User`s guide

Machine Group Mapping
When you define an alternate patch location for a particular machine group, you must select that machine
group in VCM before you deploy the patches. If you do not select this machine group, VCM Patching will
not acknowledge the alternate patch location and the patches will not be deployed. The alternate patch
location is defined in Patching > VCM Patching Administration > Machine Group Mapping > Local
Patch Path.
Default Location for UNIX/Linux Patches
If you do not define an alternate location for the patches using Machine Group Mapping, the default
location of /tmp is used. A temporary expansion of the patches occurs in the /tmp directory.
Location for UNIX/Linux Patches
When patching UNIX/Linux machines, you must first copy the patches to a shared location, and then
specify the local patch path location. Click Patching and select VCM Patching Administration > Machine
Group Mapping.
Prerequisites to Patch in Single-user Mode on UNIX machines
If you will deploy patches in single-user mode on UNIX machines, you must perform several actions.
1. Store or extract the patches in a local location other than /tmp that will be accessible in single user-
mode.
2. If you did not manually extract the files in step 1, ensure enough disk space exists to extract the patches
in /var/tmp.
3. Set the machine group mapping to the patch path location where you have stored the patches.
4. To successfully deploy UNIX patches in single-user mode, the at daemon must be running on the
machines where patches are being deployed.
If you will deploy patches without changing the run level, you must perform several actions.
1. Store or extract the patches in a local location (not /tmp on Solaris as this directory will be cleaned out
upon reboots that may be initiated by the patches).
2. If you did not manually extract the files in step 1, ensure enough disk space exists to extract the patches
in /tmp (or /var/tmp on Solaris).
3. Set the machine group mapping to the patch path location where you have stored the patches.
4. To successfully deploy UNIX patches where a reboot is required or requested, the at daemon must be
running on the machines where patches are being deployed.
You must set the Machine Group mapping for VCM to the location of the patches during deployment.
Setting the machine group mapping is especially important when patching in single-user mode because
/tmp is not always available, and therefore cannot be relied upon for patching with VCM.
Machine Group mappings are not inherited. For example, if under the machine group called UNIX
Machines, you create a machine group called Solaris, the machine group mapping that exists for UNIX
Machines will not be applied to the Solaris machine group.
You can change the default machine group mapping for single-user mode by contacting VMware
Technical Support.
Prerequisites to Patch AIX machines
Getting Started with VCM Patching
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