Setting repository preferences

A repository is a location that stores data for installing, modifying, rolling back, updating, or uninstalling packages.

Before you begin

Before installing, modifying, or updating a release, obtain the installation repository location from your administrator or HCL.

About this task

On the Repositories window, you can add, edit, or remove repositories and modify the repository order in the repository table. You can clear credentials for a repository or test a connection to a repository. You can set a preference to search or not search service repositories when installing or updating a package.

Repository Locations

You can add repository locations on the Repositories page of the Preferences window. To add a new repository location, you must select one of the following files: diskTag.inf, repository.config, .zip, or a JAR file containing a repository. The file you select depends on what you are installing, modifying, or updating. The Repository files table provides information about the different files.

Table 1. Repository files
Repository file Information
diskTag.inf diskTag.inf indicates to Installation Manager that the files are from a disk image.  diskTag.inf can be across multiple disks.  diskTag.inf cannot be used from an HTTP server. Updates do not contain a diskTag.inf. 
Note: You cannot create a diskTag.inf with Packaging Utility but you can select a diskTag.inf in Packaging Utility.
JAR file containing a repository License kits are distributed using a .jar file.
repository.config Repository.config obtained from the repository files.  For updates, this file is typically in the install_files\IBMProduct directory. 

Repository.config can be created or selected in Packaging Utility.
.zip file .zip files that contain a diskTag.inf or are larger than 2.2 GB in size must be extracted.

If you perform a search of the HCL product installation files, you might find both a diskTag.inf and a repository.config. Use the diskTag.inf when selecting a repository location.

Test Connections

To test a connection to repository:
  1. Check the box to the left of the repositories that you want to test.
  2. Click Test Connections

For repositories that you are connected to, you see a green box in the Connection column of the repository table. When Installation Manager cannot connect to a repository, a message displays with information about the failed connection to the repository. Click Details to view additional details about the failed connection. For failed connections, a red box displays in the Connection column.

Service Repository

Installation Manager searches both service repositories and repositories listed in the repository table or the response file. The repository table is available in Installation Manager. To view the repository table, go to File > Preference > Repositories. The response file is used with silent installs.

Service repositories contain product updates. Installation Manager and each HCL product includes links to service repositories that are specific to the product. You cannot see or modify the service repository links. When the preference Search service repositories during installation and updates is checked, Installation Manager searches the service repositories for available updates for the products that are installed. This preference is selected by default.
Important: If a machine does not have access to the Internet or you do not want the machine to access the it, clear Search service repositories during installation and updates. When this option is checked, the Install, Modify, and Update wizards try to access the service repositories. If a connection is not made, Installation Manager times out and then tries to reconnect before starting the installation, update, or modify.
Check the preference Search service repositories during installation and updates to search the service repositories for updates to installed packages. To set this preference in Installation Manager, go to File > Preferences... > Repositories.  In a response file, set the key offering.service.repositories.areUsed to true. To not search the service repositories, either clear the preference Search service repositories during installation and updates in Installation Manager or set offering.service.repositories.areUsed to false in the response file.
Note: Updates from service repositories do not display in the repository table. For example, updates are available from the service repositories for an HCL product that you have installed. You checked Search service repositories during installation and updates. You open the repository table. The updates from the service repositories do not display. However, the updates from service repositories do display when you click Install, Modify, or Update in Installation Manager.

The preferences Search service repositories during installation and updates and Search for Installation Manager updates determine what updates are search for by Installation Manager. For information about how these preferences work together, see Searching for updates.

Procedure

To add, edit or remove a repository location in Installation Manager:
  1. In Installation Manager, click File > Preferences... > Repositories.
    The Repositories page opens and displays available repositories, repository locations, and the connection status for the repositories.
  2. Click Add Repository.
  3. Enter the repository location or click Browse. When browsing, navigate to the repository location and select the diskTag.inf, repository.config, .zip, or JAR file as appropriate for your environment.
  4. Click OK.

    If you provided an HTTPS or restricted FTP repository location, you are prompted to enter a user ID and password.

    The new repository location is added to the list. If the repository is not connected, a red box displays in the Connection column.
  5. Optional: Check Search service repositories during installation and updates. Installation Manager searches the service repositories for updates to installed packages.
  6. Click OK to close the Preference page.