition file for the target operating system on another machine.

    Then copy the file to the target operating system and use the command line interface to generate the IIP.

  • We can create a build definition file and generate an IIP for the other platform if we are working on a similar platform. In other words, we can create and generate an IIP on any AIX, HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris platforms for any other supported platform, and we can create and generate an IIP on any supported Windows platform for any other supported Windows and IBM i platforms.

  • Create the build definition XML document using a validating XML editor.

    Copy one of the IIP sample build definition documents from the IF_root/samples/iip directory to get started.

    After making the changes, validate the build definition document with its XML schema (IF_root/eclipse/plugins/com.ibm.ws.install.factory.base_7.0.0/xsd/IIPBuildDefinintion.xsd) using a validating XML parser or editor. Then use the command line interface to start the processing engine and create the IIP.

Use the following procedure to create the build definition file and generate the IIP.

 

  1. Download WAS code from the download page for the IBM WebSphere Installation Factory and unpack the code.

    See the download page for a complete list of tested operating systems.

  2. Consider which installation packages you want to include in the IIP. IBM WebSphere Installation Factory does not contain any product installation images. You must provide the software to be installed by IBM WebSphere Installation Factory.

  3. Start the IBM WebSphere Installation Factory console with the GUI script.

    • [AIX]

      [HP-UX]

      [Linux]

      [Solaris] <p> Use the IF_root/bin/ifgui.sh script.

    • [Windows] <p> Use the IF_root\bin\ifgui.bat script.

  4. Create a new IIP build definition or open an existing one.

    • Click Create New Integrated Installation Package to create a new IIP build definition.

    • Click Open Build Definition if you want to edit an existing build definition XML file.

  5. Choose whether to run the wizard in connected or disconnected mode.

  6. Provide all required parameters to identify the package information, the output location for the build definition file, the output location for the IIP, products, installation images, additional files and directories, and authorship information. See the help panel documents for information on each step of the IIP creation process.

    Panel Description

    		Specify whether to work in connected or disconnected mode, and specify the target operating system for the IIP.

    		Specify a universally unique identifier for the IIP.

    		Specify the name and location of the build definition file and the IIP.

    		Use this panel to choose whether the IIP installation wizard is displayed to the IIP user during installation, and whether this setting can be overridden.

    		Add and modify installation packages for the IIP. This panel also contains the following panels:


    		Add files and directories to the IIP.

    		Specify an organization and description for the IIP.

    		Use this summary panel to review all of the selections for the IIP.

    File paths and file names must comply with the following guidelines:

    • [Windows] <p> Contain 35 or fewer characters on Windows platforms

    • Start and end with English-only alphabetic characters (A-Z, a-z) or numbers (0-9) only

    • Contain English-only alphabetic characters (A-Z, a-z), numbers (0-9), periods (.) or underscores (_) only

    • Not contain special characters (such as à é í ö û æ ñ ☐)

    • Not contain spaces or these characters: ~ ` ! @ # $ % ^ & ( ) { } [ ] | \ / : ; , ? ' " < = > + *

  7. On the Integrated Installation Package Preview panel, select whether to save the build definition file only or to save the build definition file and generate the IIP locally. Click Finish to exit the Build definition wizard.

    If you selected to build the definition file only, copy the build definition XML file to the target machine. Run the ifcli command against the build definition file to generate the IIP. See for more information.

    The amount of time required to generate the IIP depends on the number and type of products that you include in the package.

  8. The Installation Factory logs a completion message in the IF_root/logs/log.txt file when the processing engine is finished.

 

Results

We can now install the IIP which we have created. See for more information or if you want to install silently.

 

Next steps

See the following examples to create and install an IIP containing the appserver and a feature pack:

These examples are extracted from the IIP sample guide available on the Installation Factory web site at IBM Installation Factory for WebSphere Application Server V6.1 for Windows.


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Last updated Nov 11, 2010 1:01:09 PM CST