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How to Use the Baseline Pre-Caching Script to Patch the Solaris OS

Doug Schwabauer, May, 2007

This article describes how to use the baseline pre-caching script and Sun Connection's satellite deployment architecture to patch your Solaris Operating System (Solaris OS). Go here for more information about using Sun Connection.

Overview

The baseline pre-caching script enables you, as a Sun Connection administrator, to download an entire Solaris baseline to your system dependency server (SDS) prior to simulating or deploying a baseline job to any agents in the environment. This greatly enhances the speed with which future jobs are run on those agents, and allows you to monitor the download for any patch download failures in real time.

Prerequisites

To use this script, your system must include the following software:

• Version 1.1 of Sun Connection's satellite deployment architecture on Solaris 10 OS or supported Linux OS, or Sun Update Connection Enterprise 1.0.3 on supported Linux OS. For a list of supported operating systems, go here.
• Python installed and added to the $PATH of the uce-sds user.
• Sun Connection API packages installed on your SDS.

Installation

1. Download the baseline_precache.cgi script; save the file without the ".txt" extension.

2. Copy the script to the appropriate directory on the SDS:

   • Solaris - /opt/SUNWuce/server/cgi-bin
   • Linux - /usr/local/uce/server/cgi-bin

3. Change the owner of the baseline_precache.cgi file.

   chown uce-sds:uce-sds baseline_precache.cgi

4. Change the permissions of the baseline_precache.cgi file.

   chmod +x baseline_precache.cgi

5. Create a link in the /usr/bin directory to the python executable. The following is a typical Solaris 10 example:

   cd /usr/bin

   ln -s /usr/sfw/bin/python

6. Install the Sun Connection Python API on the SDS.

   cd path-to-UCE-tar-ball-unzipped/UCE-1.1.0-226/rpms

   pkgadd -d SUNWucepa.sparc.pkg

Using the Command-Line Utility

1. Become the uce-sds user.

2. Change to the cgi-bin directory:

   • Solaris - /opt/SUNWuce/server/cgi-bin

   • Linux - /usr/local/uce/server/cgi-bin

3. Run the CLI command.

   • To see a list of options, run the following command:

     ./baseline_precache.cgi -help

   • To see a list of channels available to you, run the following command:

     ./baseline_precache.cgi -list_channels

   • To see a list of all baselines available for a channel, run the following command:

     ./baseline_precache.cgi -list_baselines channel

   • To begin the download of a particular baseline, run the following command:

     ./baseline_precache.cgi channel baseline

Example Command-Line Utility

ita-sf15kaa# /bin/su - uce-sds
$ cd /opt/SUNWuce/server/cgi-bin
$ ./baseline_precache.cgi -help
usage : ./baseline_precache.cgi channel> baseline-name>
       -list_channels : list available Solaris channels
       -list_baselines channel> : list baselines for channel
$ ./baseline_precache.cgi -list_channels
available Solaris channels :
SOLARIS_8_0_SPARC
SOLARIS_9_0_SPARC
SOLARIS_10_0_SPARC
$ ./baseline_precache.cgi -list_baselines SOLARIS_10_0_SPARC
.. . ., 'baseline 2007/02/27 [Full]', 'baseline 2007/02/27 [Recommended]', \
'baseline 2007/02/27 [Security]', 'baseline 2007/03/27 [Full]', \
'baseline 2007/03/27 [Recommended]', 'baseline 2007/03/27 [Security]']
$ ./baseline_precache.cgi SOLARIS_10_0_SPARC 'baseline 2007/03/27 [Security]'
Channel: SOLARIS_10_0_SPARC
Baseline: baseline 2007/03/27 [Security]
Number of Patches : 46
Start Time: Mon Apr 16 14:40:55 2007
 Patch     | NID  |   Size    | Status  |       Details            |
 120085-01 |      | 40002988  | 126340  | Already on disk - cached!| - |
 119593-01 |      | 40003074  | 28470   | Already on disk - cached!| - |
 120292-01 |      | 40003314  |24534420 | Already on disk - cached!| - |
 .
 .

More Information

For more information about using Sun Connection, go to the Sun Connection information hub.

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