Customizing the options response file for Network Deployment

This topic describes how to customize the response file for installing the WAS Network Deployment product from a command line without using the graphical user interface of the Installation wizard.

 

Before you begin

Before using the install -options myoptionsfile -silent command on a Linux or UNIX platform, or the install.exe -options myoptionsfile -silent command on a Windows platform to invoke a silent installation, customize the response file to add your selections.

Use the response file to supply values to the Installation wizard as the wizard runs in silent mode. The wizard does not display interactive panels when it runs in silent mode, but reads values from the response file instead.

Be precise when supplying values in the file: Customize the options response file precisely to let the installation program read the option values that the file contains. Incorrect specifications affect the silent interface of the Installation wizard. For example, always enclose values in double quotation marks.

If you customize the response file incorrectly, the Installation wizard cannot install the product unless you remove the -options parameter. If the error is an invalid option value, ISMP displays a warning message that confirm and stops the installation.

Compare your options response file to the responsefile.nd.txt file that is shipped with the product to make the necessary corrections. After correcting the file, reinstall.

 

Overview

Guidance: The options response file has comments that describe each directive in the file. Read the explanations in the file to further understand the purpose of each directive.

See responsefile.nd.txt for an example of the comments and directives in the response file.

Use the following description of options as a worksheet to plan your values. Refer to the individual descriptions of directives in the following list to help plan your responses:

-W silentInstallLicenseAcceptance.value="false"
# -W detectedexistingcopypanelInstallWizardBean.choice="addFeatures"
Platform specific: -P wasProductBean.installLocation="/usr/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer"
Platform specific: -P wasProductBean.installLocation="/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer"
Platform specific: -P wasProductBean.installLocation="C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer"
-P samplesProductFeatureBean.active="true"
-P javadocsProductFeatureBean.active="true"
-W ndsummarypanelInstallWizardBean.launchPCT="true"
-W pctresponsefilelocationqueryactionInstallWizardBean.fileLocation=""

See responsefile.nd.txt for an example of the response file. Refer to the following list of values to plan your responses to the options in the file:

-W silentInstallLicenseAcceptance.value="false"

Valid values are true or false. You must accept the license agreement before you are allowed to install the product.

Default value Description Your value
false By changing the silentInstallLicenseAcceptance.value in this response file to "true", you agree that you have reviewed and agree to the terms of the IBM International Program License Agreement accompanying this program, which is located at CD_ROOT\WAS\lafiles. If you do not agree to these terms, do not change the value or otherwise download, install, copy, access, or use the program and promptly return the program and proof of entitlement to the party from whom you acquired it to obtain a refund of the amount you paid.

Change the value to true to accept the license agreement and install the product. We cannot install the product with the default value.

 

-W detectedexistingcopypanelInstallWizardBean.choice= "addFeatures"

The only valid value for this directive is addFeatures. Leave the line commented if you are not adding features to a previous installation.

Default value Description Your value
Commented out Uncomment the line to add features to an existing installation in an incremental migration.

Change the value of the following -P wasProductBean.installLocation= directive to the directory of the existing installation.

To avoid problems, set the feature active properties for currently installed features to false. To install a new feature, set the feature active property to true.

For example, suppose that you have an existing installation of the product with the Javadocs feature installed, but not the Samples feature. To install the Samples feature, set the following directives accordingly:

  • -P samplesProductFeatureBean.active=true

  • -P javadocsProductFeatureBean.active=false

The feature selection options are described after the installation type option.

 

-P wasProductBean.installLocation=

  • -P wasProductBean.installLocation="/usr/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer"

  • -P wasProductBean.installLocation="/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer"

  • -P wasProductBean.installLocation="C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer"

Default value Description Your value
Varies per product disc The installation root directory for the product. Specify a valid directory.

The default installation location is for a Windows system. Comment the Windows line to install on a Linux or UNIX operating system.

Uncomment the line that describes your platform and optionally change the location. The installation path must be 80 characters or less.

Important: Do not use symbolic links as the destination directory. Symbolic links are not supported.

