Creating custom VBScript collectors specific to a product and product version

When you create custom product-specific VBScript collectors, the file name must be the same product code as the configuration file and stored in the/Windows subdirectory. The collector can contain code to gather actual values for one or many prerequisite properties. It can also use the common functions and sub routines to gather those values if required.

1. Create a VBScript file. Save the file in the ips_root/Windows directory, with a variant of the following file naming convention:

   product_code[_version].vbs

   Where:
   • product_code

     It is the variable to represent a product code on either Windows or UNIX systems. Product codes identify the product and optionally the version of the operating system that is supported by that product. They are stored in the codename.cfg file. A product that supports multiple platforms might have multiple product codes, with each one identifying a product, platform, and version of the operating system as required.

   • version is the 8-digit code to represent the version, release, modification, and level, with 2 digits for each part of the code; for example, 7.3.21 is 07032100.
2. Using a VBScript editor, open the file and include the path to the common_function.vbs if you must use common functions, as follows:

   Include("..\lib\common_function.vbs")

3. If you must use the values of the PATH and -p flag that is passed from the Prerequisite Scanner, then use Wscript.Arguments() where Wscript.Arguments(0) is the value for PATH. Wscript.Arguments(1) is the -p flag and its values.
4. Add the code to obtain the value for the prerequisite property by using VBScript COM and functions to access elements of the Windows environment. Run in the Windows Script Host environment. Ensure the check returns standard output as follows:

   WScript.Echo "property_name=" & var_for_value

   • property_name that represents the prerequisite property as written in the configuration file, for example, env.tcrhome.
   • var_for_value, that is, the VBScript variable for the actual value that the collector obtains for the prerequisite property.
   To check the available disk space for the installation directory for a product. For example, to check for Tivoli® Monitoring for Energy Management Reporting and Optimization by using the getValue() sub routine, where the prerequisite property is InstallDir:

   Set wshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
   'Check the disk space for the installation path that is passed as
    the value for the PATH argument 
   installPath = Wscript.Arguments(0)
   sInstallPath= "InstallDir="
   Wscript.Echo "installation path    : " & installPath
   set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
   
   getValue fso, sInstallPath, installPath
   
   'Common sub routine
   Sub getValue(fso, sKey, drvPath)
       Wscript.Echo "getValue(" & skey & "," & drvPath & ")"
   			If fso.driveExists(fso.getDriveName(drvPath))  then
   			    Set disk = fso.GetDrive(fso.getDriveName(drvPath))
            'Value returned is in bytes.  Convert to MB
            cSize = CLng((disk.FreeSpace/1024)/1024) & "MB"
   		       WScript.Echo sKey & cSize
   		  Else
   					Wscript.Echo " Disk for " & sKey & " -> " & drvPath & " does not exist"
   			End If	
   End Sub 

5. Create a batch file to call the VBScript collector. The batch file must have the same name as the configuration file and a .bat extension, product_code[_version].bat, as follows:

   @echo off
   
   set CMD_LINE_ARGS=
   :setArgs
   if ""%1""=="""" goto doneSetArgs
   set CMD_LINE_ARGS=%CMD_LINE_ARGS% %1
   shift
   goto setArgs  
   :doneSetArgs
   
   cscript.exe //nologo collector_file_name.vbs %CMD_LINE_ARGS%

6. Run the VBScript collector to ensure that there are no runtime errors and debug as necessary.
7. Create a custom evaluator only if the standard compare functions cannot compare the actual and expected values.