Using the custom repository setting feature

Utilizing the custom repository setting feature involves configuring a specific repository or source from which software or updates can be retrieved, allowing for greater flexibility and control over the update process.

Use the custom repository setting feature to create, update, or delete custom repository settings.

Note: The Custom repository setting feature is applicable only when the public download link is not available for the Fixlets.
  • The Windows 10 Feature Upgrade fixlets (Fixlet ID - 1110004 for example) in the Patches for Windows site.
  • The Java fixlets in the Updates for Windows Application site.

The custom repository setting feature provides an alternative to manual caching. Installers that are cached in the HCL BigFix server expire and are removed automatically. Use the feature to avoid downloading and manually caching the installers again when deploying Fixlets in the future. Instead, you can set installers to be cached to custom repositories. Another advantage to the feature is that it eliminates the need to rename files to sha1, which must be done in manual caching.

The feature uses the Custom Repository Setting (Windows) analysis to display the custom repositories that are used in your deployment. The following tasks are used to create, update, and delete the repository setting:
  • Create or Update Custom Repository Setting (Windows)
  • Delete Custom Repository Setting (Windows)
Note: It is not mandatory to enable the Custom Repository Setting (Windows) analysis to create or delete the custom repository setting.

Requirements

To use the custom repository setting feature, ensure that you meet the following requirements.

  • Use BigFix version 9.0 and later.
  • Subscribe to the Patching Support site.
  • Enable the following tasks:
    • Create or Update Custom Repository Setting (Windows)
    • Delete Custom Repository Setting (Windows)
  • Add the custom repository directory to the whitelist on the BigFix server. The whitelist is located at<BES Server Install Path>\Mirror Server\Config\DownloadWhitelist.txt. When the directory of the custom repository is not set in the whitelist, a download error indicates that the requested URL does not pass the deployment of the download whitelist.
You can host the Windows Custom Repository, which is a web server, on the BES Server or another server. To reduce limitations on server performance and disk size, it is highly suggested that users use a separate server.