Technical data

Installing, Upgrading, and Updating Software

3.7 Using the POLYCENTER Software Installation Utility

• A product description ﬁle in a reference copy format kit for OpenVMS Alpha

has the following format:

DEC-AXPVMS-VMS-V0601-1H2-2.PCSI$DESCRIPTION

This format shows that the producer is DEC (DIGITAL), the base is AXPVMS

(OpenVMS Alpha), the product is OpenVMS, and the version is V6.1-1H2.

The type of version is V, the major version number is 6, the minor version

number 1, the update level is 1, and the maintenance edit level is H2. The

kit_type is 2 (operating system).

• A product description ﬁle in a reference copy format kit for a ﬁeld test version

of OpenVMS Alpha has the following format:

DEC-AXPVMS-VMS-T0700-FT2-2.PCSI$DESCRIPTION

This format shows that the producer is DEC (DIGITAL), the base is AXPVMS

(OpenVMS Alpha), the product is OpenVMS, and the version is V7.0-FT2.

The type of version is T, the major version number is 7, and the minor version

number is 0. There is no update level because the ﬁrst character after the

hyphen is not a digit. The maintenance edit level is FT2 and the kit_type is 2

(operating system).

3.7.4 Creating a Product Conﬁguration File (PCF)

You can create a PCF before or during an installation. You can also create

more than one PCF for each product, thereby helping you to customize software

installations for unique hardware situations or for different usage patterns within

a group.

If a PCF is present and it contains a response for a conﬁguration choice, the

default for that choice comes from the PCF. The PCF speciﬁes whether the choice

can be changed or whether it is required.

If a PCF is not present or does not contain a response for a conﬁguration choice,

the default choice comes from one of two places:

• If the product database (PDB) contains an entry for the choice that was

made in a previous installation, then the PDB entry becomes the default

conﬁguration choice. It can be changed.

• If the PDB does not contain an entry for the choice, either because the

product was not previously installed or because this is a new choice, then the

default conﬁguration choice comes from the PDF. It can be changed.

3.7.4.1 Conﬁguration Options

Some options available for customizing the PCF are:

• Saving your answer. You can specify that your response to a question (rather

than the current default value) be stored in the PCF.

• Not saving your answer. When creating a PCF during an installation, you can

answer a question without recording your answer in the PCF. This is useful

for responding to questions that are speciﬁc to a single system or installation.

• Deferring a question so that it is asked again during a future installation.

For example, you might want an installer to verify that a particular response

is still valid for the systems on which each installation is being performed.

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