Creating the final package

Available from 9.2.5. Gather all scan results and compress them into a ZIP package that can be imported to BigFix Inventory.

Note: This task is optional, because it can be completed by an automated script. Use it only for advanced scenarios.

About this task

BigFix Inventory does not import single scan results, but rather a whole package that has the right file name and format. The package must contain the following files: computer.yml, catalog_scan.xml, capacity.zip, isotag_scan.[zip|tar.gz|tgz], package_scan.xml and source.zip. It must be copied to your disconnected scans directory that you added as a data source.

Considerations
  • If you upload a package with older results, the current ones are overwritten.
  • Discovered software is reported with the import time, not the package timestamp.
  • Import only one package per endpoint. Otherwise, capacity results might be skipped.
  • Processed packages are not removed from your disconnected scans directory. The ones already imported are skipped.

Procedure

  1. Compress the /source directory, in which you store signatures, into the source.zip package, and copy it to the /scans directory.
  2. In the /scans directory, create a computer.yml file, and fill it in like in the following example:
    endpointID: 6552CFF-5
Agent Version: IBM_doc_v.1.0
Catalog Version: 1250110.0
Operating System: IBM i V7R1M0 PowerPC 64
DNS Name: NC198511
Computer Name: NC198511
IP Address: 198.51.100.0
    Where:
    • endpointID - (mandatory) Unique ID of your computer. It must contain the hardware serial number and LPAR ID in the <HWSerial>-<LparID> format, for example 6552CFF-5. You can retrieve these values from the results of the capacity scan.
    • Agent Version - (optional) You can use this parameter to describe a way that you used to create the final package. For example, if you used the manual procedure, you can call it IBM_doc_v.1.0, or choose other names for automated processes. This information can be used for troubleshooting failing imports.
    • Catalog Version - (optional) Versions of the software catalog and its custom content, separated with a dot (.), for example 1250110.0. You can view the versions in BigFix Inventory by going to Management > Catalog Upload.
    • Operating System - (mandatory) Operating system of your computer. It must start with IBM i, but you can add more information, and have it displayed in the user interface. You can retrieve information about the name, version, and architecture from the results of the capacity scan.
    • DNS Name - (optional) Domain name, used for identification. It can be the same as Computer Name.
    • Computer Name - (mandatory) Name of your computer, used for identification.
    • IP Address - (optional) IP address of your computer, used for identification.
  3. Compress the /scans directory into a ZIP package, and rename it to <UTC_DATE>-<endpointID>.zip, for example 201510191213-6552CFF-5.zip, where:
    • UTC_DATE - Date of scan in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). It must have the following format: YYYYMMDDHHMM. The file name must start with this timestamp to ensure correct ordering.
    • endpointID - The same endpoint ID that you used in the computer.yml file. It is required to distinguish between various packages and computers.
  4. Copy the ZIP package into your disconnected scans directory that you added as a data source in BigFix Inventory. The package is imported to BigFix Inventory after you run a data import.
  5. Run a data import.

Results

During the data import, BigFix Inventory checks the directory that you added as a data source and imports all scan packages that meet the requirements. Scan results are processed and displayed on reports in the user interface.

Files from processed packages are saved in installation_directory/wlp/usr/servers/server1/tmp/datasources/Datasource_ID.