Installation guide

Table Of Contents
Procedure
1. On the patching repository machine, download the runtime properties files tarball from the same Web
site where you downloaded the SCR Tool tarball or zip file.
2. Extract the contents of the runtime properties tarball into the /SCR/conf directory.
The properties files must be named as follows.
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AIX-rt.properties
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HPUX-rt.properties
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logging.properties
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MAC-rt.properties
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SOLARIS-rt.properties
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REDHAT-rt.properties
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SUSE-rt.properties
3. To modify the runtime properties files that you extracted from the tarball, use the Software Content
Repository Tool Guide.
IMPORTANT Do not change the file names of the extracted runtime properties files.
What to do next
Configure the Red Hat Linux alternate location repository machines, including the communication
protocol. See "(Optional) Configuring the Alternate Location Patch Repository Machines" on page 161.
(Optional) Configuring the Alternate Location Patch Repository Machines
To patch managed machines in a distributed patching environment, you configure one or more Red Hat
Linux 6, 64-bit machines as alternate location patch repositories to store copies of the Linux and UNIX
patches for VCM to deploy to managed machines.
To determine which alternate location to use to copy patches to the managed machines, VCM uses the
machine group mapping. The alternate location machine does not require the VCM Agent to be installed.
The VCMAgent on the target managed machine obtains the patches from the alternate location machines.
CAUTION To ensure security in a geographically distributed Linux and UNIX patching
environment, the credentials that you use to transfer patches from the patching repository to the
alternate location must differ from the credentials that you use to copy patches from the alternate
location to the target managed machines. The credentials used to transfer patch files to the alternate
location must have read and write privileges. Use read-only credentials to stage patches from an
alternate location to a managed machine.
Prerequisites
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When you set up a patching repository machine and alternate location machines, you must ensure that
users have proper permissions and protocols configured to read patches from the patching repository
machine and write patches to the alternate location machines. See "Communication Protocols to Stage
Linux and UNIX Patches" on page 159.
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Decide which protocol to use to copy patches from the alternate location machines to the target
managed machines. To configure the protocol, see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2051632 and the Red Hat
Linux information online.
Patching Managed Machines
VMware, Inc.
161