Configuring update manager

Before starting to manage updates, run the Settings function and the optional Getting Started With Updates wizard to customize your configuration.

About this task

Note:

This topic describes how to access this task in the IBM® Flex System Manager Web user interface. If you are using the IBM FSM Explorer, use the finder at the top of the user interface (shown here) to locate this task:

To specify settings, go to the Update Manager summary page, click Configure settings and complete the various tabs for your configuration.

Then, use the optional Getting Started With Updates wizard to accomplish the following tasks:

• Select a set of systems to monitor with compliance policies
• Create update groups for updates that are appropriate to the selected systems
• Configure Internet connectivity
• Run or schedule a check for updates

To run the Getting Started With Updates wizard, complete the following steps:

1. From the Home page in the web interface, click the Plug-ins tab; then, click Update Manager.
2. On the Update Manager summary page, click Optional: Getting started. The Getting Started With Updates wizard displays a welcome panel.
3. Optional: If you do not want to see the Welcome page next time, clear Show the welcome page next time.
4. Click Next. The Name and Description page is displayed.
5. Type a name and optional description for the update group that is to be created. This group is initially empty but will acquire the updates for the systems that were selected. It is also attached to these systems through a compliance policy. Update manager will monitor the systems and indicate when a system is missing a needed update from the group.
6. Click Next. The Systems page is displayed.
7. Optional: The IBM Flex System Manager is selected by default. Select it and click Remove if you do not want monitoring of this system.
8. Select at least one system, which must be accessible, and click Add. These systems will be automatically associated with an update group through system compliance policies. If a selected system cannot be monitored, an error message is displayed.
9. Click Next. The Connection page is displayed.
10. Indicate how the Internet is to be accessed to acquire updates:
    • Click Use direct connection if a direct Internet connection exists and you want it used.
    • Click Use Proxy server if your proxy server requires authentication. A proxy can be an HTTP proxy or a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) proxy, and must be configured and made available by your organization.
      1. Type the host name and port number of the proxy server.
      2. Click Authenticate using the following credentials if you want to access the proxy server with a user ID and password. Type the user ID and password for the proxy server.
    Note: To acquire updates, the IBM Flex System Manager must have Internet access. This access can be through a direct connection or through a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) proxy. If a connection is unavailable, updates can be imported.
11. Optional: Click Test Connection if you want to test the connection settings that you have specified.
12. Click Next. The Summary page is displayed.
13. This page lists the types of updates that will be added to the update group to monitor the selected systems, and when a check for updates is run. Verify the information on this page:
    • If the information is correct, click Finish. The common launch-task window is displayed to schedule an acquire updates for the selected systems. Schedule this task to run on a recurring basis, not just once.
    • If the information is incorrect, click Back to return to previous pages and correct the information.
14. Specify notification and schedule settings for the task that is being launched. In addition to launching a check for updates task, the wizard creates an update group using the default update criteria for the systems that were selected. A compliance check is created for each selected system to ensure that it complies with this newly created group.