Patching with SWA

[panks]

I have downloaded and installed SWA. Could you pls guide me, how I can use that for downloading the patches and install it in the system. I recently installed HP RX 8640 and want to install the latest patch level.
Please guide me how I can use the swa for this.

Thanks

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi:

There is some good documentation here:

http://docs.hp.com/en/5992-3930/index.html

You should find a template as:

# /etc/opt/swa/swa.conf.template

I begin with a '.swa.conf' file that looks like this:

user_dir = /var/opt/swa/.swa
analyzers = QPK CRIT PCW SEC
catalog_max_age = 0
inventory_max_age = 0
html_report = ~/.swa/report/swa_report.html
allow_existing_depot = false

...This allows me to report (and later collect) the Quality Packs, critical patches, patches with warnings and security-relatated information for a server.

Regards!

...JRF...

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi (again):

Sorry, I meant to add that to use this configuration I basically do:

# swa clean all -v

...to cleanup from previous runs...

# swa report

...which builds '.swa/report/swa_report.html' --- the reported analysis

# swa get -v -t /patches/swdepot

...which fetches the QPK patch bundles, replacement patches *and* any other patches as performed by the ' swa report ' above. The downloaded software is cached in '/var/opt/swa/cache'. A log 'var/opt/swa/swa.log' is created. After the software is downloaded, it is copied to the 'swdepot' depot and registered. My '/patches' directory is a mounted filesystem of about 4GB.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Bob E Campbell]

We hope to release an updated admin guide soon that should help explain. For now, this is the "ridiculously quick start guide".

First, swa has man pages and syntax at any level can be checked using the "-?" option. Start be reviewing the swa-report(1M) man page.

SWA requires a data file from both HP (catalog) and your system (inventory). Once these files are together on a system running SWA an analysis can be performed and reports and depots generated.

To start try the command:

# swa report -a SEC -a QPK -a PCW -a CRIT

This will issue an analysis of the local system looking for security bulletins, QPK updates, critical patch warnings, and missing critical fixes.

You can then generate a depot containing the identified patches and QPK bundles using the command:

# swa get -t /your_depot_here

This form of the command will get whatever the last "swa report" identified. Be aware that the SEC analyzer will also report product updates and other manual actions that SWA cannot automatically address at this time.

I recommend that you look at the HTML version of the reports that is automatically generated at /.swa/report/swa_report.html. It includes links to the full patch and bulletin text.

Lots of support for proxies, indirect internet access, and analyzing remote systems. Give it a try and come back to the forums to let all know how it works for you!