SA Interview and the Core Definition File (CDF)

During installation, you are required to provide values for certain SA parameters that are used to configure your SA installation. This process is known as the SA Interview. The values you provide are saved to a Core Definition File (CDF).

SA creates the first CDF when you install the SA Primary Core. You will use this CDF later to add a Secondary Core for a Multimaster Mesh (multiple core SA installation) or perform an upgrade. See Reusing a Core Definition File (CDF). The CDF is saved in/var/opt/opsware/install_opsware/cdf/cdf_<timestamp>.xml.

In some cases, when you provide a parameter value, the SA Installer validates the response (for example, a directory or path that does not exist or an invalid value or range); you are asked to re-enter a value if the installer is not able to validate your response. Some parameters are also re-validated during the actual installation of the Core Components. If a response to a prompt cannot be validated at time of installation, the installer runs a mini-interview during which you can provide a valid response.

How and when CDFs are saved

During installation, the SA Installer saves a temporary CDF whenever you press c to continue on an action confirmation screen. For example, the Install Components screen:

Upgrade Components

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Components to be Upgraded

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Model Repository, First Core

Core Infrastructure Components

Slice

OS Provisioning Components

Software Repository - Content (install once per mesh)

Up-to-date Components (will not upgrade)

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Oracle RDBMS for SAS

Enter one of the following directives

(<c>ontinue, <p>revious, <h>elp, <q>uit): c

The temporary CDF is saved in /var/tmp/cdf_<timestamp>_temp.xml. This file can be used to resume an interrupted installation. See Restart an interrupted installation. This temporary file is updated as each component is processed thus maintaining the setup state as of the most recent action.

If you are concerned about security of CDFs, this file should be saved in a secure location or deleted. Before deleting, however, consider you may need to reuse the CDF in future for adding facilities, additional Slice Component bundles, upgrades and patching the SA Core or mesh.

Concluding the interview

After you have provided values for all the SA configuration parameters, the SA Installer automatically saves the CDF at the end of the installation. The location of the CDF is determined by following factors:

• If the infrastructure component bundle host is known at the point of exit, then the CDF is saved on that host under /var/opt/opsware/install_opsware/cdf as cdf.xml. CDF backups are saved as .cdf_<timestamp>.xml
• If the Infrastructure host is unknown at the point of exit, the CDF is saved as cdf_tmp.xml in /var/tmp on the server on which the installer was invoked.

Reusing a Core Definition File (CDF)

You can specify a CDF to use during the installation by invoking the installer using the
-c <cdf_filename> argument. The installer reads the contents of CDF and uses the parameter values stored in that file as the defaults. Use the latest CDF as determined by the time stamp. The CDF is saved as described in How and when CDFs are saved.