POLYCENTER Software Installation Utility Developer's Guide

Contents

Index

5.5.3 Converting a Sequential Kit into Reference Format

You can use the PRODUCT COPY command to extract files from a kit in sequential format and place them in reference format. This differs in a number of ways from extracting all files from a sequential kit into a specific directory using the PRODUCT EXTRACT FILE command. When copying a kit into reference format, the files are placed in a directory tree as they would appear after installation on the user's system. Unlike the installation of a sequential kit, however, temporary files from the kit are placed in the directory tree and files pertaining to all options are extracted.

You can also use the PRODUCT COPY command to convert a reference kit into sequential format, and for copying a kit while preserving its format.

5.5.4 Converting a Sequential Kit into Compressed Format

You can use the PRODUCT COPY command to convert a sequential kit into compressed format. The following example illustrates this technique:

$ PRODUCT COPY CHESS /SOURCE=[TEST.KIT] - /DESTINATION=[TEST.KIT] /FORMAT=COMPRESSED

The /SOURCE qualifier points to the location of the sequential kit you want to convert to the compressed format. The /DESTINATION= qualifier points to the location where the newly-created compressed kit will reside.

5.6 Displaying Information from the Product Database

After the product kit is installed, you can use the PRODUCT SHOW PRODUCT command to list the products installed on the system. Use the /FULL qualifier for additional information about software references and patches that may have been applied to the products. Additional commands (not shown here) that are useful for obtaining more information about installed products are the PRODUCT SHOW HISTORY /FULL, PRODUCT SHOW OBJECT /FULL, and PRODUCT SHOW RECOVERY_DATA commands.

$ PRODUCT INSTALL CHESS ! /LOG and /TRACE are useful for debugging . . . $ PRODUCT SHOW PRODUCT ----------------------------------- ----------- ------------ PRODUCT KIT TYPE STATE ----------------------------------- ----------- ------------ ABC_CO AXPVMS CHESS V1.0 Full LP Installed DEC AXPVMS DECNET_PHASE_IV V7.1 Full LP Installed DEC AXPVMS DWMOTIF V1.2-4 Full LP Installed DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.1 Transition Installed ----------------------------------- ----------- ------------ 4 items found

Chapter 6
Advanced Topics

This chapter contains information about the following advanced POLYCENTER Software Installation utility concepts:

Using command procedures
Testing and debugging

In addition, it presents flow diagrams depicting the execution of several PRODUCT commands.

6.1 Using Command Procedures in PDL Statements

The Product Description Language (PDL) provides statements that perform common kit installation tasks such as creating directories, copying files to the target disk, updating libraries, displaying informational messages, and so on. There are times, however, when you might need to perform tasks that are unique to your product. For example, a new version of a product might need to detect the existence of a data file from a previous version and convert it to a new format. Or, you might want to probe the operating environment or ask the user specific questions before an installation may proceed.

To support this type of customization, the PDL provides several EXECUTE statements. These statements let you include command procedures (or individual DCL commands) that run during certain phases of a product install, upgrade, reconfigure, undo patch, or remove operation. These statements are:

EXECUTE ABORT
Runs error recovery commands just before the utility exits when an error condition causes the operation to terminate. For example, the following will activate the EXECUTE ABORT statement:
- An error or fatal error condition that results from running commands from an EXECUTE statement (except EXECUTE TEST and EXECUTE REBOOT).
- The user terminates the operation by pressing Ctrl/Y or Ctrl/C.
- After an error is reported during material placement on the target disk, the user answers YES to the question "Do you want to terminate?".
EXECUTE INSTALL...REMOVE
Runs commands during the execution phase when changes are made to the target disk (such as creating directories and moving files).
- The INSTALL portion is performed during an installation, upgrade, or reconfiguration of the product after product material has been moved from the kit to the target disk.
- The REMOVE portion is performed during removal of the product before any files are deleted from the target disk.
EXECUTE LOGIN
Does not run any commands. It only displays a predefined message telling users to update their LOGIN.COM file with the specified commands.
EXECUTE POSTINSTALL
Runs commands that perform additional tasks at the end of the execution phase of an installation, upgrade, or reconfiguration of the product.
EXECUTE POST_UNDO
Runs commands that perform additional tasks at the end of a patch kit removal in the UNDO PATCH operation.
EXECUTE PRECONFIGURE
Runs commands after the user has selected the product for installation, upgrade, or reconfiguration, but before the utility begins the configuration phase where the user is asked to select options for the product. If you need to run a command procedure in preparation for installing your product, consider using an EXECUTE PRECONFIGURE statement. This lets you embed preconfiguration work in the kit and relieves users of performing this task themselves.
EXECUTE PRE_UNDO
Runs commands that perform additional tasks at the beginning of a patch kit removal in the UNDO PATCH operation.
EXECUTE REBOOT
Runs commands that initiate a system reboot at the conclusion of a PRODUCT INSTALL or PRODUCT RECONFIGURE operation.
EXECUTE START...STOP
Runs commands during the execution phase.
- The START commands are executed during an installation or upgrade. In addition, a predefined message is displayed telling the user to add these commands to their SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM file.
- The STOP commands are executed when the product is removed or upgraded. In addition, a predefined message is displayed telling the user to add these commands to their SYSHUTDWN.COM file whenever the product is installed, upgraded, or reconfigured.
EXECUTE TEST
Runs an installation verification procedure (or functional test of the product) after the installation has completed. Prior to running the test, the product database is updated and closed. The user can prevent the running of the installation verification procedure by specifying the /NOTEST qualifier with the PRODUCT INSTALL command.
EXECUTE UPGRADE
Runs commands when the product is upgraded by another version of the product. Commands are run before product material from the previously installed version of the product is deleted.
ASSEMBLE EXECUTE option of a FILE statement
Runs commands that create the specified file in a scratch directory at execution time, then copies the file to the target disk. This replaces the usual process of extracting a packaged copy of the file from the kit. A typical use of the ASSEMBLE EXECUTE option is to dynamically link an image at installation time.