Spaces are also not supported in the name of the installation directory.

On a Windows system, the directory can contain spaces. Enclose a directory name with spaces within double quotation marks as shown in the Windows example.

 

-P samplesProductFeatureBean.active="true"

Valid values are true or false.

Default value Description Your value
true This option installs the Samples feature.

Change the value to false to skip the installation of the Samples feature.

Change the value to false during an incremental installation if the Samples feature is already installed.

Do not use a value of true if the Samples feature is already installed.

 

-P javadocsProductFeatureBean.active="true"

Valid values are true or false.

Default value Description Your value
true This option installs the Javadocs feature.

Change the value to false to skip the installation of the Javadocs feature.

Change the value to false during an incremental installation if the Javadocs feature is already installed.

Do not use a value of true if the Javadocs feature is already installed.

 

-W ndsummarypanelInstallWizardBean.launchPCT="true"

Valid values are true or false.

Default value Description Your value
true A value of true launches the Profile creation wizard silently.

This option controls launching the Profile creation wizard silently at the end of the installation of the core product files and features. The Profile creation wizard can create one of the three available profile types for the Network Deployment product.

 

-W pctresponsefilelocationqueryactionInstallWizardBean.fileLocation=""

Valid values are the absolute path and file name of the customized options file for a profile. The original files are located in the WAS directory on the product disc or the downloaded installation image.

You must copy the appropriate file to a location on your machine where one can edit and save the file. The names of the original profile response files are:

Each file contains a planning area for marking your values.

Default value Description Your value
none This option must specify the absolute path to the customized options file for the appropriate profile.

For example:

-W pctresponse...fileLocation=
"/tmp/WAS/responsefile.pct.NDdmgrProfile.txt"

-W pctresponse...fileLocation=
"C:\temp\WAS\responsefile.pct.NDdmgrProfile.txt"

 

Perform the following procedure to use the options response file

 

Procedure

  1. Locate the sample options response file. The file is named responsefile.nd.txt in the WAS directory on the product CD-ROM or in a downloaded installation image.

  2. Copy the file to preserve it in its original form. For example, copy it as myoptionsfile on your disk drive.

  3. Edit the copy in your flat file editor of choice, on the target operating system. Read the directions within the response file to choose appropriate values. Important: To prepare the file for a silent installation on AIX, use UNIX line-end characters (0x0D0A) to end each line of the options response file. The safest method of preparing the file is to edit the file on the target operating system.

  4. Include custom option responses that reflect parameters for your system.

    Read the directions within the response file to choose appropriate values.

  5. Save the file.

  6. Optional: Edit the response file for the profile that you selected while editing the response file for the product installation. The directives for each file are described in the following topics:

  7. Save the response file for creating the profile.

  8. Log on with the proper authorizations for installing the product.

    Log on as root on a Linux platform or a UNIX platform, or as a user that belongs to the administrator group on a Windows platform. Installing as a non-root user is not supported on Linux or UNIX operating systems.

    Some steps of the silent installation procedure on a Windows platform require that the administrator group user have the advanced user rights Act as part of the operating system and Log on as a service.

  9. Issue the command to start the installation.

    Use the following command to install WAS Network Deployment with a file that you customize with your own responses. The following command assumes that you copy the responsefile.nd.txt file as myoptions.txt before customizing the file.

    • install -options /tmp/WAS/myoptions.txt -silent

    • install.exe -options "C:\temp\WAS\myoptions.txt" -silent

 

Result

This procedure results in creating a customized response file and using the file to start a silent installation.

 

Example

Edit the version of the file that ships with the Network Deployment

product. The examples in responsefile.nd.txt and the example profile response files are not guaranteed to be an accurate representation of what ships with the product. The profile creation file examples are:

 

What to do next

Go to Installing silently to continue.

 

See also


responsefile.nd.txt

 

Related Information


responsefile.pct.NDdmgrProfile.txt
responsefile.pct.NDmanagedProfile.txt
responsefile.pct.NDstandAloneProfile.txt