invscout Command
Purpose
Surveys the host system for currently installed microcode or Vital Product Data (VPD).
Syntax
invscout [ -c ] -v [ -m machine_type_and_model ] [ -s serial_number ] [ -q ]
invscout [ -u [ mask] ] [ -e ] [ -r ] [ -m machine_type_and_model ] [ -s serial_number ] [ -catl microcode_catalog_path ] [ -q ]
invscout [ -U | -UF [ mask] ] [ -e ] [ -m machine_type_and_model ] [ -s serial_number ] [ -catl microcode_catalog_path ] [ -fl microcode_file_path ] [ -q ]
Description
The invscout command executes one instance of the stand-alone version of the Inventory Scout process. The invscoutd command starts the server daemon side of a client-server version.
The Inventory Scout process supports two survey types:
- Microcode Survey
- Vital Product Data (VPD) Survey ( -v)
Microcode Survey
A Microcode Survey gathers data from the host system on currently installed microcode for invscout-supported systems, devices and adapters. The following table describes the types of data that the Microcode Survey gathers and the files in which it stores the data.
File | Data stored | Associated flag | Display and print methods |
---|---|---|---|
Microcode Survey Upload File | A comparison of the gathered microcode levels and the latest levels available. | None. Use the invscout command with no flags to create a Microcode Survey Upload File. | Upload to a Web server over the Internet. |
Microcode Update Results Formatted Text Report File | Contains a subset of the information recorded
in the Microcode Survey Upload File. The subset includes the following
information:
|
Use the -U option to create a Microcode Update Results Formatted Text Report File. | Print or display on a monitor. |
Microcode Survey Results Formatted Text Report File | Contains a subset of the information recorded
in the Microcode Survey Upload File. The subset includes the following
information:
|
Use the -u flag to send the file to the screen from where you invoked the invscout command. | Print or display on a monitor. |
Microcode
Survey Formatted Text Report File Attention: The Microcode Survey Formatted Text Report File is deprecated.
Use the Microcode Survey Results Formatted Text Report File instead.
|
Contains a subset of the information recorded
in the Microcode Survey Upload File. The subset includes the following
information:
|
Use the -r flag
to send the file to the screen from where you invoked the invscout command. Attention: The -r flag is deprecated.
Use the –u option instead.
|
Print or display on a monitor. |
All of the previous reports can contain information on the following:
- system microcode
- service microcode
- device and adapter microcode
VPD Survey (-v)
A VPD Survey stores the system VPD in a VPD Survey Upload File that can be uploaded to a Web server via the Internet . Once on a Web server, a CGI forwards the file to a repository and produces a Web page indicating the status of the operation.
No formatted text report is available for VPD Surveys.
Survey Results Concatenation (-c)
- The version of the command executing the concatenation and the versions of the commands that produced the files to be concatenated must all be the same.
- Microcode Survey Upload Files cannot be concatenated with VPD Survey Upload Files.
- Versions 2.1.0.0 and subsequent versions of this command do not require concatenation of Microcode Survey Upload Files, because the files are processed locally.
To concatenate a set of existing Microcode Survey upload files, do the following:
- Copy the files into the Microcode Survey Concatenation Input Directory.
- Execute:
invscout -c
- Find the output Microcode Survey Concatenated Upload File in the same directory as the upload file for a Microcode Survey.
To concatenate a set of existing VPD Survey upload files, do the following:
- Copy the files into the VPD Survey Concatenation Input Directory.
- Execute:
invscout -v -c
- Find the output VPD Survey Concatenated Upload File in the same directory as the upload file for a VPD Survey.
Flags
Item | Description |
---|---|
-v | Sets the survey or concatenation type to VPD (the default is Microcode). |
-c | Concatenates existing survey upload files (the default is to perform a new survey). |
-r | For a Microcode Survey, sends a copy of the formatted text
report file to the screen from which the command was invoked. This
flag is ignored if either the -v or the -c flag is used. Attention: This flag is deprecated. Use the
–u option instead.
|
-m machine_type_and_model | For a VPD survey, allows input of the host platform machine type and model for hosts that use/require this information. |
-s serial_number | For a VPD survey, allows input of the host serial number for hosts that use or require this information. |
-catl microcode_catalog_path | Overrides the default location of the microcode catalog path. |
-g | Displays the versions of this command and of the logic database currently in use. |
-q | Suppresses most run-time messages. |
-h | Generates a help (usage) statement. If this flag is used, all other flags are ignored. |
-U mask | Updates devices with available microcode updates.
This flag requires that the following items exist on the system:
Valid options for mask include any combination of the following values:
|
-UF mask | Updates devices and the system firmware with
available microcode updates. This flag requires that the following
items exist on the system:
Valid options for mask include any combination of the following values:
|
-u mask | Generates a formatted text report that identifies
hardware for which microcode updates are available. This flag requires
that a valid catalog file exists on the system. Valid options for mask include any combination of the following values:
|
-fl microcode_file_path | Changes the default path name of the microcode files. These files are stored in an .rpm format. |
-e | Must be used with the –U, –UF, or -u flags. The -e flag sets catalog.mic and retrieves the updates from the fix central database. |
Exit Status
This command returns the following exit values:
Item | Description |
---|---|
0 | Indicates successful completion. |
Non-zero | Indicates an error occurred. |
If an error occurs, the command writes an error log.
Security
This command is owned by root, and is installed with the setuid bit ON so that any user can run it.
Examples
- To run one Microcode Survey and send the results to a formatted
text report file and an upload file, type:
invscout
- To run one VPD Survey and send the results to an upload file,
type:
invscout -v
- To concatenate previously produced Microcode Survey upload files
into a single upload file, type:
invscout -c
Note: Only applicable to Versions of this command prior to 2.1.0.0. - To concatenate previously produced VPD Survey upload files into
a single upload file, type:
invscout -v -c
Files
Item | Description |
---|---|
/usr/sbin/invscout | Contains the invscout command. |
/var/adm/invscout/host.mup | Microcode Survey Upload File. The host variable is the host name of the system represented in the file. |
/var/adm/invscout/host.vup | VPD Survey Upload File. The host variable is the host name of the system represented in the file. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.con.mup | Microcode Survey Concatenated Upload File. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.con.vup | VPD Survey Concatenated Upload File. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.err | Error log written if the command encounters an error. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.mic.con.inp | Microcode Survey Concatenation Input Directory. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.mrp | Microcode Survey Formatted Text Report File. |
/var/adm/invscoup/invs.murp | Microcode Update Results Formatted Text Report File. This file identifies hardware updates that have been successfully applied. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.murrp | Microcode Survey Results Formatted Text Report File. This file identifies hardware for which updates are available. |
/var/adm/invscout/invs.vpd.con.inp | VPD Survey Concatenation Input Directory |
/var/adm/invscout/invscout.log | Log file. |
/var/adm/invscout/microcode | Directory for microcode-related actions. Default location for microcode catalog file. |
/var/adm/invscout/microcode/catalog.mic | Default microcode catalog file. |
/var/adm/invscout/tmp | Holds invscout temporary files. All files in this directory are deleted at the start of every execution of this command. |