Recording a response file

Silent installs require a response file. You can manually create a response file, or record a response file with Installation Manager. Recording a response file, unlike the other methods, requires that Installation Manager be installed.

Before you begin

Check user requirements before installing. HCL products require administrator access.
This procedure uses the following terminology:
  • HCL product refers to HCL VersionVault, unless otherwise specified.
  • Local computer refers to the computer where you install the product.
  • Admin computer refers to a computer that you use to create the repository through the IBM® Packaging Utility software.
  • Shared network drive refers to a location on the network that is accessible by the local computer.

About this task

You must record a response file on the same platform that you will be installing on. For example, to install on a Windows® computer, you must record the response file on a Windows® computer. You can record a response file on Windows® XP and use the response file on another supported version of Windows®.

To install on a Linux® computer, you must record the response file on a Linux® computer.

If you plan to install on multiple platforms, you must have a response file for each platform. To record the response files, you must install Installation Manager on each platform. For example, you install Installation Manager on a Windows® platform to create response files for Windows® computers.

The extracted files should contain the product repository. You should not need to create a repository. The HCL product installation files and the Installation Manager installation files should be in separate repositories.

If you want to use only one repository for all installation files or if you are installing from an HTTP server, use Packaging Utility to create a repository that contains all of the installation files.

The Installation Manager installation files are located on the shared network drive because the installation of the HCL product requires access to the Installation Manager installer. In this scenario, you do not install Installation Manager on the shared network drive.

Procedure

  1. Mount a directory or map a shared drive from the shared network drive to the admin computer. Select a drive that is common to the computers that you are installing on. The response file stores the drive and directory location of the repositories.

    In a later step, you specify the repositories located on the remote server. If the response file saves the location as g:\installation_files\EnterpriseCD-Windows\InstallationManager, for example and you record a silent install on a computer that uses the m:\ drive instead of the g:\ drive for the shared drive, the installation cannot find g:\installation_files\EnterpriseCD-Windows\InstallationManager. If needed, you can edit the response file later to change the drive.

  2. Install Installation Manager on the admin computer. You use the Installation Manager GUI to record the response file.
    Note: For platforms that do not have a GUI, see technote 619671.
  3. If the HCL product requires administrator access to run the installation, install Installation Manager using the administrator commands:
    Windows® systems
    shared_drive:\install_files\install.exe
    Linux or UNIX systems
    /install_files/install
    Note: On Windows, use install.exe for installations that use the GUI. Use installc.exe for silent installs. Using install.exe for silent installs is not supported.
    Note: Log files are in these locations:
    • Windows® systems: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\IBM\Installation Manager\logs or C:\ProgramData\IBM\Installation Manager\logs
    • Linux or UNIX systems: /var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs
    On Windows®, logs files are stored in a different location when not installing as an administrator.
  4. After the Installation Manager installation completes, you are prompted to restart Installation Manager. Close Installation Manager after it restarts.
  5. On the local computer, open a command prompt to the Eclipse directory located in the installed Installation Manager directory:
    • Windows® systems: install_dir\Installation Manager\eclipse
    • Linux or UNIX systems: /install_dir/InstallationManager/eclipse
    The default location for Windows® is C:\Program Files\IBM\Installation Manager\eclipse.

    The default location for Linux or UNIX systems is /opt/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse/.

  6. Run the command to record a response file for the HCL product installation. Remember the name and location of the response file because you will need this information in a later step.
    • Windows® systems: .\IBMIM -record c:\response_file\install_versionvault.xml -skipInstall c:\skipInstall_directory\install_versionvault
    • Linux or UNIX systems: ./IBMIM –record /response_file/install_versionvault.xml -skipInstall skipInstall_dir/install_versionvault where install_versionvault.xml is the response file being recorded and skipInstall_directory\install_versionvault is the location where the skipInstall folders and files are created.
    Note: The -skipInstall option records a response file without installing the HCL product. The directory location agentDataLocation must be a writable directory.

    When you create a response file using -skipInstall, you must keep the directory, folders and files created for agentDataLocation. This allows you to modify the response file using the option -record at a later time. You can also manually edit the response file.

    You can specify a directory on the admin computer or on the shared network drive for either the response file location or agentDataLocation. To modify the response file at a later time using Installation Manager, you must use the same directory locations.

    Verify that the file paths that you enter exist. Installation Manager does not create directories for the response file.

    The text (Recording...) displays in the Installation Manager title when you are recording a response file.

    The Installation Manager documentation contains the latest information on creating a response file. For more information on the commands to create a response file and available command options, see Response files.

  7. After recording the response file, add the HCL product and Installation Manager repository locations.
    1. Click File > Preferences > Repositories.
    2. Add the repository location for the HCL product installation files by selecting diskTag.inf. The repository location is created when you extract the installation files for the HCL product. In this scenario, the repository is located on the shared network drive.
      • Windows® systems: g:\installation_files\HCL_product\disk1\diskTag.inf, where g:\ points to the shared drive from the shared network drive.
      • Linux or UNIX systems: /installation_files/HCL_product/disk1/diskTag.inf
      Note: The repository.config file can be created using the Packaging Utility or obtained from the installation files. For fix packs, this file is usually in the install_files\HCLProduct directory. The diskTag.inf file indicates to Installation Manager that the files are from a disk image. The diskTag.inf file can exist across multiple disks. You cannot create a diskTag.inf file with Packaging Utility, but you can select a diskTag.inf in Packaging Utility. The diskTag.inf file cannot be used from an HTTP server. Fix packs do not contain a diskTag.inf file.
    3. Set the Installation Manager preferences.
      Note: Some silent install preferences can be changed only in the response file. For more information on silent install preferences, see the Installation Manager documentation for the version that you are using.
      • In the Preferences window, select Repositories. Enable or disable Search service repositories during installation and updates as appropriate for your environment. This option is stored as offering.service.repositories.areUsed in the response file.
      • In the Preferences window, select Updates. Enable or disable Search for Installation Manager updates as appropriate for your environment. This option is stored as com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.searchForUpdates in the response file.
    4. Click OK.
  8. Step through the install, populating the fields as appropriate for your environment.
  9. After the installation completes, close Installation Manager to finish the recording.
  10. If you created the response file on the admin computer rather than the shared network drive, copy the response file to the shared network drive. You do not need to copy the agentDataLocation directory to the remote server.
    Note: You might want to create a specific directory for response files on the shared network drive. For example, for Windows®, c:\installation_files\response_files and for Linux or UNIX systems, /installation_files/response_files.