Configuring a connection to an external Installation Manager repository

You can configure a connection to an external Installation Manager repository so that you can use software packages from the repository in virtual system patterns. The advantage to using an external Installation Manager repository is that you can use a single source for your Cloud Pak System Software for Power® environment and your other environments.

Before you begin

Confirm that your network is configured to allow a connection from Cloud Pak System Software for Power to the external Installation Manager repository.

In a multisystem environment, systems within the same subdomain must use the same repository if you want a pattern to use the repository across an Active/Active deployment scenario.

About this task

You must have the Workload resources administration with full permissions role to complete this task.

Note: If you configure a connection to an external Installation Manager repository and then later update the connection to a different external Installation Manager repository, users might see invalid error messages if the repositories contain different versions of installation packages. The versions for the software components that display in the Pattern Builder assets palette are generated from the installation packages that are in the Installation Manager repositories (both internal and external). These entries are cached at two levels: metadata for the packages and the Installation Manager repository query results. Both of these caches have a 30-minute default refresh interval. If you connect to a different external Installation Manager and attempt to create a pattern before the caches refresh, you might receive invalid error messages. The error messages that display for this scenario are similar to this message: Metadata of <asset name> cannot be loaded. Make sure you have accepted the licenses of the pattern type and enabled it. You can ignore this error message and proceed with the pattern creation and deployment.

Procedure

  1. Click Catalog > System Plug-ins.
  2. Select the Virtual System Pattern Type.
  3. Select the vsys.im plug-in.
  4. Click Configure.
    1. Specify the External Repository URL.
    2. Specify the User Id and Password for the repository user.
    3. Click Update.
  5. Optional: Click Test Connection to confirm that the connection to the repository works.

Results

Cloud Pak System Software for Power is connected to the external Installation Manager repository. Software packages from this repository can be used with virtual system patterns.

When a virtual system pattern that uses a software package from the Installation Manager is deployed, the Installation Manager client is automatically installed on the virtual machine. This client is used to install the specified software from the Installation Manager repository.

What to do next

You can search for available packages in the repository by clicking the Search Respository icon on the toolbar.