Table 6-1 lists the PDL statements you can use to run command procedures (or individual DCL commands) that you provide. The statements are listed in the order of their execution during an installation, reconfiguration, or remove operation. Note that the table distinguishes between a new installation and an upgrade installation. The term upgrade denotes replacement of an installed version of a product by a higher, lower, or the same version of the product.

Table 6-1 Command Procedure Execution by Operation
PDL Statements
Listed in the
Order of Execution PRODUCT
INSTALL
1st Time PRODUCT
INSTALL
Upgrade PRODUCT
RECONFIGURE PRODUCT
REMOVE PRODUCT UNDO PATCH

EXECUTE PRECONFIGURE yes yes yes no no

EXECUTE...STOP no yes ¹ no yes no

EXECUTE...REMOVE no no no yes no

EXECUTE UPGRADE no yes ¹ no no no

FILE statement using ASSEMBLE EXECUTE yes yes yes ² no no

EXECUTE INSTALL... yes yes yes no no

EXECUTE START... yes yes no no no

EXECUTE POSTINSTALL yes yes yes no no

EXECUTE TEST yes yes yes no no

EXECUTE LOGIN no ³ no ³ no ³ no no

EXECUTE START...STOP no ³ no ³ no ³ no no

EXECUTE ABORT yes ⁴ yes ⁴ yes ⁴ no no

EXECUTE REBOOT yes ⁵ yes ⁵ yes ⁵ no no

EXECUTE PRE_UNDO no no no no yes

EXECUTE POST_UNDO no no no no yes

**Table 6-1 Command Procedure Execution by Operation**
PDL Statements Listed in the Order of Execution	PRODUCT INSTALL 1st Time	PRODUCT INSTALL Upgrade	PRODUCT RECONFIGURE	PRODUCT REMOVE	PRODUCT UNDO PATCH
EXECUTE PRECONFIGURE	yes	yes	yes	no	no
EXECUTE...STOP	no	yes ¹	no	yes	no
EXECUTE...REMOVE	no	no	no	yes	no
EXECUTE UPGRADE	no	yes ¹	no	no	no
FILE statement using ASSEMBLE EXECUTE	yes	yes	yes ²	no	no
EXECUTE INSTALL...	yes	yes	yes	no	no
EXECUTE START...	yes	yes	no	no	no
EXECUTE POSTINSTALL	yes	yes	yes	no	no
EXECUTE TEST	yes	yes	yes	no	no
EXECUTE LOGIN	no ³	no ³	no ³	no	no
EXECUTE START...STOP	no ³	no ³	no ³	no	no
EXECUTE ABORT	yes ⁴	yes ⁴	yes ⁴	no	no
EXECUTE REBOOT	yes ⁵	yes ⁵	yes ⁵	no	no
EXECUTE PRE_UNDO	no	no	no	no	yes
EXECUTE POST_UNDO	no	no	no	no	yes

¹Only commands from the EXECUTE statement of the product being removed are run.
²The file is created only if the statement is part of a configuration option that the reconfiguration operation selects for the first time.
³The only action performed at this time is to display a message to the user.
⁴Commands from the EXECUTE ABORT statement are run only when an error condition causes the operation to terminate.
⁵Commands from the EXECUTE REBOOT statement are run if the user allows it during the operation.