HP POLYCENTER Software Installation Utility Developer's Guide

This "POLYCENTER Software Installation Utility Developer’s Guide" (January 2005) is intended for individuals responsible for packaging software products for OpenVMS systems using the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility.

The guide describes the process of creating installable software kits, which involves six main steps:

1. Planning: Determine product requirements and installation characteristics.
2. Gathering Product Material: Collect all files and command procedures for installation.
3. Creating a Product Description File (PDF): Use Product Description Language (PDL) to define files, managed objects (directories, accounts, libraries), configuration options, and software/hardware requirements.
4. Creating a Product Text File (PTF) (Optional): Provide brief and detailed textual information about the product, including identification, copyright, and installation messages.
5. Packaging Components: Use the PRODUCT PACKAGE command to bundle the PDF, PTF, and product material into a single .PCSI container file (sequential, compressed, or reference format).
6. Testing and Debugging: Verify installation and removal using PRODUCT INSTALL, PRODUCT SHOW, and PRODUCT REMOVE commands, leveraging debugging tools like /LOG and /TRACE.

Key concepts covered include:

• Product Database (PDB): A repository of information about installed products, managed objects, and operation history.
• Managed Objects: Entities like files, directories, and accounts that the utility directly creates and manages. The guide explains conflict detection and resolution using generation numbers.
• Kit Types: Full, Operating System, Platform (product suite), Partial, Patch, Mandatory Update, and Transition kits, each serving different purposes for installation or updates.
• Product Description Language (PDL): The language used for PDF statements, including PRODUCT, FILE, MODULE, SOFTWARE, OPTION, IF, and various EXECUTE statements for running custom command procedures at specific installation phases (e.g., preconfigure, install, postinstall, abort, reboot, upgrade, undo).
• Utility-Defined Logical Names: Special logical names like PCSI$SOURCE, PCSI$DESTINATION, and PCSI$SCRATCH are defined for use by command procedures during execution.
• VMSINSTAL Migration: An appendix details how to migrate from the older VMSINSTAL utility to POLYCENTER.