Managing a software repository

Pattern Management at its core involves the installation and configuration of software packages. In Managed services, the software repository is the node which serves the installation files to the Middleware Template Library installation. The software repository is used to store product binaries that are in compressed format or Installation Manager based repositories.

The software repository currently can hold two different types of product installation files. Product files that are compressed format (zip, tgz) and product binaries that require IBM Installation Manager to perform the installation.

Before you begin

You must have a software repository that is provisioned in the target cloud environment. By default, when the advanced content runtime is provisioned, a software repository is configured.

You must know the following values for the virtual system that is hosting the software repository.

IP address
- In the navigation bar, click Manage > Content Runtimes.
- Select the content runtime instance and from the Actions overflow menu, click View Details
- In the Overview section, scroll down and click on Output Variables.
- Search for ibm_sw_repo and this will contain the IP address of the software repository.
SSH Key or password to access the virtual system.
The root directory of the software repository on the virtual system. Default value is /opt/ibm/docker/software-repo/var/swRepo/private.
URL for the software repository. For example, https://<IP_address>:<port>/

Access to the necessary source software repositories from which installation and fix pack files are downloaded:

IBMid
Passport Advantage
Fix Central
Installation Manager repository

You must have a method to copy files externally to the software repository, either through a direct Internet facing connection or through an appropriate proxy server.

Software Repository Directory Structure

Product binary files must be placed in the correct location within the software repository for the Middleware Template Library content to locate the product binaries. The directory structure is determined by the Enterprise middleware Chef based cookbooks.

The root directory is /opt/ibm/docker/software-repo/var/swRepo/private and all software binaries reside within this directory structure. The correct directories may be found in the README.md for each of the cookbooks and must be manually created within the software repository. If you do not have access to the middleware Chef cookbooks, see Populating the software repository External link icon article for details.

The structure of the repository is as follows:

── <product_a>           Name of the software product
    ── <version 1>         Version of the software product
         ── base            Directory that contains the binaries for the full installation of the product.
         ── maint           Directory that contains the fixpack or product updates for the product.
    ── <version 2>
         ── base
         ── maint
── <product b>
    ── <version>
         ── base
         ── maint
── IMRepo                   Directory for Installation Manager binaries
    ── repository.config

What to do next

See Populating the software repository for uploading product binaries.