Using the download plug-in

The download plug-ins, AIX Plug-in and AIX Plug-in R2, are executable programs that download a relevant patches directly from the patch vendor. Fixlets use an internal protocol to communicate with the download plug-in to download files. These Fixlets are based on updates made by the vendor.

For the Fixlet to be able to use the protocol, the related download plug-in must be registered on the BigFix server. Use the Manage Download Plug-ins dashboard to register the appropriate download plug-in.

Note: Download plug-ins support basic authentication only.

The AIX Plug-in and AIX Plug-in R2 utilize the Electronic Customer Care (ECC) services to retrieve AIX updates. ECC replaces the fixget tool to provide a centralized access point to access code updates for IBM systems. Using ECC instead of fixget has a significant impact on the supported protocols utilized for fix server communication and to download updates.

The Bigfix caching mechanism is utilized to download and cache filesets in the BigFix server, allowing them to be reused for later deployment. This approach tremendously saves time from having to download the same set of filesets every time an action is taken against a Fixlet.

Note: You are advised to register the download plug-in services only on the BigFix server and not on BigFix® relay computers.