User guide

Plug-ins

391

A plug-in provides support for a specific appliance type (model) in the DSView software. A

plug-in is packaged into a single archive file that can be shipped and added independently of the

DSView software. You may add plug-ins to the DSView software version 3.3 or later.

Although plug-ins are created independently, a particular DSView software release may include

one or more plug-ins that have already been added to the software. The release notes will

indicate if any plug-ins are included. If a plug-in is included, you will not need to add it to the

hub or spoke servers.

This chapter describes how to add and manage plug-ins in the DSView software. Once you

successfully complete the sequence for adding a plug-in, you may add appliances of that type

and initiate other operations from the DSView software that are supported in that plug-in.

NOTE: You must have DSView software administrator access rights to view, add and manage plug-ins.

Plug-ins are created using the Plug-in API in the DSView Software Development Kit (SDK).

Recommended Sequence for Adding/Upgrading Plug-ins

To add or upgrade a plug-in:

1. Ensure that scheduled replication will not occur during the adding or upgrading of plug-ins -

you may need to change the replication schedule temporarily.

2. Perform a replication operation on every spoke server. See Replication on page 84.

3. Perform a backup of the DSView software database. See Backing up and Restoring Hub

Servers Manually on page 77.

4. Add or upgrade the plug-in on the hub server.

• To add a plug-in, see Adding Plug-ins on page 392.

• To upgrade a plug-in, see Upgrading a plug-in on page 395.