Caching packages on the local cache folder

You can use the CentOS Download Cacher R2 to cache packages on an internet-enabled BigFix server. You can configure the BigFix Server to use the repository metadata and packages from both the cache folder and the internet.

Before you begin

Store packages in a separate folder instead of the BigFix server's sha1 folder in case the folder size inflates. Since the BigFix server only stores the latest download, the stored packages might be replaced by newer files if the BigFix server sha1 folder size limit is too small.

About this task

Storing the packages in the local cache allows the CentOS Download Plug-in R2 to use it instead of getting it from the internet.

Additional space may be required as the package will also be cached in the BigFix server's sha1 folder when the BigFix server requests the package from the local cache.

Procedure

  1. Use the buildRepo subcommand with the CentOSR2DownloadCacher.exe file to download packages from a repository to the BigFix server's sha1 folder. For example: 
    CentOSR2DownloadCacher.exe --download_dir C:\downloads 
buildRepo --key centos-7-x64, centos-6-x32

    In this example, the download cacher tool downloads the packages to the specified download folder.

  2. Open the configuration file of the CentOS Download Cacher R2 called plugin.ini. Configure the plugin.ini file with the following settings: 
    localCache = <location of the transferred download_dir>
localCacheOnly = no

    With this setting, the BigFix server first checks the repository metadata in the download plug-in's cache folder. If it has not expired, the BigFix server will use that metadata. Otherwise, the BigFix server will get the repository metadata from the internet. As for the packages, the BigFix server initially checks if the packages exist in the sha1 folder, then proceeds to the localCache before it goes to the internet.