Image Catalog
Building an image catalog on the iSeries (thanks to Rob Berendt at Group Dekko Services, LLC for all the pointers)
Contents
Create Virtual Device
Create a virtual optical device to be used to contain the image catalog (you'll need to do this only once):
CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT) ONLINE(*YES)
TEXT('Virtual optical drive for image catalog')
Make the drive available (after you create it the first time only):
VRYCFG CFGOBJ(OPTVRT01) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)
Create Catalog
Create the image catalog to copy the images to:
CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) DIR('/fixes') CRTDIR(*YES)
TEXT('PTF image catalog')
Note: You have to either create the directory first OR use the CRTDIR(*YES)
option when you create the image catalog.
Load Images
At this point you will need to copy the images to the catalog folder using one of the following methods:
PTF's
- If you downloaded the images using the FTP commands sent to you when you ordered your PTF's (online) you will use the following command for each .bin (binary) file in the folder.
ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) FROMFILE('/fixes/TheFtp.binFileNameHere') TOFILE(*FROMFILE) REPLACE(*INSERT)
- It will register the existing bin file to the image catalog.
- This will save space by using only one copy of the image
- (the
TOFILE(*FROMFILE)
parameter will do this IF the folder referenced in theFROMFILE
is the same folder as identified in the DIR parameter in theCRTIMGCLG
command)
CD Images
- If you are copying the CD image to the catalog, use the following command:
ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(YourImageCatalogNameHere) FROMDEV(YourOpticalDevice NameHere)
- 'Load' the image catalog into your virtual drive:
LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) DEV(OPTVRT01)
.ISO files
- If you are copying an uploaded ISO image to the catalog, use the following command:
ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) FROMFILE('/fixes/TheUploaded.ISOFileNameHere') TOFILE(*FROMFILE)
You can convert a CD into a .iso with commercial products like Roxio or free ware like ISO Recorder (for Windows).
Linux systems can convert discs to .iso with the command
cat /dev/scd0 > /home/test.iso
Ubuntu comes pre-loaded with Brasero, a GUI utility that can carry out virtually any task involving optical media including creating ISO images.
Catalogs
Verify
- Verify that all is well with the loaded catalog:
VFYIMGCLG IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) TYPE(*PTF) SORT(*YES)
- Verify that all is well with the loaded catalog:
Work With
- Work with the contents of the image catalog
WRKIMGCLGE PTFCATALOG
(if you need to change something like the order of the images) - 'Load' the image catalog into your virtual drive:
LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) DEV(OPTVRT01)
- Work with the contents of the image catalog
Using a Catalog
Loading PTFs
Run your PTF option as follows, using the Virtual Optical drive ...
-
GO PTF
- option 8 (Install program temporary fix package)
Install Options for Program Temporary Fixes System: GDI Type choices, press Enter. Device . . . . . . . . . OPTVRT01 Name, *SERVICE Automatic IPL . . . . . . N Y=Yes N=No
You can load as many image catalogs as you want (as space permits) so that you could create a series of image catalogs for sequential loading as follows: Create the directories for the image catalog:
md '/fixes' md '/fixes/cume' md '/fixes/SF99529' md '/fixes/SF99269'
Create the image catalogs:
CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(CUME) DIR('/fixes/cume') CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(SF99529) DIR('/fixes/SF99529') CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(SF99269) DIR('/fixes/SF99269' ...
Add image catalog entries for each as listed above.
Then you just run multiple ...
-
LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(CUME) DEV(OPTVRT01) OPTION(*LOAD)
-
GO PTF
- Option 8
- no ipl
-
LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(CUME) DEV(OPTVRT01) OPTION(*UNLOAD)
-
LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(SF99529) DEV(OPTVRT01) OPTION(*LOAD)
-
GO PTF
- Option 8
- no ipl
-
LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(SF99529) DEV(OPTVRT01) OPTION(*UNLOAD)
... And so on.
Loading Other Software
Use LODRUN DEV(OPTVRT01) after mounting the particular image in the catalog you want to use.
Note: you have to manually change the mounted image (from another session) when a "mount next CD" prompt appears. Image catalogs will not automatically advance from one entry to the next, as they do for PTFs.